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Hurling Fixtures with

News: Senior Hurling Presentation

The senior hurlers met in the Porterhouse Bray on Thursday night last to receive their Intermediate Championship & League Medals. The medals were presented by club vice chairman John Henderson, who emphasised the importance of the team's achievement in attaining senior status to the players. It has been a hard and somewhat eventful journey, but the achievement of winning the intermediate championship with what is, to a large degree, a young panel should be savoured. Senior Hurling is a different proposition but it is where this club needs to be to progress in the future. The attendance also included a couple of the 1963 championship team who were the last Bray Emmets team to reach the senior ranks - Tom Walsh & Jack Napier. The team was known as the 5-06 team, as they scored 5 goals and 6 points in each of their championship games that year.

The evening also marked the the 2007 sponsorship of the team by the Porterhouse Brewing Company. Liam Lahart spoke on behalf of the Porterhouse and in presenting the Senior Hurling Jersey to John Henderson and team captain Ronan O Brien, was struck by the large number of Bray born players on the panel - a testament to the work the club is doing promoting hurling in the area. Liam is delighted to be supporting hurling in the area through the sponsorship and the jersey will be displayed in the Porterhouse by the Gortnahoe man.

Bray Emmets Hurling

Recent History

by Conor Johnson

Bray Emmets last played senior Championship hurling in 1966, following their winning the 1963 Junior Championship. The Emmets had previously won their sole Senior Hurling Championship in 1952, and this was followed by St Kevin's winning two in a row in 1961 & 1962.

Emmets won their second Junior Championship in 1990 and spent 5 years in the Intermediate ranks before reverting to Junior again for the second half of the 90's. Adult hurling was on the verge of folding, but the club took a long-term view and the team soldiered on.

The club instigated a juvenile development programme called The Setanta Programme. The aim was to develop home grown talent that would eventually bring the club back to senior level. The junior team players took to the coaching with enthusiasm. The plan was included as Wicklow's plan for the Hurling 2000 programme initiated by Uachtarán CLG Joe Mc Donagh.

With the increase in hurling activity more people got involved. The development plan was revised and became the five-year Setanta 2000 – 2005. Its main aim was to produce a minor team to play in the 2004 championship. Its success can be judged by Bray Emmets winning its first ever minor championship in 2004. The club succeeded in fielding teams in every age group from under 10 to minor in the same year, while also introducing players from the age of 4 to the game through the vibrant nursery / academy setup.

In the same period the junior hurlers soldiered on. - competing in four junior championship finals unsuccessfully from 2000 to 2004. The first of the ‘home grown' players played in the 2003 final aged 17 & 18. This experience was vital to them in 2004, when they were joined by more of the ‘young ones' and supplemented by some outside experience in the shape of Bill Maher, the former Laois senior inter county player. They finally took the Junior Championship and were set for the Intermediate ranks. The panel reached the semi finals of the '05 Intermediate championship where eventual winners – Carnew, exposed their inexperience.

The 2006 Intermediate Championship was captured by a team comprised of 12 Bray born players, with ‘imports' Bill Maher (Laois), Eamonn Furlong (Wexford), and Liam Kenny (Kilkenny), in the starting 15.

The successful team: Peter Walsh (18); Paul Barry (18); Bill Maher (40); Michael Priest (27): Ed Keating (18); Peter Kiely (20); Colm Mac Eoin (20); Ronan O Brien (32); Eoin Mason (18); Michael Browne (19); Eamonn Furlong (24); William Nolan (20); Gearóid Ó Murchú (17); Liam Kenny (34); Paddy Lee (20).

Bray Emmets Senior Hurling Panel 2007

 

Emmets Win Intermediate Hurling Championship 2006

Following the historic events in Croke park on Saturday, the excitement moved south to Arklow on Sunday . Emmets won the 2006 Wicklow Intermediate hurling championship for the first time ever and qualified for Senior rank for the first time since the mid 1960's by beating Glenealy by 3-10 to 2-04.

This victory shows the coming to fruition of plans laid in the nineties to develop hurling in Bray. The Club deserves enormous credit for having the vision to chart and follow a route which has seen Bray winning all under age, Junior and now Intermediate County Championships over the past six years. This was a great team display with a valuable mix of youth and experience, from Bill Maher at full-back to Gearoid O'Murchu, who at age 17, had a great game and scored 2 points. Paddy Lee topped the scoring with an excellent return of 2-04 while Mikey Browne added a sublime goal. Eoin Mason and Eamonn Furlong tacked on points to finish the game off.

