Jack the Joker
Our ever popular Jack the Joker fundraiser
continues this Sunday night in Minnies Bar where the jackpot is €9600 as on Monday night Bríd Scanlon was drawn out of the drum and chose card number 6 which when
turned was not the joker but she did win €50. Pat McCarthy and Jean O’Donovan won €25 each.
Senior Football
This Sunday we play Gaultier in our final game
of the group stages of the championship in Leamybrien at 3:30pm.
Intermediate Football
Our intermediate football team continue their
Western Championship campaign this Friday night when they play Dungarvan in
Fraher Field at 7:30pm.
Junior Hurling
Our match against Shamrocks on Friday night
last was postponed as a mark of respect to the late Michael Kiely.
Intercounty Activity
Last Tuesday night the Waterford Under 20
footballers had a fantastic win over Clare in the Munster Championship in
Fraher Field where Mark Twomey, Sean
Whelan Barrett and Dean Beresford all played and Gary Hurney was team coach. This
Friday they travel to Clonakilty to take on Cork in the Munster semi
final. Also last night, Tuesday July 9th
the County Under 20 hurlers were due to travel to Thurles to take on Tipperary
where Sean Whelan Barrett, Tom Looby, Michael Kiely and Mark Twomey are on the
panel and Michael Kelleher is a selector.
Club Bingo
Our club bingo continues in the CBS Hall this Sunday
night where the jackpot is €800.
Sympathy
On behalf of all in the club we would like to
send our sympathies to the family and friends of the late Michael Kiely,
Ballinacourty who passed away last weekend. The Kiely family have given fantastic service
to our club for many decades now going back to the 1950s when Michael himself
began playing for the club. Michael first tasted success with the club in 1959
when he lined out at full back on the Abbeyside Rovers team that won the County
Minor Football Championship defeating Tramore on the most unusual score of 0:01
to 0:00.
Michael’s great talent and commitment saw him
progress onto the club senior teams very quickly and he was a leading light on
the club adult teams throughout the 1960s. In 1964 he played at centre back on
the club senior hurling team that contested the County Final where
unfortunately they were defeated by Mt Sion.
The following year Michael and the Abbeyside hurlers had the consolation
of winning the Sargent Cup, which at the time was a very prestigious
competition in Waterford. Also in 1965 Ballinacourty Intermediate Footballers
earned promotion to the Senior ranks as they defeated Rathgormack in the County
Final. The decade concluded with Abbeyside Senior hurlers back in the County
Final, where despite the best efforts of Michael who had now moved up to the
full forward position, it was Mt Sion who once again claimed the County Title. Such
was Michael’s ability that it was only natural he would be called onto the
County Panel, and he spent a number of years on the County Senior Hurling
panel.
Michael was very much a man of the land and he
took tremendous pride in the quality of produce that came off his farm in
Ballinacourty. Over countless summers
many is the young club member who earned some holiday wages picking the
potatoes which grew on his farm. Michael’s grandson Jack worked very closely
with Michael on the farm in recent years maintaining the family link to the
land.
Given Michael’s great love for our Club it was
only natural that his family would carry on this great tradition. All of his
sons wore the club jersey with great pride, winning many honours for the club
in both codes. When they finished playing they have served the club with great
distinction winning County Hurling and Football titles as team managers as well
as filling a variety of club officer positions. Michael’s grandsons are
continuing the great family tradition to this day and there can be no doubting the
great pride Michael got from seeing them don the club colours with such
distinction.
Once again on behalf of all in the club we
send our sympathies Michael’s family but especially to his wife Mary, sons
Benny, Ian, Darragh and Mattie and his daughter Mary Catherine.
