All matches were 15 minutes a half with two substitutions in each half.

Sixmilebridge 2-01

Dicksboro (Kilkenny) 0-7   

(5.00PM) 16/06/17

This was the first match for the Sixmilebridge boys after arriving in good spirits in Kilkenny at 3.30pm on Friday afternoon. Dicksboro started the quicker playing some lovely hurling and were putting a lot of pressure on the Bridge back line. The Bridge backs to their credit mopped it up with Cian Fawl in the Bridge goal pulling off two great saves in the first half. Dicksboro finally got their first score in the 8th minute with a point from play which David Kennedy cancelled out a minute later with a point from a free. It was all Dicksboro for the remainder of the half but they still only managed to score two more points such was the work rate of the Bridge midfield and back line. The halftime score was 0-3 to 0-1 in favour of Dicksboro.

The second half started with the Bridge now beginning to threaten the Dicksboro back line. They were rewarded on six minutes when Noel Flynn controlled a fast ball and turned his marker and ran at the goal and buried the ball in the back of the net. Dicksboro drew level with their fourth point in the 12th minute only to be followed by another cracking Noel Flynn goal a minute later. There were a number of injuries in the second half so five minutes injury time was played and this allowed Dicksboro to claw back 3 lovely points from play to tie the match. It was a very tough match with the lads coming off the field exhausted. It was about to get a lot tougher.

Sixmilebridge 2-02

Craughwell (Galway) 1-05   

(6.00PM) 16/06/17

This was a very tense match with both sides very evenly matched. With every ball being contested fiercely, scores were at premium which explains the half time score of 0-1 to 0-1 with James Egan getting the point for the Bridge in the 7th minute.

David Kennedy put the Bridge in front in the 3rd minute of the second half and two minutes later Craughwell hit a purple patch scoring three unanswered points over the next 8 minutes.

Heading up to full time and down by two points the Bridge worked the ball up the field and Colin Kelly finished it to the back of the net. From the puck out which Craughwell won they hit a dangerous ball into the Bridge square which the backs had trouble clearing. Eventually the ball broke free and one of the Craughwell lads pulled on it scoring a goal well into injury time to go two points ahead again. Credit the Bridge boys they never give up. Upon winning the puck out the ball was sent into the forwards where Dara Casey won possession, turned, headed for goals and hit an intelligent lobbing ball over the goalie hit the crossbar and into the back of the net in the third minute of injury time. The Bridge were up by 1 point and it looked like they had won it, but what seemed like an eternity there was still two more minutes of injury time played and Craughwell got a free 30yards from the Bridge goal and pointed to draw the match with the last puck of the game.

Heart stopping stuff and the Bridge boys collapsed in a heap on the pitch. They didn’t really understand the significance of the two draws. A win against their hosts James Stephens the following day would almost guarantee advancement to the cup competition. 

Sixmilebridge 1-05   

James Stephens (Kilkenny) 1-01         

(11.15AM) 17/06/17

If there was a sense this was going to be an easier match than the two the previous evening it was gone within 30 seconds of the throw in, when James Stephens won possession and with some quick passing had the ball in the back of the Sixmilebridge net. Luke O’Halloran scored a point a minute later and for the next ten minutes it was tough hurling with the Bridge winning most battles but were unable to convert the possession into scores. Finally on 12 minutes a ball came across the James Stephens goalmouth. David Kennedy after failing to get the ball in his hand, pulled on it into the top corner of the net. James Stephens pulled back another point to leave the scores level at the interval 1-01 each.  The second half was similar with the Bridge not able to break down the James Stephens defence. Ten minutes in and with the sides still deadlocked Evan Murphy was introduced to half back with Colin Kelly going to midfield. This seemed to lift the Bridge boys and in the next five minutes Colin Kelly, Dara Casey, Luke O’Halloran, and Colm Flynn scored four unanswered points to finish the match. Sixmilebridge had qualified for the Cup Competition where their opponents would be Abbeyside.

Sixmilebridge 2-08  

Abbeyside (Waterford) 0-04    

Quarter Final    (4.00PM)

This match was played in Thomastown and with the backline in total control it was the turn of the forwards to make their presence felt. They didn’t disappoint with Noel Flynn opening the scoring on 3 minutes with a lovely point. Dara Casey had the ball in the back of the net after 7 minutes. Noel Flynn had two more with Evan Murphy finishing the first half scoring leaving it 1-06 to 0-0 in favour of the Bridge.

Abbeyside opened their scoring 3 mins into the second half and a minute later Noel Flynn made an absolute peach of a catch that seemed to be going over his head and he also gave his marker the slip to slot it over the bar for his fourth point of the game. Dylan Dunne got a great goal two minutes from full time to finish the game as a contest. The score line would suggest it was an easy game but it came at a price. Oisin Breen and Adam Murray both went off injured. The heat and the number of matches were beginning to take their toll.

