Killavullen remain unbeaten in Div 4 Avondhu HL
April 28, 2026
On a very busy night in the environs of Killavullen GAA pitches, and with a U16 hurling game, proceeding on the other pitch simultaneously, Killavullen and Fermoy met last Monday night in the latest game in the Avondhu Division 4 hurling league, a game refixed from earlier in the month, at the request of Killavullen.
Killavullen opened impressively and spraying the sliotar around with gusto, on the wide-open spaces that this 13-a-side competition allows, we got the opening point from Colm Hannon, who excelled on the night. Michael Walsh followed up quickly thereafter and then Seamus Fox from distance. Even in this early juncture in the game, the custodian of the goals for Fermoy, one Kevin O Neill had shown considerable bravery and skill to parry two goal bound efforts. He was eventually beaten in the 7th minute of the half with a blistering shot, from Barry Murphy, after Sean Plamer had made a brilliant run, and drew the man to isolate Barry. Mike Walsh added another fine point, after Barry Cotter, to Eanna McInerney cleared the ball, from defence. Fermoy regrouped though impressively when others might have given up the ghost, and tacked over five points without reply, with only one of those coming from a free. The rut against us was stopped in the 13th minute, by Sean Palmer, with a long distance free, and Seamus Fox added to our tally with an even longer free from distance. It seemed beyond his reach, but Seamus spends a considerable amount of time in the gym, and it showed with this strike. Fermoy replied though, with three more scores, two from placed balls and the 3rd from open play, to leave only a point between the teams in the 20th minute.
Sean Palmer, fresh from doing a serious structural engineering exam, earlier in the day converted another free, after his buddy and house mate in Cork, Eanna, also after doing the same exam was fouled. The work rate of the Killavullen middle third of the field was ginormous, really battling hard for each other, with our half back line of Tomas , Seamus and Joe prominent, and Ian O Gorman scored from a free, that Darragh O Grady earned, through sheer hard work. Fermoy scored another point, before the Fermoy goal line had a remarkable escape, when the goalkeeper saved two rockets of shots in quick fire fashion in the same passage of play. Who ever in Fermoy recruited this former St. Finbarr’s player deserves some kudos, because his shot stopping ability of the night was exemplary. The score at the short whistle was 1-08 to 0-09.
After the break, the Killavullen work rate went up a gear, and was immediately rewarded with a fine point rom open play, from Ian O Gorman, and followed up with a point from a 65-metre shot, of Sean Palmer’s, the result of another fine save, that turned the ball around the post. Fermoy got a point back, before Colm Hannon scored a brace of points, with deft control of the sliotar on his stick and unerring accuracy in the execution of the strike. Fermoy got a point back from a free, before Darragh O Grady bisected the posts, from distance, and then Colm scored again, after masterfully controlling a super clearance from an assured Darragh in our goals, and firing over his shoulder. This was and is the beauty of hurling, the ball travelled the length of the field in an instant and finished with a delightful score. Barry Murphy scored another audacious point, from a tight angle, and that was his cue to be withdrawn and replaced by the considerably younger Conor Barrett. Cian Murphy was also introduced for Mike Walsh, more saving the legs of Mike, who is just returning from a knee injury.
Killavullen finally got the better of the Cul Baire from Fermoy, for the second time, when Sean Palmer found expertly by Seamus Fox, after Tomas Fennell had intercepted a Fermoy attack had the space and time to place his hard struck shot down low into the corner of the net. Ian O Gorman rolled back the years and scored two impressive points, in front of his own family, who came out in mass to support him. His sister, when queried said, “well, it might be his last game”, but certainly not, on this form. Liam Martin, just off the train from Dublin, came on for Sean Palmer and you begin to realise the effort that the team made to show up, on a Monday night and that effort to get to the venue, was replicated with fine displays on it. Colm Hannon scored three exquisite points in a row and then Conor Barrett scored a great point on the run to bring our tally to 2-21. Fermoy valiantly tried to stem the tide and got a converted free, before Colm scored again, after a shot with venom from Ian ricocheted off the post and Colm followed up. Fermoy got another point, before Conor Barrett scored the final score of the game to leave the score at the end, 2-23 to 0-14
An impressive outing from Killavullen, who remain undefeated in this grade after three games. Keeping the team together though, with college and school, and dare I say it, work, commitments for the older lads is some feat of juggling and persuasion, that John Brennan deserves enormous credit for.
The team and scorers were.
- Darragh O Connor
- Kevin Fox
- Barry Cotter
- Tomas Fennell
- Seamus Fox (0-02, 0-1F)
- Joe Cagney
- Darragh O Grady (0-01)
- Eanna McInerney
- Sean Palmer (1-03, 0-3F, 1 x 0-65)
- Ian O Gorman (0-04, 0-2F)
- Michael Walsh (0-02)
- Barry Murphy (1-01)
- Colm Hannon (0-08)
Substitutes
- Cian Murphy for Michael Walsh
- Conor Barrett (0-02) for Barry Murphy
- Liam Martin for Sean Palmer