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TERAPROOF:User:conoranthonyDate:25/07/2013Time:22:13:36Edition:26/07/2013ExaminerLiveXX2607Page:
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Irish Examiner Friday 26.07.2013
No looking back for hungry Cadogan All-Ireland SFC R4 qualifier
CORK V GALWAY Tomorrow: Croke Park, 5pm Referee: David Gough (Meath) Bet: Cork 1/7 Galway 11/2 Draw 12/1
Denis Hurley
When it comes to the Cork senior football side, the outside view always seems to be of a half-empty glass. Take the contrasting reactions between the two Munster finals earlier this month. In the hurling against Limerick, Cork were level at half-time but lost by nine points while the footballers almost reeled in a seven-point deficit against Kerry and lost by two. By any objective rating system, Kerry in football would currently be ranked higher than Limerick in hurling, but the footballers drew a greater ire in the post-match discussions. Tomorrow in Croke Park, they aim to get back on track against Galway, and Eoin Cadogan admits the external criticism can grate after a while. “If we were beaten by nine or 10 points and showed no bit of fight, you’d be annoyed,” he said.
“At the end of the day, this is a hobby, there are reporters out there getting paid to give their opinions, which is fine, but this is supposed to be enjoyable too. “We didn’t go down to Killarney and say, ‘Let’s go down by seven or eight points in the first half and have a bit of fun in the second half ’. “It’s not like we were going down to Killarney and Kerry wanted to lie down, it was their back garden, they didn’t want to lose their winning run that they have and they played particularly well.” Much of the debate regarding the Munster final stemmed from the similarities between that and the game in Killarney two years ago, when a second period fightback also fell short. To draw comparisons is a case of being selective, in Cadogan’s view. “I know it was similar to two years ago, but it wasn’t similar to last year, where we won,” he said. “Do you just pick up on the fact that it happened two years ago in Killarney? There are a lot of different factors, we just probably under-performed on the day and we’re disappointed with that but we can work on things and move forward.” For Cadogan, his half-time substitution after a first-half ankle injury led to him playing poorly meant personal disappointment. Perspective is not too hard to find, however. “It was disappointing personally to have to leave the field and not be able
Cork call up Coughlan to face Cats by Denis Hurley
Adidas ambassador Eoin Cadogan wearing the next instalment of the world’s most iconic boot, the Predator® Incurza XTRX SG II. The new boot is available now. Visit adidas.ie.
Picture: Ben Duffy
to right some of the wrongs which went my way on the day,” he said. “With injuries and stuff like that, you just have to get up and get on with it. Colm O’Neill epitomises the types of attitude you need, he’s out for the rest of the year with a cruciate injury but he’s down at training putting in huge work to get back for year. “I’m not going to cry in a corner about going over on my ankle below in Killarney, we have another chance at it.” Should he have signalled to the bench to come off straight away? “You’re playing below in Killarney, there’s nearly 40,000 people there, it’s championship,” he said. “You go over on your ankle, some-
times you’ll run it off but this wasn’t one of those times. I thought I could but I didn’t, that’s the bottom line. I’d be fairly pissed with a poor performance, but the question is are you going to complain about it or are you going to try and learn from it?” That attitude is something which Cadogan aims to put into practice in his current college course, a Setanta College BA in strength and conditioning. “When you’re putting such an emphasis on yourself personally,” he said, “on how you train and how you prepare, I decided what better way to earn a living than to help players prepare and maybe get work in a professional environment?”
With sport being such a central part of his life, it’s no surprise that there is a need to get away from things every now and then too. After the All Star trip to New York last winter, Cadogan continued on to Australia, and revelled in just being a person rather than a footballer. “It was a good break,” he said. “I trained extremely hard but in saying that I was switched off too. “There was nobody tapping you on the shoulder asking about the last match or the next match. You’re just a normal Joe Soap walking among thousands of people around Sydney Harbour. “That’s good too, to be able to get away from that.”
