Around the Districts: Killavullen
KILLAVULLEN
Happy St Patrick’s Day
Wishing those near and far. May you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold, and at the end of your rainbows may you find a pot of gold.
Church news
Lent 2023: Letting God Come Close this Lent. The series of reflections for Lent continues on Wednesdays at 7.30 p.m. at Nano Nagle Birthplace. This week: ‘Developing Personal Prayer’. The meetings are led by Sr. Teresa Kennedy, pbvm, telephone 083 3987255.
Passion Play 2023: A meeting of the group preparing the Holy Week Passion Play will take place next Thursday, March 16, at 8 p.m.
Communion to the sick and House/Housebound: Please contact the parish office if you are sick or housebound and would like to receive Communion.
Chiropody Dates
Appointments with our friendly and dedicated chiropodist Patricia are now available for April. Please contact her at 086 3225052 to arrange an appointment.
Community Council AGM
The Killavullen Community Council AGM will take place on Tuesday, March 28, at 8.30 p.m. in Killavullen Community Centre. All are welcome to come along.
Scór Competition
Congratulations to the children of Killavullen NS and Ballygown NS who took to the stage in Ovens last Saturday afternoon for the popular Scór Competition. From solo singing, to ballad groups, recitations to novelty acts, instrumental music, quiz teams as well as a variety of Irish dancing the children of both schools both impressed and entertained a packed hall. Well done to all who participated and best wishes to those going forward to the next round.
Golf outing
Fancy a hole in one? A Killavullen outing to Dundrum Golf Course is being organised by P Coakley on Saturday, April 15. Any golfer interested in attending is asked to book by contacting 087 2104619.
Farmer’s Market
Killavullen Farmer’s Market is looking forward to its next market on Saturday, March 18, in the Nano Nagle Birthplace, Ballygriffin. Come along to source some fresh, local produce from 10.30 a.m. till 1 p.m.
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The people of the parish of Killavullen, like many others in Ireland will be watching Cheltenham races closely all week, but never more so, than in the Gold Cup at 3.30 p.m. on Friday when Noble Yeats participates in the great race.
Noble Yeats came into the world and began his illustrious life in our parish, under the astute stewardship of James and Kristina Hunter in Castlekevin. He has since being snapped up by Robert Waley Cohen, and is now trained by Emmet Mullins.
With rain forecast for the week, and the ground, at this juncture expected to be soft or worse on Friday, this dour staying type of chaser has a considerable chance, at odds of 9/1. He did after all, only win the Aintree Grand National last April, and is being primed for that race again.
Best of luck to all involved, and his breeders and keen supporters, who are travelling over.
GAA club news
Division 1 Football league – Killavullen defeated Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels in the Division 1 Football league game, that was played in Liscarroll last Sunday.
The game was very scrappy and unnecessarily tetchy and Killavullen left some gilt-edge goal scoring chances behind them, but would have been pleased to earn the league points. Killavullen club were grateful to our hosts for agreeing to take the game, after Killavullen pitch was deemed unplayable, after the incessant rain that fell on Thursday. The referee in Dwaine Collins also deserved an honourable mention, after agreeing to referee this game, at short notice, and a time and venue change.
The Liscarroll/Churchtown team took the opening score in the third minute, but we equalised quickly in the fourth minute, courtesy of Charlie Lillis, from a dead ball situation.
We went ahead with a nice point from Darragh O’Grady in the fifth minute, but the teams were level again, when our hosts, scored from a free in the seventh minute. Gary Lane flashed a ball narrowly wide and we lost Darragh temporarily to an ankle injury in the 15th minute, and Colin Carey replaced him.
The intricate passing of the Killavullen forwards worked an opening for Séamus O’Mahony in the 16th minute, but the Liscarroll/Churchtown net minder tipped his strong shot over the bar. We went further ahead with another converted free from Charlie in the 25th minute, and should really have scored the opening goal, when Charlie, our ace finisher was at the end of a good move, but his placed shot was just wide of the upright.
Patrick Angland was having a fine game at centre back, and he found himself with space in front of goals after a nice off load from Gary Lane, and Pa raised another white flag. The score at the break was 0-05 to – 02 in our favour.
On the resumption, Ronan and Eddie in our midfield were doing well, and we generally looked the most likely to raise a green flag, but spurned another glorious chance before Séamus O’Mahony scored a close in free.
