Padraig Boyle a serious injury doubt for Ballyduff, could level the playing pitch a bit further in your analysis of the Causeway v Ballyduff clash Julio
I rate St Brendans( Ardfert) bit more than you Julio, though an injury to Nathan OâDriscoll in the last fortnight that looks season ending has me a bit cooler on them. I predicted a Kilmoyley v St Brendans final if they avoid each other at QF\SF stage here a few weeks ago so must stick to that. If they meet in a SF well then the winner of that wins the final. I tipped St Brendans at the outset for the championship and I will stay with it
But to be honest I havent really a clue, it is wide open
Crotta got rode with the Cillian Trant situ, he didnt play v St Brendans in the first group match and gave a tour de france v Ballyduff in the 2nd match. He should have played v St Brendans in the first match. He was unused sub the previous day for the Kerry footballers v Meath, no reason why he couldnt have played hurling the following day. For the next match he wasnt named in the Kerry 26 v Cavan and played hurling the following day for Crotta, he should have played the first day as well and they might actually have beaten Brendans
They were in the strongest group with St Brendans and Ballyduff and might have qualified if they had Trant first day out. Crotta would defo qualified out of the other groups Trant or no Trant. Their exit at the group stage is a big gun gone
Of the 6 teams left @ the knock out stage, only Causeway look like a team that you could discount as winners and even then they could rise a gallop to knock out Ballyduff owing to intense internal parish rivalry
We really havent a clue who will win it, even if Julio and I had a stab at predictions
They amalgamated for hurling but have the safety net of having their own clubs still exist by entering teams in the junior football. This way they keep their identity alive as standalone entities. They also get All Ireland tickets.
Thereâd be folk in either side who wouldnât trust the amalgamation fully still. Same in Borris Kilcotton. Suppose it helps managing both grounds too. The football would be an afterthought.
The Wexford hurling championships got under way last weekend. Hard to fully buy into the pig of a format that means nobody is eliminated in the group stage but if the extra hurling has a beneficial impact at inter-county level then itâll be worth it I suppose. I was a fan of the 4 from 6 format which usually meant that you needed 3 wins from 5 to be certain of progression. The final day of the 2022 group stages was epic with a plethora of permutations at hand in an even championship.
Richie Power got off to a winning start with Shelmaliers in their game in Wexford Park against the Rapps. Conor Hearne continued his impressive form for Wexford by reeling off 5 points from play within the first 25 mins. Rapps hung in there aided by a bizarre goal when Oisin Pepperâs shot hung in the wind and landed into the net while Shels net-minder John Sunderland was reaching for his hurl and sliothar to take the next puckout. Liam Ryan wasnât playing for the Rapps but his inter-county teammate Kevin Foley contributed 1-1 in defeat. Power came across well in the post-match interview with Liam Spratt and said heâs glad heâll be sitting in the Hogan Stand on Sunday. 0-21 to 2-14.
St Martinâs recently beat Rathnure in the Division 1 league final and flexed their muscles with a facile win against a Faythe Harriers team missing star names Lee Chin and Richie Lawlor. No team has successfully defended their title since Oulart in 2015 and 16â but the Martinâs are well positioned to change that this year. Rory Oâ Connor scored 5 from play and when the likes of Aaron Maddock and Joe Coleman are featuring on the 2nd team then you know thereâs serious depth there. Alex Lafferty scored 0-4 in that recent league final and looks to be a newcomer with potential. The only blot on the proverbial copy book would be Jack Oâ Connorâs red card when the game was finished as a contest. 1-26 to 0-12.
The other game in the group saw Glynn-Barntown storm back to beat Oulart by the minimum (1-20 to 1-19). The extended highlights of this game are up on Clubber. What a resource it is for anyone with a dodgy box or whoâs legally paying for it. @Bandage may not have been able to watch Wexford v Kilkenny in the Leinster senior hurling championship but he can watch Clongeen v Duffry Rovers in the Intermediate A (3rd tier) parochial hurling championship. Simon Roche scored 0-6 for Oulart and was a constant thorn in Glynnâs side but veteran John Leacy was very accurate on deadballs and Darragh Carley went on a scoring streak from centre-back when the game was in the melting pot at the end. A real smash and grab for Glynn that may just help them avoid the relegation play-off in the coming months. But sure Ballyhale won All-Ireland clubs from the relegation play-off in the identical Kilkenny format.
In Group A Conor McDonald scored a goal very reminiscent of John Hetherthonâs against Limerick to help Naomh Ăanna to a 3-12 to 0-16 victory over Ferns. J.J Twamley is back from long-term injury and contributed 1-2. The kind of form which had him on the Wexford U20 team two years ago. I have an inkling that Rathnure wouldâve won the Intermediate All-Ireland last year but for their two controversial red cards in Portlaoise against Tynagh-Abbey/Duniry and they settled back into senior with a convincing 3-19 to 1-12 victory over Crossabeg-Ballymurn. Wexford Senior panellist Jack Redmond scoring 0-7 from play. Both Foleyâs PĂĄdraig and Oisin were in action for C/B.
Dessie Mythen is no longer at the helm in Oylegate and they succumbed to a timid 0-20 to 0-11 defeat against last years beaten finalists St Anneâs. The only caveat for the losers was the absence of Damien Reck.