Opportunity knocks on big stage for Ryan and Clare Colin Ryan: We’ll be going to Thurles knowing we’re well capable of getting a result but under no illusions either.
by Diarmuid O’Flynn Great expectations. All his hurling life Colin Ryan has been dealing with them. A precocious talent, long spoken of as a potential future star, Colin was the free-taking mainstay of both the Newmarket-on-Fergus and Clare teams that won county and All-Ireland U21 titles for club and county respectively. With the club success came county minor and U21 titles in the mid-2000s signalling the return to glory of a club that through the ’60s and ’70s had
bestrode the Clare hurling team like a Colossus but had lain dormant since 1981. They had three-in-a-row U21 titles in 2006 and came close to capturing the senior title on a few
occasions but last year they did it, all that promise finally fulfilled. With the county it’s taking a little longer. Colin was a member of the U21 side that won Clare’s first Munster title in 2009. They then went one better with the county’s first AllIreland, beating no less a team than Kilkenny in the final and Colin hit nine of their 15 points. At senior level, that breakthrough has yet to come, in Munster or the All-Ireland. For this year Munster is history, beaten by Cork in the semifinal when they failed to capitalise on a
host of goal chances. Sunday, however, is another opportunity. An All-Ireland quarterfinal against neighbours Galway. The loss to Cork was a setback but no more than that. They’ve learned from it, demolished Laois in the qualifiers, then dismissed Wexford. Which brings us to Sunday, and a real test against a team smarting after losing its title in Leinster. “We’ll be going to Thurles knowing we’re well capable of getting a result but under no illusions either,” said Ryan. “People are saying Galway have
struggled this year but they don’t have to go too far back to know just how good they are. “They beat Kilkenny in the Leinster final last year, nearly won the All-Ireland title in the drawn game. They were unlucky that day, Henry Shefflin doing exceptionally well for Kilkenny, and again in the replay. Those lads have all that experience behind them now. No-one can write them off. “We’ve played them enough over the last few years. If we can get a performance that’s great, and hopefully it will be good enough on the day.”
Jamie Coughlan in for Cian McCarthy is the only change on the Cork side for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-final against Kilkenny at Semple Stadium in Thurles (2pm). With Patrick Horgan escaping suspension after being sent off in the Munster final defeat by Limerick two weeks ago, Newtownshandrum man Coughlan is the only addition to the team, replicating his half-time substitution for McCarthy in that game. Séamus Harnedy, who began the Limerick game at left corner-forward, takes the number 11 shirt to accommodate Coughlan in the inside forward line alongside Luke O’Farrell and Horgan. Lorcán McLoughlin is again named at midfield with Daniel Kearney. Meanwhile, Tyrone have made one alteration in personnel for their All-Ireland SFC fourth-round qualifier with Meath in Croke Park tomorrow evening (7pm). Ciarán McGinley of Errigal Ciarán comes into the side at right half-back alongside clubmate Peter Harte and Conor Gormley. Ryan McKenna, who played at number 5 in last week’s win over Kildare, drops to right corner-back while Aidan McCrory drops to the substitutes’ bench. Elsewhere, Juliet Murphy has made a sensational return to the Cork ladies football side, just six weeks after announcing her retirement. Murphy, who has won seven All-Ireland senior medals and five All-Star awards, was tempted back after Cork surrendered their Munster title to Kerry for the first time since 2003, and trained with Eamonn Ryan’s side on Wednesday night. CORK: A Nash (Kanturk); S O’Neill (Bishopstown), S McDonnell (Glen Rovers), C O’Sullivan (Sarsfields); T Kenny (Grenagh), C Joyce (Na Piarsaigh), W Egan (Kilbrin); L McLoughlin (Kanturk), D Kearney (Sarsfields); C Lehane (Midleton), S Harnedy (St Ita’s), P Cronin (Bishopstown); L O’Farrell (Midleton), P Horgan (Glen Rovers), J Coughlan (Newtownshandrum). Subs: D McCarthy (Ballymartle), K Murphy (Erin’s Own), M Ellis (Millstreet), S White (Ballygarvan), R O’Shea (Carrigaline), C McCarthy (Sarsfields), C Naughton (Newtownshandrum), S Moylan (Douglas), M Cussen (Sarsfields), M O’Sullivan (Tracton), E Keane (St Finbarr’s). TYRONE: P McConnell (Newtownstewart); R McKenna (Eglish), C Clarke (Omagh), C McCarron (Dromore); C McGinley (Errigal Ciarán), P Harte (Errigal Ciarán), C Gormley (Carrickmore); C Cavanagh (Moy), S Cavanagh (Moy); Matthew Donnelly (Trilick), Mark Donnelly (Carrickmore), Joe McMahon (Omagh); D McCurry (Edendork), S O’Neill (Clann na Gael), M Penrose (Carrickmore).
