Bantry Blues Golf Classic Results

Bantry Blues Golf Classic Results.

1st: McCarthy Sports Shop, Bantry. Cormac McCarthy, PJ Pigott and Alan O'Sullivan.

2nd: Tommy Murray Painters, Bantry. Danny Murray, Tristan Coakley and Sebastian J Ot'way.

3rd: Kevin O'Donovan and Partners Solicitors, Bantry. Kevin O'Donovan, Liam Wilcox and Denis O'Shaughnessy.

4th: Buddys Cabs, Bantry.

5th: Hennessy and Co. Solicitors, Bantry.

6th: Bank House, Whiddy.

IN A WEST CORK MINUTE with Ruairi Deane

Career highlight: The opportunity to captain the Cork junior team this year is the winner. It’s a dream come true, getting the chance to lead a Cork team out in an All-Ireland final. Winning the West Cork U21 with Bantry last year is a close second.

Sporting hero: I won’t be looking outside Bantry for this one. Graham Canty is the man. The service he has given to the game so far in his career is unreal. Everything he does he gives it 100 per cent on and off the pitch. And to top it off, he is a pure gentleman.

Best advice you’ve received: Paul McCarthy will be delighted with this question. ‘Pass the ball when you can, not when you have to’. It’s a saying he always directs at me, I think, for ‘occasionally’ running into a bit of traffic on the pitch.

Hobbies: Aside from football, I attempt to play a bit of hurling with Bantry and occasionally head out golfing. I went out with Alan Cronin, Dan MacEoin and the great Kieran Lynch a few weeks ago. We gave him a serious run for his money! I like to think I taught him a thing or two anyway.

Favourite heart-throb or pin-up: I’ll have to go for Jessica Ennis. Enough said. After that Rhiannon Fish and Samara Weaving from Home and Away are well up there! There are a couple of the Cork lady footballers and camogie players but I won’t hang myself by naming them!

Signature dish/favourite food: The omelette mentioned below is a personal favourite and would be my signature dish really. My favourite food is  spaghetti carbonarra with chicken and bacon.

Favourite holiday destination: I was recently in Lanzorate. It was just what I wanted, warm and relaxing. I was in America for a summer and wouldn’t mind going back there again. Also, I’d love to try get over to the World Cup in Rio next year.

Christmas morning or Mid Summer’s Day: Christmas morning! It’s a day of everything with the family. I love lying around the house, by the fire for the day, eating as much food as I physically can.

Your most treasured possession: It has to be my iPhone. I would be lost without it. I’m addicted to Snapchat at the moment. Also I have a pair of the Predator Mania boots. Thank God they didn’t get robbed from me in Manchester!

Morning person or night owl: I’m definitely a night owl. During the summer I rarely even see the mornings. I just bypass the mornings and go straight for the evenings!

Breakfast of champions: Has to be an omelette. Firstly you have to fry up a bit of garlic, onion and mushrooms. Then add in some green, yellow and red peppers along with some chicken and rasher. Mine would be made with four egg whites and one egg yolk, a dash of milk and stir it up. Add a bit of cheese on top, two slices of brown bread and a homemade smoothie, and you’re laughing.

Desert island essential(s): Dr Denis Cotter and his bag of tricks. If you had him there you really would have it all. He would quote the majority of the Bible so he would be as good as a priest. You have a doctor and his bag of tricks would keep you in good health. The stories would be plentiful as well. He is a top man for keeping you down to earth and in top shape.

Tell us a secret: The one and only time I was on the pitch in Croke Park was not playing but at a Westlife concert for their farewell tour last June!

I would like to be remembered as … a hard-working and honest footballer, who gave everything he could to the sport with club and county. Hopefully remembered as a member of the Bantry football team that regained senior status!

