Bride Rovers

Lotto Jackpot at €21,000...

With no winner of the Lotto Jackpot of €20,800 on Tuesday May 31^st the new Jackpot for last Tuesday June 7^th was a huge €21,000. Under the old Rules for Club Lotteries the maximum Jackpot allowed was €20,000. This legislation has now been changed and updated and that’s why our Jackpot continues to grow. The five numbers drawn on the last day of May were1, 11, 16 an17. Congrats also to our lucky dip €30 cash winners: Martin McCarthy Watergrasshill Eleanor Cary Monanig Patrick O Leary Glenagoul Pat Mannix Bartlemy and Brendan McCarthy Ballyhooly. If your ticket has expired or you would like to purchase for the first time, please enter via http://bit.ly/BrideRoversLotto

We would like to wish you the best of luck. Please ‘spread the news’ about the Bride Rovers weekly Lotto amongst family members and work colleagues at home and abroad. All finance raised will go towards our developments plans for the 13 acres of land the club has acquired at Ballybrowney including 3 pitches, dressing rooms, parking and a walkway for the community. #futurerovers. Every Ticket sold for €2 helps!

RED FM Co. Senior Hurling League.

GREAT EFFORT v SARS.

Our senior hurlers travelled to Riverstown at the weekend to play Sarsfields in Rd 7 of the Red FM Senior Hurling League. Table toppers Sarsfields are unbeaten in the league amassing an incredible average of over 30 points per game so a tough game was expected. Sarsfields started the stronger and scored 2 goals in the opening 10 minutes to lead 2-04 to 0-2.

Gradually the Rovers grew into the game and with Conor Barry unerring from frees and further points from Paddy O Flynn, Shane O Connor, DJ Cahill & Conleith Ryan, the half time score was 2-10 to 0-10 in favour of the home team.

Sarsfields started the 2nd half with a brace of points, Adam Walsh got one back for the Rovers. Our defence was under pressure from the formidable Sars forwards but denied them many scoring opportunities. A third goal by Sars with time nearly up completed the scoring, Sarsfields winning on a scoreline of 3-20 to 0-14. Team: C Hogan, D Barry, S Walsh, J Mannix, P O Flynn, R O Connell, S O Connor, K Kearney, C Hazelwood, DJ Cahill, C Ryan, A Walsh, M Collins, C Barry, W Finnegan. Subs used: J O Keeffe, J Pratt. Our next Senior hurling game is a challenge match v Bishopstown on Friday 10th June at 7.30pm in Rathcormac.

MORE SCRAP.

We had a second and very successful Scrap Metal Collection on Friday last. Thanks to all who donated material on this occasion. WE will arrange a further collection date once we have sufficient material accumulated. Please ring John at 087 9538077 (Bartlemy area) or Tom 086 8453364 (Rathcormac area) if you have suitable material. If people are unable to bring material themselves we will endeavour to arrange collection.

REBEL OG UNDER 14 FOOTBALL.

Bride Rovers under 14s played their championship football semi-final on Wednesday last against near neighbours Castlelyons. The game was just a week after losing our first round in the hurling so it was a quick turnaround for the lads. Having already played Castlelyons in the league campaign in hurling the teams’ football rivalry continued where it left off last year with a highly competitive match played in Pyne's Pitch. Castlelyons stormed into an early lead with the Bride Rovers lads not at the pitch of the game and only woke from their slumber about 20 minutes in. At that stage Castlelyons had a commanding 3 goal lead and the writing appeared to be on the wall. However, the work rate improved from the boys and with it they gained the ascendency scoring 2 goals before half time. The scoreline at the break was Castleyons 4-1 Bride Rovers 2-1. The second half was a different fixture to the one played in the first half with the momentum now going with the Rovers’ lads. They were starting to work the ball out of defence allied to some good interplay between midfielders and forwards; this allowed the scores to start going over. By 10 minutes into the second half they had overturned the deficit and by 20 minutes had a commanding lead. Castlelyons though never gave up and scored a goal late in the game. Overall, the 14s were delighted with the win resulting from the increase in intensity in the second half. Final score: Bride Rovers 7-7 Castlelyons 6-2. St Catherines await in the final in Dungourney on Sunday evening at 6.30pm after their comprehensive 23 point defeat of Lisgoold. Bride Rovers Panel: Adam Kelleher, David Dixon, Con McCormack, Eoghan Buckley, Jamie Walsh, Èanna Lyons, James Finn, Darragh O’Farrell, Jack Lynch, James Larkin, Garry Quirke, Michael Gubbins, Matthew Kenny, Denis Fitzgerald, Owen Ryan, Cathal Barry, Micheal Walsh, Finn O’Driscoll & Mark Hynes. Well done lads, to come from 9 points down was some feat. Remember the line in ‘Bride Rovers Abu’- ‘when hot grew that fight those hearts grew more eager.’