Skilful Sheehan extends Piarsaigh’s fond relationship with Féile Denis Hurley
A
t last Monday’s ceremony to honour Evan Sheehan for winning the Rebel Óg Award for July, one of the competition’s sponsors, Kevin Cummins of Cummins Sports, referred to a strong tradition within Na Piarsaigh GAA Club. Cummins recalled bus journeys across the city to watch his own Blackrock lose a seemingly endless stream of minor matches against Piarsaigh, who always played with panache and a skilful style. That tradition lives on still, with Sheehan being recognised for winning this year’s Féile Skills competition, the first Cork player to do so since Paudie O’Sullivan in 2002. Na Piarsaigh have a fond relationship with the Féile, the record winners of the hurling Division 1 title with six victories as well as a camogie Division 1 win. In addition, Deirdre O’Shea (twice) and Jean Paula Kent have won the camogie skills competition, so while it be a surprise that they had to wait so long to win the male equivalent, Sheehan is a worthy winner. “He would have always stood out as
World
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
Evan Sheehan with Diarmuid O’Leary, Red FM; Jim O’Sullivan, chairman Na Piarsaigh GAA Club; Tom Tobin, general manager, Rochestown Park Hotel; Mary-Claire Cummins, Cummins Sports; Mayor of Cork County, Cllr Noel O’Connor; John Purcell, vice-chairman Rebel Óg, and Colm O’Connor, Irish Examiner, at the Rochestown Park Hotel.
of Sport
Ireland in negotiations to tour Zimbabwe ■ CRICKET: Cricket Ireland are in negotiations to tour Zimbabwe at the start of 2014. Ireland are keen to arrange some warm weather cricket in January and February 2014 ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, which takes place in March and April, and approached both Zimbabwe Cricket and the Bangladesh Cricket Board in the hope of arranging a tour. Meanwhile, Ireland’s women qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier by beating Canada by 77 runs at Merrion on yesterday. Nick Royle
Final flourish from Hassett/Manning
MONTHLY SPORTS AWARDS
■ SAILING: The final day of racing in the Fastnet International Schools Regatta was greeted with bright sunshine and a very welcome south-westerly breeze as all fleets
being a skilful player,” said Trevor Coleman, chairman of the Na Piarsiagh underage section, “and, to be fair, he always has a hurley in hand. “At U11, he was coached by Seán Guiheen, the current senior coach, and at the moment the U14s have Eoin Moynihan, who plays on the senior team, and Paul O’Connor Jr, who is also involved with the seniors, so it’s always about the older people giving it back to the younger players.” And, while Evan is still at a tender age, he has already bought into that tradition.
sailed for class, fleet and overall honours. After two days and five races the lead in the Gold Fleet was clearly established by Mark Hassett/Liam Manning in a TR3.6 with a big battle under way for lesser places. The winning duo again won Race 6 in decisive fashion from Gleb Romantchik/Sinead Barnett and Isaac/Noah McCarthy-Fisher in third place. An additional race was agreed, given the excellent conditions, and Florence Lyden/Anna O’Regan took line honours from the McCarthy-Fisher boat and Romantchik/Barnett in third position. The Optimist Class remained very much an international affair with Miguel Durnas (Spain) winning from Pablo Parias (Spain) and Elizabette Fedelle (Italy) in third. This result ensured overall class win for Pablo Parias. There was tremendous consistency in the Silver Fleet results in Races 4, 5 and 6 with
Kelvin Batey: Won world title in New Zealand.
