SECRETARY'S REPORT 2011 FOR A.G.M. 29 September Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Na Fianna Cómdháil Bhliantúil 2011 Áras Na Fianna.

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1 SECRETARY'S REPORT 2011 FOR A.G.M. 29 September Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Na Fianna Cómdháil Bhliantúil 2011 Áras Na Fianna.

2 Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Na Fianna Comdháil Bliantúil 2011 Áras Na Fianna Clár (a) Adoption of Standing Orders. (b) President's Address. (c) Chairman's Address. (d) Minutes of AGM 1st October (e) Secretary's Report. (f) Treasurer's Report. (g) Appointment of Tellers. (h) Motion and Election of Officers (a) Uachtarán (b) Leas-Uachtarán (c) Cathaoirleach (d) Leas-Cathaoirleach (e) Rúnaí (f) Leas-Rúnaí (g) Cisteoir (h) Leas-Cisteoir (i) Cathaoirleach Cluichí na nóg (j) Cathaoirleach Cluichí Shinsearacha (k) Oifigeach Caidreamh Poiblí (l) Oifigeach Teanga agus Cultúr (m) Ionadaí na nimreoirí (n) Ball den Choiste (2). (i) Motions and Recommendations. (j) Appointments of Auditors. (k) Any Other Business. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

3 CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September 2011 Those responsible for the formation of Na Fianna in 1955 would hardly, in their wildest dreams, have forecast the development that has taken place and the situation in which we find the club 56 years later. We now field over 100 teams, boast over 2,500 members, have representatives on Dublin inter-county teams in all grades and codes and have facilities that are the envy of all. Our current status has not come about by accident, but rather is it the result of careful and inspired management by various Executive Committees over the years with the support of thousands of loyal members. In the immediate future, however, we face challenges as seldom encountered before. We have large borrowings at a time when income is harder that ever to generate. We have thousands of children who will need to be accommodated on adult teams in the immediate and near future. We need to recruit, train and support coaches to ensure that all teams are facilitated to achieve their potential. We need to maintain and expand our current facilities. Na Fianna is known and respected throughout the country. Visitors to the club never fail to be impressed by the size and organisation of our Saturday morning Nursery. Members of other clubs are staggered by the numbers playing week after week and by the number of teams that we field in all codes. Those of us involved in the day to day running of the club know that we are part of something special. We should never underestimate the good work that we do, particularly on behalf of the young people of the area. Sport teaches us about life. It is not just about winning and losing but about striving to achieve our potential. We come to realise that we need dedication and discipline to succeed. Careful mentoring enhances self-esteem. We become better people for having participated. We learn to try our best without fear of failure. The Executive Committee is charged with the day to day running of our club. This year, several new members will be elected to the Committee. I would like to thank every member of the current Executive for their work during the past year. Each one made their own unique contribution and in their own way, added to its effectiveness. Particular mention must be made of Karen Nolan and Ber Buckley who put in many hours of work in keeping our finances in order in times that could, at best, be described as challenging. Eoin Ó Ceallacháin has done a huge amount of work in keeping subscriptions coming in and also chairing our Bar Committee, while Cormac Ó Donnchú has raised the bar once again with regard to communicating news of our activities to all. Fiona Greene also contributed greatly and her wise counsel will be missed from the committee room. Paul McCarville has been a member of the Committee for many years and has served in various capacities. His forthrightness and clarity of thought will be hard to replace. I would appeal to members to consider what contribution they can make to the club during the coming year. Perhaps you might consider coming on board the Executive for the year. Perhaps you could join the members who meet each Saturday morning to provide a cup of tea in the bar or who carry out odd jobs around the clubhouse. Why not join the Facilities Committee to assist in the upkeep and development of our clubhouse and pitches? Could you help out in promoting one fundraising project this year? Could you help out with a team? Can you paint, input data on computer, line a pitch, lay blocks, clean out a dressing room, sell lotto tickets, wash jerseys? The list is endless! There are many tasks to be carried out and all help would be appreciated and would assist in the running of the club. Please feel free to approach any member of the Executive Committee to offer your services. They will be very happy to accept your offer. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

