O’Loughlin Gaels is delighted to announce that Pat Carroll has renewed his sponsorship of the senior team for 2014. Pat has been a long time supporter of the club and his generosity is greatly appreciated. Our senior team will wear his name emblazoned across our famous white and green jerseys. What better way to promote the Ballybough Street pub than to have a successful run in the senior championship – here’s hoping.
This reporter called to Ballybough Street during the week, along with Eddie Buckley (OLG Chairman), Brian Murphy (Hurling & Football Chairman) and Aidan Fogarty (Senior Team Manager). Pat was in rare form and it wasn’t long before he explained to us - the reason why. A forty-to-one shot had somehow managed to negotiate the famous Cheltenham jumps and come home ahead of the rest of the field in order to make Pat Carroll a very happy man!
Pat stated he’s been in the pub business for over thirty years now. He started out back in 1977. His first stand was in the old Kilkenny Arcade. He moved to his present location across from the army barracks and hasn’t looked back since. Pat employs four staff and his natural affiliation with the O’Loughlin Gaels club has grown organically over time. Stalwart OLG half-forward – Alan Geoghegan is Pat’s son-in-law and goalkeeper – Stephen Murphy is his nephew. Once again Pat, thank you for your generosity. We hope to repay you on the field of play.
Football Championship
Commiserations to our senior footballers who bowed out of this year’s championship as a result of a one point defeat to Kilmoganny. The match was played in Danesfort on Sunday last. Kilmoganny incredibly, were all of ten points up at one stage but a raging second half comeback from the continent left us all on the edge of our seats. The clock on the wall was to prove OLG’s most difficult competitor on the day however and our boys ran out of time before being able to grab that elusive equaliser.
Leinster League
O’Loughlin Gaels are participating in the Leinster League as part of the team’s preparation for the tough county league / championship that lies ahead in 2014. This prestigious league sees us pitted against teams from across the province and includes the counties of Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Wexford. We’ve been drawn in Group three of Division One and are up against Castletown Slieve Bloom (Laois) and Buffer’s Alley of Wexford. We travelled to Castletown on March 1st last and came away with both points in a hard fought win. Our final game in the group is on the 22nd March and is away to Buffer’s Alley in Wexford, throw-in is at 4:00 p.m. The top two teams from each group (four groups) will contest knock-out quarter finals on April 5th and the final will be played on Saturday 19th April. The other teams in division one are as follows: Ballinkillen (Carlow), St Vincent’s (Dublin), Drumcullen (Offaly), Raharney (Westmeath), Camross (Laois), Clonkill (Westmeath), Naomh Eoin (Carlow), Faughs (Dublin),Lucan Sarsfields (Dublin), Birr (Offaly), Portlaoise (Laois) and Ferns St Aidan’s (Wexford).
St Patrick’s Day Parade
Well done to all our boys who lined out in the annual St Patrick’s Day Parade on Monday last. Our juvenile section was represented by teams from our: U6’s, U8’s, U10’s and U12’s. Thanks to all our coaches and parents for ensuring our players looked so well in their OLG strips. It’s time now to get back to training boys. Enjoy!
Club Lotto
There was no jackpot winner of the club lotto this week. The numbers chosen were 2, 14, 17, 25 and the bonus number was 1. 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.