An Mhaigh Tír na nóg G.A.C. Notes (week commencing 15/09/08)

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1 An Mhaigh Tír na nóg G.A.C. Notes (week commencing 15/09/08) All-Ireland Final: Come On Tyrone!! The eyes of a nation will be on Croke Park this weekend as the senior and minor footballers of Tyrone bid for All-Ireland Final glory. Like many places across the O Neill County at present, Moy is awash with colour and buzzing with anticipation as the big day looms ever closer. The Sam Maguire and Tom Markham Cups are up for grabs with everyone in Tyrone praying that Red Hands will be lifting both trophies on Sunday. The senior clash with the Kingdom is one of the most eagerly awaited deciders in years, pairing together the two most successful teams this decade. An Mhaigh G.A.C. are greatly honoured to have four of our players involved on the biggest sporting stage in Ireland. We wish Colm, Philip, Ryan, Sean and the entire Tyrone senior squad and management the very best of luck this Sunday. We know they will do us proud. Good luck also to our county minor squad and management team as they strive to make this All-Ireland Final Day a truly memorable one for Tyrone people. Mayo will present a formidable challenge for our young teenage heroes, but the Ulster champions have what it takes to go all the way. We wish them well. Ticket Distribution Tickets for this weekend s All-Ireland Final at Croke Park will be distributed at the An Mhaigh G.A.C. Clubrooms this Wednesday night (17 th September) between 8.00pm and 9.00pm to those fully paid-up members of the club who requested them. Please note that tickets which are not collected and paid for on the night will be re-allocated. Kilmacud Sevens Many Moy Gaels will be setting off for the capital on Saturday of this All-Ireland Final weekend as our club will once again be represented at the prestigious O'Neills Kilmacud Crokes All-Ireland Football 7-a-side competition. An Mhaigh will be among the 48 high profile clubs from all over Ireland who will be competing in this year s event. This will be Moy s third consecutive year to take part, having reached the semifinals in 2006 and quarter-finals in Despite missing four of our top players this time around, due to their involvement in Sunday s big game at Croke Park, we have no doubt that the Tír na nóg ten-man squad will still do us proud. An Mhaigh have been drawn in Group One alongside Caltra (Galway), Glenullin (Derry) and Tarbert (Kerry). Group games will be played on a league basis, with the winner of each group qualifying for the knock-out stages. The venue for all of Moy s group games will be Glenalbyn, and the action will get underway at 11.00am. Six Time All-Star Congratulations to our very own Sean Cavanagh who collected his sixth Ulster GAA Irish News All-Star award last week. This is a phenomenal record for the Moy man, who is now clearly recognised as one of the province s all-time great players. No doubt, Sean would love to add a third Celtic Cross medal this weekend to his growing collection of honours and awards. Go Raibh Maith Agaibh Thanks to all those who have been involved in erecting Tyrone bunting and flags around the village of Moy. This small but determined group of people deserve great

