Junior Hurling Scene

Transcription

1 Junior Hurling Scene Clontarf Junior Hurlers started the 2004 season on a very high note. The panel had increased to approximately 25 players. Unfortunately we lost Robert Daly who emigrated to Australia. Kevin O Donnell was restricted in his appearances due to work commitments. The training with the Junior football panel in early January and February was very well organised and stood to us during the year. Unfortunately our two bogey teams got to us again namely St Kevins and Naomh Mearnog.Losing to these two teams cost us dearly.we are still well placed in the Doyle Cup but as yet have no idea as to when our next match is despite numerous attempts to find out from Phillip Brady in Parnell Park. It is extremely difficult to keep players motivated in this situation. On the positive side the performances of both John Devine and Peter Hickey were excellent during the season. Peter should have been included in the Dublin under 21 panel.if they have 15 better hurlers committed to the cause we should have won an All Ireland. John Devine gave some masterly performances at half back Young Player of the Year, Peter Hickey Hopefully we will progress in The Doyle Cup. It would a shame to end the season without a trophy for all the effort that was put in. A special thanks to to the imput of Stephen O Hanlon as captain and Jim Vale for their support throughout the season. The 2005 season has just commenced with the exciting news that the squad has secured a 3 year sponsorship deal with the Parlour Bar and Restaurent. In addition, Kevin Flynn of O Tooles and Dublin hurling fame has takin on the role of assistant coach to the team. This appointment has rejuvenated the training sessions and hopefully in time to come we will see results on the playing fields. Cathal Carr, a constant menance for opposing defenses. Gerry O Connor, Team Manager If you or someone you know would be interested in playing junior hurling, please contact any of the Following: Peter Hickey ( ), Richie Dennehy ( ) or Gerry O Connor ( ).

2 Under 13 Boys Hurling and Football 1n 2004 Clontarf fielded 2 football teams at under 12 level with the A team competing in division 1 and the B team competing in division 5. During the year the player numbers grew to over 40, which added strength to both panels. The division 5 team had an excellent start to the season and won 5 out of 6 of their cup matches and qualified for the semi final of the cup. The semi final against St Colmcilles was an epic encounter with the first match ending in a draw in Swords and Clontarf narrowly loosing the replay by 2 points having missed a penalty with only a few minutes remaining. Both teams finished mid table in their leagues and with the move to an all city under 13 league the A team are now playing in Division 2 and the B team in division 8. Both teams have made very promising starts to their 2005 league campaigns. The highlight of the hurling season was a Leinster blitz played in May where Clontarf, Naomh Barrog, St Kevins and Kyle from Laois played a round robin competition. Clontarf Played Kevin s in their final match with both teams having won their first two matches. Clontarf withstood a strong comeback from Kevin s to eventually win by 4 points n a fantastic game. Best Wishes and Continued Success To Clontarf GAA from NOLANS SUPERMARKET Proud Sponsor of Under 10 s and Under 12 s Girls 49 Vernon Avenue Phone: /2/3

3 A Spanish Inquisition U12 player Jack McCaffrey gets the low down on Clontarf s Spanish connections. Fran Beltri left Barcelona with his mother and sister to spend a year living in Clontarf. He joined our club and has been a breath of fresh air to our U-12 football and hurling teams. His team mate Jack asked him a few questions for the year book. Jack. Why did you come to Dublin? I came to Dublin because my mum got a job in Trinity College for a year. My dad didn t come with us because he had a job in Spain. Why did you choose Clontarf? Because we were looking for a house outside town and it was near school. Also, Clontarf is a nice neighbourhood When did you come? August 23 rd, 2004 How long are you staying for? I am staying until August 2005 Were you looking forward to leaving Barcelona? Not really because it was my last year in school. Did you prepare for the trip? Did you learn English? My mum teaches classes in English so I already knew a bit of English Did you have any problems settling in? No, everyone at school was very nice. Who is in your family and how did they settle in? My mum, my dad (who didn t come), me and Marina (my sister). They had no problems settling. tennis. What sports did you play in Barcelona? Soccer, a bit of basketball, tennis during the summer and table Did you know anything about the GAA before you came? No Did you go back to Spain during the year? I go back for every school break Are there many differences at school? We have to wear uniforms here and didn t in Spain. Also the school here is all boys. In Spain it was mixed. What are the main differences between Ireland and Spain? The weather. The language. In Barcelona I lived in an apartment and here I live in a house. Also, Barcelona is a city. Clontarf is a kind of village.

