Junior Hurling Championship 2024
July 7: Ferns St. Aidans 0-15, Naomh Éanna 1-12
No report carried in local press.
July 13: Ferns St. Aidans 1-12, Duffry Rovers 0-15
DUFFRY ROVERS came within a whisker on home soil of being pipped by the Ferns St. Aidans second string in Saturday's second round Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship Group A clash in a damp Coolree.
Indeed, Ferns placed-ball specialist Seán Walsh had the chance to send the red and whites home victorious - they had also drawn in round one, against the promoted Naomh Éanna's seconds.
That chance came after referee John Tobin had consulted with an umpire to confirm that Walsh had forced a '65 which initially was waved wide.
But Walsh couldn't make the most of the opportunity as Patrick Breen's visitors had to settle for a draw, which is something that really shouldn't provide any comfort for the Duffry.
The Enniscorthy District crew really ought to be bossing this division and bouncing back towards transforming their dramatic downward spiral into a massive upward trajectory.
They were confident a week earlier against the second string of Faythe Harriers, but this wasn't good enough from their perspective.
All credit to Ferns for making it an enthralling affair on the scoreboard - the game just wasn't above average on quality - but the Duffry need to be far more convincing than they were here.
Some might choose to hide Saturday's disappointing effort under the cloak of teams not really needing to hit their peak until the knockout stages in this bizarre new hurling format, but anyone availing of such an excuse is merely a budding spin-doctor.
And Ferns, quarter-finalists in the past two campaigns, shook up the Duffry when James Kinsella picked a quickfire point before Shane Stafford sent Seb Rynhart through to stitch the net, and Stafford then helped the visitors to go 1-2 to nil clear after three minutes.
The locals seemed to be flexing their muscle though when reacting to tie on 0-5 to 1-2 after twelve minutes through Stephen Watchorn (two frees), Cian Fitzhenry (who was sadly forced off after 17 minutes), James Lawless and captain Aidan 'Chesney' Byrne.
But they didn't hit the front until the 19th minute, and required a late Watchorn strike from play to continue to edge it at the break (0-9 to 1-5).
A fourth Seán Walsh free after a chop on Liam Byrne levelled it up again two minutes into the second-half.
And the sides were inseparable once more on 40 and 42 minutes before Dylan Purcell and Watchorn (free) grabbed a 0-13 to 1-8 Duffry lead on 46 minutes, while the Ferns goal enjoyed a close shave after a goalkeeping error.
A wonderful Watchorn interception and resulting score from midfield helped Duffry Rovers to move 0-15 to 1-9 clear on 55 minutes.
But Ferns then called upon one of their recent Senior champions, Christopher 'Bitsy' O'Connor - another of their 2022 heroes, James Tonks, had started - and while a Duffry attacker produced a tame goaling effort, the visitors bridged the gap through three Walsh dead-balls before he was off-cue from that last-gasp chance.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh; Peter Nolan, Paddy O'Hagan, Charlie Murphy; Conor O'Toole, James Tonks, Peter O'Toole (capt., 0-1); Willie Bolger, Liam Byrne; P.J. O'Neill, Seán Walsh (0-9, 8 frees, 1 '65), Shane Stafford (0-1); Seb Rynhart (1-0), Pádraig Kinsella, James Kinsella (0-1). Subs. - James Murray for P. Kinsella (HT), Barry Murphy for Nolan (37), Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans) for Bolger (54), Christopher O'Connor for Stafford (54).
Duffry Rovers: Michael Murphy; Alan Doyle, Liam Pender, Craig Casey; Gearóid Doyle, Johnny Flynn-O'Connor, Aaron Coleman; Jamie Roban (0-1), Aidan Byrne (capt., 0-1); David Nolan, Stephen Watchorn (0-9, 6 frees), Loughlin Rafter; James Lawless (0-1), Dylan Purcell (0-1), Cian Fitzhenry (0-1). Subs. - Jason Sheridan (0-1) for Fitzhenry, inj. (17), Danny Fitzhenry for Byrne, temp. (22-24), D. Fitzhenry for Rafter (35), Gavin Rafter for Nolan (40).
Referee: John Tobin (Geraldine O'Hanrahans).
August 2: Ferns St. Aidans 1-17, Shamrocks 1-13
No report carried in local press.
August 24: Ferns St. Aidans 4-22, Faythe Harriers 1-13
No report carried in local press.
August 31: Ferns St. Aidans 4-19, St. Fintan’s 3-11
No report carried in local press.