With such an impressive team performance it would be unfair to single out any individuals for special mention. Needless to say this was a win based on skill and hard work with a focused approach where all areas of the field saw great Bray displays. There has been a steady improvement over the past years as skills, teamwork and fitness levels improved. Based on Sunday's performance, the strength of the panel and the number of young players coming through this can now develop further and go on to even greater heights in the years ahead,

Extra satisfaction from this win is due to the great number of home grown talent who have come through from the underage teams. This game marked the completion of a very successful 2006 season for the Bray Intermediate Hurling team and certainly would not have been possible without a dedicated effort from the panel of 30 players during the year.

Particular credit is due to the management team of Conor Johnson, Jim Kiely, Seán Adamson, Jack Wallace and Michael Priest Snr for leading and preparing this team.

Intermediate Hurlers win in Leinster Junior Championship 2007 The club's intermediate hurlers debuted in the Leinster Junior Hurling Club championship on Saturday last when they took on Palatine of Carlow in Dr Cullen Park, Carlow. This was a big occasion in the team's development and there were also a few ghosts to be laid to rest, as 5 of the team were on the Wicklow minor team that faced Carlow in the 2005 All Ireland B final. So the panel faced into the game with a degree of nervousness.

Bray faced a very strong gale in the first half and weathered sustained pressure for the entire half conceding 1:04 which was due to fantastic tackling and harrying amongst the backs. The forwards did their bit in this half as well contributing 1:06, the highlight being a fantastic move which ended with a point from Patrick Lee.

The second half was a different story altogether! Palatine scored a single point while Bray's forwards and midfield combined to score 2:17. The final score being 1:05 – 3:23 in the Emmets favour.

Bray Emmets: Cathal Súilleabháin ; Michael Priest; Bill Maher; Alan Sweeney; Paul Barry; Ronan O'Brien; Colm MacEoin; Michael Browne; Eoin Mason; Peter Kiely; Eamonn Furlong; Ed Keating; Patrick Lee; Liam Kenny; Derek Heffernan; Peter Walsh; Michael Walsh; John Ward; William Nolan; Tadhg O'Broin; Paul O'Connell; Killian Foley; Elliot Douglas; Barry Cunningham; Jackie Moorehouse.

The reward for winning this game is the prospect of facing Kilkenny champions Danesfort, complete with U21 All Ireland winning brothers Paul & Ritchie Hogan, next Sunday on our own grounds in Old Conna. The team are looking forward to the opportunity of testing themselves against Kilkenny's best and it promises to be another big occasion in the club. The pressure is on though, as the club has reached the final of every other hurling championship it entered this year! So all roads lead to Old Conna next Sunday to see some of the county's rising stars in the flesh and at close quarters!

Intermediate Hurlers reach Championship Final 2006.

The Intermediate hurlers reached the championship final for the first time in the club long history on Sunday, 29 th October, when they defeated Carnew Emmets in the replayed semi-final in Arklow. Following last week drawn encounter which ended Bray Emmets 0:11 Carnew Emmets 1:08, the Bray lads were fired up to make their own little bit of history. They took the game to Carnew from the off and at half time led by 0:12 0:04. However Carnew have a long and proud hurling tradition and hit back early in the second half with a brace of goals from 20m frees. But these were the only scores conceded in the whole 30 minutes. Bray tagged on 1:05 with all the team playing their part. The teams next outing is in the Leinster Club Junior Hurling Championship against Pallatine from Carlow, away in Dr Cullen Park on November 12 th . The other semi final between St Patrick and Glenealy was drawn and due to be replayed on the same weekend.

The Bray Emmets Team: C O Sullivan; M Priest; B Maher; A Sweeney; P Barry; R O Brien; E Keating; M Brown; E Mason; W Nolan; E Furlong; C Salmon; P Lee; L Kenny; J Moorehouse; Subs: P Kiely; K Foley; J Ward; P Walsh; D Heffernan; T O Broin; M Walsh; P O Connell.

Mentors

• Conor Johnson 087- 6315410 conor.johnson@gaa.ie or conor_j.johnson@boimail.com