4 Each person has their own particular highlights of the events of the last year. For some it will be the save that they made or the goal that they scored. For others it may be a good night out enjoyed with friends or even the joy of seeing their offspring growing and gaining confidence. Perhaps there are those whose experience in Na Fianna over the last year was not so positive. To those we express our regret and hope that the positives will far outweigh the negatives in the coming year. The most significant event of the last year was the coming on stream of our pitches in Collinstown. Fielding over 100 teams each week puts enormous strain on the facilities at our disposal and we are grateful to the DAA for making this land available to the club on lease. There are now two adult pitches, with ball-stop nets, dressing-rooms, toilets, a car park and a large training area available. This complex has been put in place and refurbished due entirely to the voluntary efforts of the Facilities Committee. The year under review also saw great success on the playing fields. Since last year s AGM our Minor Footballers completed a four-in-a-row of championships final appearances including two victories. Senior, Intermediate and Junior Footballers have had notable successes. Senior Hurlers have almost guaranteed their Div 1 status in the league and are looking forward to playing in the Senior A C ship. The Camogie teams continue to prosper with notable successes in all grades. The Handballers continue, in their own quiet way to win County, Provincial and All-Ireland Championships. The most significant result on the playing front was the achievement of our Ladies Senior Footballers in regaining the Senior C ship. We wish them well in their Leinster campaign and urge as many as possible to support the team. Our Juvenile section continues to blossom and grow and standards are continuing to rise in all codes. Individual team reports for both adults and juveniles follow. Inter-County Players We live in an age of Super Stars, an age when our young people have sports heroes such as Wayne Rooney, Robbie Keane and Brian O Driscoll. Unfortunately, they seldom get to meet these idols. We sometimes overlook the fact, and indeed, fail to appreciate, that we have our own Super Stars playing Gaelic Games, men and women who have achieved the same level of fitness and skill as any players in any sport. Men and women like Joey Boland, Tomás Brady, Mary Nevin and Bernie Finlay have performed at the highest level but the difference is they are regularly seen around the club, helping to coach teams or just talking to the younger players. They are always available to present medals or attend some function or other. We are also lucky to have many other club players following in their footsteps as there are few Dublin teams that field without a Na Fianna representative in their ranks. Committee Reports Executive Committee Sincere thanks to every member of the Executive Committee for their commitment and hard work during the year. At time of writing, the Committee has met on 15 occasions with the attendance as follows : P McCarville 13; D Ó Dulainn 14; Tom Ryan 14; E Ó Ceallacháin 13; K Nolan 14; B Buckley 15; C Ó Donnchú 13; C Cronin 14; P Clerkin 13; M McQuillan 10; S Behan 13; F Greene 11 and J Aughney 14. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

5 CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September 2011 Facilities Committee Chaired by Brian O Sullivan, this committee is responsible for the upkeep of the club s pitches and premises. Its members include : Dermot Moran, Fintan Brennan, Phil Kelly, Oliver Casserly, Pat Clinton, Pat O'Shea, John Bridgeman, Frank Gray, Charlie O Reilly, Gerry Donohoe, Fergus McNally, Dave Buckley, John Campbell, Tom Ryan and Jim Aughney. Without their voluntary work we would be much worse off financially and our surrounds would not look nearly as well. Special mention must be made of Dermot Moran for the condition of our main pitch. Bar Committee Our Bar and Function Rooms remain vital elements in maintaining our financial stability. Ciara May continues her good work as manager while Aidan Irwin looks after the catering. These are overseen by a committee chaired by Eoin Ó Ceallacháin and including : Tom Gilligan, Charlie O Reilly, Domo Weir, JoeWalsh, Pádraigín Breathnach and Ronan Nolan. Saturday Morning Teas Many thanks to Mary Doolan, Essie 0 Hara, Mary Donohoe, Marie Campbell, Patricia O Sullivan, Patricia Lowry, Marie Kirwan, Fionnuala Neville and Mary Behan for providing a lovely service for those who come down to the club on a Saturday morning. Céilí Committee The Club Céilí continues on the second Friday of each month. It now takes place in the Scoil Chaitríona hall. Thanks to Ann Ryan, Mary Murphy, Teresa O Sullivan, Kathleen Taffe, Michael Cooney and John Hallanan. Lotto Committee This committee meet every Monday night and comprises Bob Courtney (Chairman) Seán Behan, Ann Ryan, Seán Lohan, Paddy Hughes and Brian O Sullivan. Well done to Vinny Caffrey for his contribution each week. Delegates Our Delegates are out link with the various County Boards. Many thanks to Charlie O'Reilly, Kieran Redmond, Ricky O Sullivan, Liz O Brien, Ann Ryan, Fiona Greene, Richard Dunne, Eugene McHugh and Michael Griffin Club Shop Special thanks to Sean Behan, Sheila Quinn, Seosamh Breathnach, Patricia Close and Tiarnán Ó Dubhlainn for their ongoing work Seosamh Walsh is now providing a great service as he repairs and sells hurleys in his workshop at the back of the building. Administration Roisín O Sullivan continues to do a marvellous job in her role as part-time administrator. She is available in the office from 9am to 1pm Mon to Fri. School Pitches Without access to the pitches at Scoil Chaitríona and St Vincent s School, Na Fianna simply could not function. These facilities are absolutely vital to the future of the club and we have a duty to treat them and their surrounds with respect. We are grateful to the authorities in both schools for their continued co-operation and good will. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