2 praise for giving up much of their spare time to decorate the Moy Square and surrounding streets. Quiz Night A special Table Quiz, to raise money for All-Ireland Final decorations, took place in P.B. s Bar last Friday night. The event was a big success with scores of local Gaels turning up to pit their wits against eachother and at the same time show their support for our county sides ahead of this weekend s All-Ireland Senior and Minor Football Finals. The craic was good as eleven teams in total tested their knowledge on a range of subjects, including a round dedicated to Tyrone and Kerry GAA. Quizmaster was the unflappable Peter Chopper McKearney, who was assisted on the night by questionsetters and scorekeepers Mary Daly and Colin Mackle. At the end of an exciting and high-scoring contest, the team known as United were declared winners by two points. In what was a generous gesture, the wining team captain Paul Kelly returned the prizemoney and added it to the proceeds of the night. Light refreshments were served half-way through the quiz, while a raffle was also held. Prizes included a new An Mhaigh G.A.C. Centenary Polo Shirt, a bottle of champagne sponsored by Kevin Mallon and family, and a Moy Park voucher. Thanks to P.B. for the use of his premises, Sean Kelly who provided the amplification, and to everyone who supported this most enjoyable fundraiser. Centenary Gala Night Those still hoping to attend our club s 2008 Centenary Gala Night in the Armagh City Hotel on Saturday 22 nd November are reminded that that this special celebratory event is very close to being a sell out. Only a handful of tables remain on general sale as hundreds of Moy Gaels living at home and abroad have already accepted their invitations to attend. All outstanding applications and monies should be forwarded to any member of the An Mhaigh G.A.C. Executive Committee without delay. The cost of a ticket is priced at 100 per person or 1000 per table. It is a night not to be missed as this Black Tie Gala Dinner will be a celebration of 100 years of gaelic games and culture in Moy and the parish of Clonfeacle. Proceedings will commence at 6.30pm with a drinks reception at the entrance to the Fisher Suite, followed at 7.00pm by the official launch of our Centenary Book which will document over 100 years of the club s history. The night will continue with a carefully selected five course meal, after which a number of unique items will come under the hammer in our Grand Auction. Part proceeds from the auction will be donated to our chosen charity, The Newry Hospice. Music will be provided afterwards by the ever popular Manhattan. Among the many special guests in attendance will be GAA President Nicky Brennan, Tyrone County Board Chairman Pat Darcy as well as our own county senior football stars. Master of Ceremonies for the night will be Gerry Donnelly, former P.R.O. for the Derry County Board. Also in attendance will be Alan Rodgers, the main author of the Centenary Book, together with members of the Executive and Centenary Committee. Fr Soraghan & Tír na nóg Cup Tournament For the second Saturday in succession, Pairc Thír na nóg was the venue for an underage extravaganza as scores of young players from various parts of Ulster provided a feast of football entertainment for the large numbers of people in attendance. Blessed with favourable weather conditions, it turned out to be another hugely successful and thoroughly enjoyable sporting event.

3 Among the many interested spectators were Rev Fr Vincent Darragh P.P. who was full of praise for the skill levels of each of the Under 8 and Under 10 players taking part in this tournament. Like so many others, he also expressed his admiration for the organisers of this very ambitious youth venture. Once again, Martin Conroy and the entire Moy Youth Committee pulled out all the stops to make this another memorable GAA occasion for players and spectators alike. At the end of an exciting and closely contested series of mini games, Clonduff (Co Down) emerged victorious in the Under 10 Grade and were awarded the Tír na nóg Cup, while Tullysaran (Co Armagh) defeated host club Moy by a single point in the Under 8 Grade to win the Fr Soraghan Cup. However, it should be stated that there were some great performances from each of the competing teams throughout this Tournament, with football being the real winner on the day. A number of individual awards were also presented at the club pavilion afterwards. Former Moy and Tyrone great Plunkett Donaghy, whose son was involved on the field of play and who was another of the spectators enthralled by the action, handed out the various presentations. Chief organiser Martin Conroy thanked everyone who took part and had special words of praise for the club members of An Mhaigh G.A.C. who had worked very hard to make this tournament a wonderful success. From the ladies who prepared and served the refreshments on the day to the members who lined out the various pitches and refereed the games, it was a brilliant team effort. The professional manner in which this tournament was organised says everything about the effectiveness of the current Youth Committee in Moy. Congratulations to them all on a job well done. Postponements The Division Two All-County League Reserve match between Dun Geanainn and An Mhaigh, scheduled for last Saturday, was postponed due to a tragic death in Dungannon. The Under 16 Championship replay between Droim Ratha and An Mhaigh, scheduled for Wednesday 10 th September, was also postponed. This game has been re-fixed for this Saturday (20 th September) at 11.00am. Under 16 League Quarter-Final An Caislean Glas 5-11 An Mhaigh 3-9 An understrength Moy juveniles team, depleted by injuries and suspension, travelled to Greencastle last Sunday afternoon to take on the home team in the quarterfinals of the league. Despite a brave effort, the Moy lads lost out by eight points to a side that topped Section B and have lost only once this season. The Tír na nógs, who trailed by six points at half-time, were always facing an uphill battle. A bad day was made worse towards the end when goalkeeper Nathan Brady withdrew from the action with a knee injury. Moy s goal-scorers on the day were Odhran Burke, Eunan Deeney (penalty) and Patrick Fox. Final Score: Greencastle 5-11 An Mhaigh 3-9. Team: Nathan Brady; Daniel Beaddie, Tiernan Donohue, Liam Kelly, Jack Kelly, Eoghan O Neill; Eunan Deeney (captain) and Cormac O Neill; Ryan Dynes, Harry Loughran, Odhran Burke, Patrick Fox, Mark Gribbin. For more information on Under 16 training and matches, contact Martin Deeney, Paul Dynes or Paud Loughran.

