Busy Week on Juvenile Front

Corn Mhichíl Uí Mhóráin winners: L-R, Dominique Gacek, Matthew Walsh, Tom Flynn, Shane Crowley, Ayrton Doyle, Charlie Lavin and James Buckley.

Plenty of activity for our teams over the week with the U13 hurlers travelling to Ballineen on Monday, June 17^th to play St Marys. They produced a battling display against a stronger outfit with Shane Murray scoring five points for the Blues. To Bantry’s credit they kept going right to the end with some great defending but lost out to the lads from Ballineen-Enniskeane.

Team: James Crowley, Charlie Lavin, Tom Flynn, Oisin Bennett, Shane Buckley, Billy Foley, Luke O’Shaughnessy, David O’Sullivan, Shane Crowley, Michael Cronin, Killian Crowley, James Buckley, Timmy O’Driscoll, Shane Murray, Patrick Barry.

Our U16 hurlers had their first outing in over six weeks when they played Ibane Gaels in Timoleague. Lack of match practice was always going to be a problem for the Blues and it showed when the Timoleague-Barryroe combination notched up a good lead by half time with Bantry scoring just four points, James Lavin and Sean Hodnett from play and two frees from Tim Foley.  

The second half proved a completely different story with Bantry outscoring their opposition by 1-06 to two pointed frees. However the slow start and errors of the first half were too much to turn around and the home team ran out winners by eight points. The second half display was encouraging with Kieran Daly and Killian O’Sullivan to the fore in defence and Sean Hodnett and Shane McCarthy standing out especially in attack.

Team: Sean Cronin, Robyn McCarthy, Killian O’Sullivan (0-1), Owen O’Flynn, Kieran Daly, Danny Hutchinson, Paddy O’Shea, Tim Foley (0-4,F), Shane McCarthy (0-1), Sean Hodnett (0-2), Arthur Coakley, James Lavin (0-1), Aaron Barry, Daniel Murray(1-1), Tom Daly, Patrick Casey.

Sunday evening saw the visit of Carbery Rangers U13 footballers to Wolfe Tone Park. The first half of this contest was nip and tuck with the home team a point ahead at the break by 2-03 to 2-02. However, Rangers found their shooting boots from the restart and shot 2-08 without reply before Shane Murray stopped the rot with a pointed free. Bantry staged something of a fightback before the end, scoring 2-04 but the damage was done and Carbery Rangers took the league points on a scoreline of 5-11 to 4-07.

Well done to the “Wicklow” team who won the Corn Mhichíl Uí Mhóráin, St Finbarrs Boys National School football tournament on Wednesday, June 19^th. On a beautiful evening, the final was played in the school grounds with a great crowd of parents, teachers and friends present. The winning team was Tom Flynn (Capt), Shane Crowley, Charlie Lavin, James Buckley, Ayrton Doyle, Dominique Gacek and Matthew Walsh. The finalists, “Tyrone” were Shane Murray, Paddy O’Neill, Hugh Fitzgerald, Aiden O’Sullivan and Filip Gill. Thanks to the staff of SFBNS who gave up their lunchtimes to play off this tournament and organise the final which proved such an enjoyable occasion.

Good Player Turnout on trip to Dunmanway

On Thursday June 6^th Bantry Blues U11 and U12 footballers travelled to Dunmanway and split into two even teams to play two Sam Maguire’s sides. The evening was beautiful and because it was so warm the games were played over three periods to allow players get drinks. Both games were very competitive with high levels of skills from all teams. Co-incidentally at the final whistle both Bantry teams had scored 3-11 in their respective games which gives an indication of the marksmanship on show. Twenty Blues players made the trip.

One team was made up of Daniel Downey, Greg Cotter, Barry O’Shea, Matthew Harley, Ayrton Doyle, Enda Crowley, Paddy O’Neill, Kevin Clifford, Charlie Lavin and David Keane. The other team was: Dylan Kelleher, Oliver O’Shea, Timmy Keohane, Ciaran Thornton, Ted Wiseman, Keelan Lynch, Aiden O’Sullivan, Matthew Goggins, Hugh Fitzgerald, and Stephen Keane. All who took part enjoyed the experience and went home happy.  

Minor Hurlers win Goleen 7-a-side

Captain Joe Murphy accepts cup in Goleen

Winners of Goleen 7-a-side Minor Hurling Tournament. Back row, Danny O’Leary (Manager), Jimmy O’Leary, Tim Cronin, Seán O’Leary, Eoin Lynch, Selectors Flor Murphy and Ger McCarthy.

Front row, Gerald O’Sullivan, John Lavin, Shane McCarthy, Joe Murphy, Stephan Hanley, Danny Hutchinson.

On Friday evening Bantry Blues minor footballers made the journey to Killarney to play Spa in a challenge. This turned out to be a fine sporting game which in which the Blues came out on top by a scoreline of 1-16 to 0-15. The teams were level at half time, 1-06 to 9 points and with all six forwards getting on the score sheet over the game, the selectors will be happy with the outing.

Team: Mark Keohane, Jimmy O’Leary, Eoin Lynch, Stephen Hanley, Killian O’Sullivan, Tim Cronin, Anthony Hanley, Seán O’Leary, Tim Foley (0-2), Arthur Coakley (0-1), Donal Casey (0-3), Gerald O’Sullivan (1-0), John Lavin (0-1), Joe Murphy (0-8,3F), Shane McCarthy (0-1). Subs: Patrick Casey, Owen O’Flynn.

Castlehaven was the venue for the 10-a-side U15 football blitz Bantry played in on Saturday. Blues played three games against Spa, Glanmire and Castlehaven, drawing in the first and losing the other two.

Team: James Lavin, Savo Dragos, Gavin Cronin, Sean Thornton, Russell Barry, Daniel Murray, Ronan O’Mahony, Patrick Casey, Fionn O’Driscoll, Eoghan O’Shea, Jack O’Neill and Shane Murray.

On the same day an U16 team travelled to Skibbereen to take part in a 7-a-side football tournament there. Blues played two games, winning comfortably against O Donovan Rossa and Clonakilty.

Bantry minor hurlers came out on top in the 7-a-side tournament played in sunny Goleen on Sunday. They had a convincing win against St Patricks in the first game, likewise against Fastnet Gaels in the second. The final against St Patricks again proved a much tighter affair with Blues just shading it by three points in the end. Jimmy O’Leary and Gerald O’Sullivan were the goalscorers who led the way and afterwards team captain Joe Murphy accepted the trophy on behalf of his team.

Team: John Lavin, Eoin Lynch, Joe Murphy, Jimmy O’Leary, Seán O’Leary, Tim Cronin, Gerald O’Sullivan, Shane McCarthy, Danny Hutchinson, Stephen Hanley.