October 5, quarter-final: Ferns St. Aidans 1-13, Kilmore 2-7
WING-BACK James Murray produced a smashing early second-half goal to stimulate the Ferns St. Aidans second-string to a fight-back to victory over 2021 runners-up Kilmore in Saturday's Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship quarter-final in Samaritans St. Patrick's Park.
Kilmore, who hadn't been out of at least the last four since rising from Junior 'A' ranks in 2020, seemed to have bedded into a nice lead after goals from Conor Moore and Paddy Byrne opened up a 2-4 to 0-5 interval divide.
But Murray, in his first year out of Minor grade, gave Ferns the perfect lift with that major strike just as they got the wind behind them, and they outstripped Kilmore thereafter to make the semi-finals of this competition for the first time since 2013.
Captain Peter O'Toole produced four pointed frees in that closing period as Ferns built the pressure, with his brother Conor to the fore along with Murray, while James Kinsella also made a superb impact from the bench.
Ferns will have been disappointed with their first-half efforts, particularly their distribution. But they demonstrated real character in digging it out in the closing period to repeat the outcome of the sides' last meeting - a second round tie last year (0-17 to 0-15).
The teams twice exchanged points in the opening stages of their renewal, before a Tom White lead-restorer for Kilmore was followed by Conor Moore netting after Aaron Goff forced a save midway through the first-half (1-3 to 0-2).
They gained further confidence as White tagged on a pointed free moments before Paddy Byrne netted their second major - with Aaron Goff providing the telling assist - as Mark Roche's charges settled into a tidy double-scores lead at the change of ends.
That was after Ferns had finished out the first-half with an unanswered burst of points from Seán Walsh (two frees) and Barry Murphy (2-4 to 0-5), and while Chris O'Connor resumed with a point for Kilmore, the winners dealt a significant 39th-minute blow.
That came with James Murray's quality finish to the net to cut the gap to 2-5 to 1-5, and although the opposition responded with a Conor Moore point, the momentum was shifting firmly in the direction of now wind-assisted Ferns.
Indeed, a string of points from Peter O'Toole (three frees), substitute James Kinsella and Niall Logan edged them in front by 1-10 to 2-6 entering the last ten minutes.
Paddy Byrne levelled in the closing stages of normal time, only for Ferns to produce a winning flourish with a late burst as Willie Bolger sandwiched another free conversion by O'Toole with a brace of scores from play to guide Patrick Breen's men through this battle of two of the main contenders. A tasty local derby with St. Patrick's awaits.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh; Peter Nolan, Paddy O'Hagan, Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans); Peter O'Toole (capt., 0-4 frees), Conor O'Toole, James Murray (1-0); Brian O'Neill (Clone), Liam Byrne; Shane Stafford, Barry Murphy (0-1), P.J. O'Neill; Seb Rynhart, Seán Walsh (0-3 frees), Willie Bolger (0-3). Subs. - James Kinsella (0-1) for Stafford, Patrick O'Toole for S. Walsh, Niall Logan (0-1) for Murphy.
Kilmore: Kyle Sinnott; Dillon Crowley, Stevie Cousins, Cian Murphy-Reddy; Denis Kenny, Criostóir Reville, Seán Carley; Tommy Cousins, Páraic Reville (capt.); Tom White (0-2 frees), Tom Byrne (0-1), Aaron Goff (0-1); Chris O'Connor (0-1), Paddy Byrne (1-1), Conor Moore (1-1). Subs. - Willie Carley for Murphy-Reddy, Josh Berry for O'Connor, Ryan Miller-Sinnott for Kenny.
October 19, semi-final: St. Patrick’s 0-21, Ferns St. Aidans 0-19
ST. PATRICK'S led from pillar to post but what was comfortable for long stages became edge-of-the-seat stuff at the end before they saw off neighbours Ferns St. Aidans in this semi-final of the Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship in Páirc Uí Shíocháin, Gorey on Saturday.
A lead that stood at nine points early in the second-half had been whittled down to three by the time Ferns goalkeeper Mick Walsh came up the field to take a free from approximately 25 metres, deep into injury time.
A goal would have sent the match to extra-time, but instead he got somewhat underneath the shot, and the ball flashed over the bar instead. The final whistle blew on the puck-out, and St. Patrick's had booked their spot in the county final against either Duffry Rovers or St. Fintan's.
Truth told, they would have been kicking themselves if they'd been hauled back like that. They were the dominant side for much of the game, racing into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead inside the first six minutes, extending that to 0-16 to 0-8 by the break, and still leading by six (0-18 to 0-12) on the three-quarter hour mark.
Midfielder Tommy Dunne, centre-forward John Doyle, and corner-forward Tomás Morris were particularly eye-catching for them in the opening period.