Rebels strike again

Monday, August 26, 2013

By Denis Hurley

Cork 0-13 Kildare 1-07
With 16 All-Ireland junior football titles before Saturday, and one every second year since 2005, it might come as no surprise to see Cork add another by beating Kildare in the Gaelic Grounds.

This was no procession, however, not even with the aid of a dominant first half which saw them lead by 0-9 to 0-3 at half-time. A spirited second-half revival from Kildare, buttressed by a goal from Keith Cribbin, had them level with 10 minutes left as Cork laboured. 

Crucially, though, the Lilywhites never hit the front, and Cork did enough in the closing stages, with Cathal Vaughan, Ruairí Deane and Kevin O’Driscoll hitting late points. Cork go further clear on the roll of honour, but manager Paul McCarthy expected a tough challenge after needing extra-time against the same opponents in the 2011 final. 

“Two years ago, we were seven points down quite early in the game,” he said, “and our mantra for the last few weeks was that we’d be the team taking the initiative. 

“We knew Kildare wouldn’t give up, they have big strong players and they just battle and battle. We probably had the players who were able to take the points whereas they lacked that a little bit.” 

In the first half, that difference was magnified as five of the starting Cork forwards scored from play, despite Kildare playing a sweeper. Former senior Fiachra Lynch conducted operations from full-forward, scoring two fine efforts and being involved in the build-up play for three more. Wing-forward Colm O’Driscoll was a live wire and Cathal Vaughan impressed from play and frees, with Micheál Ó Laoire and Deane going well at midfield. At times, Cork’s defence looked vulnerable, but Kildare never did enough to fully test that, as Ciarán Fitzpatrick and Cathal McNally only saw glimpses of goal with half-chances. 

Turning with a 0-9 to 0-3 deficit, Kildare opened the second-half scoring through Cian Bolton, but Vaughan answered that with a Cork free and matters looked set to follow a similar pattern to the first half. 

Seven minutes in, Kildare gave themselves a huge boost as Cribbin found the net, but it was not without assistance from their opponents. After Cork gave the ball away cheaply, Cribbin’s point attempt was deflected and when the danger was not sufficiently dealt with, the midfielder was on hand to net from close range. 

When Hughie Mahon and then captain Séamus Hanafin added further Kildare points, Cork were up against it, and an anxiety had slipped into their play. 

Mahon, after a nice one-two with sub Gavin Farrell, then tied matters at 0-10 to 1-7 and with 10 minutes left it was anybody’s game. That Vaughan immediately put Cork back in front was key, and then Deane – after a good run – provided breathing space. 

Kildare mounted one last attack as they searched for a winning goal, but Cork broke and Kevin O’Driscoll concluded matters with this second point, leaving McCarthy delighted. 

“We were never led at any stage,” he said. 

“We had six of the 2011 team and a lot have played in All-Ireland latter stages at various levels. They drew on that experience. 

“One other small simple matter is that they’re damn good footballers when it comes to it as well.” 

Scorers for Cork: C Vaughan (0-5, 3f), K O’Driscoll, F Lynch (0-2 each), R Deane, M Ó Laoire, A O’Brien, C O’Driscoll (0-1 each). 

Scorers for Kildare: H Mahon (0-3), K Cribbin (1-0), C Bolton (0-2, 1f), S Hanafin (f), P Mahon, C McNally (0-1 each). 

CORK: D Hanrahan; AJ O’Connor, E O’Mahony, K Harrington; Richard O’Sullivan, Rory O’Sullivan, S Kiely; R Deane, M Ó Laoire; C Vaughan, A O’Brien, C O’Driscoll; K O’Driscoll, F Lynch, D Harrington. 

Subs: P Daly for O’Mahony (32-33, blood sub), Daly for Rory O’Sullivan (43), M Vaughan for Harrington (45), E Buckley for O’Brien (59). 

KILDARE: C Heneghan; J O’Connor, W Burke, P Warren; D Barker, C Fitzpatrick, C O’Shea; K Cribbin, S Darcy; C Fagan, S Hanafin, H Mahon; P Mahon, C Bolton, C McNally. 

