“The ‘Bridge U10 Hurlers are enjoying a busy period before the winter hibernation.

On Saturday Oct 8th we hosted the annual Barry Quinn blitz and visiting teams from St Mary’s Clonmel x2 teams, Mungret St Paul’s and Newtownshandrum and we as hosts provided 2 teams named Saffron and Blue for the day. We were blessed with great weather and the pitch in fantastic condition in O’Garney Park and the Hurling lived up to the setting.

In the cup final our Saffron team went down by a point to defending champions Newtownshandrum in a game which entertained the large crowd gathered to see the great skills and sportsmanship of these young Hurlers. We know that Liam Ryan and his lads will mind the Barry Quinn cup for the next 12 months and we look forward to welcoming them and the others back next year for a renewal of this great event.

Our Blue team also performed admirably on the day and saw off the challenge of St Mary’s 1 to finish the better of the teams who had finished 2nd in the Group stages earlier in the morning.

Thanks to Mike Quinn Minor Club chairman for his refereeing and work in the background in getting things ready for the day and also to Tony Downes and John Corbett for having the pitch in great nick and also the PA, Dressingrooms etc in order for the blitz to be the success it was on the day.

Special mention also to one of our U16 Stars Ciaran Hassett for his Refereeing performances on the day.

Of course these days wouldn’t be the success they are without the brilliant food and catering put up by our army of Parents (and without being sexist, the Mammies can definitely take a bow on this one!!) with everything running like clockwork for all to enjoy. Thanks also to our Friends in Bridge United Kickers who left us a huge stash of goodies from their end-of-season event the night before!!.

Before we finish up for the year we have had 2 Blitz invitations from Mungret and Na Piarsaigh.

The first of those blitzes took place last Saturday in Mungret in the Pa O’Brien Tournament.

Mungret have taken an interesting policy of naming their tournament in honour of a living clubman who, with his family, continues to give huge service to the Mungret St Paul’s club. On the day the lads gained some revenge for the week previous by defeating Newtownshandrum in the final.

The Na Piarsaigh blitz we hear is now scheduled for Saturday November 5th and we will have the luxury of being able to  bring in 2 more different squads to that event, given the healthy number of hurlers we have at U10.

Before that, we are off on our travels with the entire squad for an end-of-season day out to Oranmore/Maree of Galway this Sunday morning.

Also on behalf of everyone involved in U10 we want to congratulate some of the U10 Dads for their contribution to a memorable couple of days last weekend for the Club when the 2 Junior C’ships were captured.

Gerry Liddane’s Trojan work at the right hand of Junior C manager Jude Kearney over the years, taking in the hi-ways and by-ways of Clare, got its fitting reward last Saturday.

Then on the Sunday Alan Whyte as manager and Kevin Phelan as the goalscoring hero were the toast of the ‘Bridge as the wholehearted Junior A’s edged out Bodyke in a proper, toe-to-toe, every-ball-counts Co Final.

We’re sure their proud sons - Niall, Darragh and Calum respectively – will bring that love of the game and competitive nature into their careers as they progress up the ranks with their U10 buddies.

 BRIDGE ABU...!!