Dunne and Doyle had three fine points from play each, with Morris adding two, while both Doyle and Morris converted two frees each as well.
On the other hand, Ferns were finding it tough to score from play at all, and were instead relying on the free-taking skills of Seán Walsh, who was responsible for six of their eight first-half scores.
Their accuracy improved during the third quarter, but still a St. Patrick's win seemed inevitable as Ferns struggled to create a chance for a goal they would surely need, and their rivals maintained a five- or six-point advantage.
It got exciting in the final quarter, though. Ferns points by substitute James Kinsella and Peter O'Toole (free) narrowed the gap to four with ten minutes remaining.
While St. Patrick's then cancelled those out with two scores from Tommy Dunne and Daryl Murphy, three in a row for the Ferns men left it 0-20 to 0-17 with 57 minutes on the clock.
A Michael O'Brien point from midfield pushed the Pat's lead back out to four, but it was down to three again when Peter O'Toole converted a free for Ferns on 62 minutes.
It all meant that the last-gasp attempt from Mick Walsh was probably the most crucial of the day, but it resulted in a point rather than the goal that his side needed, and it is St. Patrick's who go through to their second succesive decider.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh (0-1 free); Peter Nolan, Paddy O'Hagan, Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans); Peter O'Toole (0-5, 3 frees), Conor O'Toole (0-1), James Murray; Brian O'Neill (Clone), Liam Byrne (0-2); Shane Stafford (0-1), Barry Murphy, P.J. O'Neill; Seb Rynhart (0-1), Seán Walsh (0-7 frees), Willie Bolger. Subs. - James Kinsella (0-1) for Murray, inj. (29), Niall Logan for Walsh (42).
St. Patrick's: Ashley Tully; Ben Kavanagh, Richard Flood, Brian Murphy; Daryl Murphy (0-1), Dermot O'Leary (0-1), Michael O'Brien (0-1); Tommy Dunne (0-4), Conor O'Leary (0-1); Micheál Rowsome (0-1), John Doyle (0-5, 2 frees), Alan Murphy (0-1); Tomás Morris (0-4, 2 frees), Glen Carton, Ciarán Murphy (0-2). Subs. - Fergal Maguire for Carton (43), Paul McDonald for Morris (57), James Cousins for C. O'Leary (64).
Referee: Jamie Farrell (HWH Bunclody).
No report carried in local press.
July 13: Ferns St. Aidans 1-12, Duffry Rovers 0-15
DUFFRY ROVERS came within a whisker on home soil of being pipped by the Ferns St. Aidans second string in Saturday's second round Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship Group A clash in a damp Coolree.
Indeed, Ferns placed-ball specialist Seán Walsh had the chance to send the red and whites home victorious - they had also drawn in round one, against the promoted Naomh Éanna's seconds.
That chance came after referee John Tobin had consulted with an umpire to confirm that Walsh had forced a '65 which initially was waved wide.
But Walsh couldn't make the most of the opportunity as Patrick Breen's visitors had to settle for a draw, which is something that really shouldn't provide any comfort for the Duffry.
The Enniscorthy District crew really ought to be bossing this division and bouncing back towards transforming their dramatic downward spiral into a massive upward trajectory.
They were confident a week earlier against the second string of Faythe Harriers, but this wasn't good enough from their perspective.
All credit to Ferns for making it an enthralling affair on the scoreboard - the game just wasn't above average on quality - but the Duffry need to be far more convincing than they were here.
Some might choose to hide Saturday's disappointing effort under the cloak of teams not really needing to hit their peak until the knockout stages in this bizarre new hurling format, but anyone availing of such an excuse is merely a budding spin-doctor.
And Ferns, quarter-finalists in the past two campaigns, shook up the Duffry when James Kinsella picked a quickfire point before Shane Stafford sent Seb Rynhart through to stitch the net, and Stafford then helped the visitors to go 1-2 to nil clear after three minutes.
The locals seemed to be flexing their muscle though when reacting to tie on 0-5 to 1-2 after twelve minutes through Stephen Watchorn (two frees), Cian Fitzhenry (who was sadly forced off after 17 minutes), James Lawless and captain Aidan 'Chesney' Byrne.
But they didn't hit the front until the 19th minute, and required a late Watchorn strike from play to continue to edge it at the break (0-9 to 1-5).
A fourth Seán Walsh free after a chop on Liam Byrne levelled it up again two minutes into the second-half.
And the sides were inseparable once more on 40 and 42 minutes before Dylan Purcell and Watchorn (free) grabbed a 0-13 to 1-8 Duffry lead on 46 minutes, while the Ferns goal enjoyed a close shave after a goalkeeping error.
