Cobh GAA News 02-04-12

Primary schools Coaching

The Cobh GAA Primary Schools Coaching initiative is now in full swing in most of the primary schools on the Island and will continue right up to the Summer holidays. Over 300 hours coaching is carried out in Rushbrooke, Waltertown, Scoil Iosaef Naofa and Gaelscoil Uí eaghartaigh over the course of the school year in what is now our 3rd year in the schools. Head coach Christy Kidney says the improvement in standards is great to see especially in hurling and thinks the Club and Colaiste Muire will benefit enormously from the greater number of kids playing the games as they move on to secondary school.

The coaching has been helped this year with the inclusion of GAA Club members who are in Transition year in Colaiste Muire. The lads work in pairs under the guidance of Christy kidney and Damien Byrne and they will also complete the Foundation Course in hurling and Football during this time.

Cork Senior hurler Brian Murphy, who is Games Development officer for East Cork, was on hand to see the lads in action in Scoil Iosaef Naofa recently and was impressed with what he saw.“ The potential in a town the size of Cobh is massive” says Brian, “and the work being put in in the Primary Schools and Colaiste Muire could put Cobh back on the big stage in Cork GAA in the future”

Last year the Club ran a very successful Primary School Football Blitz for both boys and girls before the end of the school year. This involved all the primary schools on the Island, and hopefully this year we can extend it to include a hurling blitz which would give the children a chance to showcase their skills with their peers in the other schools.   

The Club would like to thank the teachers in all the schools for their help with the coaching and for the work they are putting into Sciath na Scoil teams. We are also very grateful to Colaiste Muire for agreeing to let Cobh GAA members who are in Transition Year give a hand with the coaching.  

Junior Football
Cobh 1-08 Ballinacurra 1-10
Unfortunately Cobh fail to impress in the opening round of the East Cork Junior A football championship. On a mild day in Carrigtwohill the men from Cobh left their push for victory too late which now sees Ballinacurra advance to the next round as Cobh have to settle for the back door route. Cobh started well and found themselves three points to two points up after the first ten mins however Ballinacurra slowly edged their way into the game and when they struck goal coming up to the break Cobh failed to recover. With a half time score of 1-7 to 0-4 points in favor of the Ballinacurra men, the second half saw Cobh improve but to Ballinacurra’s credit it was too much to ask to rob a victory on the day. Players to play well for Cobh included Mark Foley who gave Cobh a glimmer of hope in the closing stages with a well taken goal and Kieran Histon who threatened the Ballinacurra defenders at every chance he got.

Allen Walley in Control of the Ball as he avoids tackles from the Ballinacurra midfielders. Also Pictured Danny Keating.