Search Results for 'Martin Comerford'

O’Loughlin Gaels, minus the services of Martin Comerford, recorded a comprehensive victory over Tullaroan as the St Canice’s Credit Union senior hurling quarter-finals began in earnest last Saturday afternoon in Lachtain Park, Freshford.

 Kilkenny Access Group will host a treasure hunt this Saturday in a bid to raise awareness about access issues in Kilkenny.

The one down-side to Kilkenny's magnificent inter-county success is that important club games are crammed into a busy schedule at the back end of the year. I know it's a nice dilemma to have and we're probably the envy of the country in that regard, but such was the volume of games on last weekend, that one would nearly have required a helicopter to get from venue to venue. It puzzled me why the two senior quarter-finals couldn't have been played together as double headers on Saturday and Sunday. Take Sunday for instance when there was one match in Callan and then another in Nowlan Park. People don't like being dragged all over the county on a Sunday when there's no need for it. I'm not for one minute here having a go at John Lockes, their pitch and facilities are the envy of most clubs in Kilkenny, it's just a little common sense could be used. Take Sunday again, if the intermediate quarter-final between Danesfort and Conahy Shamrocks had been played at noon, the double-header could have been watched by all in Nowlan Park. Just some food for thought for the fixtures’ committee.

Delegates at special congress last Saturday gave Galway and Antrim the green light to compete in Leinster for the next three years. There were a number of proposals down for decision but without a doubt this motion was top of the priority list. There has been a lot of changes in the association over the years with this being the most radical on-field change since the backdoor system was introduced in '97. Both Galway and Antrim have now been given the chance to bring the famous Bob O'Keeffe Cup to foreign lands, oh, how times have changed. It may only be for a three-year trial period but I for one feel it's a stepping stone to an open draw or a champions league style championship. Sure Kilkenny are dominant in Leinster at present, but I think this move undermines the great effort that Dublin, Wexford and Offaly are doing to catch up on possibly the greatest Kilkenny team of all times. This move will certainly make it harder for the aforementioned sides to reach the Leinster final- so how this is going to improve hurling in this province is beyond me. Take Dublin for instance, a county that is genuinely trying its best to promote hurling. Their players would look upon it as a huge honour to play in a Leinster decider, the new system could now rob them of that chance. Any player who has won a Leinster senior medal over the years should cherish it. The new championship should in fact be called the 'rest of Ireland championship' during this three-year trial. Everyone will have their own opinion and are well entitled to have it, but the sight of Galway running out on Croke Park for final day doesn't exactly excite me. Call me old-fashioned or set in my ways, but that's the way I feel at present. Maybe I'll feel differently about it after the three-year trial; I wonder what way will the Kilkenny County Board look upon it in three-year’s time if Galway take all three titles during that period? Once again we are victims of our own success! It’s ok for people to mess around with this province, if change was needed, and I'm not so sure it was, but they should have bitten the bullet and brought Munster on board for the champions league style championship.

The Shamrocks remain on course to lift the Tom Walsh Cup for the third consecutive year after blowing away Carrickshock in a second half blitz last Sunday. They outscored their neighbours 1-14 to 4 points in a virtuoso second half display that once again left people in the stands in awe of their talents. The Ballyhale men most certainly hit the field running with early scores from Henry and Eoin Reid before Richie Power hit back for the Carrickshock men. The Shamrocks’ machine took off once more with points from Henry (3), Colin Fennelly and the impressive Eoin Reid. At this early stage it looked fairly bleak for the ‘Shocks as the Ballyhale men ghosted around the field slotting scores from all angles. The one Carrickshock man that rose to the occasion was their Offaly import David Franks, his burst up the field 10 minutes before half-time, seemed to inspire some of his colleagues. I don't know whether it was that Carrickshock lifted their game or the Ballyhale men dosed off due to their comfortable position, but they certainly had the better of the exchanges during the last ten minutes. Points from intercounty men Michael Rice, Richie Power and one from Shane Power left the minimum between them as half-time approached. This year’s county minor Mark O'Dwyer levelled proceedings on the stroke of half-time with a well taken score.

Ballyhale Shamrocks v James Stephens

Lucky Lotto winner Ken Treacy is to realise his dream of competing in the World Rally Championship following his lottery win this summer.

In less than two weeks Rally Ireland 2009 will commence. Through 19 gruelling stages across seven counties in the northwest the world’s best rally drivers will battle it out in the first round of the World Rally Championship (WRC). In their midst will be Kilkenny and Carlow rally drivers.

Standing in Paric Lactain in Freshford last January watching a young, fit Antrim side lower Kilkenny's colours in the Walsh Cup didn't leave anyone too upset, most people acknowledged that our warriors had just returned from what is now their annual team holiday and that it would take a few training sessions to shake off the cobwebs. Being honest, Kilkenny fans knew that this bunch of Kilkenny players would bust a gut later in the year to land the 3-in-a-row but I don't think anyone could have envisaged exactly what lay ahead for Kilkenny hurling.

Kilkenny 6-12