FIXTURES Reality is upon us. Next Saturday the 11th our seniors face the might of Newtown in the 1st round of the Renault Senior Football Championship at Pearse Park, Arklow at 5.30pm. Your support would be more than welcome. Our second team play Coolboy in Coolboy at noon next day in round 3 of the Campus Football League.
CUMANN NA mBUNSCOIL What a fantastic year it has been for the 5th/6th class boys of Bunscoil N. Caoimhín – 15 games 15 victories. In the process, they garnered four Division1 trophies including the Coughlan Cup and Craobh an Chontae.
The team's campaign began with a game against St. Cronan's, Bré. It proved to be a scary affair with the locals being extremely lucky (saved by the post on three occasions), thanks to a last-gasp point by Luke Dorgan, to come away with a win.
On their way to the county final, played in blitz format in Ballinakill, St. Kevin's defeated St. Pat's Wicklow, (5-1 to 0-2,) and Scoil Chulann, Bré, (3-4 to 1-1). In the blitz itself, they were pitted against Carnew, Baltinglass and Hacketstown.
Carnew's fate was sealed early on by two excellent goals by Fionn Brauder. Baltinglass, with their proud footballing tradition, proved to be a totally different proposition. An evenly contested first half saw Balto ahead, 0-2 to 0-1, at the break. A whirlwind start by Baltinglass after the resumption caught the Greystones lads off-guard and they soon found themselves seven points in arrears. A halt was put to the slide by a well-taken point by Darragh Rushe. Thereafter, with Jack O'Sullivan beginning to lord it in the centre and the uncompromising defending of Neil Browne and Freddie Happonen, the gaping jaws of defeat were slowly being forced closed. However, a few minutes from time St. Kevin's were still four points in arrears. Then a spectacular goal from Joe Prendergast brought the deficit to a single point. Shortly after this, a ball intelligently worked out of the back line found Luke Dorgan, who duly sent it to the top RH corner. Daniel Healy was particularly prominent in the frenetic defending of the last few minutes.
Next up: Hacketstown. The exertions of the previous round had taken their toll on the team, which in consequence lost some of its verve. As a result, victory was largely fashioned on the stout defending of Freddie Happonen and Neil Browne and on the outstanding goalkeeping of Charlie Leahy. Joshua Rushe and Conor O'Donovan worked hard up front and Fionn Brauder drove through the defence, leaving bodies in his wake, to score a great goal.
The final was against St. Pat's, Wicklow. Na Clocha Liatha were installed as overwhelming favourites on the basis of their comprehensive win over the same opposition in the preliminary rounds. Any complacency that such a rating might have induced was soon shattered: St. Kevin's found themselves 1-1 down after five minutes. The Greystones lads recovered and had fought back to equality by the break. They won the second half 1-2 to 0-1. The Cup was presented to joint captains Luke Dorgan and Neil Browne. Maith sibh,i a bhuacaillí. Comhgháirdeachas libh!
All year this team has played fantastic football. Charlie Leahy has been outstanding in goal & made some magnificent saves. Neil Browne, Freddie Happonen, Joshua Rush, Daniel Healy & Colm Shortt have exemplified tackling & defending of the highest order. Jack O’Sullivan & Conor O’Donovan were full of running in midfield & brought great composure to the centre field exchanges. Finally, up front Joe Prendergast, Darragh Rushe, Fionn Brauner & Luke Dorgan displayed deadly accurate finishing & intelligent lines of running. And Eoghan Gurrin, Ronan Gaines & Cillian Gunning contributed greatly to the teams efforts throughout the year.
“A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever.” I hope these memories stay with this group of players well into the future
DINNER DANCE The accolade of Clubperson of the Year went to Séamus Ahern for his work with Peil na mBan within the club and he surely was deserving of the honour. Séamus's receiving of the award was an earnest not only of the Coiste's appreciation of the work being done by Séamus and his fellow mentors but also of its recognition of the vibrancy the ladies section brings to the club. Séamus joined Éire Óg in those heady days when our ladies, his own daughter Laurie being a star among them, were contesting county finals. Ach ní bhíonn in aon rud ach seal and when the adult team disbanded a few years ago he did not desert the ship but rather decided to rebuild the sport within the club from the bottom up. He started with u-10s and has stuck at it since, with the result that Éire Óg will be fielding teams at u-10, u-12, u-14 and u-16 in 2015. Séamus has also been an active mentor at county level.
We wish all the best to Séamus in his work for Ladies Football and that it will come to fruition at adult level in the near future. It is people like Séamus who have made Ladies Football the unique and largely unappreciated – mediawise – phenomenon that it is. Comhgháirdeachas, a Shéamuis, agus gath rath ar an obair iontach atá ar siúl agat.
Photos of the Dinner Dance available on the facebook page at: http://on.fb.me/1qMKfgg