“Evan’s father, Noel, trains the fiveand six-year-olds, and every Sunday morning Evan helps out, passing on what he can,” Coleman said. “In the street leagues this year, which would have been for seven to nine-year-olds, he coached the team that got to the final, so he’s always looking to give something back. “He’s very down to earth and is only happy to pass on his knowledge. His parents deserve great credit for that, they’ve helped to keep him grounded, and I think we have the right people involved in the club too. “The week after he won the Féile he was back training and playing as usual, he just returned to normality, it wasn’t as if he was a superstar just because he had won.” Judged in the areas of ground striking, free-taking, jab-lift and strike, ground-cut, ball-control the long puck, Evan received 265 of 300 available points, the same as Galway’s Jason Broderick, resulting in a free-taking competition tie-breaker. Describing it as the “most pressure I had ever felt”, Evan scored four out of four while Broderick missed his third shot, giving him the Cork youngster the title to the delight of all involved. “It just goes to show that the skills of the game are still so vital,” Coleman said. “You can’t ever forget about the
July Winner of the Rebel Óg Monthly Awards, Evan Sheehan from Na Piarsaigh, at the Rochestown Park Hotel. Pictures: Darragh Kane basics and that’s what we try to teach from a young age, give them that and they can proceed.
[email protected] an identical finishing order in all three races. The winner, Noah McCarthy-Fisher, Schull Community College, secured the overall Silver Fleet trophy in an Optimist followed by Marc Legrix/Mark Murphy, Schull Community College/PBC, Cork and Jake McConnell, Friends School, Down in a Topper coming in third.
Rocklodge hosts Irish Strokeplay finals
■ PITCH AND PUTT: The Irish Strokeplay finals will be held in Rocklodge in Cork this weekend, with the junior section commencing at 8.30am tomorrow and the Intermediate section at 11.30am. On Sunday, the senior section will commence at 8.30am with one of the strongest fields in memory taking part. The field includes world strokeplay champion John Walsh (Collins), current matchplay champion Ray Murphy (St Anne’s) and defending champion Jonathan Goodall (Tralee). In addition, the field includes a further 13 former national champions. Pádraig O’Shea
26.07.2013
Batey wins world Masters title
Young Irish team hit for six by Germans
■ BMX: Ireland’s top BMX Rider, Kelvin Batey (31), won the Masters event at the BMX World Championships in New Zealand yesterday. Batey qualified for the final by winning three rounds, and came through the quarter and semi-finals to win the finals from Dorus Brink (Ned) and Luke Pretlove (Aus). “It’s taken 25 years, but it’s definitely worth the wait. Finally, world champion,” he said.
■ HOCKEY: Ireland were given a stark reminder of the challenge that lies ahead in next month’s European championships when they were whipped 6-0 by Germany at the Hamburg Masters yesterday. Andrew Meredith has taken a very young side to his current base for this tournament, with Kirk Shimmins — who just sat the Leaving Cert last month — a late call-up. The hosts — who a more experienced Ireland outfit beat 3-2 away from home just a couple of months ago — were in control at half-timer via Marko Miltkau’s double. Oskar Deecke, Florisn Fuchs, Thilo Stralkowski and Mat Grambusch all notched goals as the Germans ran riot in the second half. Things don’t get any easier for the green machine with the Netherlands up next tomorrow before they take on England on Sunday. Alan Good
Ireland bid for glory in World Games
■ HANDBALL: A team of four will carry the Irish challenge on the opening day of the handball competition at the World Games in Colombia. Armagh’s Conall McCavitt and Cork’s Killian Carroll join forces on the men’s side, with Lorraine Havern of Down teaming up with Mayo’s Amy Corrigan. The tournament format sees the teams compete on a league basis, before qualifying for the knockout stages.
“Obviously, they’re not everything either, but Evan has the heart to back the skills up too.”
Lavin bids for first senior hurdles title
■ ATHLETICS: Sarah Lavin will
attempt to add a first national senior title to her string of junior successes over the 100m hurdles this weekend, capitalising on the late withdrawal of Derval O’Rourke. The 19-year old clocked a national junior record of 13.34 when securing a silver medal at the European junior championships and is odds-on for gold with O’Rourke citing a foot injury for her absence. The women’s 100m could prove the race of the championships with only a quarter of a second separating the top five sprinters. Holder Amy Foster will go in as favourite, but won’t have it all her own way with Phil Healy, Catherine McManus, Kelly Proper and Ailis McSweeney posting seasonal best times just shy of Foster’s 11.49. Marcus Lawler and Steven Colvert are set to go head-to-head for the double sprint crown, while Mark English drops down to the 400m. Having registered a B standard for the 800m at the Morton Games last week, Paul Robinson will need to better that 1.45.86 run if he is to get the nod for Moscow ahead of English. Eoghan Cormican
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Irish Examiner Friday 26.07.2013
No looking back for hungry Cadogan All-Ireland SFC R4 qualifier
CORK V GALWAY Tomorrow: Croke Park, 5pm Referee: David Gough (Meath) Bet: Cork 1/7 Galway 11/2 Draw 12/1
Denis Hurley
When it comes to the Cork senior football side, the outside view always seems to be of a half-empty glass. Take the contrasting reactions between the two Munster finals earlier this month. In the hurling against Limerick, Cork were level at half-time but lost by nine points while the footballers almost reeled in a seven-point deficit against Kerry and lost by two. By any objective rating system, Kerry in football would currently be ranked higher than Limerick in hurling, but the footballers drew a greater ire in the post-match discussions. Tomorrow in Croke Park, they aim to get back on track against Galway, and Eoin Cadogan admits the external criticism can grate after a while. “If we were beaten by nine or 10 points and showed no bit of fight, you’d be annoyed,” he said.
“At the end of the day, this is a hobby, there are reporters out there getting paid to give their opinions, which is fine, but this is supposed to be enjoyable too. “We didn’t go down to Killarney and say, ‘Let’s go down by seven or eight points in the first half and have a bit of fun in the second half ’. “It’s not like we were going down to Killarney and Kerry wanted to lie down, it was their back garden, they didn’t want to lose their winning run that they have and they played particularly well.” Much of the debate regarding the Munster final stemmed from the similarities between that and the game in Killarney two years ago, when a second period fightback also fell short. To draw comparisons is a case of being selective, in Cadogan’s view. “I know it was similar to two years ago, but it wasn’t similar to last year, where we won,” he said. “Do you just pick up on the fact that it happened two years ago in Killarney? There are a lot of different factors, we just probably under-performed on the day and we’re disappointed with that but we can work on things and move forward.” For Cadogan, his half-time substitution after a first-half ankle injury led to him playing poorly meant personal disappointment. Perspective is not too hard to find, however. “It was disappointing personally to have to leave the field and not be able
Cork call up Coughlan to face Cats by Denis Hurley
Adidas ambassador Eoin Cadogan wearing the next instalment of the world’s most iconic boot, the Predator® Incurza XTRX SG II. The new boot is available now. Visit adidas.ie.
Picture: Ben Duffy
to right some of the wrongs which went my way on the day,” he said. “With injuries and stuff like that, you just have to get up and get on with it. Colm O’Neill epitomises the types of attitude you need, he’s out for the rest of the year with a cruciate injury but he’s down at training putting in huge work to get back for year. “I’m not going to cry in a corner about going over on my ankle below in Killarney, we have another chance at it.” Should he have signalled to the bench to come off straight away? “You’re playing below in Killarney, there’s nearly 40,000 people there, it’s championship,” he said. “You go over on your ankle, some-
times you’ll run it off but this wasn’t one of those times. I thought I could but I didn’t, that’s the bottom line. I’d be fairly pissed with a poor performance, but the question is are you going to complain about it or are you going to try and learn from it?” That attitude is something which Cadogan aims to put into practice in his current college course, a Setanta College BA in strength and conditioning. “When you’re putting such an emphasis on yourself personally,” he said, “on how you train and how you prepare, I decided what better way to earn a living than to help players prepare and maybe get work in a professional environment?”
With sport being such a central part of his life, it’s no surprise that there is a need to get away from things every now and then too. After the All Star trip to New York last winter, Cadogan continued on to Australia, and revelled in just being a person rather than a footballer. “It was a good break,” he said. “I trained extremely hard but in saying that I was switched off too. “There was nobody tapping you on the shoulder asking about the last match or the next match. You’re just a normal Joe Soap walking among thousands of people around Sydney Harbour. “That’s good too, to be able to get away from that.”