Intermediate:
AodĂĄn Witty scored a hat-trick including one where he hilariously rolled underneath the keeper to evade him but it wasnât enough for Craanford as they lost out to Tara Rocks in a local derby by 2-25 to 3-17. Teenager Darragh Gethingâs hit the net twice for the victors. Newly promoted Liam Mellows (Castletown) acquitted themselves well as they shared the spoils with HWH Bunclody for whom Aidan Nolan contributed 0-10. Wexford footballer Jack Higgins is equally adept at hurling as he scored 1-2 and you can see why they went so close to winning the Leinster junior final last autumn. Buffers Alley are franked by a group who won an U21 premier title last year and theyâll be pleased with a 5-15 to 1-21 opening round triumph over Fethard for whom Cian Byrne scored 1-14. But that game belonged to young TomĂĄ Walsh who scored 3-4 for the victors. He was part of the aforementioned U21 crew.
Cloughbawn have become the yo-yo team who fluctuate between senior and intermediate and that showed no signs of abating as they steamrolled Horeswood 4-31 to 0-7. Connal Flood hitting 2-5. Conor Foleyâs absence may partly explain that hammering. But St James are missing Matthew Oâ Hanlon all year and managed to reach a league final and secure a point when they draw 2-13 to 1-16 against Blackwater. Michael Lillis must be pushing up on 40 at this stage but he still rolled back the years with 1-9 for Blackwater. Meanwhile Shane Tompkins of the Wexford hurling podcast âwhat did Shane Tompkins sayâ segment made the highlight reel with a dummy before pointing in Askamoreâs 0-20 to 0-13 win against Gusserane. Former Wexford hurler PJ Nolan was a great success as sweeper apparently. They play local rivals Bunclody next.
Intermediate A:
Adamstown were convincing winners against Cushinstown in the John Mullane Derby. Heâs now over the latter. Clongeen are better known for their football exploits over the years but they ousted the Duffry Rovers by 4-10 to 1-15. The Martinâs 2nd team annihilated Geraldine Oâ Hanrahans of New Ross by 3-29 to 0-13. FOTF and commentator Peter Mernagh racked up 0-15 in a junior match but didnât feature in Monageerâs first teams 2 point victory over Davidstown, while Taghmonâs decline from a county intermediate final appearance 3 years ago continued with a 2-16 to 2-12 defeat against St Maryâs Rosslare.
The Carlow SHC begins this weekend. Although with 4 from 5 advancing to the semi-finals itâs not exactly cut throat. Bagenalstown v Myshall this weekend already has the look of a pivotal game assuming both MLR and St Mullinâs are exempt from the scramble for the other two places. Ballinkillen get a sighter at Rangers tomorrow. Rangers own 10 point success in the Bolger Cup final is the only real pre-season form of any kind to go on. And even then they were missing a good chunk more of their team than Bagenalstown when doing so. With Paul Oâ Brien staying on for a 4th year at the helm, theyâll feel they have some unfinished business and donât be surprised to see them walking up the podium to collect the senior hurling title at St Mullins expense in late August. But as long as St Mullins have a forward line containing Mouse, James Doyle, Conor Kehoe and Paddy Boland then they can never be discounted. Jason Oâ Neill is away travelling this year which is a blow for them.
Carlow Town and Naomh BrĂd are the only two teams with 100% records after the opening two rounds of the intermediate championship. Carlow footballer John Phiri is a real star for CTHC and youâd have to admire his commitment to his football club Askea who he started off with in Junior B a couple of years ago when the easy thing would be to just play with Eire Ăg. Naomh BrĂd pulled out of the senior last year and truth be told are probably in the unfortunate position of being too good for intermediate but not good enough for senior. Iâd expect them to win this championship out. PĂĄdraig Amondâs brother Aaron scored 0-9 for them in a victory against Myshallâs 2nd team last weekend. Burren Rangers beat St Mullins last weekend having been undone by Carlow Townâs goalscoring ability in the first game. Kildavin-Clonegal are still waiting to get off the mark but will be heartened to see their U15âs beat the famed Buffers Alley by 7 points in a regional FĂŠile game recently. MLRâs 2nd team are invariably strong.
And finally kudos to Setanta Ceatharlach whoâve become the newest hurling club in Co.Carlow. By my quick maths that makes them just the 10th. But theyâre facing a daunting start as theyâve shipped some heavy beatings so far in the Junior championship and a one look at their Instagram account would illustrate that the team has an average age of about 42. Apparently they have teams coming from U16 though so watch this space.
Darragh Carley was playing midfield for Glynn on Saturday, I was at 3 senior games and that was definitely the most enjoyable, in this stupid format thereâs value for teams near the bottom end of the ladder as a 4th place finish secures safety from relegation and that was definitely on the mind of the 2 of these.
Not sure whatâs least surprising. Jack Ăł connor getting a red card or Liam Ryan being crocked.
Hurling in new ross is in a desperate state. Hard to believe a town with probably nearly 10 thousand people canât muster a decent junior hurling team.
Soccer is king in new ross really. Gaa is just not embraced there at all. Hard to see it changing any time soon.
Like you say, hurling has improved massively in the traditional football clubs, gusserane, fethard, horeswood etc
We played in a football blitz for u10s in Naomh Eanna recently. We were the only team from outside Wexford. The majority of the games were excellent and well contested. We played two games against teams from Gusserane which were a different story.
The carry on from their coaches and players was disgusting. Would the club have a reputation for that or whats the story?
The club in general would have a good reputation but a nephew of mine played them in u10 last year and I heard there was problems too related to the parents.