4 Under 10 Team News Moy Under 10 s rounded off their season last Saturday by taking part in our club s own Annual Tournament at Pairc Thír na nóg. Teams from counties Armagh and Down were also represented in the form of Derrymacash Wolfe Tones, Grange and Clonduff. Each club entered an A and B team. An Mhaigh team mentor Liam Lynch issued the following report: Moy B were up first and earned a respectable draw against Wolfe Tones B, while we narrowly lost to the same opposition in the A game. Up next was Clonduff B and, after a hard match, the Moy lads won by the narrowest of margins. Unfortunately, Clonduff exacted revenge in the A game. Meanwhile, in the final group matches, the home team overcame Grange in the B contest and finally found their shooting boots in the A game to outscore their Armagh opponents. For the semi-finals, Moy were drawn against Wolfe Tones again. At this stage, the aggregate score of the A and B matches would decide which clubs would advance to the final. Moy s B team turned in a great performance, winning by four points. However, despite a spirited effort from our A team, it was the Derrymacash boys who proved just too strong on the day and booked their place in the final. In an exciting decider, Down side Clonduff emerged winners against Armagh outfit Wolfe Tones. All Moy players performed well throughout this tournament with noteworthy displays by Cormac Mallon, Odhran Casey and Darren Hetherington. Moy Squad: Matthew Collins, Cormac Mallon, Sean Lynch, Francie Kelly, Tom Loughran, Diarmaid McKeown, Mark Regan, Cormac Corr, Cara Corr, Conal O Hanlon, Conal O Reilly, Odhran Casey, Ronan Mallon, Darren Hetherington, Jack Campbell, Arturs Pumpure, Barry Mallon, Shona Jordan, Michael O Hagan, Emmett Lavery, Inaki McKearney, Andrew Mullen and Sean Farmer. Forthcoming Fixtures Under 13 League: Galbally v Moy on Friday 19 th September at 6.30pm. Under 16 Championship Quarter-Final Replay: Drumragh v Moy on Saturday 20 th September at 11.00am. Extra-time if required. Under 13 League: Pomeroy v Moy on Sunday 28 th September at 12.00pm. Clonmore Fun Day Last Sunday saw two of Moy s girls teams take part in a special Fun Day hosted by our neighbouring club Clonmore. Our Under 16 cailini played with great spirit and enthusiasm in their match against a slightly stronger home side, while our Under 10 girls were also involved in a terrific game with the host club. On what turned out to be a day of fine entertainment, each of the Moy players also enjoyed taking part in some of the other side attractions which included face painting, bouncy castles and various races. We thank Clonmore G.F.C. for inviting us to this event and wish them every success for the future. Sympathy The officers, players and members of An Mhaigh Tír na nóg G.A.C. deeply regret the death last Thursday of Mr Patsy Fox (Dungannon), grandfather of our underage player Patrick and uncle of our esteemed club member Geraldine. To Patrick, Geraldine and the entire Fox family circle, we extend our heartfelt sympathy. Ar dheis lámh Dé go raibh a anam uasal.

5 True Gaels Thanks to those committed volunteers of An Mhaigh G.A.C. who took part in a general clean-up and maintenance at our club grounds last Saturday. This small but willing group of people got through a lot of hard work and they epitomise all that is good about our Association. They are the true heroes of the GAA. Well done to each and everyone of them. ********* Colin Mackle (P.R.O.) Ceann Ban, Kilmore, Moy, Co. Tyrone Tel: