Kilbrittain underage success on playing fields celebrated

BY JOHN MURPHY

KILBRITTAIN Community Hall was filled to capacity on a recent Saturday night as the black and amber underage GAA club celebrated in style what had been a very successful year on the playing fields in 2018. 

Doing the honours for the medals presentation was Cork and Clonakilty senior football star Thomas Clancy, whose words of wisdom to all the budding starlets present were very apt – if at first you don’t succeed try, try again!

Highlight of the year was the performance of the Minor B hurlers. They annexed the South West Minor B hurling championship by defeating Kinsale in the final after a replay, 1-16 to 1-10. 

County glory then beckoned after they put Buttevant to the sword at the penultimate stage, 3-9 to 2-10. Unfortunately for them, in the decider, they came up short against a strong Keale Gaels – an amalgamated side – by 1-16 to 1-8. They also reached the county minor hurling league final, but had to bow the knee to Ballinhassig-2-12 to 0-12-after a cracking encounter.

Further down the line, the U14 hurling side turned on the style capturing the South West U14 B championship by defeating St James in the final by the narrowest of margins, 0-6 to 0-5, in a competition run on a round-robin basis. The U16 hurlers got to the league final being pipped by great rivals Newcestown, 1-17 to 1-15, while their football counterparts had a fantastic championship campaign, defeating Bantry Blues, O’Donovan Rossa and Newcestown before falling at the final hurdle to a talented Sam Maguire’s outfit by 1-11 to 1-4.

Underage officers elected for 2019 were: chairman Lawrence Sexton, vice-chairman Tadhg O’Mahony, hon secretary Nuala O’Donnell, asst sec Una McCarthy, treasurer Catherine Harrington, asst treasurer Turlock Daly, PRO Mary Brennan and coaching officer Kevin Kingston.

Minor B hurling panel: Aaron Holland (captain); Eoin Galvin, Jack O’Donovan, Mikolay Kalitka, Colm Sheehan, Gavin Hodge, Pádraig Galvin, Gavin Kenny, Mark Hickey, Seán Sexton, Seamus O’Sullivan, Charlie Kenny, Kieran Murphy, Darragh Considine, Donagh Galvin, Conor Hogan, Calum O’Donnell, CJ O’Connell, Aaron Fehilly, Cathal O’Sullivan, Donnacha O’ Mahony, Conor Ustianowski, Eoin O’Neill, Eoin O’Donnell.

U16 combined hurling and football panel: Mikolay Kalitka, Charlie Kenny, Seamus O’Sullivan, Donnacha O’Mahony, Eoin O’Donnell, Gavin Kenny, Ronan Crowley, Mark O’Shea, Seán Sexton, Cathal O’Sullivan, Conor Ustianowski, Eoin O’Neill, Donagh Galvin, Colm Sheehan, Conor Hogan, Jack Lucey, Fionn Ustianowski, Killian O’Connor, Keith Hunt, Alan Harrington, Conor O ‘Mahony. 

Under14B hurling panel: Ronan Crowley(captain); Owen McCarthy, CJ Bryan, Cillian Harrington, Shay Fehilly-O’Brien, Óisin Harrington, Conor O’Mahony, Keith Hunt, Seán Ahern, Jack Lombard, James Ahern, Fionn Ustianowski, Tom Warner, Ronan O’Beirne, Luke Griffin, John Ryan, Alan Harrington, Karol Egan and Killian O’Beirne.