Aghada GAA Juvenile News
Hi folks, hope this newsletter finds you well, a big shoutout this week to our adult chairman Anthony Connolly and his committee for the trojan work that is being carried out on our club grounds, simple stuff yet so effective along with the walkway and the Sideline Café the general maintenance and the club colours of green and white have brightened up the place no end. Numerous visitors to our club lately have commented on this, I was speaking to a man from Ballinhassig at the minor match last Friday night who said the place looks like a centre of excellence and another from the Eire Óg club who works nearby and was out for a run who said we have so much here it’s like a must visit tourist destination. Of course, this could not all happen without the amazing voluntary work from ye the club members and knowing Anthony he won’t be resting on his laurels and will have lots more exciting projects into the future and remember when you are a club member, and you support the club you are the club.
U15 premier 2 hurling championship Aghada 2-17 Shandrum 4-17
A rip-roaring encounter between two evenly matched, skilful, and committed teams away in Newtownshandrum last Wednesday night. In the end, the numerical advantage the hosts enjoyed when we were reduced to 14 early in the second half told, as our battling qualities came up just short. We enjoyed the better of the first half with full forward Jack Linehan getting the opening point with a fine strike. Shandrum the Newtown/Dromina amalgamation hit the front to lead 1-2 to 0-1 after 5 minutes but we roared back in the end-to-end nature of the game. Dynamic Midfielder Sam McAllister caught a great side-line ball and offloaded to the inrushing Jude Devoy who found the top corner with a wonderful strike. With Cormac Crowley and Josh McCarthy to the fore in defence the points flowed from Jack, Jude and stylish midfielder Isaac Oosthuizen as we led at the short whistle 1-8 to 1-5. Shandrum started the brighter again at the start of the second half as Adam Lewis showed his worth with a few top class saves but once again we responded in style with our work rate phenomenal and with five minutes to go the teams were dead locked 2-16 to 3-13 our goal coming with a fine finish from super-sub Jack Mulcahy as points from the imperious Jack L, Jude, Jack Dorney and Isaac set up a grandstand finish but it was not to be. The lads had run themselves into a standstill and the tired limbs eventually caught up with us as Shandrum got the late scores to take the spoils in what was a cracking game of hurling. Still, we have shown enough to give us real hope and we now travel to Mallow next week for a must win game to extend our season into the knockout stages. Team & scorers Adam Lewis, Cillian Scanlon, Jack Buckley, Cormac Crowley, Cian Moore, Colm O’ Donoghue, Josh McCarthy, Isaac Oosthuizen 0-3, Sam McAllister, Jude Devoy 1-8 Seán O Brien, Tom Walsh, Jack Dorney 0-1, Jack Linehan 0-5, Cormac Walsh. Subs used Jack Mulcahy 1-0, Eoghan Walsh.
U17 premier 2 minor hurling championship Aghada 2-20 Ballinhassig 4-14
The hurling on show last Friday night in Rostellan as the score line suggests was out of the top drawer. We had already qualified out of the group after fantastic victories against Carrigtwohill and St Finbarr’s but for our opponents only a win would be good enough to progress and this made the spirit and resolve from our lads all the more remarkable as Ballinhassig came here hungry for success and led by 9 points at one stage in the 2nd half. Tomás Condon was in flying form at corner forward hitting 1-3 inside the first 15 minutes the goal expertly put away with the fast-paced action a joy to watch with Ballinhassig hitting 5 quality points in the same period. Both sides hit some great scores coming up to half time with Noah Devoy getting on some good ball from full forward and Samuel O’ Driscoll, Hugh Mulcahy and energetic midfielder James Hurley all getting on the scoreboard, however our opponents were also getting opportunities and when they got in behind the defence they made no mistake to fire home 3 goals to lead 3-11 to 1-10 at half time despite the tenacious defending of Evan Crowley and Conor Geary. Ballinhassig roared into a 9-point lead early in the 2nd half but this side does not panic and the move of Seán O Callaghan onto our opponent’s danger man and the introduction of Callum Roberts made immediate dividends with Callum scoring a wonderful point and Seán sticking to his man like glue. We gradually began to eat away at the lead and gave ourselves real hope when Hugh struck a ferocious shot to the net to narrow the gap and then in a welter of excitement Noah hit an outrageous point from out near the side-line and James Hurley hit the equaliser with a monster free from the middle of the field. Both sides went in search of the win we had points from Samuel and Noah and when the referee blew the final whistle the game was level after a highly entertaining encounter from two very committed sides, we had progressed to the county quarter final as group winners while Ballinhassig were knocked out after St Finbarr’s beat Carrigtwohill to take the runners up spot in the other game in the group. Team & scorers John Walsh, Evan Crowley, Fionn O’ Callaghan, Conor Geary, Seán Santos O’ Sullivan, Cian Hegarty, Robert Dean, James Hurley 0-4, Seán O’ Callaghan, Hugh Mulcahy 1-1, Samuel O’ Driscoll 0-3, James Motherway, Tomás Condon 1-5, Noah Devoy 0-6, Stevie O’ Shea sub used Callum Roberts 0-1.