A wonderful Watchorn interception and resulting score from midfield helped Duffry Rovers to move 0-15 to 1-9 clear on 55 minutes.
But Ferns then called upon one of their recent Senior champions, Christopher 'Bitsy' O'Connor - another of their 2022 heroes, James Tonks, had started - and while a Duffry attacker produced a tame goaling effort, the visitors bridged the gap through three Walsh dead-balls before he was off-cue from that last-gasp chance.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh; Peter Nolan, Paddy O'Hagan, Charlie Murphy; Conor O'Toole, James Tonks, Peter O'Toole (capt., 0-1); Willie Bolger, Liam Byrne; P.J. O'Neill, Seán Walsh (0-9, 8 frees, 1 '65), Shane Stafford (0-1); Seb Rynhart (1-0), Pádraig Kinsella, James Kinsella (0-1). Subs. - James Murray for P. Kinsella (HT), Barry Murphy for Nolan (37), Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans) for Bolger (54), Christopher O'Connor for Stafford (54).
Duffry Rovers: Michael Murphy; Alan Doyle, Liam Pender, Craig Casey; Gearóid Doyle, Johnny Flynn-O'Connor, Aaron Coleman; Jamie Roban (0-1), Aidan Byrne (capt., 0-1); David Nolan, Stephen Watchorn (0-9, 6 frees), Loughlin Rafter; James Lawless (0-1), Dylan Purcell (0-1), Cian Fitzhenry (0-1). Subs. - Jason Sheridan (0-1) for Fitzhenry, inj. (17), Danny Fitzhenry for Byrne, temp. (22-24), D. Fitzhenry for Rafter (35), Gavin Rafter for Nolan (40).
Referee: John Tobin (Geraldine O'Hanrahans).
August 2: Ferns St. Aidans 1-17, Shamrocks 1-13
No report carried in local press.
August 24: Ferns St. Aidans 4-22, Faythe Harriers 1-13
No report carried in local press.
August 31: Ferns St. Aidans 4-19, St. Fintan’s 3-11
No report carried in local press.
October 5, quarter-final: Ferns St. Aidans 1-13, Kilmore 2-7
WING-BACK James Murray produced a smashing early second-half goal to stimulate the Ferns St. Aidans second-string to a fight-back to victory over 2021 runners-up Kilmore in Saturday's Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship quarter-final in Samaritans St. Patrick's Park.
Kilmore, who hadn't been out of at least the last four since rising from Junior 'A' ranks in 2020, seemed to have bedded into a nice lead after goals from Conor Moore and Paddy Byrne opened up a 2-4 to 0-5 interval divide.
But Murray, in his first year out of Minor grade, gave Ferns the perfect lift with that major strike just as they got the wind behind them, and they outstripped Kilmore thereafter to make the semi-finals of this competition for the first time since 2013.
Captain Peter O'Toole produced four pointed frees in that closing period as Ferns built the pressure, with his brother Conor to the fore along with Murray, while James Kinsella also made a superb impact from the bench.
Ferns will have been disappointed with their first-half efforts, particularly their distribution. But they demonstrated real character in digging it out in the closing period to repeat the outcome of the sides' last meeting - a second round tie last year (0-17 to 0-15).
The teams twice exchanged points in the opening stages of their renewal, before a Tom White lead-restorer for Kilmore was followed by Conor Moore netting after Aaron Goff forced a save midway through the first-half (1-3 to 0-2).
They gained further confidence as White tagged on a pointed free moments before Paddy Byrne netted their second major - with Aaron Goff providing the telling assist - as Mark Roche's charges settled into a tidy double-scores lead at the change of ends.
That was after Ferns had finished out the first-half with an unanswered burst of points from Seán Walsh (two frees) and Barry Murphy (2-4 to 0-5), and while Chris O'Connor resumed with a point for Kilmore, the winners dealt a significant 39th-minute blow.
That came with James Murray's quality finish to the net to cut the gap to 2-5 to 1-5, and although the opposition responded with a Conor Moore point, the momentum was shifting firmly in the direction of now wind-assisted Ferns.
Indeed, a string of points from Peter O'Toole (three frees), substitute James Kinsella and Niall Logan edged them in front by 1-10 to 2-6 entering the last ten minutes.
