Five Kilbree hurlers win Carbery GAA All-Stars

South West JAHC champions lead the way on 2016 Westlodge Carbery Junior Hurling All-Star team

FIRST-TIME South West Junior A hurling champions Kilbree have been rewarded with five players earning their place on the 2016 Westlodge Carbery Junior Hurling All-Star team.

The All-Star awards, football and hurling, will be presented at a special banquet in the Westlodge Hotel in Bantry on Saturday, November 19th. Tickets are available from the board treasurer and also from club secretaries. 

Guest of honour at the banquet will be former Nemo Rangers and Cork legend Billy Morgan, captain of the Cork football team that won the Sam Maguire in 1973 and manager of the Cork senior football team that won two All-Ireland titles and four Munster titles between 1987 and 1990.

Following a South West junior A hurling championship that threw up numerous surprises, and unexpected champions, it was no easy task to pick 15 All-Stars from the large pool of hurling that was on view during the year.  

The difference between this season’s A championship and last season’s is shown by the fact that whereas last year’s champions, Clonakilty, had seven players on the All-Star team, they have failed to get a single player this time round after a miserable hurling season, during which they lost their championship and league titles. 2015 junior B champions Bantry also had a very poor season, losing their title to St Mary’s.

The new champions this season, winning their first-ever junior A hurling title were Kilmeen, unrated at the beginning of the season but thoroughly deserving of their victory with their fine pool of young players progressing nicely. They are rewarded for their breakthrough with five All-Stars.

Unlucky team of the year were St Colum’s, still to win their first junior A hurling title, who lost both the hurling and football titles and they have three players on the team. 

Winners of the junior A league were Ballinascarthy and they pick up two All-Star awards while the team that really lit up the championship and threatened to win the title this season, until injuries caught up with them, St Oliver Plunkett’s, have been rewarded with three places.

Dohenys have been one of the top teams in the championship in recent years and, despite losing a number of players to emigration in 2016, they have two players on the team.

The 2016 Carbery Junior Hurling All-Star team is as follows:

Goalkeeper: Vincent Healy (Dohenys).

Full-back line: Davy O’Donovan (Kilbree), Shane McSweeney (St Colum’s), Danny Kelly (Kilbree).

Half-back line: David O’Mahony (St Colum’s), Conor O’Driscoll (St Oliver Plunkett’s), Jerry McCarthy (Dohenys).

Midfield: Darragh Coakley (Kilbree), Ricky O’Flynn (Ballinascarthy).

Half-forward line: Dylan Coffey (Kilbree), Kevin Coffey (St Oliver Plunkett’s), MP Keohane (St Oliver Plunkett’s).

Full-forward line: Sean O’Shea (St Colum’s), Damien O’Gorman (Kilbree), Darragh Hennessy (Ballinascarthy).

Only three of last year’s All-Star team are included this year – Conor O’Driscoll of Plunkett’s, Jerry McCarthy of Dohenys and Sean O’Shea of Colum’s, but all in different positions, showing their versatility as hurlers.

Among the players considered by the judges were: 

Goalkeepers: Vincent Healy (Dohenys), Denis Dullea (Kilbree), Johnny Nyhan (Diarmuid Ó Mathuna’s), Mark White (Clonakilty), Alan Foley (O’Donovan Rossa).

Full-back line: Shane McSweeney (St Colum’s), Danny Kelly (Kilbree), Tadhg O’Leary (Dohenys), Davy O’Donovan (Kilbree), Liam O’Brien (Kilbree), Donal O’Leary (Barryroe).  

Half-back line: Brian O’Donovan (Kilbree), David O’Mahony (St Colum’s), Brian Horgan (Diarmuid Ó Mathúna’s), Jerry McCarthy (Dohenys), Conor O’Driscoll (St Oliver Plunkett’s), Aidan O’Donovan (Ballinascarthy), Sean Crowley (Diarmuid Ó Mathunas), David Lowney (Clonakilty), Gearoid O’Donovan (Diarmuid Ó Mathuna’s), Michael O’Driscoll (St Mary’s).  

Midfield: Darragh Coakley (Kilbree), Ray Collins (Kilbree), Michael Casey (St Colum’s), Aidan Collins (Diarmuid Ó Mathuna’s), Pa McCarthy (Dohenys), Ricky O’Flynn (Ballinascarthy), Ciarán Everard (St Mary’s).

Half-forward line: Don McCarthy (Kilbree), Alan O’Connor (St Colum’s), James O’Driscoll (St James’), Sean White (Clonakilty), Kevin Coffey (St Oliver Plunkett’s), Dylan Coffey (Kilbree), Mike Bradfield (Newcestown), Mark Buckley (Dohenys), Mike P Keohane (St Oliver Plunkett’s), Kevin O’Donovan (Diarmuid Ó Mathuna’s), Cillian Cullinane (Ballinascarthy).

Full-forward line: Damien O’Gorman (Kilbree), Sean O’Shea (St Colum’s), Kieran O’Donovan (St James’), Conor McCarthy (St Oliver Plunkett’s), John Paul O’Callaghan (Diarmuid Ó Mathúna’s), Darragh Hennessy (Ballinascarthy), Jamie Lucey (Diarmuid Ó Mathúna’s).