Champions Sunday May 18th

O’Loughlin Gaels GAA Club in association with Kilkenny Special Olympics is delighted to announce Champions Sunday will take place in our Clubhouse gymnasium on May 18th next at 12:00 noon. Champions Sunday is a unique event which will give Kilkenny children a chance to meet their heroes across a wide range of sports. Our special guests on the day will be the Kilkenny Special Olympics Team. They are competing in the Special Olympics All-Ireland finals, which will take place in the University of Limerick, the following month. If you’re a young aspiring sports person and you’re interested in rubbing shoulders with high achievers from the worlds of Hurling, Football, Camogie, Handball, Rugby, Athletics...................the list goes on – then the OLG Clubhouse is the place to be on May 18th next. Check out our facebook page for more details or our new look website: www.oloughlingaels.gaa.ie for more details. It will be a family friendly event which promises to be a great occasion and all are welcome.

 

New Look OLG Website is Launched

The Club launched its new look website during the week: www.oloughlingaels.gaa.ie - the website was designed to be compatible with the latest smart phone and tablet technology. Needless to say, it can also be viewed on regular p.c.’s. Club chairman Eddie Buckley welcomed the development stating: “The relaunch of the Club website is an important time for us all. This website is about more than just giving members information. It allows us to communicate better with each other while also presenting an opportunity for the various teams and Club activities to have an input into reporting their progress”. 

The site has a page dedicated to each sporting activity and indeed, each team in the club. So whether you are six or forty-six years of age – there is a page on our site for you! Our website is dedicated to our members as well as the wider St John’s Parish community. If you are interested in having a Club / Parish related piece uploaded onto the site or if you are in possession of team photos or significant snaps from the past – please get in contact with our Club P.R.O. on pro.oloughlingaels.kilkenny@gaa.ie – we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Visitors From France Have A Bon Soir!

A group of over 20 young and enthusiastic French students attended the match between the U14’s and James Stephens on Easter Monday and gave our winning team every encouragement to push on and win. They could not get over the skill levels shown by both teams and even tried their hands at a puck or two!

Side by Side Club      

The Side by Side Club will re-open next Thursday at 2pm in the Day Care Centre. New members always welcome.  Contact Helen Goode on 087 688 4072.

Workshop for Parents & Teachers 

‘How to Develop your Child's Communication Skills' for parents and teachers of preschool aged children, held in Castlecomer library by Caint on Tuesday evenings from 6pm-7pm starting Tuesday May 27th. For more information and bookings please contact Caint Speech Therapy in 0567777453.

Club Lotto

There was no jackpot winner of the Club Lotto this week. The numbers chosen were: 6, 7, 11, 23 and the bonus number was 24. If you want to be in with a chance to win €20,000 – you can buy a ticket from the usual promoters or from behind the bar in the Clubhouse.

Great Win by Our Juniors

Well done to our junior team who had a great win against Ballyhale Shamrocks on Saturday evening last in St John’s Park. The match finished 4-09 to 2-05 in favour of the Continent. Let’s hope it’s an omen for our seniors who take on Ballyhale on Saturday 10th May next in Thomastown. Throw-in will be at 7:30.

MacDonagh Junction

The juvenile section of O’Loughlin Gaels is delighted to announce that MacDonagh Junction S.C. has resumed its sponsorship of our juvenile teams. As a club, we are conscious of the massive part MacDonagh plays in the everyday lives of the wider St John’s community and indeed Kilkenny as a whole. MacDonagh Junction opened its doors in 2007 and now employs over 500 people. We are delighted to be associated with what has been a KK success story. We thank you for your generosity and hope to repay you on the field of play.

Champions’ Sunday

If you’re a kid living in Kilkenny City – please set aside Sunday May 18th as a date in your bulging diary. That’s the day that O’Loughlin Gaels GAA club will be hosting its first ever Champions’ Sunday. We have invited a number of high profile athletes across a wide range of sports to come to our main hall that day, in order to give young boys and girls a chance to meet their heroes. We will have top All-Ireland winning GAA players as well as high achievers from the worlds of Athletics, Rugby, Handball, Camogie............the list goes on. Our special guests on the day will be the Kilkenny Special Olympics team who compete in the Special Olympics All-Ireland finals in University of Limerick, the following month. It promises to be a really memorable occasion. The throw-in time is 12:00 noon. It will be a family friendly event - so all are welcome; young and old. And no – you don’t have to be a club member to join in the fun.