Paddy Byrne levelled in the closing stages of normal time, only for Ferns to produce a winning flourish with a late burst as Willie Bolger sandwiched another free conversion by O'Toole with a brace of scores from play to guide Patrick Breen's men through this battle of two of the main contenders. A tasty local derby with St. Patrick's awaits.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh; Peter Nolan, Paddy O'Hagan, Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans); Peter O'Toole (capt., 0-4 frees), Conor O'Toole, James Murray (1-0); Brian O'Neill (Clone), Liam Byrne; Shane Stafford, Barry Murphy (0-1), P.J. O'Neill; Seb Rynhart, Seán Walsh (0-3 frees), Willie Bolger (0-3). Subs. - James Kinsella (0-1) for Stafford, Patrick O'Toole for S. Walsh, Niall Logan (0-1) for Murphy.
Kilmore: Kyle Sinnott; Dillon Crowley, Stevie Cousins, Cian Murphy-Reddy; Denis Kenny, Criostóir Reville, Seán Carley; Tommy Cousins, Páraic Reville (capt.); Tom White (0-2 frees), Tom Byrne (0-1), Aaron Goff (0-1); Chris O'Connor (0-1), Paddy Byrne (1-1), Conor Moore (1-1). Subs. - Willie Carley for Murphy-Reddy, Josh Berry for O'Connor, Ryan Miller-Sinnott for Kenny.
October 19, semi-final: St. Patrick’s 0-21, Ferns St. Aidans 0-19
ST. PATRICK'S led from pillar to post but what was comfortable for long stages became edge-of-the-seat stuff at the end before they saw off neighbours Ferns St. Aidans in this semi-final of the Kavanagh Meats Junior hurling championship in Páirc Uí Shíocháin, Gorey on Saturday.
A lead that stood at nine points early in the second-half had been whittled down to three by the time Ferns goalkeeper Mick Walsh came up the field to take a free from approximately 25 metres, deep into injury time.
A goal would have sent the match to extra-time, but instead he got somewhat underneath the shot, and the ball flashed over the bar instead. The final whistle blew on the puck-out, and St. Patrick's had booked their spot in the county final against either Duffry Rovers or St. Fintan's.
Truth told, they would have been kicking themselves if they'd been hauled back like that. They were the dominant side for much of the game, racing into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead inside the first six minutes, extending that to 0-16 to 0-8 by the break, and still leading by six (0-18 to 0-12) on the three-quarter hour mark.
Midfielder Tommy Dunne, centre-forward John Doyle, and corner-forward Tomás Morris were particularly eye-catching for them in the opening period.
Dunne and Doyle had three fine points from play each, with Morris adding two, while both Doyle and Morris converted two frees each as well.
On the other hand, Ferns were finding it tough to score from play at all, and were instead relying on the free-taking skills of Seán Walsh, who was responsible for six of their eight first-half scores.
Their accuracy improved during the third quarter, but still a St. Patrick's win seemed inevitable as Ferns struggled to create a chance for a goal they would surely need, and their rivals maintained a five- or six-point advantage.
It got exciting in the final quarter, though. Ferns points by substitute James Kinsella and Peter O'Toole (free) narrowed the gap to four with ten minutes remaining.
While St. Patrick's then cancelled those out with two scores from Tommy Dunne and Daryl Murphy, three in a row for the Ferns men left it 0-20 to 0-17 with 57 minutes on the clock.
A Michael O'Brien point from midfield pushed the Pat's lead back out to four, but it was down to three again when Peter O'Toole converted a free for Ferns on 62 minutes.
It all meant that the last-gasp attempt from Mick Walsh was probably the most crucial of the day, but it resulted in a point rather than the goal that his side needed, and it is St. Patrick's who go through to their second succesive decider.
Ferns St. Aidans: Mick Walsh (0-1 free); Peter Nolan, Paddy O'Hagan, Brian O'Neill (St. Aidans); Peter O'Toole (0-5, 3 frees), Conor O'Toole (0-1), James Murray; Brian O'Neill (Clone), Liam Byrne (0-2); Shane Stafford (0-1), Barry Murphy, P.J. O'Neill; Seb Rynhart (0-1), Seán Walsh (0-7 frees), Willie Bolger. Subs. - James Kinsella (0-1) for Murray, inj. (29), Niall Logan for Walsh (42).
St. Patrick's: Ashley Tully; Ben Kavanagh, Richard Flood, Brian Murphy; Daryl Murphy (0-1), Dermot O'Leary (0-1), Michael O'Brien (0-1); Tommy Dunne (0-4), Conor O'Leary (0-1); Micheál Rowsome (0-1), John Doyle (0-5, 2 frees), Alan Murphy (0-1); Tomás Morris (0-4, 2 frees), Glen Carton, Ciarán Murphy (0-2). Subs. - Fergal Maguire for Carton (43), Paul McDonald for Morris (57), James Cousins for C. O'Leary (64).
Referee: Jamie Farrell (HWH Bunclody).
