Andy Walsh Hurling – Ballyvary Club/School Link Day
Adrian Hession
The Ballyvary Community Pitch was the venue for the third annual Andy Walsh Memorial Day as six schools comprising of eight teams came together to play out competitive games as part of the Ballyvary club/school blitz day.
Andy Walsh RIP was the first chairman of the Ballyvary Hurling Club in 2005 and was a driving force behind the development of the Ballyvary Community Pitch, which is now the home of the Ballyvary Hurling Club.
Present at the event was Martin Fogarty (National Hurling Coaching Manager) who spoke in admiration of the facilities which Andy Walsh had helped to establish in Ballyvary before his untimely death in 2011. He also praised the teams who were taking part, before sharing a short anecdote about his time as a teacher in Kilkenny – and the acquiring of a pitch at the rear of his school which was later to be known as ‘Alice’s Field’.
Also present to help with the presentations of the Cup, Shield, Plate and Trophy for the four winners were Andy’s immediate family Margaret (wife), Padraig (brother), Majella (daughter), Andy (son) and Ray (son). Referees on the day were Michael McHale, Kevin Nolan, Paddy Carney, Johnny Burke & Declan Kelly. With over 100 children involved, the blitz was the largest club/school blitz day hosted by the club, showing the continued growth of hurling in the area.
Results:
Cup: Behy NS beat Ballyvary NS
Shield: Balla NS beat Culleens NS
Plate: Straide NS beat BehyB
Trophy: CulleensB beat Parke NS
National Hurling Coaching Manager Martin Fogarty addresses the crowd of players after the Andy Walsh Memorial Cup day in Ballyvary Community Pitch.
The Culleens NS sides who took part in the Andy Walsh Memorial in Ballyvary recently.
The Culleens NS sides who took part in the Andy Walsh Memorial in Ballyvary recently.
The Parke NS hurling side who were present for the first time at the Andy Walsh Memorial Tournament in Ballyvary.
The Straide NS Hurling side who were winners of the Plate final at the Andy Walsh Memorial in Ballyvary.
Majella Walsh presents Niall Peoples (Behy NS) with the Andy Walsh Memorial Cup. Also included in the picture are Martin Fogarty (National Hurling Coaching Manager), Ray Walsh, Andy Walsh Jnr and Margaret Walsh.
Andy Walsh RIP pictured with the Liam McCarthy Cup in Ballyvary before his untimely death in 2011. The club/school link day in his honour at the Ballyvary Community Grounds drew a crowd of over 100 hurlers from the region in what was the largest yet