6 2011 Juvenile Team Reports Again it has been a busy and exciting year at juvenile level. There have been many fantastic occasions on and off the pitch and in the handball alley. The juvenile section continues to grow which is a positive reflection upon the club but also provides us with plenty of challenges. The acquisition of Collinstown has greatly alleviated the pressures regarding the provision of summer training slots with the all weather facilities being in constant demand from October till March. I would like to acknowledge the commitment and hard work of our coordinators, Pat Brennan, Dave Fenton, Richard Dunne, Billy McLaughlin, our county Board delegates, Ricky O Sullivan, Eugene McHugh, Richard Dunne, Fiona Greene and Anne Ryan, our referee coordinators Anne O Dea and Ann Ryan and finally our Children s Officer, Anne O Dea. A special thanks to James Mangan for all his hard work in the local schools, in coordinating the nursery on Saturday mornings, providing support to our juvenile mentors and for organising the Cúl Camps in August. Congratulations to Paul McCarville, Anne O Dea and James Mangan on yet again providing our younger players with a great month of Camogie, Football and Hurling during the mini leagues in June. I also wish to pay tribute to Clíona Ní Dhálaigh, Frank Daly and Kevin McKenna for their dedication to the development of Na Fianna s juvenile handball section. Numbers are increasing on a yearly basis which is a tribute to all of the coaches involved. Many thanks to Róisín for all her support in the club office, to Anne Foley for continuing to coordinate the vetting of all juvenile mentors and Anne O Dea for her dedication to the welfare of children in the club in her role as Children s officer. I also want to thank Pat Brennan for coordinating communications at juvenile level as juvenile secretary. Finally I wish to thank and pay tribute to all of our juvenile mentors and helpers, all of whom give a considerable amount of time on a weekly basis to provide all of our young players in CLG Na Fianna the opportunity to develop their skills in our national games. On behalf of the club and all of our young players I say, Go raibh míle, míle maith agaibh go léir!! Juvenile Chairman - Pairic Clerkin Juvenile Secretary - Pat Brennan Nursery coordinated by James Mangan Girls1 coordinated by Dave Fenton. (Girls football and camogie up to and including under 12). Girls 2 coordinated by Billy McLaughlin (under 13, 14, 15, 16 camogie and ladies football). CCC1 coordinated by Pat Brennan (under 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 boys). CCC2 coordinated by Richard Dunne (under 13, 14, 15 and 16 boys). Eugene McHugh - CCC1 Delegate. Richard Dunne - CCC2 Delegate. Ricky O Sullivan - Ladies Football Delegate Fiona Greene - Minor Board Camogie Delegate Clíona Ní Dhálaigh has liaised with the committee throughout the year with regard to juvenile handball. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

7 CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September 2011 CCC1 It has been a busy and exciting year at CCC1 level Na Fianna entered a record numbers of teams in all CCC1 competitions across both football and hurling. In 2011 Na Fianna entered at CCC1 level ( 25 Football Teams and 20 Hurling Teams ) covering age groups from Under 8 to Under 12 in both Hurling and Football U8 ( 7 a-side ) : 6 Football / 6 Hurling U9 ( 9 a-side ) : 6 Football / 4 Hurling U10 ( 9 a-side) : 5 Football / 4 Hurling U11 ( 11 a-side) : 5 Football / 3 Hurling U12 ( 13 a-side) : 3 Football / 3 Hurling A special Thanks to both Eugene McHugh for his sterling work as CCC1 Delegate NURSERY This year has seen our nursery continue to grow from strength to strength. Due to the committment and quality of coaching from the mentors we continue to boast one of the strongest nursery programmes in the country. A number of coaching evenings will be held over the coming months to further progress the quality of the coaching delivered to our youngest players. The challenge for the club going forward is to maintain and, where possible, increase our already high standards. With nearly 400 children taking part in the programme investment is key. While everybody is aware of the current financial constraints we must also acknowledge that, as a club, we are only as strong as our foundations. At the moment those foundations are strong and in order to maintain that strength financial investment is needed for the purchase of equipment etc. While the bulk of the praise must go to the large number of dedicated parents and mentors who brave all sorts of weather conditions every Saturday morning, special mention must be given to a core group whose help is essential. Many thanks to Anne O Dea and her gang of helpers who carry out the unenviable task of attempting to register nearly 400 children. Huge praise also for the under 15 boys and girls who are always available to help out with coaching when needed. Finally a huge thank you to Paul Smith for always assisting in his unique way. James Mangan, Games Promotions Officer ACTIVITY REPORTS Adult Field Games ADULT FOOTBALL AFL 1 (Senior) This year has seen good progress made by this team. Many of the panel have improved from last year and this has been reflected in quite a good league performance, thus far. At the time of writing we are waiting on our championship draw, set for the weekend of October 3 rd /4 th. Huge credit to twenty-six players who have put in massive effort this year, especially in their free time. Many thanks to our main sponsor, McGowan s of Phobsboro, as well as everybody else who has made a financial contribution towards the running of this team. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