UNDER 15 FIXTURES

U15 Hurling Div 1 league match v Donoughmore at home in Pairc Na Bride 22^nd June 7pm

U15 Football Div 1 Football league match v Clyda Rovers at home in Pynes 29^th June at 7pm.

CORK DOUBLE?? Well after Cork beat Louth last Saturday and were drawn v Limerick at home next Sunday what are the odds now on Cork winning Liam and Sam this year? Interestingly Limerick, Clare and Galway are still also in with a Double Dream.

UNDER 10’s BACK IN ACTION.

The under 10s had a weekend off last weekend due to the Bank Holiday weekend. Training on Wednesday nights continues. This week it’s football at 6 pm and is preparation for an away game on Saturday next June 11^th against Inniscarra.

UNDER 17 DRAWS MADE.

On last Thursday night Rebel Og live streamed the championship Draws. In under 17 Premier 2 Hurling there 12 teams taking part. The clubs split into three groups of 4.
In our section we have Mallow. Newtownshandrum and St Catherines, a tough group but then at Premier Level there are no soft draws. In the under 17 football we are in the EastDivision Division 2. Here there are 8 teams so 2 groups of 4. We have Fr O Neills, Youghal and Cobh.Dates and Venues for all these games to be confirmed during the week. Our next match is the Premier 2 Hurling league shield semi final away to Killeagh on June 24 at 7pm.

CUL CAMP 2022.

Great news about our 2022 Cul Camp as the booking was very brisk and the places filled up very quickly. This year it will start on Monday July 25^th and go on until the following Friday July 29th. The Camp will still have to comply with all the rules and regulations for such gatherings. The planning work is ongoing. It will probably take between 50 and 70 volunteers to make the Cul camp work as smoothly as last year.

JUNIOR A FOOTBALL FIXED.

Our first round game in the 2022 JAFC in East Cork v Cloyne has been fixed for Friday June 24th 8pm, venue to be finalised

IT’S CORK AND ANTRIM IN BELFAST.

They say ’an rud is annamh is iontach what’s rare is wonderful and meetings of Cork and Antrim in Senior Hurling are indeed a rarity. Now the counties have met in Quarter Finals and Semi finals down the years but having the game in Belfast is unique. This will be the ninth championship meeting between the two counties, the first was in 1906, and Cork have won them all. These games were all played in Croke Park (‘Jones’ Road’ in 1906) so next Saturdays game in Corrigan Park in West Belfast will be very different. Antrim beast Kerry in the McDonagh Cup Final in Croker last Saturday. Their ‘reward’ for that win is home venue in an All Ireland Preliminary Quarter Final game against the third placed team in Munster- Cork. I know many Cork supporters will make the journey North for this special fixture in the Club Grounds of the St. John’s Club. Hopefully Brian and Eoin Roche will be involved with the Rebels. The winners of Cork v Antrim face Galway the weekend of June 17^th/18^th.

Cork v Antrim -interesting Snippets.

