Bragging rights and a place in the county final is on offer to the O'Loughlin Gaels Senior team tomorrow when they take on city neighbours, Dicksboro, in the championship quarter final.
Dicksboro are flying high, having had two hard games against Clara and can now relax and play hurling as the threat of relegation has been eradicated. The two teams met in the league and O' Loughlins gave the 'Boro a bit of a trimming.
But that was the league. The championship is all on the day.
Reigning senior county champions O'Loughlin Gaels will need to be on top of their game to overcome this Dicksboro side who won the intermediate championship last year.
The very best of luck to Andy Comerford, Paul Phealan, Mick Nolan, and their panel in their bid to retain the Tom Walsh Cup.
U-12s win tournament
Congratulations to the O'Loughlin Gaels under-12 team who won the Dicksboro tournament last weekend.
They beat city rivals James Stephens and the hosts along the way. Well done to manager Ed Gormely and his selectors.
Junior team tournament
The O'Loughlin Gaels Junior team qualified for the semi-finals of the county championship last Saturday evening, when they beat Mooncoin in Hugginstown.
Just 16 years ago, O'Loughlin Gaels reached their last county junior semi-final.
That was with the club's ‘first team’ at the time, who, after many hard battles, eventually went on to win the junior championship as well as the intermediate championship the following year. That team formed the nucleus, and created the platform for the O'Loughlins senior team's three county finals and two Leinster championship victories over the past decade.
The score in the quarter-final was O'Loughlin Gaels 3-12, Mooncoin 1-10.
Eddie Rockets blitz
The O'Loughlin Gaels GAA club held their annual club blitz this year in St Kieran's College last Saturday morning.
The blitz was, once again, sponsored by Eddie Rockets of MacDonagh Junction. Nearly 200 boys and girls from under-10s down played three matches and a final.
Parents became managers for the day, as the teams mentors took a step back. Each child received a goodie-bag from Eddie Rockets including O'Loughlin Gaels socks. Tommy Walsh, with the Liam MacCarthy cup, deputised for Kilkenny Captain Brian Hogan, who was out of the country.
It was great to see Tommy interact with the kids and have his photo taken with them.
Well done to John Collins, juvenile chairman in O'Loughlin Gaels and his committee for organising the event. Congratulations to Donal Higgins of ProChem engineering who once again coordinated everything from his control centre.
A very big thank you must go to the ladies’ committee for serving all the sandwiches, buns and cakes as well as teas and coffees.
Also the club would like to thank St Kieran's College for the use of their fantastic facilities. Next year the Blitz should be back ‘home’ in St John's Park as the new pitch development project will be completed.
Photos of the Blitz are available to view on www.oloughlingaels.gaa.ie or the O'Loughlin Gaels Facebook and Twitter pages.
Camogie ladies in county final
The very best of luck from everybody in St John's Parish to the O'Loughlin Gaels Junior B camogie team who will play the county final against Conahy Shamrocks on Sunday.
O'Loughlins are the reigning champions, and their management team of Gerry Buckley, Ritchie Delaney, Philly Twomey, and Seamus Cummins are leaving no stone unturned in their quest for back-to-back titles.
In other camogie news, the O'Loughlin Gaels Camogie Club announced a sponsorship deal with John Street publican Paddy Leydon. The deal, which means Paddy Leydon is the camogie club's main sponsor, will see Paddy Leydon's logo on the camogie club's jerseys.