8 Huge debt of gratitude to Gerry Donohoe who has helped massively behind the scenes all year. Big thanks also to Paul Smith for all his help. Thanks also to Colum Cronin and Dermot Moran with regard to access to main pitch. AFL 6 (Junior) The 2010 season completed post last year s AGM with the team gaining promotion from Division 7 to Division 6 as runners-up in the League. They then won the Stacey Cup and followed on with the winning of the Junior B Championship beating Skerries Harps in the final saw a few changes in personnel both playing and management with Aidan Collins stepping down from the management team to be replaced by Brian McLoughlin. Jackie Dolan also came on board. On the player front there was an influx of new young players from the Minor panels. The season started well with team making the semi-finals of the Stacey Cup only to be beaten by arch rivals Parnells. Once again Parnells were the opposition in the first round of the Junior A championship and they beat us in a very tight encounter. Our league form was excellent and we started with twelve straight wins only to lose to Parnells recently. With two games left we have secured promotion for a second year running which will see the team performing in AFL5 next season. Depending on the results of our final two matches and Parnells final match, there is still a chance that we can end the season as the winners of AFL6. Mentors: Ciaran Gray, Brian McLoughlin, Jackie Dolan & Ciaran Fagan AFL 9 and AFL11 (Junior) The previous season had ended with the AFL11S team being promoted, and following some negotiations from Tom Ryan, we found ourselves operating in AFL 9 and 11N. Prior to the season starting in December 2010 we learned of the untimely passing of Rory Fuller who had played throughout the 2010 season Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal. The teams started out with mainly the same panels as last year with a few players being promoted to the AFL 6 panel and new players to adult football up from minor Level joining. Training resumed in January and the season kicked off with good cup wins for both teams. The league started poorly for both teams and at times we struggled to field two teams, but we were able to steady the ship with a lot of help from Ciaran Gray and the AFL 6 panel. The AFL 9 team lost their first three games in the league but got back to winning ways against Fingallians and we have kicked on from there with some great victories. We are now sixth in the table with one game remaining The AFL 11N team has not done so well in the league. This is mainly down to the struggle to field a team. A few players have stuck with this team throughout the season and they need to be commended for not allowing the team to fall away, we are in the bottom half of the league with one game remaining. We were entered in the Junior C and D championships but had to pull out of the D championship due to lack of numbers and the first round taking place during the Leaving Cert. The C championship team are going well and following good victories away to St James Gaels and St Brigids are due to play a quarter final at home against St Josephs OCB. We are still CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

9 CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September 2011 awaiting a date for this match due to Dublin s Championship exploits. So with a bit of luck we can continue our championship run and end the season on a high. Mentors: Colin O Reilly, John Ryan, Pat O Connell, Aidan Collins, Eamon O Donnell, Brendan Mc Guinne Minor Football Minor Football 2010/2011 The Minor football 2010 season was, as always, an eventful one stretching from February 2010 to January With over 50 players in the ranks, we were able to field three teams. All acquitted themselves well in their respective league divisions and in their championship campaign all teams progressed to the quarter final stage or beyond. Our B squad had an exceptional year winning their league and narrowly beaten in their championship final. Our A squad again reached the final just losing out in a hard fought game. The mentors would like to commend the players for their dedication in what was a long and challenging season. Joint training for the new season in 2011 began in January, and again Na Fianna has fielded three minor football teams. The league campaign has progressed satisfactorily with players given opportunities to develop and show their skills across the teams. During the summer training continued along with challenge games for a blend of panel players. Championship now beckons and panels are in final formation. We would like to thank the many parents and supporters for their encouragement and for consistently providing transport, patient line/umpire and detailed stats, endless jersey care and generous catering for visiting teams. We would also like to thank our sponsors who quietly helped us provide the players with the care they deserve. ADULT HURLING AHL Senior September 2011 and at the time of print we have played one meaningful, competitive game; its been some year! The positive from this is that is has been an extraordinary year for our county teams with the U21s and Minors making the All Ireland final and our senior team being crowned Division 1 League Champions and progressing to the semi-final where they were pipped at the post by Tipperary. Everyone involved is extremely proud of the achievements of Tomás Brady, Joseph Boland, Martin Quilty, Odhran Ó Maoiléidigh, Conor McHugh, Denis Forde and AJ Murphy; we salute them on their achievements and look forward to them driving the team forward as club championships begins in earnest. Collective training resumed later than usual at the beginning of the year and within three weeks we had a crucial Division 1 play off against Cuala to decide who stayed up from 2010; on a cold Tuesday night the lads were superb and we ran out convincing winners. For the first time in a long time Na Fianna had Division 1 League and Senior A championship hurling to look forward to. We were drawn with Ballyboden, O Tooles, Cuala, St. Judes and Lucan in our championship group. League began well and we drew away to Lucan and had an impressive 8 points win against Faughs in Mobhi Road. It was to be some time before we tasted success again as injuries and poor form began to take their toll. Our preparation for our first championship game away to Lucan was dominated by injuries but we agreed there would be no excuses. On the night we lost CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

