Sport

Enniscorthy Rugby Club –welcoming its Cork visitors

Enniscorthy Rugby Club extended a warm welcome to Sunday’s Well from Cork as they came to Enniscorthy for their All Ireland League clash on 20th November. The warm off-thefield welcome contrasted with the lack of mercy shown on the pitch as Enniscorthy ran out comfortable 32-0 winners! n Enniscorthy Rugby Club hosted Sundays Well Rugby Football Club, Cork, in an All-Ireland League clash on 20th November. Left to right: Niall Wall President Enniscorthy Rugby Club), Barbara-Anne Murphy (Cathaoirleach Wexford Co. Council), Jacqie Cashman, Margaret Donnellan, Mar Dwyer and Ger Donnellan, Vice-President Sunday’s Well.

Kinsellas doing Enniscorthy proud

The popular RTE television programme, Ireland’s Fittest Family, has seen its fair share of Co. Wexford families doing well. None more so than Enniscorthy’s Tom, Dena, Josh and Jay Hogan who came second in 2019, only a whisker away from winning it outright. Now Enniscorthy is being well represented again with the Kinsellas from Marshalstown setting the new series alight with their performances to date. Dad Patrick (49) is joined by Michael (21), David (18) and Caoimhe (15). They have been watching the show since season 1 but had to wait for Caoimhe to reach 15 to be allowed apply. n The Kinsella family with their coach Anna Geary.

St. Patrick’s winning ways

St Patrick’s School

St Patrick’s School, Enniscorthy, were on a winning streak recently beating Youthreach Enniscorthy in a tight match by 4-3, before going into a big game against local rivals Gaelscoil Inis Córthaidh.

Gaelscoil arrived to the pitch full of optimism of turning St Patrick’s over but the latter had a lot of work done going into the game. Gaelscoil took the lead as early as the 10th minute to make it 1-0 courtesy of Saoirse Fortune. St. Patrick’s came back to level it 1-1 with Holly Levingstone scoring from a controversial penalty awarded by match referee Cllr John O’Rourke. After halftime, St. Patrick’s went 2-1 down with a goal from Blathnaid Cullen but there was no sign of panic from St. Patrick’s as they pulled one back from Shane Fortune. With the game on a knife-edge heading to full time, St. Patrick’s scored again to win 3-2. A delighted Cllr O’Rourke thanked the Gaelscoil team and múinteoirí Judy and Roisin for their support. n

Youthreach

A case of a bridge too far

After a most special and entertaining season, it was disappointing to see our Senior Hurling team go out to Clough/ Ballacolla in the first round of the Leinster Senior Hurling Club Championship. To be fair, the Laois Champions were the better team on a bitterly cold evening in O`Moore Park, Portlaoise, albeit the sides being level at the half time break at 8 points each, the home side had the better of the exchanges in the second period and finished convincing winners. Disappointing it was for the Red and Green Army who travelled in numbers to the fixture in the hope that the dream would continue for a little while longer, but the ten week gap from the county final, plus the loss of Nick Doyle and Nathan O`Connor, depleted our reserves and left us vulnerable. Despite the loss, all we can say to this amazing team is ‘Thank You’ from the very bottom of all our hearts. Over a period of two years they have given us both county titles, the senior football in 2020 and the coveted and long-awaited senior hurling after a forty-three year famine. What more could we ask of a tremendously talented group of players who have been ambassadors for the club both on and off the field and have provided us with many trophies over the years coming through the underage ranks. You have given us golden moments, inspired hurling and fooball and treasured memories that we will never forget, and lifted both the club and the town in a time of great need, so in grateful appreciation we say, ‘Thank you for the joy and happiness that you brought to us in an otherwise dour and dismal 2021.’

In other club news, congrats to player, mentor, coach and trainer Padge Walsh who celebrated his 60th birthday recently at the clubhouse surrounded by family, friends and teammates, and congrats to all our underage teams who held medal presentation evenings in November, especially our very successful U/13 hurlers and footballers and Rising Stars who received their medals from senior hurlers Kevin Foley, Ben Edwards, Jack Kelly and Liam Ryan and our U/8, U/10 and U/12 ladies footballers and camogie players and their mentors Colm Sunderland, Seamus Doyle, Ronan Furlong and others, and senior hurler Oisin Pepper who presented the medals to the girls. Tremendous work is being done at the club, particularly at underage and it is reaping rewards on the field, so congrats to all involved. Well done to our Junior B footballers on winning the district final and a reminder to all that our AGM will take place on Sunday 5th December at 5pm.

– Words and pics by Maria Nolan PRO

Kevin Foley, Ben Edwards, Jack Kelly and Liam Ryan with a group of U-13s.

Girls U-10.

Girls U-12.

Girls U-8.

U-13 hurlers and footballers with Liam Ryan, Ben Edwards, Jack Kelly and Kevin Foley.

Liam Ryan and Kevin Foley with group of U-13s.

Enniscorthy Golf Club raises over €10,000 for local charities

Enniscorthy Golf Club made a cheque presentation in November to two charities – Breast Cancer Research and It’s Good to Talk, each receiving €5,330.

Breast Cancer Research was represented by Gemma Butler and Denise McCarthy, and It’s Good to Talk was represented by Liam Spratt.

The club thanks all its members, sponsors and visitors who supported its charity weekend which was played over the weekend of 25th and 26th of September.

On the playing front, to finish off a fabulous year Sean Cooper recently won the U-15 Flogas Irish Junior Open Tournament of Champions played in Royal Portrush.

Sean was also the winner of the Golf Ireland U-14 Boys Order of Merit. Congratulations to his younger brother Ruairi who finished tied 34th. Congrats also to the club’s Paul Conroy who played with Team Ireland in the recent Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship played at Whispering Pines GC in Texas, USA. Paul recently came third in the Mullingar Scratch Cup and got to the semi-final of the South of Ireland amateur championship. n

Sean Cooper

Enniscorthy Golf Club charity fundraiser

Enniscorthy Golf Club held its Charity Days on 25th and 26th of September, and raised over €10,000 which has been shared between Breast Cancer Research and It's Good To Talk.