In the chase for the first of the hurling titles down in the lower ranks there were wins for Kildare, Carlow, Kerry and Down on the opening day of the Christy Ring Cup.

Kerry 3-11 Mayo 1-16

Kerry overcame Mayo by 3-11 to 1-16 in a thrilling Christy Ring Cup clash in Tralee on Saturday

John Mike Dooley sent Kerry into an early lead when he blasted the ball to the roof of the net after just four minutes.

Mayo hit back with two points, but the Kingdom extended their lead after 14 minutes when debutant Evan Sweeney pointed to make it 1-1 to 0-3.

However, Kerry were lucky when a minute previously Adrian Freeman had struck a post. David Dowling, the Kilkenny native playing full-forward for the Westerners, then struck two points in a row to further reduce the deficit.

The home side struck back for another goal, James McCarthy pulling on a Brick sideline ball to fire to the back of the net.

Derek McDonald and Freeman hit back for Mayo with a point each from play before Brick and Sean Young were on the mark for Kerry.

Brick had by now found his range and he fired over a ’65 and a free to give Kerry a 2-5 to 0-9 lead at the break.

Young grabbed Kerry’s third goal after the inter interval, and at one point the Kingdom led by five points.

Points from McDonald, Stephen Broderick and Keith Higgins, the dual star, pegged Kerry back again before a Young point extended the lead back to two again.

With just a minute left, Mayo struck for a vital goal and it was midfielder Broderick who fired to the back of the net to set up a grandstand finish.

Despite Mayo being in the ascendancy, it was Kerry who pushed on in the dying minutes and won the game with two late points.

Down 3-20 Derry 1-22

Down had four points to spare over Derry in a high-quality Christy Ring Cup clash played at Newry on Saturday.

Sam Dodds managed the quite unbelievable feat of scoring 0-16 for Derry and still ended up on the losing team.

But goals win games, and it was Down who had the goal-scoring aces in Eoin Clarke, who fired home after 16 minutes, Gareth Johnson and Ally Higgins late on.

Down had led 1-13 to 0-10 at the break and after ‘Magic’ Johnson goaled after four minutes of the second half, his side led by nine points.

Derry hit back with four points on the bounce but Higgins was on hand to fire home a late goal after doubling on a placed ball that ended the game as a contest, especially after Clarke and Simon Wilson added late insurance scores.V

Association President Criostóir Ó Cuana has called on members everywhere to engage with their local clubs next Sunday.

Clubs have been encouraged to celebrate the GAA’s century and a quarter anniversary by organising events within their communities which underline their importance to their respective areas.

A variety of different initiatives have been organised by units with a special emphasis on games, culture and community on a day when no club fixtures have been scheduled.

The GAA President, who is a Youghal clubman, joined forces with Ard Stiúrthoir Páraic Duffy and Iar-Uachtarán Nioclás Ó Braonáin to shine a light on their own club allegiances and he urged members everywhere to make a special effort to ensure that Sunday is a memorable day that places our clubs – some of whom are also celebrating their 125th anniversaries – at the heart of the Association’s 125 calendar.

He said: “Our home club is where it begins for us all and for that reason it occupies a special place in us all. It’s where we are first introduced to the games and it very quickly assumes a badge of identity that in many cases comes second only to our family allegiances.

“Sunday is all about highlighting the incredible work that our clubs do in every community in Ireland and re-affirming the place of the club at the very heart of the organisation.

“Some of our older club units are also celebrating their 125th anniversaries, which is testament to the massive and long standing contributions that they make to the fabric of the communities they interact with and serve so well.

“I acknowledge the superb work overseen by our volunteers in clubs everywhere and hope that the GAA will be as well served by its members in the years ahead as it has been since its inception back in 1884.”

Kilkenny’s Richie Power and Kerry’s Tommy Walsh have been named the recipients of the Vodafone GAA Player of the Month award for April 2009

Power took the hurlers’ award after helping the Cats to the final of Division One of the National Hurling League, in which they were crowned champions on Sunday. The Carrickshock ace was a major player for Brian Cody’s awesome side until picking up an injury, his hat-trick against Cork just one example of how lethal an attacker he can be.

Kerins O’Rahilly’s man Walsh was part of the Kerry team that were crowned National Football League Division One kings in April, the towering forward leading the line for Jack O’Connor’s charges in the final against Derry and also notching a goal in their previous outing against Galway.