10 to a better team but the lads showed enough in the second half to suggest we were comfortable competing at this level and we moved forward with confidence to the next round. As a result of the success of the county teams there has been no other championship games played to date ; competition has been restructured and we now have a knock out game to look forward to the weekend of the 24th / 25th September and I'd encourage as many of you as possible to come out and support the team. We also have two league games remaining ; win one and we will preserve our Division 1 status for the year and we have also qualified for the Cup Final following a fine semi-final win away to Lucan. One of the highlights of the year as been the seamless transition of four of last year s Minors, Sean Burke, Denis Forde, Aidan Keogh and Billy Shanahan, into the panel and indeed the team and we look forward to more of the same next year. It s a testament to all the work being done at juvenile level; keep it up. We also worked closely with the Junior A s during the year and the panels were restructured with some players being re-graded to Junior and some players coming back on to the Senior panel. This is an ever changing process and panels will be looked at again at the end of the season and plans put in place for pre-season for New players are always welcome, no matter what level of skill or commitment, so if you or you know of someone, who is interested in adult hurling in Na Fianna, please do ask them to make contact. The year has also seen guest sessions taken by Davy Fitzgerald and Nicky English and we are very grateful to them for their time and expertise. Socially the lads have enjoyed trips to Thurles to support the Dubs and also had a very enjoyable team training day in the Wicklow Mountains; they won t forget those planks in a hurry! Stephen Behan and Michael Quinn were also hugely involved with the social night of the year as Strictly Jigs n Reels took over the club for a number of weeks. Well done to the lads and everyone involved as not only did it raise a significant amount of money for the club, it was a brilliant night enjoyed by everyone. Paul Downes still claims the voting was rigged but you'd expect nothing less from Pauly! Several of the lads are also involved with the coaching and support of some of the juvenile teams in the club and this is fantastic to see and epitomises what the club is about. It's been a frustrating year for the players in many ways but they have worked hard and everyone involved is looking forward to the cut and thrust of knock out championship hurling in a few weeks time. Special thanks to the management team of Fran Larkin, Liam Burke, Vincent McKenna and to the support team of Aisling O Connor, Stephen Cooper, Robbie Bourke, David Herrity, Aoife Greene, Arlene Egan, Dr. Donal Buggy and Richie Grimes. A huge thank you to Wynn s Hotel and Neil Loftus for their continued support; it really is appreciated. No team can run successfully without the support and help of many people and in this regard I'd like to thank Colum Cronin, Dermot Moran, Dermot Hennessy, Louis Davis, Paul Smith, Pat Fanning, Tom Ryan, Eamonn Rainsford, Colm Burtchaell, Stephen McGlinchey, Lar Norton, Ciara O Reilly, Aidan Irwin, Eoin Ó Ceallacháin, Niamh Ní Chonchubhair and AXIS, and Seosamh Breathnach. At time of print all is still to pay for in league, championship and cup so here s to a massive few weeks and all the best to all teams entering into the business end of the year. Colm Ó Ceallacháin. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

11 CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September 2011 AHL 4 (Junior A Hurling) This year saw the appointment of a new management team of Dermot Hennessy, Donal Murphy, Tom Ryan and Sean O Laoire. Training started out in mid January with combined sessions with the Senior hurlers in Mobhi road and Clontarf. The combined sessions worked very well and the Junior Hurling team got off to a flying start in all competitions. Up to mid June we were unbeaten in the League, Cup and Championship and thoughts were shifting to what this team were going achieve. Unfortunately come July we suffered an awful run of injuries and lost a lot of players to long term injuries and thus we were not able to maintain our earlier momentum. At the end of the season we finished mid table in the league and lost to Ballyboden St. Enda s in the quarter final. The management team would finally like to thank all the players for their patience, effort and dedication so far this year and to the odd supporter who came out to watch us play and assisted on match days and to the Senior hurling management for their assistance too. This team started the year very promisingly with some good displays and a series of great wins. As the season progressed, however, a combination of factors resulted in a number of poor results. Injuries to a number of Senior players also impacted as their replacements came from the AHL 4 panel. The fact that our panel overlapped with the senior panel was disastrous when it came to training during the Summer months as both teams trained separately and this left the Juniors training with very small numbers which in turn had a catastrophic effect on morale. Manager : Dermot Hennessy. Selectors : Donal Murphy, Tom Ryan, Seán Ó Laoire. Junior B Hurling/Adult Hurling League wasn t to be our best year unfortunately. Having brought home the silver for the previous 3 years it was not going to be easy. With our 5 most talented lads promoted to the A team it left us struggling even more. Then a string of bad injuries left us without a full panel for each match. Struggling to keep going we put up a brave fight and luckily will stay up in AHL6 for another season. Having John Maloney, a fitness instructor for the defense forces, to start off our season with his fitness regimes left the lads ready to take on the opposition but alas with not enough players, this was a losing battle. We also had to limp through the season without a skills trainer which was another knock back. But still we soldiered on. We moved our training sessions to Collinstown as soon as the light was on our side and though it was a rough pitch in the beginning, thanks to the hard work of a group of dedicated members, this surface and facility has hugily improved, so we thank you for that. We look forward to 2012 with renewed vigour and if there is anyone willing to help with our training, feel free to contact me. Thanking you Dee Kernan (Mentor) Na Fianna Junior Hurling AHL 8 Team 2011 This was a difficult year for Junior Hurling team. We participated in AHL 8 and E championship. We struggled to field teams for matches early in the season when we had the support of players from higher teams. We were obliged to give a number of walk-overs when players from other teams had used up their allocation of matches. There is a strong cohort of 6 to 8 players who turn out at all times. The balance of this panel has not been available due to work down the country, emigration, playing with a higher team, retirement or lack of interest. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