Opportunity knocks on big stage for Ryan and Clare Colin Ryan: We’ll be going to Thurles knowing we’re well capable of getting a result but under no illusions either.
by Diarmuid O’Flynn Great expectations. All his hurling life Colin Ryan has been dealing with them. A precocious talent, long spoken of as a potential future star, Colin was the free-taking mainstay of both the Newmarket-on-Fergus and Clare teams that won county and All-Ireland U21 titles for club and county respectively. With the club success came county minor and U21 titles in the mid-2000s signalling the return to glory of a club that through the ’60s and ’70s had
bestrode the Clare hurling team like a Colossus but had lain dormant since 1981. They had three-in-a-row U21 titles in 2006 and came close to capturing the senior title on a few
occasions but last year they did it, all that promise finally fulfilled. With the county it’s taking a little longer. Colin was a member of the U21 side that won Clare’s first Munster title in 2009. They then went one better with the county’s first AllIreland, beating no less a team than Kilkenny in the final and Colin hit nine of their 15 points. At senior level, that breakthrough has yet to come, in Munster or the All-Ireland. For this year Munster is history, beaten by Cork in the semifinal when they failed to capitalise on a
host of goal chances. Sunday, however, is another opportunity. An All-Ireland quarterfinal against neighbours Galway. The loss to Cork was a setback but no more than that. They’ve learned from it, demolished Laois in the qualifiers, then dismissed Wexford. Which brings us to Sunday, and a real test against a team smarting after losing its title in Leinster. “We’ll be going to Thurles knowing we’re well capable of getting a result but under no illusions either,” said Ryan. “People are saying Galway have
struggled this year but they don’t have to go too far back to know just how good they are. “They beat Kilkenny in the Leinster final last year, nearly won the All-Ireland title in the drawn game. They were unlucky that day, Henry Shefflin doing exceptionally well for Kilkenny, and again in the replay. Those lads have all that experience behind them now. No-one can write them off. “We’ve played them enough over the last few years. If we can get a performance that’s great, and hopefully it will be good enough on the day.”
Jamie Coughlan in for Cian McCarthy is the only change on the Cork side for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-final against Kilkenny at Semple Stadium in Thurles (2pm). With Patrick Horgan escaping suspension after being sent off in the Munster final defeat by Limerick two weeks ago, Newtownshandrum man Coughlan is the only addition to the team, replicating his half-time substitution for McCarthy in that game. Séamus Harnedy, who began the Limerick game at left corner-forward, takes the number 11 shirt to accommodate Coughlan in the inside forward line alongside Luke O’Farrell and Horgan. Lorcán McLoughlin is again named at midfield with Daniel Kearney. Meanwhile, Tyrone have made one alteration in personnel for their All-Ireland SFC fourth-round qualifier with Meath in Croke Park tomorrow evening (7pm). Ciarán McGinley of Errigal Ciarán comes into the side at right half-back alongside clubmate Peter Harte and Conor Gormley. Ryan McKenna, who played at number 5 in last week’s win over Kildare, drops to right corner-back while Aidan McCrory drops to the substitutes’ bench. Elsewhere, Juliet Murphy has made a sensational return to the Cork ladies football side, just six weeks after announcing her retirement. Murphy, who has won seven All-Ireland senior medals and five All-Star awards, was tempted back after Cork surrendered their Munster title to Kerry for the first time since 2003, and trained with Eamonn Ryan’s side on Wednesday night. CORK: A Nash (Kanturk); S O’Neill (Bishopstown), S McDonnell (Glen Rovers), C O’Sullivan (Sarsfields); T Kenny (Grenagh), C Joyce (Na Piarsaigh), W Egan (Kilbrin); L McLoughlin (Kanturk), D Kearney (Sarsfields); C Lehane (Midleton), S Harnedy (St Ita’s), P Cronin (Bishopstown); L O’Farrell (Midleton), P Horgan (Glen Rovers), J Coughlan (Newtownshandrum). Subs: D McCarthy (Ballymartle), K Murphy (Erin’s Own), M Ellis (Millstreet), S White (Ballygarvan), R O’Shea (Carrigaline), C McCarthy (Sarsfields), C Naughton (Newtownshandrum), S Moylan (Douglas), M Cussen (Sarsfields), M O’Sullivan (Tracton), E Keane (St Finbarr’s). TYRONE: P McConnell (Newtownstewart); R McKenna (Eglish), C Clarke (Omagh), C McCarron (Dromore); C McGinley (Errigal Ciarán), P Harte (Errigal Ciarán), C Gormley (Carrickmore); C Cavanagh (Moy), S Cavanagh (Moy); Matthew Donnelly (Trilick), Mark Donnelly (Carrickmore), Joe McMahon (Omagh); D McCurry (Edendork), S O’Neill (Clann na Gael), M Penrose (Carrickmore).