Tipperary may have pushed their greatest rivals, Kilkenny, at the home of hurling on Sunday, but Liam Sheedy has admitted it was tough to see the league title slip away.

However, the Tipperary boss took plenty of positives from the Sunday’s match and they should wipe away any memory of Kilkenny’s 17-point hammering of the Munster champions at Nowlan Park earlier in the league.

“It was surreal out there afterwards because people were saying ‘well done’ but we lost a league final,” the former Premier County corner-back admitted.

“We are very disappointed. We had chances. We got the goal to put us 16-8 up and 30 seconds later it was 16-11 and that was critical.”

Sheedy added: “But the lads dug in and you can’t fault them for that. All I asked them all week was to leave everything on the field and that’s what they did as a group.

“I’m so proud to be involved with such a group of lads - they’re a privilege to work with and to train.”

Henry Shefflin carrying the spoils after NHL win

Despite losing this game in extra time, Tipperary proved they are closer to the mighty Kilkenny machine than most people thought, for you can be sure that Brian Cody’s team played this game as if it were an All Ireland Championship Final. Tipp travelled home empty-handed but imbued with confidence and vigour for the upcoming Mc Carthy Cup campaign.   Richie Hogan scored 1-10 as Kilkenny collected a 14th Allianz National Hurling League title in a gripping Semple Stadium decider against Tipperary on Sunday May 3rd 2009,  which they won by 2-26 to 4-17.

The Cats came from eight points down to force extra-time in Thurles and finished with a flourish to nail a first National League title since 2006 with three points to spare.

Remarkably, Hogan was scoreless in the first half in front of 17,087 spectators but the Danesfort star helped himself to 1-7 in the second half and added three points in the second period of extra-time.

Aidan Fogarty also turned in more than a useful attacking performance for the Leinster and All-Ireland champions as he chipped in with a 1-5 haul.

In a gripping decider, the best league final since the Croke Park cliff-hanger between the two sides in 2003, Séamus Callanan bagged 1-7 for Tipp and teen sensation Noel McGrath added 1-5.

Two minutes after half-time, Callanan’s goal opened up a 3-7 to 0-8 lead for Tipperary but Brian Cody’s all-conquering stars overcame some stiff obstacles to force their way back into contention.

Kilkenny suffered a severe injury blow after just 11 minutes when Brian Hogan was stretchered off and the winners also lost the services of Martin Comerford and Henry Shefflin to yellow cards.

Comerford was just a minute on the field after replacing Hogan when he was dismissed while Shefflin was ordered off seven minutes after half-time.

In addition, Tipp’s Hugh Maloney and Kilkenny pair Eddie Brennan and Tommy Walsh can also count themselves fortunate not to have been yellow-carded in the final competitive hurling fixture played under the experimental rules in operation during the league campaign.

Tipp, playing with a strong breeze, got off to the best possible start with two goals inside the first nine minutes as James Woodlock booted home from close range in the 4th minute before John O’Brien finished clinically five minutes later.

Those strikes helped Tipp to lead by 2-7 to 0-8 at half-time and they got off to the best possible start to the second half within two minutes when Callanan collected a Lar Corbett pass and drilled home a fine goal at the Killinan End.

Eight points clear, Tipp had a solid platform but just a minute later, Hogan netted with the goal allowed to stand despite home protests that the Kilkenny forward had taken too many steps.

Aidan Fogarty’s 50th-minute goal hauled Kilkenny right back into contention as the Emeralds corner forward finished clinically past Brendan Cummins and with 20 minutes remaining, the scene was set for a gripping finish.

Lesser teams have crumbled in the face of the Kilkenny juggernaut but Tipp, who lost by 17 points against the same opposition at Nowlan Park just six weeks ago, hung in grimly until the finish and had to come from behind to force extra-time.

Fogarty levelled things up with a minute remaining and when Hogan pointed a free a minute into stoppage time, Kilkenny appeared to have clinched the tie in regulation time.

But Tipperary had other ideas and after James Ryall was penalised for holding onto the sliotar on the ground, former All-Ireland minor medallist Noel McGrath stepped forward to tie the full-time scores at 3-14 to 2-17.

Tipperary: B Cummins (0-1f); P Stapleton, P Curran, C O’Brien; Pádraic Maher, D Fanning, S Maher; T Stapleton, S McGrath (0-2); L Corbett, S Callanan (1-7, 0-7f), J Woodlock (1-1); N McGrath (1-5, 1f), M Webster, J O’Brien (1-1).