Croke Park 2022
The best day of their young GAA lives so far for our u12 footballers as 24 young players from our club got the chance to travel to Dublin and grace the hallowed turf of Croke Park last Wednesday. The bus left the parish at 7am returning at 19.30 with a lot of happy smiling faces on board. We played 3 matches on the hallowed turf winning all three against Galtee Gaels from Tipperary, St Saviours from Waterford and Coroffin from Clare, playing a fine attractive brand of football with all 24 players getting equal game time. How many teams can say they are unbeaten in Croke Park well this team will always have that distinction. The team got a stadium tour visited the museum, stopped off for some refreshments and enjoyed a sing song on the bus as they made the happy journey back to Rostellan. Well done to the organiser’s chief mentors Pádhraig O’ Loughlin, Phillip Burgoyne, and Aiden Kelleher along with the Juvenile committee who made sure everything was in place for the team’s enjoyable day. Many thanks to Junior Whistler James Hurley who officiated on the day and represented the club so well with honesty and pride and to East Cork Crane hire who sponsored stylish training tops for the lads to remember their memorable day. All in all, a fantastic experience for everyone involved and hopefully we will see many more Aghada teams and players gracing Croke Park into the future. For the record the 24 players involved were, Sam Ahern, Finbarr Alcock, Harry Burgoyne, Cormac Cashman, Maidhc Collins, Michael Creedon, Darragh Crowley, Justin Ginju, James Irwin, Dara Kelleher, Jack Kelleher, Eoin Kirrane, Cathal Lowney, David Murphy, Dara O’ Brien, Riann O’ Brien Higgins, Leon O’ Connor, Tim O’ Hanlon, Adam O’ Loughlin, Marcus O’ Loughlin, Max O’ Reilly, Trystan Pomphrett, Donncha Walsh, Colin White.
This team were brought back down to earth fairly quickly when St Finbarr’s came to Rostellan in the u12 football league and despite a battling second half performance where David Murphy topped scored with 4 points, we had to give second best to a very good Barr’s team.
Well done to Seán O’ Callaghan and Tomás Condon who represented the Cork rebel Og u16 hurling team in Rathcormac last Saturday against Tipperary with Seán getting a point from midfield and Tomás notching an impressive 1-2 from corner forward.
The best of luck to Juvenile mentors David Creedon and Aiden Kelleher who are part of the Cork Masters squad who take on London in the All-Ireland semi-final this weekend.
Our adult hurlers travel to nearby Cloyne this Saturday for a 2pm throw in against fellow East Cork team Lisgoold in a must win last round championship game and your support would be greatly appreciated. Both teams know each other very well in what is sure to be a tension packed and exciting encounter. Remember when you go to support the club you are the club. Be Seen Wear the Green.

Dates for your diary :
●Aghada GAA, Ladies Football & Camogie Clubs are supporting Relay for Life 24 Hour Walk on THIS WEEKEND in Midleton CBS Grounds 3pm Saturday 27th - 3pm Sunday 28th – Please support if you can and if you have a spare hour, please TEXT your Preferable Hour to Vera Terry 087 - 6489381 to have continued Aghada Link over 24 Hours.
●In collaboration with the East Cork food and drink festival "fEast" the club are officially opening our new walkway with a “coffee and a canter” in association with the Sideline Café where you can get a coffee and a muffin for €4, with all proceeds to the club. So we are asking would parents and children like to meet up with us and go for a stroll around 11am Sunday morning while enjoying a nice walk and supporting the club at the same time, the children can enjoy some free fruit and also go for a kick or a puck after with their friends while we all soak up the atmosphere of the day!
Then separately we are asking if you can take a look around at home for any unwanted GAA gear you might not need any more everything from helmets to boots to hurleys to GAA tops, socks, shorts etc will be accepted, just drop them off at the clubhouse as you know we have some Ukrainian children joining us in the club so this unwanted gear day could help us out greatly. Finally, the whole event will be from 11am to 2pm and we would be delighted if you could join us Áth Fhada Abú .
FIXTURES: Wed 24th Rebel Óg U15 Div1 Football Championship Cobh V Aghada 19:00 Cobh Thur 25th Rebel Óg U15 Div4 Football Championship Nemo Rangers V Aghada 19:00 Trabeg Fri 26th Rebel Óg U17 P2 Football Championship Aghada V St. Michaels 19:00 Rostellan Sat 27th Rebel Óg East U13 Div1 Football League Aghada V St. Colmans 12:00 Rostellan Sun 28th Rebel Óg U17 C3 Football League Inniscarra V Aghada 11:00 Ballyanly
Slán go fóill. BE SEEN WEAR THE GREEN