Camogie

Our junior Camogie girls picked up their first brace of points with a very good win against Mooncoin away from home on Saturday night in the ACL. Mooncoin had contested the Junior Championship final in 2013 and O’Loughlins, with only 17 available to travel, appeared to be really up against it in this one. However it did not turn out that way and it was obvious that Liam Egan's training and coaching is starting to yield results.

The final score was O'Loughlins 1:11 to Mooncoin's 2:05 and the away team were full value for the win. Most pleasing in this game was the teamwork and work-rate of all 17 of the girls. At least 5 of their points were worked through 4 or 5 players with hand-passes, movement and excellent support play resulting in top class scores. Our defence was superbly marshalled by Rebecca Cleere at centre back, as she swept the entire backline and delivered long clearances time after time. Lizzie Kavanagh in goal was her usual steady self while the other backs were solid throughout, though improvement is needed in our striking which is being worked on constantly by Liam. The year is young yet and some extra work is needed by all players outside of the scheduled training.

At midfield the 2 Laura's were on top for most of the match and the switch of Sarah Bourke to midfield, with Laura Murphy moving to centre forward, with 15 minutes to go worked a treat. Our forwards played some lovely Camogie to create scores and could have been rewarded further but for some poor striking at times. Overall, it was a very satisfactory display and we can look forward to next weekend’s second round Championship match against Thomastown away from home.

Training will continue at 6:30 on Wednesday and Friday of this week and large turnouts are expected. Competition for places is going to be interesting as the club strives for Intermediate status in 2015. Keep up the good work girls! 

Our U-14 team beat Clara, St Martin’s and Kilmacow last Saturday to reach a Feile semi- final. The girls will play the Emeralds from Urlingford in two weeks time. All in O’Loughlin Gaels wishes them well.

 Our U-16 team had a very good win over Tullogher Rosbercon in first round of the league last Wednesday night in St John's Park winning  3-4 to 2-2. Well done girls!

 

Leinster League

 Our senior hurlers bowed out at the penultimate stage of the Leinster League last weekend. We went down at home to Buffers Alley of Wexford, who we had previously beaten in the group stages. The Leinster League is a series of readymade challenge matches and OLG benefitted from these matches as the league progressed. The management team is under no illusion however, that the real hard graft is about to begin. Our next big test in the Kilkenny S.H.L. is against Ballyhale Shamrocks on Saturday May 10th. The match takes place in Thomastown. Throw-in is at 7:30.

 

Brian & Mark

 The Continent extends hearty congrats to our very own Brian Hogan & Mark Kelly, who helped Kilkenny to a memorable victory over Galway in the semi-final of the National Hurling League on Sunday last in Limerick. The win sets up the mouth watering prospect of a league final clash with our old foes – Tipperary. Well done to both Brian and Mark for your great individual displays.

Johnswell Active Retirement

 Johnswell Active Retirement will hold a meeting in Johnswell Hall next Thursday 24th at 8.00pm.  New members are always welcome.

Kilkenny Choir

 The Kilkenny Choir will present our Spring 2014 concert in St. Canice’s Cathedral, next Saturday 26th at 
8 p.m.  We will sing Haydn; Mass in D Minor (Nelson Mass), his largest mass, and Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Dominica (KV 321), Mozart’s sublime and operatic Vespers.   The Choir will be accompanied by a Symphony Orchestra, leader Clodagh Vedres with soloists Lynda Lee – Soprano, Sharon Carty – Mezzo, Tyler Clarke – Tenor and John Milne – Bass.  All conducted by our musical director Philip Edmondson. Tickets are available to purchase at the door on the night. (€20/€15) 

Narcotics Anonymous Meetings

 “We are recovering addicts who run meetings within the community for anyone with a desire to stop using drugs.  Thursday and Sunday evening meetings are at 8:30pm. ‘Hugs Not Drugs’ Group, Basement at rear of St John’s Church.”

 

Senior Hurling League

The Continent made their debut in Group A of the senior hurling league against St Martin’s of Muckalee last Sunday. The match was played on a pristine pitch in Castlecomer’s Canon Kearns Park. The objectives were simple – to get two points on the board and to ensure a safe passage for several of our players who were making their senior league debuts. Padraig Meany, Martin Gibbons, Paddy Deegan and Sammy Johnston all got a first time feel for the white heat of Kilkenny club hurling on Sunday and each one acquitted himself well.