12 The biggest cohort of players that could be playing with this panel have chosen not to due to lack of interest, commitment to one sport only, dissatisfaction with management of team and training available or selfish lack of awareness of what commitment to Na Fianna in general and fellow players in particular means. The sad harvest of this year s participation is probably relegation in league and championship. Whether there will be a team at this level in 2012 is doubtful. It is challenging to all our Club aspirations for taking part at Adult Games level that so few of all the players who have been supported to come through at Juvenile and Minor Hurling level are sufficiently motivated and interested to play at adult level. Thanks to the players who did turn up and the mentors and contact people for sending out the notifications re training and games. Minor Hurling At the start of 2011 wise heads would have predicted a mid-table finish for Na Fianna s minor hurlers in the League and that s precisely the way it turned out. Nonetheless the League campaign was a decent enough performance and the final league position would have been much better were it not for two one-point defeats in games which could and perhaps should have been won. At the time of writing the team is preparing for the Championship, delayed because of the success of Dublin s minor teams. We re looking forward to a good Championship run with a team made up of a handful of second year minors, a sprinkling of first year minors and, thanks to the wonderful co-operation of the Under 16 mentors, a bunch of outstanding Under 16s. There are a couple of issues which need to be looked at in relation to minor hurling. Firstly, the fall-off in numbers between the Under 16 grade and minor. In January we were counting players and had more than enough for two minor hurling teams. Come March, however, we could field only one team and indeed were tight enough for players on a few occasions. What causes so many players to just give up? What can be done to address this loss of players after ten or twelve years in the club, players about to move from juvenile to adult ranks who just drop out right when the years of coaching and training invested in them should be about to pay off? Secondly, if I may be controversial for a minute, we need to look long and hard at injuries. At any given point in the year we have had at least six players out injured. I have no axe to grind with players being genuinely injured but I m convinced there is a certain softness in a lot of Na Fianna players that has them running to doctors and physiotherapists at the slightest niggle or strain and resting for weeks on end with, in SOME cases, nothing more than a sore toe! I have a sore shoulder and the physio says I should rest it for the next six weeks is typical of the type of scenario that sees us short of players for the most spurious of reasons. When a physically fit sixteen year-old tells you he has a twinge and is not going to play for a couple of weeks you have to feel that this obsession with physios has gone too far! What can be done about it? I m not so sure; if youngsters and their parents have more money than sense then so be it. However, I don t think a club should contribute to the I need a physio mentality. Was I imagining things when I thought I saw a physio in attendance at an underage team s training session?! Do eleven /twelve/ thirteen year-olds need a physio at training? What message does this give them? No wonder by the time they get to Minor ranks they spend more time out of action than available to play. Finally, the wonderful success of Dublin s minor teams, hurling and football, does have a bit of a downside. Does the success of Dublin teams have to mean that the ordinary club player has no real hurling game from mid-may to the end of September? Almost five months of inactivity at the best hurling time of the year surely can t be right.is this the norm in the traditionally strong hurling counties? Pádraig Ó Fainín CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

13 CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September 2011 ADULT CAMOGIE Senior A Camogie Our 2011 season started out back in January, with a stronger panel than ever before. Eight long weeks of pre-season training were put in prior to the league which commenced in April. We won 5 out of our first 5 matches of the year and winning was becoming a habit. We were very unfortunate to lose the 6 th match by a point to Vincent s in Vincent s. Unfortunately at this point our inspirational captain Nicola Gavin emigrated. However no truer Na Fianna woman than Grainne Ryan stepped up to lead the team and has done a fantastic job on and off the pitch. We then had a 12 week break till our next league match to facilitate the intercounty championship teams. We had 5 players represent us at senior and junior level this year: Elaine O Meara, Arlene Cushen, Grainne Ryan, Hannah McInerney and Roisin Murphy. On resumption of the league we won a further 2 games out of 3 which left us in 3 rd place overall. This massive improvement on any previous season and we hope to build on this for next year. The championship commenced in late august in a new format on a 2 year trial by the county board. We played some excellent camogie in the early rounds but unfortunately lost out to St.Judes in a very closely contested quarter-final. At the time of writing we are in the shield semi-final against Naomh Bhrid and are hoping to end the year with some silver wear. We would like to firstly thank all 25 players on the panel who have committed to this year. The improvement in the team has been phenomenal and we hope to continue to strengthen the panel over the coming year and go further in all competitions. We would specially like to thank the management of the inter team: Tony O Brien, Joe Langan and Mary-ann Quigley for the assistance and support throughout the year. We also want to thank all the ATTs from Exwell who patched the girls up throughout the year, Louise Kearns for her co-operation in managing our dual players, Fiona Green and Ann Ryan our county board delegates, Colum Cronin and Dermot Moran for access to pitches. Thank you to everyone who has come out to support us this year, it is hugely appreciated. Hopefully next year we will really give you something to cheer about. The future is bright for this very talented bunch of girls, watch this space Mentors: Ciara O Reilly, Paddy O Reilly. Intermediate Camogie The intermediate camogie panel consisted of twenty-eight players at the start of the season. Four of these players were training with the senior panel. A couple of players were also unavailable due to exam commitments. Two players made the transition from the previous year s Under 16 panel. The team played in an eight-team Intermediate League 1. Preparation for the league campaign was blighted by a string of injuries to several key players. On numerous occasions we struggled to field a full team. However the panel made a supreme effort and we won our first five league matches and were joint leaders going into our crunch match against Lucan Sarsfields. However despite a spirited performance we came up short. We also lost our last match against a strong Thomas Davis team. Considering our injuries a third place finishing in the league was very credible. We commenced our championship campaign in July boosted by the return of injured players and Leaving Cert students. Our first match was a one point win over St. Marks. In the second round CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

