2005 Offaly club championships - Opening round of fixtures

[Pool Shark]

Friday 08/04/2005
I.F.C. Raheen v Kilcormac Killoughey Mucklagh 6.45 D. Brazil

Saturday 09/04/2005
S.F.C. Shamrocks v Tullamore Clara 6.45 C. Buckley
S.F.C Shannonbridge v Edenderry Ballinamere 6.45 E. Dunne
Div 1 H.L. St. Rynaghs v Seir Kieran Banagher 6.45 M. Kirwan

Sunday 10/04/2005
S.F.C Clara v Doon Shannonbridge 1.30 M. Mahon
S.F.C Rhode v Ferbane Mucklagh 4.00 N. Cooney
S.F.C Erin Rovers v Ballycumber Ferbane 6.30 M. Walsh
I.F.C Tullamore v Tubber Durrow 12.00 T. McDermott
I.F.C Clara v Kilclonfert Geashill 5.30 J. O’ Reilly
I.F.C Daingean v Ballyfore Croghan 12.00 C. Costello
J.F.C Edenderry v Ballinagar Walsh Island 12.00 L. Boland
J.F.C Tullamore v Durrow Ballinamere 6.00 B. Cronin
J.F.C Raheen v Ballycommon Ballinagar 2.30 P. Brady
Div 2. H.L Crinkle v Seir Kieran Crinkle 12.00 T. Carroll
Div 2. H.L Killeigh v Coolderry Killeigh 12.00 C. Buckley
Div 2. H.L Ballinamere v Shinrone Ballinamere 12.00 C. Groome
Div 2. H.L Kinnitty v Carrig & Riverstown Kinnitty 6.00 D. Cooke
Div 2. H. L Birr v Kilcormac Killoughey Birr 6.00 M. Kirwan

Friday 15/04/2005
S.F.C Gracefield v St. Brigids Rhode 7.00 J. O’ Reilly

Saturday 16/04/2005
S.F.C. (IF) Bracknagh v Ballycumber Walsh Island 7.00 P. Jordan
I.F.C. St. Rynaghs v Rhode Mucklagh 7.00 D. Brazil

Sunday 17/04/2005
S.H.C Clara v Seir Kieran Kilcormac 5.30 N. Flynn
I.F.C Clonbullogue v Walsh Island Edenderry 3.00 L. Boland
I.F.C. (IF) Ballinamere v Raheen Mucklagh 6.00 N. Cooney
J.F.C Killeigh v Shannonbridge Cloghan 3.30 E. Dunne
J.F.C Ballycumber v Cappincur Ballinagar 3.00 C. Groome
J.F.C. “B” Clonmore Harps v St. Brigids Clonmore 3.00 C. Costello
J.F.C. “B” Bracknagh v Tubber Bracknagh 3.00 J. O Reilly
J.F.C. “B” Ballyfore v Erin Rovers Ballyfore 3.00 E. Cusack
J.F.C. “B” Killavilla v Kilcormac Killoughey Killavilla 12.00 M. Walsh
J.F.C “B” Doon v St.Rynaghs Doon 3.00 C. Buckley
J.F.C “B” Gracefield v Ballycumber Gracefield 5.15 T. McDermott
Div 2 H.L Birr v Coolderry Birr 6.00 M. Mahon
Div 3 H.L Drumcullen v Rhode Rath 5.30 T. Carroll

Monday 18/04/2005
S.H.C. Tullamore v Shamrocks Killurin 7.00 B. Gavin
J.H.C “B” Brosna Gaels v Daingean Ballycumber 7.00 A. Horan

Wednesday 19/04/2005
J.F.C Birr v Shamrocks Kilcormac 7.00 M. Mahon
J.F.C “B” Coolderry v Crinkle Coolderry 7.00 M. Walsh
Div 2 H.L Clara v Kilcormac Killoughey Clara 7.00 A. Horan


Please Note:

Clubs playing S.F.C on dates 09/04/2005 & 10/04/2005 must submit team & Sub lists for programmes before 7p.m. on Wed 06/04/2005 by E-Mail or Fax. (Details at top of fixture list.)

Likewise clubs playing S.F.C. & S.H.C on dates 15/04/2005, 16/04/2005, 17/04/2005 & 18/04/2005 before 7p.m. on Wednesday 13/04/2005.

[Lone Shark]

Now we're away and flying!

Couple of things here - I'll do previews in a while when I get the chance to sit down and look at them, but in the meantime, a few things jump out at me -

(1) Venues - some of which make great sense, but seriously
Clara v Doon Shannonbridge
Gracefield v St. Brigids Rhode

Neither seem remotely neutral or in the middle.

(2) On the same note, surely more double headers are the way to go. I understand the county boards logic is that you'll get more attendances, but I would imagine they won't charge any more than a 6/8 eur for any of these, and if you had a senior double header you could easily charge a tenner and nobody could complain. (Well they would, but they shouldn't - 2 hours entertainment for a tenner!) You'd get a lot more from the people only attending one game, and it would more than compensate for the few that would have gone to both either way.

(3) I still think it's very early to get these going - particularly when clubs haven't had their county players at training for weeks in a lot of cases I'd imagine. I understand that this isn't going to change, but for continuity's sake I'd leave these until maybe May or June if you get a chance, and if not, well then that means we're in the throes of qualifiers, in which case you'd expect us to be out by the end July, which still gives loads of time to run it off by early october.

[Bord na Mona man]

Ballycumber would be the obvious venue for Clara vs. Doon.
A lot of clubs can be reluctant to make their pitches available at times.
Lets hope Shannonbridge can get their pitch surface to resemble a snooker table to allow Clara to play their extravagant brand of football!

[TheManFromFerbane]

Another thing that was pointed out to me that is a big foresight on the part of the county board is that Stuarts and officials will probably have to leave the Ferbane game early to get back to Ferbane in time to man the parking and the lining of the pitch etc...

[Hyper]

What does the (IF) stand for in the S.F.C. Bracknagh v Ballcumber fixture next weekend?

[Lone Shark]

I couldn't tell you, except that it's on the two games where one of the teams will have played the previous weekend (Raheen in the intermediate and Ballycumber seniors). So maybe it's something along the lines of IF clubs don't sustain injuries or are happy to play again?

I'm guessing though.