Buffers Alley too strong for Blackwater in damp squib
The Monamolin-based club used a mightily impressive third quarter to pin Blackwater down and while the Wexford District side did fight to the end, they were always playing second fiddle to a superior Alley outfit.
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Irish Examiner
38 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Cork IAHC round-up: Sarsfields lay down marker with win over Youghal
Bandon got their campaign in the Co-op Superstores Cork IAHC off to the perfect start with a 3-19 to 0-19 win over Russell Rovers in Riverstick on Sunday. The Carbery side led by 0-9 to 0-8 at the break but two goals from Jack Cullinane and a third from Conor Calnan turned the tie in their favour after the interval. Michael Cahalane was their top scorer with 0-8 while Ciaran McCarthy hit 0-3 and Charlie Lyons had a brace of points. Josh Beausang was Russell Rovers main man with 0-12 while Cormac Aherne clipped 0-2. Midleton joined Bandon on top of Group 1 with a 0-22 to 0-16 win over Mayfield in Riverstown. Aaron Mulcahy did most of the damage for Midleton as he finished with 0-13, Cathal Beausang hit 0-3 while Paul Connaughton and Kian Farmer both had 0-2 for the Magpies. Nicky Kelly hit 0-9 for Mayfield, Shane O'Donovan scored 0-4 while Calvin O'Donovan also got on the scoresheet. Bandon will play Midleton in a fortnight with Mayfield taking on Russell Rovers. In Group 2, Sarsfields laid down a marker with a 3-22 to 0-15 win over Youghal in Cloyne on Saturday. Daniel Kearney helped himself to 0-7 for Sars, Cork U20 star Barry O'Flynn shot 0-8 while Rory O'Brien bagged two goals and Darragh Long clipped 1-2. Brett Malone was Youghal's top scorer with 0-9 while Ruairi McMahon hit 0-3 from wing-back. Aghabullogue joined Sars on two points when they beat Blackrock by 2-21 to 1-13 in Ballincollig on Sunday. Matthew Bradely led the way for the Muskerry men with 0-7, James Lane hit the Rockies for 1-3, Luke Casey clipped 1-2 while John Corkery and Shane Tarrant both scored 0-3. Aghabullogue were also thankful for the excellence of their goalkeeper, Ian Barry Murphy, who made three vital saves while Lee O'Sullivan got the goal for the Rockies. Aghabullogue will play Youghal in Round 2 while Blackrock will take on Sars. Erin's Own took control of Group 3 as a result of their 2-22 to 2-18 win over Ballygiblin in Castlelyons. Óran O'Regan hit 1-6 overall, with 1-5 coming in the second half as Shane Irwin banged in a second goal to go with his two points. Kieran Murphy shot 0-6 for the Caherlag-based side and Andrew O'Sullivan clipped 0-3. Seán O'Sullivan had Ballygiblin's two goals, Darragh Flynn hit Erin's Own for 0-8 while Shane Beston clipped 0-3. Aghada and Kildorrery played out an incredible 1-22 to 2-19 draw in Caherlag on Sunday. Will Leahy scored 0-14 for Aghada, with 0-4 coming from play, Fionn O'Connor hit 1-2 while Jamie O'Hanlon had a brace of points. Peter O'Brien scored 0-6 for Kildorrery while Kieran Hurley and James Keating scored the all-important goals. Aghada will play Erin's Own in the next round, with Ballygiblin facing off against Kildorrery.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Kiladangan claim North Tipperary title with win over Borris-Ileigh
Kiladangan are North Tipperary SHC champions for a 10th time after fending off a late Borris-Ileigh fightback at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh. The Puckaun-based club completed a hectic schedule of three games in eight days with a tense 0-20 to 0-19 victory over the County League winners. They showed signs of fatigue for a finish against a fresher Borris side, who scored five of the last seven points and threatened a late leveller. Eddie Ryan had slotted three second-half frees from his own 45, but his final effort dropped short as Kiladangan held on. Remarkably, they have appeared in seven consecutive North finals, collecting the Frank McGrath Cup four times in that streak. They were far sprightlier when reeling off four unanswered points from the throw-in. Paul Flynn, Billy Seymour, Dan O'Meara, and Willie Connors (two frees) struck early braces. Patrick Ryan's frees and two points from the lively James Devaney got Borris back in touch by the break; 0-11 to 0-9 in arrears. Dara O'Dwyer, Seymour, and Conor Byrne soon extended Kiladangan's lead to five, but Borris weren't letting go. A super Devaney score followed by Paddy McCormack and Tommy Ryan points got them back within