Subs: B Maher for Fanning (12), H Maloney for S Maher (14), B Dunne for Maloney (58), S Hennessy for Woodlock (62), D Fitzgerald for Stapleton (70), Patrick Maher for Webster (80), E Buckley for Pádraic Maher (80).

Kilkenny: PJ Ryan; M Kavanagh, JJ Delaney, J Tyrrell; T Walsh, B Hogan, J Ryall; J Tennyson, M Rice; R Hogan (1-10, 0-7f), H Shefflin (0-4, 1f, 1 65), E Larkin (0-1); E Brennan (0-2), TJ Reid (0-4, 1 sl), A Fogarty (1-5).

Subs: M Comerford for Hogan (11), M Grace for Comerford (13), J ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick for Shefflin (42), S Cummins for Kavanagh (78).

Referee: J Sexton (Cork).

Get your revenge in first might have been the motto as Offaly secured Division One hurling for 2010 and struck a psychological blow over championship opponents Wexford in Sunday afternoon’s Allianz National Hurling League Division Two decider.

The Faithful County recorded a hard-fought three-point victory at Semple Stadium to condemn the Slaneysiders to Division Two hurling once again next year.

Allianz National Hurling League Division Two Final
Offaly 1-13 Wexford 0-13

The two sides will meet at Wexford Park in the Leinster SHC on May 30 and Joe Dooley’s Offaly will go into that game full of confidence after winning this latest battle between the two sides.

Wexford had emerged victorious when the sides met in the group stages of the competition but when it mattered most, Offaly came through despite racking up a tally of 14 wides.

The returns of David Franks and David Kenny strengthened the Offaly defence considerably, while skipper Ger Oakley led by example at centre back.

Wexford ultimately paid the price for a terribly sluggish start as they fell 1-5 to 0-1 behind with just 12 minutes on the watch.

Full-forward Stephen Banville had opened the scoring for Wexford but Offaly responded with 1-5 without reply.

Daniel Currams supplied the Offaly goal after nine minutes as he beat Wexford goalkeeper Dermot Flynn to James Rigney’s speculative centre from the Old Stand side of the field.

Diarmuid Lyng stopped the rot for Wexford with a superbly-struck sideline cut from the New Stand side in the 15th minute, the Model County’s first score since Banville’s opener, before Paul Carley added a free two minutes later.

Offaly hit back to lead by 1-8 to 0-4 after 23 minutes before Wexford put together a run of four unanswered points to cut the lead back to just three points.

Crucially, Offaly responded with a run of three successive scores of their own, a trio of Shane Dooley frees, to ensure a decent half-time platform.

They led by 1-11 to 0-8 at the interval but after playing with the aid of a strong breeze into the Town End during the first half, it seemed that a six-point interval lead might not be enough.

Offaly managed just two points in the second half but the closest Wexford came to their opponents was when midfielder David Redmond reduced the deficit to two points with nine minutes remaining.

At that point, Offaly’s sole second half contribution to the scoreboard was Shane Dooley’s 43rd-minute free but with five minutes remaining, Brian Carroll slotted over his side’s first point for 22 minutes of play.

Offaly held on until the finish for a precious victory but they had goalkeeper Brian Mullins to thank in stoppage time for a smart save at head height to keep out Wexford sub Tomás Waters.

Wexford: D Flynn; M Travers (0-1), P Roche, A O’Connell; M Jacob, S Nolan, R Kehoe; D Redmond (0-1), C Kenny; D Lyng (0-2, both sidelines), A Shore (0-1), P Carley (0-4, 3f, 1 65); R Jacob (0-1), S Banville (0-2), P Kenny (0-1).

Subs: S Doyle for Kenny (47), T Waters for Carley (48), D Stamp for Nolan (63), P Atkinson for Banville (70).

Offaly: B Mullins; D Franks, D Kenny, J Rigney; K Brady, G Oakley, P Cleary (0-1f); R Hanniffy, B Murphy; B Carroll (0-3), J Brady, D Molloy (0-3); D Currams (1-1), S Dooley (0-5f), J Bergin.

Subs: C Parlon for Currams (60), C Mahon for Murphy (70+2).

Referee: G Hoey (Clare)

Sligo will return to Division Three of the NHL with some silverware in 2010, following Saturday’s extra-time triumph in the Division Four final at Breffni Park.

The sides were level at 2-6 to 1-9 at the end of 70 minutes, but the Yeatsmen finished with a flourish.