Finally, we did raise that green flag when Colin Carey found himself close in on goals, after quick exchanges of hand passes isolated him, and Colin calmly palmed the ball into the net. 1-06 to 0-02 at this stage with 23 minutes to go.
Séamus O’Mahony pushed the lead out further with another free, before Darragh, patched up by Denis on the line, was reintroduced for Gary Lane. Eddie Cotter was fouled as he went through on goals, and kicked over the point from a good distance out, but the referee called for the free to be taken again, and we sent that chance wide.
We lost a player to a second yellow card, and invited Liscarroll/Churchtown onto us a bit more, and that resulted in their wing back kicking a nice point for them, in the 20th minute. Dominic Bolster was introduced for Rory O’Regan.
The home team scored again in the 25th minute from a free, and again from open play in the 27th minute to bring their tally to 0-06. They scored again in the 31st minute before Killavullen calmly took possession of the ball, and kept in in hand, and through the phases to kill down the clock, and to win out, in the end by 1-07 to 0-07.
Division 3 football – The second teams from Kildorrery and Killavullen locked horns under lights in Kildorrery last night, in the Division 3 football leagues, and it was very informative, for both camps, and beneficial.
Kildorrery had several players, that would be hoping to make an impression on their intermediate football team, and it was ultimately that touch of class, that was the difference, though several players for Killavullen were outstanding on the night.
Killavullen opened very quickly in the game, with a goal, from Pa Cronin, and he scoring a goal, for the second week in a row, this time in football. It came from a flowing move involving a quick interchange of passes. Kildorrery hit back in strong style with a good array of point scoring, from distance, impressive scores at any level, principally by Seán Watson, and the ever-green Tom Monaghan.
Our young corner backs would have learnt loads from Tom’s ability to shape one way, and go the other. We replied with a Séamus O’Mahony point, and Séamus did loads of positive things on the night, while playing. We conceded a goal, but we went up the field, and a quick interchange of passes, from the college buddies, Seán Palmer, Mike Cagney, and Seán Bartley released Séamus, and he bore down on the goals, and finished with aplomb. A feature of that opening half was the strong running of those afore mentioned players, and Seán Bartley in particular was very impressive on the night, he never stopped trying to break the lines, and carry us up the field. The score at the break was 1-10 as against 2-01 for Killavullen.
Killavullen made a raft of changes and inter-positional switches at the break, so that the entire panel of 19 players all got game time and also acutely conscious that the under-18 players on the team have a game against Mitchelstown the following day. Our Division 1 players, play on Sunday against Liscarroll so those players had to be minded as well.
Michael Cagney scored a point for us, and then Mikey O’Connor got another goal, after great play from Mike Walsh and the returned Kevin Fox, whose got a hero’s welcome, when he entered the dressing room, before the game. Kevin is just home from Australia, with a fine tan on him, and we all freezing on a bitterly cold night, in Kildorrery.
Right at the dead, despite the best efforts of Ian O’Gorman, Kildorrery got another goal, to put a gloss on their win, in what was a thoroughly enjoyable game, played in a good spirit and well handled by the referee, in John O’Brien. The final score was 3-12 to 3-02 but loads of positives for both teams.
Lotto – There was no winner of the lotto jackpot, last Tuesday night, which had the club treasurer sighing some relief. The new jackpot on the night was, at €1,000. The next jackpot on next Tuesday night, will be €1,100, if there was to be a winner. The winners of the lucky dips on last Tuesday night were quite extraordinary, as two of the recipients has won again, only a short two weeks ago and the results were as follows: €50 – Angela Murphy (seller – Denise Hanrahan) €30 – Bessie Rea (seller – Michael Rea); €20 – Séamus Cronin – Seller – John Magner. Purchase your ticket from any committee member or from our website – Killavullengaa.com. Thank you for your anticipated and ongoing support.
GAA Healthy Club – Tired of deciding what to have for dinner? Come along to our Nutrition talk with Healthy Cooking Demonstration. This is on in Killavullen Community Hall on Monday, March 20, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The evening is open to everyone under-18 free adults €5 ahead. Registration is desirable text Helen at 085 7041674 =85 There will be tasting on the night so you might come home with new ideas for healthy meals at home.
Juvenile Results – Killavullen 0-07, Mitchelstown 5-06, Rebel Óg North Fe under-18 Football League Division 2.