14 we embarked on a titanic struggle against Crumlin which we lost after a replay, extra time and a shoot out from the 45 metre line. This meant we had to play the league champions Lucan in a quarter final in Mobhi Road. On a memorable night the players performed brilliantly to win 2-4 to 1-4. In the semi final we fought hard against Thomas Davis but were beaten by a tough, skilful team. All in all, a good season for the Intermediates with a number of young players enhancing their reputation which augurs well for the coming year. In addition, four of the intermediate players Susan Clinton, Lucy Collins, Eleanor Buggy and Katie King were all selected for the Dublin Under 18 panel. Many thanks for the support and cooperation from the junior and senior mentors. Mentors: Joe Langan, Maireáine Quigley, Fiachre Foran, Tony O Brien Junior Adult Camogie We decided to enter two Junior teams for 2011 due to the number of girls coming through from Juvenile section (1994 born) We felt if we only had one team all the girls would not get enough game time, Numbers were too many for one team but a little tight for 2 teams but our under 16 Mentors said they would support the Junior Adult Teams by rotating under 16 players to each team, this also gave our under 16's, who themselves would be playing Adult in 2012 great experience This worked out very well, even through the summer months when alot of the younger girls were away. We managed to fulfill all our fixtures in Summer cup and Junior A and B Championship. Our Junior A's did exceptionally well in Winning the Sheild Final, beating our neighbours, Whitehall 1.10 to 0.6, a great achievement for our 3 rd Adult Team facing Whitehalls 1st team 4 of our under 16's played in that final and played very well, Lisa Kelly, Roisin Baker, Cliona McCullough and Claire Murray. The team was led by our very strong Captain Ciara Fitzgerald, Brigitte Walsh in Mid Field was Na Fianna's best player on the day but she was well supported by Lisa McKenna also in Mid Field, Lisa Kelly did a brilliant Job clocking up 7 points (5 from frees/45's) and Lorna Muleady and Sarah Kelly were exception in the backs Roisin Kirwan and Sinead O Donald who had only joined back with the team in the early summer when they both came back from their travels also gave a great display and Mary O'Connell in goals was a great as ever making some vital saves. But the game was a great overall team display with all players making excellent contribution to the Win Both our Junior and and Jun B teams did well also in League - the B's finishing Mid Table Our Junior A's still have some league games to Play and should finish in the top 4 CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

15 CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September 2011 LADIES FOOTBALL (ADULT) Senior Ladies Football The senior ladies squad is made up of 30 players and 4 backroom staff. During the summer some of our girls travelled and so were unavailable during the summer months. The senior ladies have played 7 games in the league and have won all 7. We are top of the league table with possibly 1 game to play- which probably will not take place (Naomh Mearnog). We have also won the cup competition with playing 7 games and winning all 7. We are also Dublin County Champions, having beaten Ballyboden in the final. Our only competitive loss was to Ballyboden in the first round of the championship. This year was our most successful year to date, with winning the Senior Cup, League and Championship. The girls began training in January 2011 and luckily are still training for the first round of the Leinster Championship which will take place in Longford against Killoe, the Longford Champions on Saturday 1st October. This year we were fortunate to have a championship training weekend in Carlingford, where we had team building sessions, training sessions and a challenge game. We would like to thank the club, especially Colum Cronin for his time and patience with us. And also Tom Gillian and The Duke. Mentors: Louise Kearns, Lyn Savage, John Quinn Junior Ladies Football The Junior Ladies have just about concluded 2011 season. There is one League match remaining in the season. We commenced with our 3rd Annual 9-a-side tournament in November Once again we found a number of new players for both the Senior & Junior teams. At the end of November we celebrated winning our 2010 championship. Rachel Bulger & Aisling Lyons were voted joint players of the year & Jessica Sheekey was awarded for her overall contribution to the squad. Training proper commenced in January 2011 and from the start attendance was good at each training session at around 20 players per session. We recruited a fitness coach from DCU s Sports Science programme. He stayed with us until end March. We had a difficult league & cup campaign and our season was plagued by medium & long-term injuries to key players. Due to injuries, holidays & work commitments we were unable to name the same for any 2 consecutive games throughout the entire season. An indication of the change in our squad was a photograph taken in our 2010 semi-final that had 26 players. We played semi-final this year and we had 17 players available for selection. However we fulfilled all of our fixtures with at least 15 players available for every game. We did have a good championship campaign knocking out the A teams from Scoil Ui Chonaill & St Finnians, Swords in the process. We were forced into a position of playing a semi-final 2 nights after a tough match against St Finians and ultimately ran out of steam. We did make use of some minor players all of whom played important roles in the Championship in particular. We could have made use of more minor players had they not played cameo roles in the senior championship. This step up from Minor to Adult football is something that needs to be given more thought. The Junior team is a valuable asset that should be used for the purpose of making that step. Div 4 is a decent standard of football and can be used for the blooding of Minors making that step up. We did have some excellent sessions from Lyn Savage and we are really appreciative of her efforts. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