two. Seán Hayes and Byrne landed insurance scores, although stoppage-time points from Jerry Kelly and Eddie Ryan had it back to the minimum for a finish. Meanwhile, former Cobh Ramblers manager Shane Keegan led JK Brackens to their second Mid Tipp title with a 1-22 to 2-18 triumph over Moycarkey-Borris at Boherlahan. Eddie Brennan's Moycarkey were chasing a first success since 1982, and they vaulted into an early lead through goal-poacher Jack Hayes. They arrived battle-hardened by victories over Loughmore-Castleiney and Thurles Sarsfields, but Brackens didn't fade away. In a mirror image of Tipp's opening goal in the All-Ireland final, Rhys Shelly was caught batting the sliotar down from above the crossbar, and Andrew Ormond nipped in to finish his third goal in five days. The sides were deadlocked, 1-9 apiece, at the change of ends. Within two minutes of the resumption, U20 All-Ireland winner David Costigan rifled to the net for Moycarkey. The accuracy of Kieran Morris opened up a three-point lead, but Brackens were never distanced beyond that mark. They moved ahead with four points in a row from Shane Doyle (who finished with 0-11), Ormond (1-3), and Éanna McBride. A goal-saving Seán Hayes block denied Ciarán O'Shea the clinching score before Morris's 10th free equalised. When Lyndon Fairbrother's white flag was cancelled out by Killian Cantwell, the sides were level for a ninth time. But Ned Delaney, who was a waterboy when Brackens made their breakthrough in 2022, came forward from wing-back for his fourth point of the day to deliver the Johnny Leahy Cup to Templemore. For Kiladangan and Brackens, victory guarantees them a preliminary quarter-final berth, should they fail to progress through the county championship group stage, which begins next weekend. In Saturday's South Tipp SHC final, Carrick Swan defended their title for the first time since 1986 with a 1-17 to 0-15 victory over Killenaule at Clonmel Sportsfield. The reigning champions had to do it with 14 men for the duration after Tipp U20 Stefan Tobin was red-carded for an off-the-ball incident in the opening play. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Swans were never headed. They responded with a steady flow of points before captain Eric O'Halloran fed Aaron Dunne to beat John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer in the Robins' goal. They led 1-8 to 0-7 at midway, and playing numbers were equalised when Eoin O'Connell received a straight red card within five minutes of the restart. Swans held their lead from there to collect the club's 26th title. Free-taker Callum Lanigan finished with 0-9 and captain O'Halloran tagged on 0-3. Tipp senior panellist Gavin O'Halloran contributed a pair in a man-of-the-match display from centre-back.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
20 years ago a group of fans got together and saved Shamrock Rovers
For James Nolan, tonight is another 'pinch yourself' moment. Shamrock Rovers are 4-0 up from the first-leg in Gibraltar and are all but guaranteed another €375,000 payment from UEFA, on top of what they have earned so far by just qualifying for Europe. Last season they earned north of €7million after their historic campaign took them to the last-32 of the Europa Conference League. It's a far cry from 20 years ago this week, when the Hoops' survival depended on the say-so of Justice Frank Clarke, and the agreement of their creditors - and when Nolan, along with almost 400 other fanatical supporters, became an accidental owner of his beloved football club. 'When you take a step back, you actually have to pinch yourself,' says Nolan, still a Shamrock Rovers director and a familiar face around Tallaght Stadium. 20 years ago, with a considerable contribution from Australian-based supporter Ray Wilson, the '400 Club', a hastily assembled bunch of supporters from all walks of life, helped raise €450,000, enough to convince Justice Clarke to wipe debts of over €3.3million. The 400 Club, which actually numbered closer to 300 at the time, these days is known as the Shamrock Rovers Members Club, and is populated by around 870 Hoops fans, all part-owners of the Premier Division leaders. 20 years ago, between contributions, fundraisers and a pop-up loan service in a hotel conference room, the 400 Club just about scraped together €225,000 to match Wilson's contribution. Nolan, and some of the other key figures at that time, have this week recalled the events of two decades ago, when the shutters almost came down on Shamrock Rovers Football Club. 