Killavullen 6-13, BK Plunketts 3-04, Rebel Óg NorthFe under-14 Football League Division 2.
Juvenile Fixtures – Killavullen play Kilshannig in the under-18 Hurling league, next Friday (March 17) in Killavullen at 1 p.m. Killavullen play Kildorrery in the under-14 Hurling league, next Saturday (March 18) in Kildorrery at 11 p.m. Killavullen play Kilworth/Araglen Óg in the under-16 Football league, next Sunday (March 19) in Killavullen at 11 p.m. Please check with our website closer to the dates, in case of any changes, in date, location or time. With the inclement weather at the moment, Killavullen pitches cannot take any games, so we may need to move.
Forthcoming Adult Fixtures – The 2023 hurling leagues will continue with the following games concerning Killavullen: Thursday, March 16, at 19.30 in Mourne Abbey, Killavullen V Clyda Rovers, 2023 Avondhu Division 3 Hurling League; Sunday, March 19, at 11.00 in Ballyhooley, Killavullen V Ballyhooley, 2023 Avondhu Division 1Hurling League.
Membership 2023 – With all games now up and running, it is imperative that all players have paid their 2023 membership. Remember, no membership paid, no insurance cover for you, in the event of an injury. The club would be gracious if persons will pay the appropriate fee on the new Central GAA App – Foireann and select Cill An Mhuilinn as your club. Any person experiencing difficulties on the platform can play their subscription to any committee member, or make arrangement to pay directly, to the club treasurer Seán Turner at 086 6015779 or membership officer Ian Roche, at 086 3979833.
Rebel Bounty Draw – Cork finish their 2023 Allianz Football league, with a mouth-watering clash against Derry in Pairc Ui Chaoimh at 2 p.m. on March 26, for which we will have Premium tickets.
Tickets are now on sale for the Rebel Bounty Draw. The first draw of Rebels’ Bounty 2023 will take place on Thursday, March 30, in Páirc Uí Chaoimh at 7 p.m. Draws for January, February and March will take place on this date. Ticket sales will close at 1 p.m. on the day of the draw. Paid up members of either (membership or Rebel Bounty) for 2023, will be in the draw for premium tickets.
U8 Players of the week – Wonderful performance this week from Raonaid Whelan our player of the week. Raonaid as usual tackled like a tiger and was fearless in winning, controlling and striking the ball. Raonaid always gives her absolute best and never gives up. Well done and keep up the superb effort.
A belated congratulations to Hugh Crean on player of the week in our final football session last Tuesday. His steely gaze here only confirms his sheer unstoppable determination and nerve to be the last man standing at ‘Bulldog’. Well done, Hugh.
Nagle Mountains Half and Full Marathons
The Irish Mountain Running Association (IMRA) descended in some force to Killavullen GAA car parking facilities on Saturday for the Nagle Mountains half and full marathons.
The weather was certainly not conducive to a pleasant jaunt over these beautiful mountains between Killavullen and Ballyhooley, but that did not stop the huge numbers that turned out for this event. 117 persons participated in the half marathon, while 55 brave souls took part in the full marathon.
The event was superbly organised by this group, with Derek Walsh and Joan Ryan being ultra-professional in everything they did. Stewards were at the gate, to monitor parking, registration was done via a special designed van, and mobile tea and coffee facilities were provided in the venue. Killavullen GAA opened up their changing rooms and toilets, and the participants were grateful for a hot shower after such an ordeal. With the recent very heavy rain, some of the trails in the forest, and the gullies through which they ascended to a maximum height of 1300 Metres were very rough, slippery and wet.
The event started at 10 a.m., with registration from 9 a.m. and the last people came down off the mountain, some seven hours and 39 minutes after they started. Brilliantly organised group, who place a huge emphasis on their eco credentials, and leave no trace on the mountain, or in our facilities, they were an absolute pleasure to deal with, and will always be welcomed back, at any stage.
The winners were as follows – first Man Home – Half Marathon – Gavin Byrne from Dublin first Female Home – Half Marathon – Carol Finn from Cork first Man Home – Full Marathon – Nick Hogan from Cork first Female Home – Full Marathon – Francis O’Riordan from Kerry Congratulations to local participants Michael Rea, Donal O’Callaghan and Bill Martin, who used their local knowledge to record very respectable times in the half marathon.