Allianz NHL Division Four Final: Sligo 1-13 Monaghan 2-8 [AET]

Keith Raymond collected Joe Bannerton’s delivery to crack in a goal in the sixth minute, but Monaghan resumed their early dominance, and centre back Willie O’Toole blasted a penalty to the net five minutes later.

But Sligo seized control in the second quarter, with full forward Raymond showing wonderful accuracy.

He converted all five of the scoring opportunities which came his way, but his team-mates were less successful in their long-range shooting, chalking up seven wides to Monaghan’s four.

Monaghan lost corner forward Noel Morgan to a yellow card just before the break for a reckless swing at the legs of David Collery.

At the break, the Connacht men led by 1-3 to 1-2, Raymond having scored their entire tally.

Others got in on the act after the restart, with Colin Herity and Damien Burke on target, after Stephen Lambe had grabbed Monaghan’s second goal.

Another Monaghan flourish saw them regain the lead with a volley of points from Stephen Lynch, Stephen Lambe and Alan Lambe.

And Sligo’s efforts to claw it back continued to be dogged by rash and inaccurate shooting from distance.

Nevertheless, sub Niall Cadden brought them level four minutes from the end at 2-6 to 0-9.

Monaghan had moved back in front, 2-8 to 1-10, by the halfway stage of extra-time, but Sligo reeled off three without reply, through David Collery, Mark Burke and Colin Herity to take the title.

Monaghan: M McHugh, A Kerr, P Murphy, G Coleman, J McAnespie, W O’Toole (1-0, pen), D Crowe, A Lambe (0-1), B Phelan (0-1), J Greene, S Leonard (0-2), E MacSuibhne, B O’Brien (0-1), S Lambe (1-2, 2f), N Morgan.

Subs: A Hughes for Morgan (yellow card, 32), S Lynch (0-1) for Phelan (39), J Lacey for Greene (64), P Treanor  for Leonard (yellow card, 87).

Sligo: M Kearney, F Coyne, W Gill, L Reidy, C Hackett, M Burke (0-1), J Kelly, C Herity (0-3, 1f, 1 ‘65’), D Collery (0-1), C Brennan, D Burke (0-2), J Bannerton, M Gilmartin, K Raymond (1-5, 2f), S Lynch.

Subs: N Cadden (0-1) for Coyne (yellow card (49), M Shelly for Bannerton (yellow card, 56), J Kenny for Lynch (59), M Fitzsimons for Shelly (92)

Referee: R Matthews (Antrim).

Attendance: 500 (approx)

Kildare were crowned NHL Division 3A champions following a thrilling final that went right to the wire at Breffni Park.

Tony Murphy’s second half goal proved decisive for the Lilywhites, who had to defend desperately in the face of a late surge from the Royals.

Allianz NHL Division 3A Final: Kildare 2-18 Meath 1-18

Kildare sprinted out of the blocks, with David Harney sweeping over four points in the opening five minutes.

Skipper Oisin Lynch and Adrian McAndrew were also on target as they quickly built up a 0-7 to 0-1 advantage.

But Meath gradually got to the pace of the game, and Stephen Clynch lifted Royal spirits with a superbly struck 75 metre free.

And when Joey Keena raced through to split the posts in the 20th minute, they had narrowed the gap to three.

Strangely, Kildare’s early dominance disappeared as a resurgent Meath tackled with ferocity and discipline, and the accuracy of Neil Hackett, who converted three frees and a ‘65, helped them build towards the interval.

They turned around just two points adrift - 0-11 to 0-9 - substitute Alan Ryan having succeeded in curbing the threat posed by Harney.

David Cafferty swept home a Kildare goal two minutes after the restart, but Meath responded immediately with a Peter Durnin goal, netted on the rebound after Nicky Horan’s shot was kept out by goalkeeper Paul Dermody.

Hackett and Harney traded scores throughout a fast-moving second half which saw the sides level on four occasions, before Tony Murphy put daylight between the sides with a second Kildare goal on 58 minutes.

Meath battled heroically, but Kildare defended superbly in the closing stages, and held out for a deserved victory.

Meath: S Quinn, S Corrigan, E Fitzgerald, M Foley, J Boyle (0-1), P Fagan, M Horan, E Keogh, J Keena (0-2), N Hackett (0-9, 8f, 1 ’65), S Clynch (0-2, 1f), G O’Neill (0-1), B Slevin, N Horan (0-2), P Durnin (1-1).