Sixmilebridge 0-7  

Buffers Alley (Wexford) 0-05  

Semi Final    (12.15 PM) 19/06/17

With a place in the final on offer for the winners this was always going to be a tough match with both sides giving it their all. Noel Flynn opened the scoring in the first minute with a point for the Bridge only for Buffers Alley to respond almost immediately with one of their own. It was score for score for the rest of the half with Colin Kelly scoring 3 points all from play and with David Kennedy controlling a lovely ball sidestepped his marker to point just on the stroke of half time to give the Bridge a 2 point advantage at the interval 0-6 to 0-4.

Having wind advantage in the second half meant very little as Buffers Alley defended brilliantly with Sixmilebridge only scoring 1 point. However the bridge defence of Cian Fawl, Michael Carey, Evan O’Callaghan, Morgan O’Connell, Scott Kirkland, Evan Murphy, and Adam Murray held Buffers Alley scoreless from play with a point from a free in the first minute the only time they would score in the half. Sixmilebridge were heading to Nowlan Park to play in the final of Féile na NGael against the team they had first met on Friday evening, Dicksboro.

Sixmilebridge 0-01

Dicksboro (Kilkenny) 3-11 

Final   Nowlan Park (5.45PM) 19/06/17

Sixmilebridge started the final winning most of the opening exchanges but Dicksboro quickly got into their stride and on 3 minutes they opened the scoring with a lovely point followed by two more before Evan Murphy converted a free to keep the Bridge in the game. The rest of the half the Bridge lads fought like they did all weekend and while Dicksboro did score three more points to leave the half time score at 0-6 to 0-1 the Bridge supporters still had hope.

At half time Noel Flynn moved to mid field and Seamus O’Connell moved to full forward to replace Luke O’Halloran who picked up a leg injury in the previous match and wasn’t able to continue. Dicksboro now aided by the wind started to really turn up the heat and on 3 minutes they got a cracking goal into the left corner giving Bridge keeper Cian Fawl no chance of saving it. Two minutes later Scott Kirkland received a serious shoulder injury when he tried to break down another Dicksboro attack. He was a huge loss as he had given his all over the weekend and now the defence which was rock solid for the whole of Feile was severely stretched.

At this stage the Bridge mentors made the laudable decision to introduce all subs to get on the hallowed ground of Nowlan Park in an All-Ireland Final. It was a baptism of fire for these younger guys against a rampant Dicksboro who went on to score 2-05 without reply as the Bridge lads just had no energy left.  It was a sad way to end the weekend but they walked off the pitch with their heads held high and rightly so. They had played over 3 hours of hurling in temperatures that never went below 25 degrees and no cloud cover against the best teams in Ireland and went all the way to the Division 1 final.

A measure of how tough all matches were from the start on Friday was that the 4 teams in our group ALL progressed to the 2 finals on offer in Division 1. Ourselves and Dicksboro in the Cup final and then our hosts James Stephens beat Craughwell in the Shield, as they had seen off the other qualifiers from the other groups to end up against each other as well. So one defeat in 6 games at the end of a tough weekend is a great testament to the spirit, hard work but also the Hurling with a swagger which the Bridge lads were able to show off to appreciative crowds of hurling people from Kilkenny and the other Counties.

Dicksboro themselves acknowledged the huge advantage they had in being in their own homes for the weekend and could come and go and take cold showers etc and freshen up in comfort and keep things normal. Both clubs already have a strong relationship at this level and are keen to keep in touch in the years ahead and keep driving each other on.

Whatever happens with these boys hurling careers in years to come they will never forget those three fabulous days in the sweltering heat of Kilkenny in June 2017.

Sixmilebridge Feile Panel: Cian Fawl, Michael Carey, Evan O’Callaghan, Morgan O’Connell, Scott Kirkland, Colin Kelly, Adam Murray, David Kennedy, Evan Murphy, Oisin Breen, Seamus O’Connell, Colm Flynn, Dara Casey, Luke O’Halloran, Noel Flynn, Conor Gilligan, Gary O’Callaghan, Oran Carey, Ian Collins, Dylan Dunne, Jack Hughes, James Egan, Coby McDonald, Edmond O’Grady.

Management: Mike O’Halloran, Brian O’Connell, Alan Murphy, Brendan O’Callaghan, John Carey, Martin Breen, Noel Halpin (First aid). 

Link to Photos from Féile na nGael 2017

A special thanks to the Kennedy's, Fergal and Breda for compiling the above