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.