CARBERY GAA NEWS

CONDOLENCES

The Carbery Board would like to extend its sincerest condolences to our Chairman Tom Lyons and his family on the death of his brother Denis (DD). Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

COACHING NEWS

An important Carbery Coaching workshop will be held in Ahamilla, Clonakilty, on Saturday next, 30th, from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. The workshop is being organised by James McCarthy, G.D.A.; Paudie Crowley, G.P.O.; and Mark O’Donovan, Carbery Coaching Officer, under the auspices of the Carbery Board. The workshop will include talks on schools coaching, club coaching, club coaching officers and a practical training session.

It will be opened by county board secretary, Kevin O’Donovan, and speakers will include Dr Edward Coughlan, a lecturer in CIT who has vast experience in the coaching field, including stints with Mayo seniors and DCU. Kevin Murray, who is heavily involved with Cork senior camogie team and UCC, will deal with athletic development.

All clubs are asked to send representatives to this workshop, which will have something for coaches at all levels. Each club should try to send a primary schools’ coach, the club coaching officer, a club coach from U.12s down and a club coach from U.12s up. Adult team coaches will also benefit. A fee of €10 per person will be charged, with a max of €50 per club.

Dr Herlihy Competition

The Dr Herlihy football competitions for first year pupils got underway last week. The competition is divided into three sections, Cup, Plate and Shield, depending on the size and playing strength of the schools. The Plate was played off last Wednesday, 20th, in Dunmanway, with four schools involved, Schull, Rosscarbery, Dunmanway and Castletownbere, who were taking part for the first time. Schull emerged winners, their first-ever win in the competition.

This Thursday, 28th, the Shield competition will be played in Clonakilty as will the semi-finals of the Cup competition. In the Cup competition, Hamilton High School will be bidding for their fifth title in a row and the final will be played on Sunday next, 31st, as a curtain-raiser to the SW U.21A football final between Dohenys and O’Donovan Rossa. The schools’ final will take place at 1.45p.m. and the question is, can anybody stop Hammies in their bid for the magical five in-a-row?

First Final

The first big final of the Carbery football season takes place on Sunday next, 31st, in Castlehaven, when Dohenys and O’Donovan Rossa meet in the Clona Milk U.21A final. While Dohenys would have been among the favourites for the title on the heel of some great minor results in recent seasons, as well as winning this title two years ago, the Skibbereen side have been the surprise of the championship. They were campaigning in the B grade for the past few seasons and having won that grade last year, decided to upgrade to A for 2019.

They showed their potential by reaching the final of the prestigious Glenville tournament, before beating fancied Clonakilty in the championship semi-final. Dohenys showed impressive form in their semi-final, defeating Carbery Rangers in a marvellous game of football. With two real footballing sides in action, this should be a cracking final, Dohenys starting as slight favourites to lift their own Liam Farr Cup.

BOOK LAUNCH

Congratulations to the Diarmuid Ó Mathúna Club on the launch of their club history book on Friday night, 22nd, in the parish centre in Castletown, and especially to author Séamus Coakley, former Cathaoirleach of the Carbery Board, who did a marvellous job in chronicling the fifty years of the club. The book was launched by secretary of the county board, Kevin O’Donovan, in the presence of a large gathering, and copies are now on sale. We hope this will inspire more clubs in the division to follow suit in time for the Board’s