Bantry Blues annual Medal Presentation evening was held on Saturday last in the Maritime Hotel with Cork dual star and current County Senior Hurling Manager Jimmy Barry Murphy as special guest. The evening kicked off with participation medals being presented to the younger grades.
Mark Foley then introduced the guest of honour, telling the large crowd present that JBM was his sporting hero as he grew up in Timoleague.
Jimmy Barry Murphy took the mike and complimented Bantry Blues on their successes in 2011 in both football and hurling but told the players on these teams not to regard these triumphs as an end but rather a beginning and something to build on. He went on to urge players to work at improving and to be as honest as they could be both in training and when playing for their team. He said that it was encouraging to see the hurling success coming to the “non traditional” areas and cited the example of Darren Sweetnam of Sam Maguire’s playing very well for the Cork Senior hurling team in a game earlier in the day as proof that players in West Cork can make it. Jimmy paid tribute to former Blues greats that he had played with right down to current star Graham Canty and commented that future of the club looked bright given the silverware on display.
Medals were presented to the U14 Football West Cork Championship winning team, the Minor West Cork Hurling Champions, the Minor Football League winners and the U16 Hurling West Cork and County Champions.
Our thanks to Adrian Cronin, Bantry Photo Services who took the pictures on the night. Copies of individual presentation pictures are available from Bantry Photo Services, 027 55016 or 087 955 8050.
The following were among the winners of the Most Improved Players awards: U10H, Greg Cotter; U10F, Charlie Lavin; U12H, Michael Hanley; U12F, Sean O’Regan; U14H, Shane Keevers; U14F Sean Hodnett; U16H, John Lavin and Stephen Hanley; U16F, Peter Kelleher; Minor hurling, Cathal Power and Minor football, Daniel Lynch.
The 2012 Minor footballers had a tough outing in their first league game of the season when they were up against Millstreet in the park on Sunday last. In a game that saw the visitors finish well ahead, it was positive to see good displays from a number of minor debutants. Jack McCarthy, Joe Murphy and Jimmy O’Leary were among those who played well for the Blues.
Team: Michael Casey, Tim Cronin, Jack McCarthy, Jimmy O’Leary, Noel O’Flynn, Shane Delaney, Dermott Spillane, Rory Deane (0-1F), Joe Murphy, Shane Twomey, Jack Hanley, John Lavin, Peter Kelleher (1-0), Gary Hurley, Ayrton O’Shea. Sub: Anthony Hanley for Peter Kelleher (Inj.)
