Under 21 Club Hurling Championship

[Over The Black Spot]

Lads,

Can anyone piece together the draw for the U21 hurling draw for us? I have heard bits and pieces of it from a few different fellas but, despite the fact that the draw was made on Tuesday night, no official correspondence has been sent to the clubs yet.

Here's what I've heard so far for the 1/4 finals:
Coolderry or Kinnitty v St.Ryanaghs
Shinrone or Malachys v K/K
Lusmagh/Belmont or Tullamore v ? (Birr or Clareen I think)
Shamrocks or ? v ? (Birr or Clareen I think)

From what I can gather, they decided to seed the semi-finalists from last year but Birr were seeded instead of Malachys. Again, I'm not sure if that's accurate as I've only caught bits and pieces of it but if anyone else can fill in some of the gaps we may have a better picture of the full draw.

[Plain of the Herbs]

At this stage trying to find this draw is turning out to be as drawn out as finding the third secret of Fatima.

At a guess, and by process of elimination, the question mark team may be from the 'far' side of Tullamore, perhaps the Killeigh or Daingean parish, or a combination of both.

[Over The Black Spot]

I've just come across last years draw and it appears that Na Fianna are the other team which is Killeigh, Raheen, Killurin & Geashill if I'm not mistaken and maybe even more northerly clubs?

I still can't get it clarified as to who Clareen and Birr await in the quarter final draw but there seems to be a breakdown in communications coming from the county board on this one (as an aside, the county board website is a disgrace when it comes to fixtures and results)

[joe bloggs]

I don't know what the draw is but i do know that on foot of a proposal at a county board meeting it was decided to seed the draw as there were some very one sided fixtures in last years championship

[Plain of the Herbs]

Finding out about the first round of this is proving more difficult than obtaining details of the draw has been. As far as I can piece together, the first round went as follows-

- Tullamore couldn't find time in their busy schedules for under 21 hurling and conceded the match to Ferbane-Belmont-Lusmagh;
- Coolderry beat Kinnitty by 7, something like 3-12 to 2-8;
- Shinrone beat Ballinamere by 3, something like 2-9 to 0-12, though they were eventually forced to travel in accordance with rules.

I can't find out how Shamrocks v Killeigh went.

The next round is scheduled for Holy Thursday as per the master fixtures list, with semi finals on Easter Monday. Further details are anyone's guess. Perhaps it's over and no-one knows!

[Over The Black Spot]

Finding out about the first round of this is proving more difficult than obtaining details of the draw has been. As far as I can piece together, the first round went as follows-

- Tullamore couldn't find time in their busy schedules for under 21 hurling and conceded the match to Ferbane-Belmont-Lusmagh;
- Coolderry beat Kinnitty by 7, something like 3-12 to 2-8;
- Shinrone beat Ballinamere by 3, something like 2-9 to 0-12, though they were eventually forced to travel in accordance with rules.

I can't find out how Shamrocks v Killeigh went.

The next round is scheduled for Holy Thursday as per the master fixtures list, with semi finals on Easter Monday. Further details are anyone's guess. Perhaps it's over and no-one knows!

It appears that Shamrocks couldn't field a team POTH but I'm not 100% on that. Either way, Na Fianna have definitely progressed to the next round. The draw to the best of my knowledge now reads:

Rynaghs v Coolderry
K/K v Shinrone
Lusmagh/Belmont v Na Fianna
Clareen v Birr

I'm not sure of the semi-final draw but it's possible the county board haven't planned that far ahead!!!

[doobane man]

The above draw is correct. The semi-final draw has not been made -it will be made after the quarter-finals, same as the senior and other championships. There may be some difficulties with Roscrea school - with a lot of Offaly clubs represented - in the All Ireland Final and with Offaly Hurlers' schedule in terms those games going ahead as planned, but the aim was to start around St Patricks Day and finish as close to Easter as possible. That was decided by the clubs in the county.

[sammythesnake]

i was at the banagher v coolderry u-21 q/f dis evening and banagher won on a scoreline of 1-11 to 5 points i think,the coolderry score is definetly right but maybe banaghers is out by a point or two. i arrived about 5 mins into the game due to work and i was told i missed a big fight which started in the banagher full back just as martin kirwan was about to throw in the ball and this resulted in two rynaghs players not being able to start the game,they were 1 of their corner backs who got hit in sorest place possible and was told he could barely walk and the rynaghs full back had to go off for blood injury and only came back on about 10 mins before half time.coolderry played with a big breeze in the first half but still found it hard to score as it was kinda raining as well and a rynaghs goal before half time from ger scales gave them a 1 pt lead at half time and put them in the driving seat h/t 1-02 to 0-04, score of the half came from coolderry corner back and their best player brian kelly who landed a mammoth score from his own half back line. second half was very one sided with rynaghs getting afew early scores and putting the game beyond coolderrys reach who infairness to them battled well considering 10 or 11 of their team played in last years minor final.i was standing beside a coolderry man and asked him names of any players i didnt no so il have a go at namin both teams
coolderry 1)stephen corcoran rynaghs 1 declan kelly
2 brian kelly 2 tiernan martin
3 colm larkin 3 dermot shortt
4 john brady 4 joe white
5 darragh parlon 5 pat camon
6 barry larkin 6 stephen wynne
7 liam brady 7 timmy gilmore
8 ?? 8 conor duffy
9 david king 9 gary connelly
10 ?? 10 james sullivan
11 conor nolan 11 pauric kenny
12 stephen o connor 12 albert rice
13 kevin connolly 13 yung lad of quirkes
14 eoin ryan 14 ger scales
15 michael ryan 15 paul quirke

tiernan martin didnt get to start the game and i dont no who replace him,yung flannery played the first 20 mins in place of shortt and im sure rynaghs were glad the conditions werent great as he wouldnt have survived full back on a dry evening and also he was constantly digging the coolderry full forward,a sure sign of a lad thats under pressure,also another thing i didnt like was that when the rynaghs centre forward won a free he was up showing the ball in his face and he righfully gave him a dig in the ribs. wynne had a solid game for rynaghs at centre back,scales was their best forward,showed well for the ball and will be much better on a dry day.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Thanks for that report, Sammy. I must say I'd no idea his match was on yesterday evening, in what is now becoming the Omerta under 21 championship. I presume it was brought forward owing to the schools final on Monday, involving the Shinrone & Colderry lads.

The fixtures haven't hit the official website yet, and Aertel hasn't updated last week's football league results though the weekend U21 fixtures should be on the local papers today.

Otherwise, it should be sponsored by the three monkeys- see no under 21 championship, hear no under 21 championship, speak no under 21 championship.

[joe bloggs]

I would have to agree with you POTH. I cant believe the way theses fixtures are coming up. I would have gladly gone and paid my €5 or whatever it was last night, instead the county board will loose out on me and many others. Maybe they put it on Radio 3 but how many people can listen to that drivel

[uibhfhailiabu]

The county board and the official website are ap pure joke!! You would have more a chance of getting the u21 fixtures on a different county website!!

Anyway, was at the Kilcormac/Killoughey v St Mary's match in Kilcormac last night, terrible conditions for it. K/K ran out easy winners, 2-12 to 0-3. K/K dominated from the word go, and never looked like being beaten. Their backline were solid throughout especially in the 2nd half when St.Mary's came a bit more into it, especially Damien Kilmartin at full back, Alan McConville at corner back and Brian Leonard at centre back. Dan Currams and James Gorman were their main scoring threats up front throughout. It is hard to judge them just on this game but they do look like having the makings of a strong team.

Any word on when the semi finals are on? I heard there is an open draw after the other two games on Thursday.

[Plain of the Herbs]

The semi finals are scheduled for Easter Monday, as per the master fixtures list which is not on the Board's website. We'll hear about it afterwards!

This would have been subject to Roscrea VS in the All-Ireland, but that's not an issue now, what with both Coolderry and Shinrone now out of the Under 21.

Any word on when the semi finals are on? I heard there is an open draw after the other two games on Thursday.

[uibhfhailiabu]

Cheers POTH!

[Plain of the Herbs]

Under 21 fixtures for Holy Thursday, taken from the Offaly Express site.

Thursday, April 9
Cavanagh Foundry U-21 Hurling Championship quarter-finals
Clareen: Seir Kieran v St Brendan's 5.30pm D Cooke.
Killeigh: Na Fianna v St Saran's 5.30pm C Groome.

Seeing as there won't be a local paper between now and Easter Monday, and the board's site doesn't carry under 21 hurling fixtures, I don't know how we're going to get fixtures for the semi finals. Someone might be so kind as to post them up here.

Am I right in thinking that St. Brendan's is the Birr parish team, that is, Birr, Carrig & Crinkill? If it is, how interesting that Declan Cooke is the appointed referee.

Ah here !!

[Plain of the Herbs]

I wasn't there but I heard Lusmagh/Belmont beat Killeigh by thre points, and have drawn Kilcormac/Killoughey in the semi final.

On a formline, two senior clubs combined who beat a junior A and a junior B club by three points shouldn't have any chance when facing the minor champions of three years ago !!

Monday's Fixtures are up on Aertel, a sign the omerta is lifting gradually!

Quarter-Final Seir Kieran v St. Brendan's at 12 noon, and
Semi-final Kilcormac/Killoughey v St. Saran's at 2.30pm

I don't have the venues to hand.