Report by Martin Delahunty
The U14 boys started out their campaign in the Football League all the way back in April with a deserved victory over city rivals O’Loughlin Gaels. This was the only runout they got in the Football League due to walkovers and unplayable pitches. But they were now into hard training for the hurling league after spending the winter months in a boxing club working on agility and upper body strength.
The first round was a home tie against Mooncoin which ended in a 2 point loss after a titanic tussle. Next up was a trip to Thomastown where the boys edged a classic by the minimum after trailing by 12 at half time. The boys now built up a bit of momentum and gathered another 4 points with impressive victories over Castlecomer and O’Loughlins. This put the boys into joint 2nd in the League table after an ‘arduous’ 4 league games! Surely this league Format wasn’t set up to give young Kilkenny boys lots of hurling, no doubt the 14 year olds in Leitrim or Cavan were playing more hurling than the young cats in the home of hurling.
So onwards our boys went with a dream campaign in the local Feile with comfortable victories over Thomastown and O’Loughlins and a drawn game against Mooncoin on a beautiful Saturday in Ballyhale. This put the boys on top of their group and earned them a semi-final place against the might of James Stephens. Unfortunately for our lads the battles of the qualifiers had taken its toll and they never got into gear in the Semi-final but went down fighting to the bitter end.
The boys trained away during the summer months and had a big break from competitive action, which probably didn’t really suit as when they got back to it they never really got up to the same intensity as played in the League/Feile campaign. They came up short against their nemesis James Stephens in the League Playoff and suffered a big defeat against a mightily impressive Dicksboro team in the Championship First Round.
However they enjoyed an unforgettable day in Tom Ryall Park for the Declan Byrne Memorial Tournament where Graigue Ballycallan fielded 2 teams and put together some impressive displays against 6 visiting clubs, losing out by a few points in the Shield Final.
Next up was a memorable trip to Pearse Stadium, Galway for a Regional Feile and finally a quick trip down the road to play in a one day Tournament in Grangemockler, this again ending in a final defeat to a dogged Piltown team.
So plenty of nearlys and maybes, beaten Semi-finalists, beaten playoff, losing finalists but overall this group has proven to have huge talent with a great desire for the game. The rewards for these lads will come, it’s just a matter of where and when. So winter well, enjoy Christmas and bring on 2017.
– Martin, Niall, Willie, Eamon, Colette and Anne.