In 2021 our own Conleith Ryan played Senior Hurling with his mother Josies Home Club, Robert Emmetts of Cushendun. Many Antrim Cubs are named after Historic and Patriotic figures -Robert Emmetts, Shane O Neills, Roger Casements, Patrick Pearses, Wolfe Tones, Michael Davitts, John Mitchells, Kickhams and O Donovan Rossas. Back in 1998 two Bride Rovers Hurlers lined out with the Cork Senior Hurling team in Belfast. On Saturday October the 10^th of that year our Junior Hurling team qualified for the County Final after a thrilling win over Ballinascarthy in Pairc Ui Rinn. Behind by 1 9 t 0 4 early in the second half we came back to win by 1 14 to 1 13 in a welter of excitement. It took the lads a long time to reach the dressing rooms with the excitement. Then County Secretary Frank Murphy arrived and asked Barry Murphy and Niall Fitzgerald to travel that evening to Belfast to play with Cork at a Pitch Opening the next day. Off the two boys went. They eventually made it to Belfast on the Sunday morning. Cork beat an Ulster Selection by three points in a game to mark the opening of the St Theresa’s Grounds McDonnell/Doherty Park. In 1970 Cork hurler Justin McCarthy, who suffered a broken leg in a motorbike accident just before the 1969 all Ireland Final, coached Antrim Intermediate Hurlers to bet Warwickshire in the All Ireland Final. Niall Patterson was goalie when Loughiel Shamrocks won the Club All Ireland in 1983 and played v Tipperary in the1989 Senior Final, has just launched his new book about hurling ‘Field Of Brothers’. Midleton Undertaker Jerry Wallis was appointed Antrim Hurling Manager in 2011

HISTORY OF CORRIGAN PARK.

Corrigan Park is a Gaelic games ground on the Whiterock Road in West Belfast that served as the main venue for GAA in Belfast until the opening of Casement Park in 1953. It is named in honour of Sean Corrigan, mentor of the Brian Óg club who were Antrim's first hurling champions. In 2021 following extensive renovations which included the construction of a 600 seat stand and terracing, the capacity of the park increased from 2,100 to 3,700.Corrigan Park was named after John Corrigan who had served the Gaelic Athletic Association in a number of roles and had dedicated his life to the furtherance of its ideals. John resided in the Kashmir Road which runs off the Springfield Road in West Belfast. He joined the Brian Og Club in 1901 and down to his organising ability they made rapid progress winning their first Antrim County Hurling Championship in the same year, they won it again in 1909. John became Secretary of the Brian Og club but his talents and dedication got him elected as secretary of the South Antrim Committee. He went on to become Ulster Secretary, Antrim Delegate to Central Council and Congress. During his period of office Antrim Senior Footballers won the Ulster Senior Football Championship on five consecutive years 1909 — 1913. John died in 1916 and his death was undoubtedly hastened by his arduous work and travel for the Gaelic Athletic Association. To truly appreciate the sacrifice and extent of his work , it is essential to recall the poverty and turmoil in Belfast at that time and the difficulty any form of travel presented to the unfortunate traveller. A great self-sacrificing Gael who earned the respect of all Antrim Gaels and deserved the accolade of Corrigan Park being named in his honour. He should not be forgotten. Before Corrigan Park was acquired, Gaelic games were mainly played in Shaun’s Park known in later years as Mc Rory Park. Two pitches were also laid out just off the Glen Road where Norfolk Drive and Parade are now situated. Owing to shortage of playing areas many leagues were left unfinished. Unemployment was rife especially among the nationalist population and there was little money to purchase a ground. Many money raising schemes were tried one of the most successful was one that guaranteed free admission to all games in the new ground, the cost £10.

WELL DONE BEAL ATHA AN GAORTHAIDH.

Well done to Blallingeary on winning their first ever Comortais Pil ne Gaeltachta in Galway on Monday when they defeated Naomh Conaill of Donegan sa cluiche ceannais. The two Shorten brothers on the side are grand nephews of Paddy Cronin NT who taught in Bartlemy NS in the 1950's and was local GAA Club Secretary. Paddy won an All Ireland SF title with Cork in 1945.

FIXTURES.