Our annual challenge took place on Good Friday at 10am and 12pm. Somehow
both challenges dodged the heavy rain but it was unusually cold. These were
our biggest challenges to date but thanks to the effort of all involved
both went according to plan.

The counters for this years challenge were Karl Hamilton, Fionn Rock, Andy
Cunningham, Eoghan Darcy, Christy Mulligan, Deco Graham, Damo Elliot and
Ray Sheehy. Ray, Deco and Damo are doing it that long now, they are
considered senior counters. Ensuring the show ran to plan on the day was
Dave Needham.

I would like to thank Auzzri and Farrell Hurls for sponsoring the Wall Ball
Challenge and also all the parents and coaches that brought the players to
O’Tooles to take part.

This year the 10s competition was won by Rory Flannery of Kilmacud Crokes.
Rory was also last year’s champion and was brave and skilled enough to turn
up and defend his title. I have a funny feeling he will be back next year
to try and win the 12s challenge.

The 2nd and 3rd places in the 10s challenge went to Ryan Crowley (Kilmacud
Crokes) and Jack Heffernan (Erins Isle). Amazingly, Jack only took up
hurling less than a year ago. Players that just missed out were Luis
Stanley from O’Tooles and Mark O’Callaghan of Clontarf.

The 12s challenge, The Jim Murphy Challenge, was a really exciting event.
There were three players battling it out in the final to be crowned
champion; Conor Regan (Noamh Olaf), Árón Gargan (Fingallians), and our own
Ciaran Sheehy (O’Tooles).

Árón of Fingallians wining in the end in great style pipping Ciaran by
less than half a second. Árón will be the first player to get his name on
the Jim Murphy Trophy.

Good Friday next year falls on the 19th of April, so hopefully the 2019
event will be a warmer one. We will be pushing for 30 clubs and 80 players
in 2019. Also we hope to run our first camogie challenge in August of this
year.

Stats from the challenges

Under 10s
2018 2017 2016
Average No. of hits 17 17 18
Max number of Hits 24 32 30
Average Hitting the Targets 40 45 50
Max Hitting the Targets 140 190 150
Average Combined Score 150 150 155
Winning Score 260 330 270

Under 12s
2018 2017 2016
Average No. of hits 28 29 29
Max number of Hits 39 42 40
Average Hitting the Targets 80 80 110
Max Hitting the Targets 170 180 290
Average Combined Score 240 245 285
Winning Score 325 355 460