'When the club went into examinership, Neil Hughes (the court appointed examiner) asked myself and Dave Carpenter to go onto the board of the football club during examinership,' Nolan recalls. 'The 400 Club's role at that time was to help fund the club through examinership, because there was a large cashflow shortfall. 'The examiner was going to source a number of investors to come in, and the 400 Club was due to get our money back at the end of the process. That was the agreement. 'However, all the potential investors, at one point I think there were nine of them, one by one they fell, and we were the last man standing, if you will. 'So it came down to ourselves and Ray Wilson essentially to take over the club.' Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . Mark Lynch is still the club's head of communications. He recalls: 'We didn't set out to own the club out of examinership, it just happened. 'So, we put in a bid and the judge accepted the package, and the rest is history.' Jonathan Roche was appointed chairman of the club he had supported all his life when the fans took over. He remembers how there were doubts that they would make it. 'At the end of examinership, I just remember Neil Hughes thinking it wasn't going to work,' says Roche. 'But we persuaded him, we managed to raise the money that convinced him we could do it.' (Left to right) Mark Lynch, Noel Byrne and Jonathan Roche (Image: INPHO/Aleksandar Djorovic) The 2005 season was in full swing at the time, so not only did the regular outgoings of a Premier Division campaign had to be paid, but money had to be found to satisfy the court that future commitments could be met. Raising the funds was a huge challenge. But throughout the 400 Club membership, there was a wide range of skillsets. Lynch recalls: 'We gathered money from all areas. We got lump sums, direct debits, cash… money from all ages, Rovers fans of all descriptions. 'We hosted an event at Wynns Hotel on Abbey Street, we had a trustee who worked in Bank of Ireland, and they set up a loan facility. 'So we had a queue of people coming in and taking out loans with Bank of Ireland at our gathering in the conference room at Wynns Hotel.' According to Nolan: 'We were to open the doors at 12 o'clock, but when we got to Wynns Hotel at half-eleven, there was already a queue. 'We couldn't get over the fact that people were willing to come in and help us that way. That story encapsulates the spirit of togetherness that we had at the time, and the sacrifices that people were willing to make.' Roche adds: 'That was the standout one for me, Wynns Hotel, and the stream of people coming in to take out a loan. 'We were lucky it was the Celtic Tiger era and Bank of Ireland were still giving out loans within the hour to people who were coming in and signing up, just normal fans.' Rovers emerged from examinership with a deal that saw them pay preferential creditors 4.25 percent of what was owed, and unsecured creditors 2.12 percent. Revenue received around €40,000 out of almost €1.5million owed. But had Rovers gone out of existence, Roche argues, the money pumped into state coffers by their efforts and successes at home and in Europe would never have arrived. Nor would the memories created in the 20 years since. Shamrock Rovers fans before the Europa Conference League game against Molde in February (Image: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo) One fundraiser at the time was a 'Brick in the Wall' idea, which saw fans pay to have their name engraved on a brick that would be laid at Tallaght Stadium. At the time, the ground was just an ugly pile of concrete flanked by an overgrown field. Now, it's a stunning 10,000-seater arena. 'We actually just delivered on that recently,' says Nolan. 'The amount of people who have come to us since that Brick in the Wall display has gone in, especially in relation to people who have passed away… I've been to funerals where it has been mentioned in the church, how great it is that they still have that connection and how much that brick means to them. 'When you are in the thick of it, sometimes you don't appreciate these things. 'Being able to deliver something like that, it just means so much to so many people, and sometimes you don't realise it. 'People will always have a connection to people, friends and relatives, who have passed on through Shamrock Rovers.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