Skilful Sheehan extends Piarsaigh’s fond relationship with Féile Denis Hurley
A
t last Monday’s ceremony to honour Evan Sheehan for winning the Rebel Óg Award for July, one of the competition’s sponsors, Kevin Cummins of Cummins Sports, referred to a strong tradition within Na Piarsaigh GAA Club. Cummins recalled bus journeys across the city to watch his own Blackrock lose a seemingly endless stream of minor matches against Piarsaigh, who always played with panache and a skilful style. That tradition lives on still, with Sheehan being recognised for winning this year’s Féile Skills competition, the first Cork player to do so since Paudie O’Sullivan in 2002. Na Piarsaigh have a fond relationship with the Féile, the record winners of the hurling Division 1 title with six victories as well as a camogie Division 1 win. In addition, Deirdre O’Shea (twice) and Jean Paula Kent have won the camogie skills competition, so while it be a surprise that they had to wait so long to win the male equivalent, Sheehan is a worthy winner. “He would have always stood out as
World
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
Evan Sheehan with Diarmuid O’Leary, Red FM; Jim O’Sullivan, chairman Na Piarsaigh GAA Club; Tom Tobin, general manager, Rochestown Park Hotel; Mary-Claire Cummins, Cummins Sports; Mayor of Cork County, Cllr Noel O’Connor; John Purcell, vice-chairman Rebel Óg, and Colm O’Connor, Irish Examiner, at the Rochestown Park Hotel.
of Sport
Ireland in negotiations to tour Zimbabwe ■ CRICKET: Cricket Ireland are in negotiations to tour Zimbabwe at the start of 2014. Ireland are keen to arrange some warm weather cricket in January and February 2014 ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, which takes place in March and April, and approached both Zimbabwe Cricket and the Bangladesh Cricket Board in the hope of arranging a tour. Meanwhile, Ireland’s women qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier by beating Canada by 77 runs at Merrion on yesterday. Nick Royle
Final flourish from Hassett/Manning
MONTHLY SPORTS AWARDS
■ SAILING: The final day of racing in the Fastnet International Schools Regatta was greeted with bright sunshine and a very welcome south-westerly breeze as all fleets
being a skilful player,” said Trevor Coleman, chairman of the Na Piarsiagh underage section, “and, to be fair, he always has a hurley in hand. “At U11, he was coached by Seán Guiheen, the current senior coach, and at the moment the U14s have Eoin Moynihan, who plays on the senior team, and Paul O’Connor Jr, who is also involved with the seniors, so it’s always about the older people giving it back to the younger players.” And, while Evan is still at a tender age, he has already bought into that tradition.
sailed for class, fleet and overall honours. After two days and five races the lead in the Gold Fleet was clearly established by Mark Hassett/Liam Manning in a TR3.6 with a big battle under way for lesser places. The winning duo again won Race 6 in decisive fashion from Gleb Romantchik/Sinead Barnett and Isaac/Noah McCarthy-Fisher in third place. An additional race was agreed, given the excellent conditions, and Florence Lyden/Anna O’Regan took line honours from the McCarthy-Fisher boat and Romantchik/Barnett in third position. The Optimist Class remained very much an international affair with Miguel Durnas (Spain) winning from Pablo Parias (Spain) and Elizabette Fedelle (Italy) in third. This result ensured overall class win for Pablo Parias. There was tremendous consistency in the Silver Fleet results in Races 4, 5 and 6 with
Kelvin Batey: Won world title in New Zealand.
