Our own Mark Bergin will be taking part in a 10K fun run in Athy on 14th June next. Mark is hoping to raise much needed funds for Pieta House. If you'd like to make a contribution - please click on the link below: 
 
Best of luck Mark!

http://www.mycharity.ie/event/mark__bergins_event/

                                                               

Congratulations are in order to our own Paddy Deegan, who was awarded Hurler of the Year by his school - CBS earlier today. This prestigious award was fully deserved as Paddy has put in some powerhouse performances for both his school and club over the past few months. Paddy will also be presented with the prized McFadden medal for his diligence as a student. Keep it going Paddy. We're with ya all the way!

O’Loughlin Gaels made it three wins out of three in Kilmanagh on Saturday night last against a dogged Tullaroan outfit. Six points banked, surely secures top flight hurling for our St John’s Parish boys, in what is a very competitive division.

Stephen Murphy took up where he left off the previous day, by pointing a wind assisted eighty yard free in the first minute. Unerring Mark Bergin added to the tally a minute later with a dead ball of his own before Conor Bergin rose high in the square, made a great catch & then fired the Continent into a three point lead.  Mark Walsh then reduced the deficit back to two points in the seventh minute before we were treated to the score of the game.

Brian Hogan broke free from defence & delivered a long, high, dropping ball towards the square. Sammy Johnston (back to goal) whipped first time on the ball & the net shook. Cul! The skill of doubling on the ball may be a forgotten art in the modern game but S.J. pulled it off to perfection. Tullaroan stayed in touch with two points of their own on the spin before the second netcracker arrived. A long puck out from Stephen Murphy was broken expertly by Mark Kelly - into the path of Davy Burke.  DB fired the bullet and the green was raised again. Now the lead was six. A Paddy Deegan point followed by two MB frees piled on the pressure. Tullaroan did their best to hang in but Brian Dowling (2) & Mark Kelly (1) added three more from play to bring the opening thirty to a close.

H/T: O’Loughlin Gaels 2-10, Tullaroan 0-08

The stiff breeze was now in favour of the oldest club in Kilkenny and there was nothing surer than they were going to do their damnedest to use it. They opened proceedings in the first minute but Mark Bergin cancelled out that score and raised it, with two pointed frees. Conor Bergin then got on the end of a brilliant Mark Kelly catch & lay-off for another white flag. Tullaroan stuck to their guns with that man Padraig Walsh proving to be a handful. In truth though, OLG always seemed to have enough in reserve. MB kept the scoreboard ticking with sublime free taking into a stiff breeze, while Conor Bergin, Jack Nolan, Brian Dowling (2) & Paddy Deegan would all add to their senior league tallies. Tullaroan would score two very late goals in the game but the contest had been decided by then.

F/T: O’Loughlin Gaels 2-22, Tullaroan 2-15

Stephen Murphy 0-1 (1 f), Gary Bryan, Eoghan Grant, Eddie Kearns, Paddy Butler, Brian Hogan, Jason Quan, Paddy Deegan 0-2, Mark Bergin 0-10 (10 f’s), Conor Bergin 0-3, Jack Nolan 0-1, Sammy Johnston 1-0, David Burke 1-0, Mark Kelly 0-1, Brian Dowling 0-4, Subs Used: John Doyle

Saturday evenings in Thomastown don’t get much better than this! This second round senior league encounter between the Continent and Ballyhale Shamrocks served up a hard-hitting uncompromising clash between two proud clubs.

John Doyle (the Great John Doyle!) threaded a point in the second minute to settle any early nerves and level proceedings after a T.J. Reid opener.  There were early signs we were in for a thrilling encounter. Eoghan Grant made a defiant catch in the full back line to lay down the gauntlet.  The ‘Rocks took the lead in the fifth but it wasn't to be for long. Mark Bergin won the ball in the middle of the field and released his other half – Paddy Deegan, who fired straight and true.  Stephen Murphy put the St John’s Parish boys ahead with an audacious free from all of eighty yards against the wind! Stephen’s compass was set fair and this would prove telling, by the end of the sixty minutes.

Ballyhale are not the successful outfit they are however – without knowing how to dig in. They enjoyed a dominant ten minute spell that yielded five unanswered points – the pick of these being a Cha Fitzpatrick special.  The Loughs kept battling into that bitter wind however. Mark Bergin grafted to release Sammy Johnston. S. J. turned on the engines in order to bear down on goals. His rasping shot was saved by Richie Reid.  The same Mark Bergin pointed a free, minutes later - to keep the City boys to within a single score of Ballyhale at the end of the opening thirty.

H/T:  O’Loughlin Gaels 0-04, Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-07

T.J. Reid opened the scoring in the second half with a pointed dead ball and Mark Bergin returned the compliment to restore the three point deficit. Then, seven minutes in.... came one of the decisive moments of the game. The ref awarded the Loughs a twenty one yard free on the back of overly robust Ballyhale defending. M. B. steeled himself and fired a bullet to the net. Cul! And now the sides were level.  Sammy Johnston then fired unerringly from the half forward line. The Loughs were in the lead and the run for home was on. Single points were then exchanged before Ballyhale struck three in a row, to wrestle back the advantage in this pulsating affair.

Cool heads and inspiration were called for in equal measure. And cometh the hour.......you know the rest! Stephen Murphy went short with his puck out to find Paddy Deegan. Paddy moved into space and sent a rapier into the sky that bisected the Ballyhale posts. Whatta score! There was only one between the teams now and with fourteen minutes to go; it was the City boys who were doing all the pressing.  Ballyhale would go on to score only two more points as opposed to a seven point blitz from O’Loughlins that would prove the difference. The winning scores in this period came from John Doyle (two), Stephen Murphy (two) and Mark Bergin (three).

It’s difficult to single out players in what really was a tremendous team performance. Gary Bryan, at the tender age of seventeen and a half – can be proud of his senior league debut. Stephen Murphy’s long range points were crucial to the outcome. Mark Bergin was as imperious as ever in the middle of the field alongside the industrious Paddy Deegan. Jason Quan made telling runs in the second half, when introduced and linked up well with John Doyle, who was unerringly accurate.  Mark Kelly moved deeper at a vital stage in the match and stamped his county class on the outcome of the game – as a result. The real man of the match however, was the combined work ethic of the entire team and subs on a cold bitter evening in Thomastown.

F/T O’Loughlin Gaels 1-15, Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-14

Stephen Murphy 0-3 (3 f’s), Gary Bryan, Eoghan Grant, Eddie Kearns, Paddy Butler, Brian Hogan, Martin Gibbons, Paddy Deegan 0-2,  Mark Bergin 1-06 (1-3 f’s & 1 65), Conor Bergin, Jack Nolan, Sammy Johnston 0-1, Davy Burke, Mark Kelly, John Doyle (0-3) Subs used: Jason Quan.

The Lads Play Ballyhale on Saturday evening at 7.30pm. It promises to be a great game so please come out and support our team.