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5 Padraig O hearcain It was with great sadness that the club learned of the death of Pádraig O hearcairn on 15 th October 2004 following a long stay in Letterkenny and the Mater hospitals. Even though he worked for the club for relatively short periods, due to his long illness, his energetic, larger than life-type personality together with his innovative ideas, impacted greatly on the club, particularly with regard to the two loves of his life hurling and the Irish language. Pádraig was a juvenile hurling mentor for the club in the mid to late 80s and played a major role in the training of the Feile teams, and some members of these teams went on to form the first adult hurling team in the club. Matt O Neill was one such player and he in turn continued in Pádraig s footsteps by managing the first Junior hurling team in the club, with great success. Originally from Tir Eoghain, Pádraig was very taken by pageantry and history and it was his idea that the club should march from Kincora in Clare to Clontarf, as a way of celebrating the Dublin millennium. This took the form of Brian Boru type warriors, attirded in period costume, led by Brian himself mounted on horseback, in the guise of Donncha O Dulaing of RTE. A lone piper led the troops accompanied by an Irish wolfhound. It was further decided by Pádraig that this colourful pageant should partake in the Dublin Millennium St. Patrick s Day parade, to publicise the fundraising event. To the delight of everyone in Clontarf GAA, the spectacle was awarded first prize for the Most Entertaining Non-Commercial Float. Indeed it is to Pádraig s credit, and the dedicated sub-committee that approved his idea, that the Brian Boru march became a major event for the Club. In the march the members of Clontarf GAA club were joined by members of the Irish Wheelchair Association, and a group from Inagh in Co. Clare. This event took the form of a two week march from Inagh to Clontarf at Easter time in President Hillary launched the event watched by an assembled crowd of more than seventy Clontarfites. The marchers arrived in Clontarf two weeks later to a festive reception wonderfully facilitated by the Artane Boys Band. A reviewing platform was in place at the entrance to Vernon Avenue, where An Taoiseach, Mr. Charles J. Haughey, formally signalled the grand finale. The march alas, is now but a pleasant memory; it has rightly taken its place in club folklore. In 1997 Pádraig got a remission from his illness and it was then that he instigated Na Ranganna Gaeilge in Aras Chluain Tarbh. Ni raibh ach beirt I lathar an céad oiche, triúr an dara oiche ach lean Pádriag ar aghaid and cúpla blain ina dhiadh sin bhi ceithre ranganna ar siúl. His energy and enthusiasm for the classes was contagious and had a huge impact on those of us who were attending. His method of teaching was unique and never tedious. Before the age of the computer, a colleague of his developed a course using the most commonly used words in the Irish language and had interwoven them into different stories, eight hundred words in all. These stories were told in the different tenses, particularly in the bun rang and the mean rang and we were learning the language and the grammar without even realising it. As our knowledge of the language improved, Pádraig put more emphasis on the grammar. His motto was is Cuma faoi an whale sabháil an tuiseal gineadach. Pádraig was concerned about the drop in standards generally in the case of the Irish language, and he certainly played his part in improving standards. He had no trouble in handing out six pages of explanatory notes on a one-page article. These notes have now become our bible and are being re-copied and continually used for the classes and comhra. For those of us who were involved in that small group which he christened Briathar Beo Chluain Tarbh (BBC) the challenge to continue without him is huge. However he has left us a wonderful legacy, enormous knowledge and an Irish course which already is being used by one of his students to teach the bun rang. That in itself is a testament and tribute to Pádraig. It was on the last day of his course I gcolaiste Uladh in Gort A Choirce during the past summer that Padraig became seriously ill. According to his great friend Diarmuid O Tuama that Pádraig insisted, albeit in an extremely weak condition, on taking his students to Teach Mhaggie Dan for a pizza, just as he had done with the under twelve team many years earlier. Nothing, in his opinion, was too good for the Irish language and hurling. Thíolaic Pádraig é féin idir anam agus chorp don gaeilge. Ni bheidh a leithéid arís ann. Pádraig O Briain

6 More on the Social Scene Card Games The card game of 25 commenced in the autumn of 2003 and is now played every Wednesday night from autumn until early summer. The games are always played in the warm and comfortable setting of An Cúl Doras. The cards are very well supported by members, with more than twenty players on many nights. As the players are originally from many different counties this brings an added dimension to the interpretation of the game. Like all groups of people that meet regularly there is great social interaction and friendship among the card players. However, if a non-card playing member were to visit An Cúl Doras around 11 o clock on any Wednesday night the idea of friendship might not be recognised as there is usually an argument in full swing as to how the last round was played out so badly. The victim, or accused, has to defend themselves better than any person in front of a tribunal. The usual accusation is that the victim/accused played the cards wrong and surely they knew they could easily have made more with the cards they had. Depending on the disposition of the victim and how well he/she can defend him/herself they may choose to refuse to answer or fight off the accusation by going on the offensive. This can depend on what county the player is from. There have been some sturdy performances from Dublin, Galway, Armagh, Cork and North Tipp but it is generally considered that the most electric performances, on the offensive or defensive, are from South Tipperary. Like all games of 25 similar errors repeated can give rise to a totally different set of accusations and a totally different set of rules. The friendship extended and the genuine concern expressed for other players over the last couple of years has shown that it is not just a game of cards on a Wednesday night but rather it is a club within a club. John Tynan CLONTARF CHESS CLUB Rumour has it that Clontarf is a hot-bed of subversive, closet pawn-pushers. These are dangerous men, women and even children who get sinful pleasure from adventurous openings, elegant forks and tactful endgames. They are more interested in mental flexibility than putting the ball over the bar, but we believe there is a cure for this illness. An Cúldoras Well, salvation is here for all of you. Come out and show yourselves. Clontarf Chess Club has been formed and operates Monday evenings in the club house. Children should come at 7:30 PM and the adult (including strong teenagers) section starts at 8.45 PM Come along with your chess board. We need adults who will be prepared to teach the younger folk so please offer you services. Pictured here flexing his chess muscles: Cian O Flahery Opening Hours Monday to Thursday 8pm to 11:30pm Friday and Saturday 8pm to 12:30am Sunday 5:00pm to 11:00pm New Social Members Always Welcome