www.uibhfhaili.com

Stretch in the evenings, weather getting milder, the smell of freshly mowed lawn in the air – the County Championships are coming. Fixtures for the first round have been released. Senior and Intermediate fixtures for the Bank Holiday weekend are –

Friday 2nd May, all at 7.30pm
SHC – Tullamore v Ballinamere at Tullamore
SHC – Birr v St Rynagh’s at Rath
SHC – Belmont v Brosna Gaels at Kilcormac
IHC – Carrig & Riverstown v Ballyskenagh-Killavilla at Coolderry

Saturday 3rd May, both at Banagher
SHC – Coolderry v Drumcullen at 5.30pm
SHC – Kilcormac-Killoughey v Seir Kieran at 7pm

Sunday 4th May
JHC'A' - Gracefield v Drumcullen at 11am
JHC'A' - Ballinamere v Killeigh at 11am
IHC – Kilcormac-Killoughey v Coolderry at Kinnitty at 12 noon
IHC – Birr v Crinkill at Shinrone at 12 noon
JHC'B'- Belmont v Carrig & Riverstown at 12 noon
IHC – Lusmagh v Shamrocks at Birr at 4.30pm
SHC – Shinrone v Kinnitty at Birr at 6pm

Monday 5th May, all at 4pm
IHC - Killurin v Shinrone at Birr
JHC'A' - Tullamore v Kinnitty
JHC'A' - Ballyskenagh-Killavilla v Shamrocks
JHC'A' - Edenderry v Kilcormac-Killoughey
JHC'A' - Clara v Coolderry
JHC'A' - Brosna Gaels v Birr (at Ballycumber)
JHC'B' - Killeigh v Ballinamere

Tuesday 6th May, both at 7.30pm
JHC'B' - Raheen v Clara
JHC'B' - Crinkill v Lusmagh

First names teams are at home in Junior 'A' and Junior 'B'

ourselfs and Rynaghs is a stand out fixture for the first round. Clareen and k/k could be tasty to.

Ballinamere and Tullamore is a stand out fixture. Local derby and first time to play each other in championship. Hopefully be good hurling as well.

kk and clareen will decide who tops that group!

I'm with Kaiserchief on this. Tullamore v Ballinamere, local rivalry, the match they've been waiting for in the area since the draw was made, or maybe since last October.

Kinnitty v Shinrone will be a crucial one - the loser will be under a bit more pressure to make the top 4 in the group.

The fixtures have been made with the top seeds (last year's semi-finalists) playing each other, as is usually the case, but the remainder are being between neighbours where possible (Belmont v Brosna Gaels, Ballinamere v Tullamore) which is a new departure.

kaiserchief wrote:Ballinamere and Tullamore is a stand out fixture. Local derby and first time to play each other in championship.

Is this correct? Have never played each other before!

Is there anything that can be done about fixing championship games for the Monday evening of a bank holiday weekend. Its hard enough on players especially if they are living away.

Surely these games could be fitted in somewhere on the Saturday or Sunday. I know there is the issue of some clubs first teams playing first but surely these fixtures could be structured a little better and be a little kinder to the players and management. I know it takes a bit more time but surely its managable.

timber wrote:Is there anything that can be done about fixing championship games for the Monday evening of a bank holiday weekend. Its hard enough on players especially if they are living away.

Surely these games could be fitted in somewhere on the Saturday or Sunday. I know there is the issue of some clubs first teams playing first but surely these fixtures could be structured a little better and be a little kinder to the players and management. I know it takes a bit more time but surely its managable.

I'm not sure what the objection is, in the sense that it's a day off for most players and so is no different to playing on a Sunday evening of a regular weekend, but aside from that, it strikes me as almost impossible, particularly given that Offaly minor footballers are out on Saturday so any club team with any potential crossover here has to be kept free on this day.

You've seen the fixtures, what way would you lay them out? Remember to factor in also that Friday night games should be avoided where possible, and you shouldn't have clubs playing the same time that their own venue is hosting a fixture because people would be needed to steward etc. The floor is yours!

I'm not sure what the objection is, in the sense that it's a day off for most players and so is no different to playing on a Sunday evening of a regular weekend, but aside from that, it strikes me as almost impossible, particularly given that Offaly minor footballers are out on Saturday so any club team with any potential crossover here has to be kept free on this day.

You've seen the fixtures, what way would you lay them out? Remember to factor in also that Friday night games should be avoided where possible, and you shouldn't have clubs playing the same time that their own venue is hosting a fixture because people would be needed to steward etc. The floor is yours![/quote]

Well just looking at it quickly, one that jumps out would definately be a double header for Shinrone v Kinnitty in senior and Killurin in intermediate. Would it not be handier play them on Sunday in Kilcormac/Rath or Birr. Senior followed by intermediate. I cant really see why any of the Monday games could not be played Sunday.

I know alot of players coming up to a bank holiday weekends that are ripping when they see fixtures down for the Monday.

Nobody said its easier put fixtures together. But worth hearing what the general feeling on it is. You know alot more about it than me after all LS.

Don't get me wrong I can see why a player would prefer to play earlier in the weekend, but the first week of games is always a nightmare and I can see why there are very few options. To take the example you chose there, Shinrone would never agree to that, since their intermediate team wouldn't know until ten minutes before throw in what players are available to them. The manager could lose three players in a raft of late substitutions if the senior game is tight, or there are injuries.

Bord na Mona man wrote:

kaiserchief wrote:Ballinamere and Tullamore is a stand out fixture. Local derby and first time to play each other in championship.

Is this correct? Have never played each other before!

Obviously at Senior Hurling. This is what I am made to believe. Should be a cracker!!

Ballinamere v Tullamore is THE match to be at. Absolute rivalry.
Let me put it this way, I shared the same classroom with lads from Ballinamere but when we met on pitch it was like we were the worst of enemies.
I'd be very nervous for slow starting blues this time of year.
C'Mon the town
Great to see two teams senior though.

Lone Shark wrote:Don't get me wrong I can see why a player would prefer to play earlier in the weekend, but the first week of games is always a nightmare and I can see why there are very few options. To take the example you chose there, Shinrone would never agree to that, since their intermediate team wouldn't know until ten minutes before throw in what players are available to them. The manager could lose three players in a raft of late substitutions if the senior game is tight, or there are injuries.

Could it not be played at say 12 on the Saturday evening or sunday morning then and play the second team anytime later on the Sunday. Surely there is no need to drag games over to the Monday. I really cant see any reason they cant be played over the Fri, Sat, Sunday. Surely there is enough decent pitches to work there way around it.
Its very annoying. Tings like this can turn players off bothering. Especially when you live away and try fit in getting home to your club but also have to balance other commitments and make the most of bank holiday weekends as well. We all know that.

How about this for an effort fellas. Granted there are probably a couple of requests from clubs that had to be adhered to, but it's much more compressed and leaves only one game over for the Monday, which I just can't squeeze in. (I'd put it at 12 noon rahter than later, to at least give lads few hours to do something with the long weekend)

I'd leave Tullamore v Ballinamere on the Friday to let the Intermediate winners open the 2014 championship, and I suspect Brosna Gaels may have issues with the minor football (Danny Spain?) though not sure.

Friday 2nd May
SHC – Tullamore v Ballinamere at Tullamore at 7:15pm B Gavin
SHC – Belmont v Brosna Gaels at Banagher at 7:15pm D Cooke

Saturday 3rd May
SHC – Coolderry v Drumcullen at Crinkle at 5.30pm T Carroll
SHC – Shinrone v Kinnitty at Crinkle at 7pm M Walsh
SHC – Birr v St Rynagh’s at Lusmagh at 5:30pm N Flynn
SHC – Kilcormac-Killoughey v Seir Kieran at Lusmagh at 7pm M Kirwan

Sunday 4th May
IHC – Carrig & Riverstown v Ballyskenagh-Killavilla at Shinrone at 12 noon D McLoughlin
IHC – Kilcormac-Killoughey v Coolderry at Kinnitty at 12 noon T Carroll
IHC – Lusmagh v Shamrocks at Banagher at 12 noon P Kirwan
IHC – Birr v Crinkill at Shinrone at 1:30pm M Kirwan
IHC - Killurin v Shinrone at Rath at 6pm K Dooley
JHC 'A' - Gracefield v Drumcullen at Gracefield at 12 noon N Cooney
JHC 'A' - Ballinamere v Killeigh at Ballinamere at 12 noon S Fleming
JHC 'A' - Tullamore v Kinnitty at Tullamore at 6pm B Gavin
JHC 'A' - Ballyskenagh-Killavilla v Shamrocks at Ballyskenagh at 6pm D Cooke
JHC 'A' - Edenderry v Kilcormac-Killoughey at Edenderry at 6pm C Groome
JHC 'A' - Clara v Coolderry at Clara at 6pm G Keyes
JHC 'A' - Brosna Gaels v Birr at Ballycumber at 6pm P Fleming
JHC 'B' - Killeigh v Ballinamere at Killeigh at 6pm G Connors
JHC 'B' - Crinkill v Lusmagh at Crinkle at 6pm M Walsh
JHC 'B' - Belmont v Carrig & Riverstown at Moystown at 6pm A Ryan

Monday 5th May
JHC 'B' - Raheen v Clara at Geashill at 12 noon C Groome

Ballinamere and Tullamore did indeed play against each other at Senior. Tullamore were defending Senior champions having win the 1959 title with six from Ballinamere and two more from Durrow on board. That was under that bizarre rule at the time where someone could play Senior and Junior in the same year, a rule that must have existed primarily to keep small rural clubs in their place.

Ballinamere later went on to win the 1959 Junior title and graduated to Senior grade and in an ironic twist of fate were drawn to play Tullamore in 1960s first round. I got this from an article Pat Nolan wrote in the souvenir programme for Tullamore hurlers’ 2009 presentation night. Tullamore beat Ballinamere 4-9 to 3-1 before surrendering their title to Drumcullen in the semi-final.

A hundred years ago Ballinamere reached the 1908 Final and Tullamore won the title the following year. With the championship often divided into north and south divisions (with the divisional winners contesting the Final), Ballinamere and Tullamore would quite likely have clashed in the north division somewhere.

As for the last meeting of the Tullamore and Ballinamere ‘first’ teams. Tullamore were Intermediate between 1978 and 1989. Ballinamere were Intermediate since they won the Junior in 1980, so they must surely have been drawn in a group together some time in the nine years between 1981 and 1989 (neither made an IHC Final during that time, meaning they didn’t meet in a semi-final).

kaiserchief wrote:

Bord na Mona man wrote:

kaiserchief wrote:Ballinamere and Tullamore is a stand out fixture. Local derby and first time to play each other in championship.

Is this correct? Have never played each other before!

Obviously at Senior Hurling. This is what I am made to believe. Should be a cracker!!

Fair play for putting that together. I've just one quibble, that is the amount of matches you have for 6pm on the Sunday evening and the scarce resource that is referees. Then again, some of those 6pm games could be moved to 12 noon (and C&R v B-K could be played on the Friday or Saturday).

But still a damn fine effort.

Over The Black Spot wrote:How about this for an effort fellas. Granted there are probably a couple of requests from clubs that had to be adhered to, but it's much more compressed and leaves only one game over for the Monday, which I just can't squeeze in. (I'd put it at 12 noon rahter than later, to at least give lads few hours to do something with the long weekend)

I'd leave Tullamore v Ballinamere on the Friday to let the Intermediate winners open the 2014 championship, and I suspect Brosna Gaels may have issues with the minor football (Danny Spain?) though not sure.