Subs: G Waters for Warren (35), G Farrell for Darcy (41), D Grehan for P Mahon (55), D Duke for H Mahon (60). 

Referee: G McCormack (Dublin).

© Irish Examiner Ltd. All right

Clyda keep heads to hold off Blues

Saturday, August 17, 2013

By Denis Hurley

Clyda Rovers 0-08 Bantry Blues 0-07
Clyda Rovers reached the quarter-finals of the Premier IFC by beating Bantry Blues at Kilmichael last night, but they had to endure a few nervous moments before the final whistle.

For the fifth successive year, the Mourneabbey side are in the last eight and they deservedly advance after playing the better football, but they could easily have let it slip. 

Playing with a strong first-half wind, Clyda had the majority of the possession, but still only went in level at 0-3 each at half-time after kicking some very bad wides. 

While a rejigging of personnel for the second period gave greater purpose to their play, they never fully shook off Bantry and the West Cork side quarried two late points to bring them to within one. 

Ultimately, Clyda held on to possession, as they did for long stretches of the game, to claim victory and a meeting with Glenville in the quarter-finals. 

Imposing themselves physically from the off, Clyda built up a lead as Pádraig O’Mullane, Fionn O’Shea and Cian O’Sullivan all scored, and the Bantry backs looked vulnerable as James Murphy and Conor O’Sullivan also looked like creating openings. 

Much of the approach work was going to waste, however, and Declan Barron got Bantry off the mark with a free before setting up Michael O’Sullivan for another in the 27th minute. 

When a Barron ball from deep allowed O’Sullivan to tie matters in injury-time, Clyda must have been wondering if it was going to be one of those nights, but the relocation of Paudie Kissane to centre-forward for the second half allowed him to run more directly at the Bantry defence — and Murphy and Cian O’Sullivan gave them a cushion once more. 

One of the few goal chances fell to Bantry wing-back Seán O’Leary from a neat Niel Canty pass, but he shot over in the 43rd minute. Gavin O’Shea levelled again on three-quarters, but they could not kick on, with Ruairí Deane unable to generate his usual surging runs and Graham Canty not as dominant in the air as in the first half. 

Instead, Clyda pushed clear once more, Conor Flanagan benefiting from a move to full-forward as he twice pointed after fielding deliveries, and then sub Chris Buckley left three in it as the 60-minute mark approached. 

Deane’s close-in free, coupled with a good Barron point following sub David Power’s hard work, did give Bantry the scent of a draw, but no equalising chance could be engineered. 

To their credit, Clyda kept their composure to work the ball out and ensure they did not squander victory. 

Scorers for Clyda Rovers: C Flanagan, Cian O’Sullivan 0-2 each, C Buckley, J Murphy (1f), F O’Shea, P O’Mullane 0-1 each. 

Scorers for Bantry Blues: M O’Sullivan, D Barron (1f) 0-2 each, R Deane (1f), G O’Shea, S O’Leary 0-1 each. 

CLYDA ROVERS: C Conway; N O’Mullane, R Carey, C Kenny; K Fitzgerald, F O’Shea, O O’Hanlon; J O’Hanlon, P Kissane; Conor O’Sullivan, C Flanagan, G Carey; Cian O’Sullivan, P O’Mullane, J Murphy. 

Subs: C Buckley for P O’Mullane (34), M O’Brien for J O’Hanlon (46). 

BANTRY BLUES: D Murray; J O’Leary, K Harrington, K Deane; S O’Leary, D O’Sullivan, N Canty; G Canty, P Daly; G O’Shea, T Downey, R Deane; M O’Sullivan, D Barron, D Casey. 

Subs: D Power for Casey (47), J Harrington for O’Leary, C O’Leary for Downey (both 54), K Casey for Daly (60). 

Referee: J Ryan (Macroom).