“Evan’s father, Noel, trains the fiveand six-year-olds, and every Sunday morning Evan helps out, passing on what he can,” Coleman said. “In the street leagues this year, which would have been for seven to nine-year-olds, he coached the team that got to the final, so he’s always looking to give something back. “He’s very down to earth and is only happy to pass on his knowledge. His parents deserve great credit for that, they’ve helped to keep him grounded, and I think we have the right people involved in the club too. “The week after he won the Féile he was back training and playing as usual, he just returned to normality, it wasn’t as if he was a superstar just because he had won.” Judged in the areas of ground striking, free-taking, jab-lift and strike, ground-cut, ball-control the long puck, Evan received 265 of 300 available points, the same as Galway’s Jason Broderick, resulting in a free-taking competition tie-breaker. Describing it as the “most pressure I had ever felt”, Evan scored four out of four while Broderick missed his third shot, giving him the Cork youngster the title to the delight of all involved. “It just goes to show that the skills of the game are still so vital,” Coleman said. “You can’t ever forget about the
July Winner of the Rebel Óg Monthly Awards, Evan Sheehan from Na Piarsaigh, at the Rochestown Park Hotel. Pictures: Darragh Kane basics and that’s what we try to teach from a young age, give them that and they can proceed.
[email protected] an identical finishing order in all three races. The winner, Noah McCarthy-Fisher, Schull Community College, secured the overall Silver Fleet trophy in an Optimist followed by Marc Legrix/Mark Murphy, Schull Community College/PBC, Cork and Jake McConnell, Friends School, Down in a Topper coming in third.
Rocklodge hosts Irish Strokeplay finals
■ PITCH AND PUTT: The Irish Strokeplay finals will be held in Rocklodge in Cork this weekend, with the junior section commencing at 8.30am tomorrow and the Intermediate section at 11.30am. On Sunday, the senior section will commence at 8.30am with one of the strongest fields in memory taking part. The field includes world strokeplay champion John Walsh (Collins), current matchplay champion Ray Murphy (St Anne’s) and defending champion Jonathan Goodall (Tralee). In addition, the field includes a further 13 former national champions. Pádraig O’Shea
26.07.2013
Batey wins world Masters title
Young Irish team hit for six by Germans
■ BMX: Ireland’s top BMX Rider, Kelvin Batey (31), won the Masters event at the BMX World Championships in New Zealand yesterday. Batey qualified for the final by winning three rounds, and came through the quarter and semi-finals to win the finals from Dorus Brink (Ned) and Luke Pretlove (Aus). “It’s taken 25 years, but it’s definitely worth the wait. Finally, world champion,” he said.
■ HOCKEY: Ireland were given a stark reminder of the challenge that lies ahead in next month’s European championships when they were whipped 6-0 by Germany at the Hamburg Masters yesterday. Andrew Meredith has taken a very young side to his current base for this tournament, with Kirk Shimmins — who just sat the Leaving Cert last month — a late call-up. The hosts — who a more experienced Ireland outfit beat 3-2 away from home just a couple of months ago — were in control at half-timer via Marko Miltkau’s double. Oskar Deecke, Florisn Fuchs, Thilo Stralkowski and Mat Grambusch all notched goals as the Germans ran riot in the second half. Things don’t get any easier for the green machine with the Netherlands up next tomorrow before they take on England on Sunday. Alan Good
Ireland bid for glory in World Games
■ HANDBALL: A team of four will carry the Irish challenge on the opening day of the handball competition at the World Games in Colombia. Armagh’s Conall McCavitt and Cork’s Killian Carroll join forces on the men’s side, with Lorraine Havern of Down teaming up with Mayo’s Amy Corrigan. The tournament format sees the teams compete on a league basis, before qualifying for the knockout stages.
“Obviously, they’re not everything either, but Evan has the heart to back the skills up too.”
Lavin bids for first senior hurdles title
■ ATHLETICS: Sarah Lavin will
attempt to add a first national senior title to her string of junior successes over the 100m hurdles this weekend, capitalising on the late withdrawal of Derval O’Rourke. The 19-year old clocked a national junior record of 13.34 when securing a silver medal at the European junior championships and is odds-on for gold with O’Rourke citing a foot injury for her absence. The women’s 100m could prove the race of the championships with only a quarter of a second separating the top five sprinters. Holder Amy Foster will go in as favourite, but won’t have it all her own way with Phil Healy, Catherine McManus, Kelly Proper and Ailis McSweeney posting seasonal best times just shy of Foster’s 11.49. Marcus Lawler and Steven Colvert are set to go head-to-head for the double sprint crown, while Mark English drops down to the 400m. Having registered a B standard for the 800m at the Morton Games last week, Paul Robinson will need to better that 1.45.86 run if he is to get the nod for Moscow ahead of English. Eoghan Cormican