Subs: A Ryan for Fitzgerald (9) D Kirby for Horan (yellow card, 52), D Crimmins for O’Neill (63)

Kildare: P Dermody, N Doolan, P Reidy, K Chan, D Kennedy, R Hoban (0-3, 3f), J Doran, D Moloney, N O Muineachain, D Carter (0-1), T Murphy (1-1), D Harney (0-8, 3f), A McAndrew (0-3), D Cafferty (1-1), O Lynch (0-1).

Subs: L Harney for Chan (35), F O Muineachain for Lynch (56), M Moloney for D Moloney (64), K Divilly for Harney (70)

Referee: T Carroll (Offaly)

Attendance: 500 (approx)

Kilkenny hurling chief Brian Cody says he is unlikely to have any of his walking wounded available for Sunday’s National Hurling League final against Tipperary in Thurles.

Cody’s Cats are looking to regain the league crown that has eluded them for the past two years as they have been scything through all challengers in the championship. However, influential full back Noel Hickey, as well as midfielders James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick and Derek Lyng, have been missing for some or all of the campaign and while they are on the mend, Cody says the Cats will have to do without them again against the holders.

“Noel Hickey’s situation hasn’t changed too much really,” Cody said of a player who has been making his way back after a groin operation.

Speaking at Wednesday’s Allianz press conference ahead of the final, the six-time All-Ireland winning manager added. “He sat out the league but came through and played a match last week, which is great news for us but obviously Noel’s a long way away from inter-county hurling still.

“Derek Lyng, likewise, sat out the league and he is recovering from a hip operation and making good progress, but he hasn’t played any match anywhere yet.”

On Fitzpatrick, who did make a fleeting appearance in the league game against Dublin, Cody was most sympathetic after a bout of the mumps and subsequent after-effects ruined the brilliant midfielder’s year to date.

“Cha was out for a long, long time with sickness. He came on against Dublin and played a full match again at the weekend so he is working his way back.

“The mumps took a huge amount out of Cha to be honest and as he was recovering then he picked up a post-viral infection again as well which flattened him again for a few more weeks.”

The absence of defender John Dalton and the recent knock picked up by the in-form Richie Power - a goal glut against Cork just one of his superb showings so far this season - have added to Cody’s selection problems ahead of the clash with Liam Sheedy’s men, but the manager is happy to get on with who he has at his disposal. The Cats are rarely a team short of quality back-up and Cody says he will not be looking to arrange any extra games for his injured stars as they look to close on their returns.

He continued: “Richie Power is unfortunate. He picked up a hamstring injury a few weeks ago and he is definitely going to be out a few more weeks with that.

“John Dalton has been out for the last while with sickness but he has worked his way back again and played a full match at the weekend, so things are not too bad but we still are going to be short some players.”

“The club scene is back in action and we rely on whatever training we do ourselves. We don’t usually play too many challenge matches to be honest.”

When asked if any of the aforementioned might get a run-out against Tipp, Cody resigned: “Probably not.”

The small Tipperary village of Grangemockler takes centre stage in the GAA’s 125^th anniversary celebrations on the weekend of May 16/17.

A weekend of events is being organised by Grangemockler, the home club of Michael Hogan who was buried in the village following the events of Bloody Sunday 1920.

The celebrations start with a commemorative mass in memory of Michael Hogan which will take place in St Mary’s Parish Church in Grangemockler at 7.00pm and a wreath-laying service directly after mass.

A historical talk on the history of the GAA and the events of Bloody Sunday will also take place on Saturday evening at 8.30pm in the new Sports Hall.  Speakers include historians Vincent Comerford, Prof. Paul Rouse & William Murphy.

The highlight of the weekend’s activities takes place on the Sunday with a commemorative plaque to Michael Hogan being unveiled by Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Criostóir Ó Cuana at 6.00pm.

Two exciting challenge matches take place either side of the unveiling with a football match between great rivals Kerry and Dublin at 4.30pm. Jack O’Connor and Pat Gilroy will again lock horns following their recent exciting league draw. The second match between Brian Cody’s triple All-Ireland winners Kilkenny and Liam Sheedy’s Tipperary will commence at 6.30pm.

These two matches come at a crucial time for teams that find themselves at an advanced stage of their championship preparations and the respective management teams will be anxious to put the finishing touches to their championship line ups.

Admission to the games is by cash payment, adults €15, senior citizens €10 and under 16’s free of charge.

A great weekend is promised for young and old with the emphasis on the pride and passion of club and community which is central to the ongoing success of the GAA.