It was St Martin’s who opened their account first with a pointed free from John Maher in the second minute. Mark Bergin responded two minutes later with a trademark special from the main road side of the pitch. Davy Burke then chased and won a ball that didn’t have his name on it. The subsequent lay off was neat and precise & that man Mark Bergin supplied the finish to send OLG into a one point lead.  There were early signs the team was gelling throughout the field. Brian Hogan (who would go on to have a great game) took one from the sky and fed Jack Nolan with a forty yard pass to set up another attack.

One of the defining scores of the game would come midway through the first half. Stephen Murphy left his goalkeeping duties to take a long range free a la Stephen Cluxton. The high lobbing ball was not dealt with effectively by the Muckalee defence. Davy Burke pounced and flicked the ball to the St Martin’s net – Cul - to give OLG a two point lead. Mark Bergin would add two more from play either side of a move that would see Martin Comerford link up with Jack Malone, who in turn fed Mark Kelly for a superb point from the county man. H/T: O’Loughlin Gaels 1-06, St Martin’s 0-04

Paddy Butler signalled his intentions early in the second half by taking a skyscraper from the clouds and feeding Mark Bergin for a long range special. Bergin would add two more frees but not before St Martin’s struck a brace of their own to stay in touch. With ten minutes to go – Sammy Johnston struck one of the scores of the game over his left shoulder – high and handsome, to maintain a six point cushion. John Doyle (an emerging U21 from last year) was sprung to freshen things up and it was this inspired move that would prove crucial to the match’s outcome. Davy Burke did the spade work by winning possession and then neatly slipped Doyle through for a one on one. Doyle didn’t have to be asked twice. He flashed a low hard driller off his left to rattle the net and effectively finish the contest. Doyle even raised his hand in celebration in what seemed a glimpse of things to come in this new era of Gaelic Games / Sky Sports razzmatazz! Muckalee would also find the net late in the game but more decisive scores by Conor Bergin, Mark Kelly and Mark Bergin would bring matters to a close in Castlecomer. F/T:  O’Loughlin Gaels 2-13, St Martin’s 1-11. Stephen Murphy, Padraig Meany, Eoghan Grant, Eddie Kearns, Martin Gibbons, Brian Hogan, Paddy Deegan, Paddy Butler, Mark Bergin 0-9 (3 f’s), Conor Bergin 0-1, Martin Comerford, Sammy Johnston 0-1, Davy Burke 1-0, Mark Kelly 0-2 Jack Nolan. Subs used: John Doyle 1-0.

 

Champions Sunday

If you think your child would love to get the chance to meet and chat with a sporting hero; stay tuned for information about what promises to be a unique event being held in OLG clubhouse on Sunday May 18th next at 12:00 noon. Champions Sunday will also serve as a fundraiser to raise much needed money for Kilkenny Special Olympics athletes. These athletes will be competing in the Special Olympics All-Ireland finals in University of Limerick in June. It’ll be a great day – more details to follow.

Club Lotto

There was no jackpot winner of the club lotto. The numbers drawn were: 17, 20, 21 & 22. The bonus number was 11. Tickets can be purchased from authorised club officials or from the clubhouse bar. To be in with a chance to win €20,000 – buy your ticket now!

Membership Overdue

Calling all members: Membership is now overdue. Please pay your annual fee ASAP if you have not done so already.  There is an attractive suite of membership rates ranging from single to full family membership. Please ask at the clubhouse bar and pay the fee that suits your needs best. The fees go towards the day to day running of your club. Please take prompt action. Thank you.

MacDonagh Junction

The juvenile section of O’Loughlin Gaels is delighted to announce that MacDonagh Junction S.C. has resumed its sponsorship of our juvenile teams. As a club, we are conscious of the massive part MacDonagh plays in the everyday lives of the wider St John’s community and indeed Kilkenny as a whole. MacDonagh Junction opened its doors in 2007 and now employs over 500 people. We are delighted to be associated with what has been a KK success story. We thank you for your generosity and hope to repay you on the field of pay.

The Trip to the Kells Road

Congrats to all associated with last Sunday’s U12’s trip to the Kells road where our boys took on James Stephens. We had thirty three players in total, who each represented our club with distinction. OLG would also like to congratulate James Stephens on their magnificent new complex of pitches and wish them well on their grand opening in May.

Alzheimer's Kilkenny

Please raise funds for local services for people with Alzheimer's or dementia by taking a sponsorship card for the Stoneyford 10K Challenge, 11th. For cards, entry form and T-Shirt contact The Village Day Centre on 0567771230.

Camogie News

The Junior Camogie team had a very good win over Tullogher in the first round of the League last Sunday morning winning 1-15 to 1-5.  The girls are away to Mooncoin in the ACL next Saturday at 7pm. The U-14 team were away to the Emeralds last Friday in the first round of the league and lost 4-5 to 2-3.  

Tinryland Under Lights

O’Loughlin Gaels senior hurlers locked horns with Ferns St Aidan’s of Wexford, in a floodlit quarter final of the Leinster League – last Wednesday. The game saw the welcome return of both our black and amber exiles – Mark Kelly and Brian Hogan.

Mark Kelly was lively from the off – showing a clean pair of heels to his opposite number on several occasions. His pace began to pierce holes in the Ferns last line of defence and it wasn’t long before the green was raised for the first time. Kelly’s quick pick-up, followed by a surging run released Jack Nolan on the edge of the square. Jack drilled low and hard to shake the net for a three-pointer. Two minutes later, Kelly once again with back to goal – executed a lightening pick-up, turned and pinned his ears back. No support was needed this time – Kelly crashed it home for a second goal in as many minutes.

By this stage, there were signs that the Continent was moving and thinking well. Davy Burke was certain to be hooked but shortened his hurl to flick a thirty yard pass to put OLG on the offensive again. Mark Bergin (this campaign’s most consistent performer to date) pointed a free and his teammate in the middle (Sammy Johnson) drove from distance to make the score 2-02 to 0-02, with just eleven minutes gone.  One of the best moves of the game would lead to the next score – a Mark Bergin special. Neat interplay between John Doyle and Martin Comerford set Mark free to apply the finish between the uprights. Ferns would manage only two more points in the opening half. Some of this was down largely to stout defending from our boys. Eoghan Grant made several interventions in the opening thirty, as did Eddie Kearns, Martin Gibbons and Brian Murphy. Danny Lenihan was introduced to the fray before half-time. The Continent would add four more points to their tally (three from Mark Bergin) and a Mark Kelly special to bring the opening half to a close. H/T O’Loughlin Gaels: 2-07, Ferns St Aidan’s: 0-04

Metronomic Mark Bergin opened the second thirty with yet another unerring free and a point from play. Davy Burke was then rewarded for his hard graft with a neat point of his own. Ferns, to be fair, battled back bravely and raised three white flags in succession. The management rang the changes and introduced Ricky Leydon, Paddy Cantwell and Kevin O’Brien.  But it was county class which was to prove telling as in the nineteenth minute, big Martin Comerford went on a surging solo run through the heart of the Ferns defence. He hit a blinding shot off his left to the top right hand corner of the net to effectively end the contest – whatta goal! Martin would add two more points from play either side of a Mark Kelly free to bring proceedings to a close.  The management and team are not getting carried away with their progress thus far in the Leinster League. The league itself is no more than a series of readymade challenge matches designed to prepare the team for the tough county league / championship ahead.  F/T O’Loughlin Gaels: 3-13, Ferns St Aidan’s: 1-09. Stephen Murphy, Brian Murphy, Eoghan Grant, Eddie Kearns, Martin Gibbons, Brian Hogan, Paddy Butler, Sammy Johnson (0-1), Mark Bergin, (0-8, 4 f’s), Conor Bergin, Martin Comerford (1-2), Davy Burke (0-1), John Doyle, Mark Kelly (1-1), Jack Nolan  (1-0). Subs used: Danny Lenihan, Ricky Leydon, Paddy Cantwell, Kevin O’Brien

St Patrick’s Day Parade Winners

Congratulations to all connected with the OLG juvenile entry into the recent St Patrick’s Day parade. Our entry won the best young person’s float and this was honoured at a special ceremony in the Town Hall on Thursday last. Mayor – Martin Brett spoke eloquently as did Councillor Malcolm Noonan. Congrats to all – well done again.

Diabetes Ireland 

The Southern Regional Office of Diabetes Ireland, will hold a Public Education Meeting in the Newpark Hotel, on Thursday, 10th April at 8pm. Guest speakers are two health care professionals working in the Diabetes service. These talks are suitable for people with both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. 

Membership Overdue

Calling all members: Membership is now overdue. Please pay your annual fee ASAP if you have not done so already.  There is an attractive suite of membership rates ranging from single to full family membership. Please ask at the clubhouse bar and pay the fee that suits your needs best. The fees go towards the day to day running of your club. Please take prompt action. Thank you.

Your Continent Needs You!

Our boys make their first outing in the Senior Hurling League next Sunday 13th April. We play St Martin’s of Muckalee in Canon Kearns Park, Castlecomer. Throw-in is at 4:00 p.m. We need you to be there!