16 There is every reason to believe that with proper planning and preparation and a little more luck with injuries etc that this Junior team is well capable of challenging for the Junior B Championship in With that in mind we will hold a meeting of the players in early October to discuss the plans for next season. We would welcome any and all support from the Club. John Freir CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

17 CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September 2011 ACTIVITY REPORTS Juvenile Games JUVENILE GAMES - Football Under 8 Football Our year began with an inaugural Friday night training session in early February on the new all weather pitch where there was almost full attendance by the 60+ players who make up this enthusiastic group. We field six teams each weekend, three as part of Na Fianna 1 and Three as part of Na Fianna 2. From the outset we decided that one combined training session per week was sufficient and we would coach both hurling and football over the course of each session. This has helped keep all players participating at both codes. The group has many first time coaches and after a hectic first month we gradually overcame the teething problems that accompany trying to coral a group of 8 year olds into some manageable shape that allows us achieve our aim of teaching three basic drills and the playing of a match in each session. With the advent of spring our job was eased by the fact that we could extend each session by 30 minutes making the hurling to football transition less frantic than previously. Our first go games began with great excitement on the 12 th February and from there it has given the coaches great enjoyment to witness the improvement in both codes. The lads were particularly excited to play in the April Football Blitzes, which were a huge success. Throughout the month of June we found that we were far more competitive in Saturday go-games, which followed minileague matches the previous evening. Perhaps there is a lesson here for the writers of Juvenile coaching manuals? By the summer break we were on a par with any other clubs. At the time of writing we plan to continue our work, remind the lads of the importance of playing both codes as part of a team and encourage the lads to practice hurling and football outside the confines of training and matches. Huge thanks to all of the coaches, Sean Coady, Brian Williams, Hugh O Brien, Jim Grew, Ben Conroy, Tom Hickey, Eileen Tully, James Grennan, Philip Lynch, Dave Scanlon, Kieran Roe, Aidan Kelly and Leo Fay. Particular thanks to James Mangan and Anne O Dea for being available to help answer our many queries throughout the year. Under 9 Football 2011 is proving to be another great year of football for our 2002 boys. We have held our membership at around 70, some new faces and a few moving on. This is a big number and is allowing us to field six teams in our Go-Games every fortnight, with a great turnout at training each week. This year, as before, we concentrate on ensuring the lads have fun, while learning the skills of the game. We do this by playing as many games-based drills as possible during our training sessions. This was further enhanced by the club facilitating an excellent Award One Coaching Course for mentors during the year, which several of our mentors attended. Well done James Mangan. Minileagues during the year went like clockwork as usual under Dara s lead. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

18 We want to thank all the parents who give their time every week to support us, the mentors in particular for their dedication and hard work week in and week out, but most especially the boys themselves. They turn up every week with a love and enthusiasm for the game that drives us all forward. Long may it continue. Mentors: Andy Matthews, Dara McGowan, Dave Kerins, Dermot Conroy, Dermot Kane, Fergus McCabe, Mark Brabazon, Paul Carroll, Paul Flynn, Philip Mongey, Shane Coleman, Shay McHugh, TJ Gleeson. Under 10 Football Our under 10 football squad have been progressing steadily during the last year. We have been devoting our energies into skill development and team play. We have a total of 55 boys on our panel and we have been participating in the Go Games system with five 9 a-side panels in a three team and two team group. Many thanks to all the boys, their parents/guardians and all the mentors for their help and cooperation during the year. Kieran Brennan, Ciaran Burke, Aidan Farrington, Cian Ferriter, Tom Flaherty, Noel O Reilly, Ricky O Sullivan, Joe Smyth, Paul Smith Under 11 Football The U11 boys have enjoyed another fun and successful year of football. A panel of 55-plus supports four 11-a-side teams two of which (A&B) play in Division 1 and a further two (A&B) play in Division 2. Both teams in Division 1 lead their respective groups while the Division 2 teams are also performing strongly and compete well from week to week. Emphasis in training continues to be on ball-handling drills and small-sided games to improve passing and movement. As some boys continue to have problems with basic skills, we continually emphasise to parents the importance of the boys practising at home at every opportunity, outside of our one-hour training slot at St Vincent s School on Thursdays. Our thanks, as ever, to parents for their continued support and enthusiasm. Mentors: Conor Buckley, Bernie Caffrey, Ian Foley, Michael O Leary, Stephen O Neill, Paul Nolan, Sean Potts, Jim Ratcliffe, Brian Skelly. Under 12 Football 2011 was a very successful year for the U12 Boys football, we maintained our very high numbers of 60 registered players and participated in both the Dublin Northside Cup and League competitions. We entered 3 teams in both competitions and currently are well placed in Div1 / Div2 and Div5 in the Dublin Northside League. Mentors : Pat Brennan, Luke Lacey, Jack Byron, Fergal Brophy, John O Dea, Ger Mackey, Paul Whelan, John Collins, Noel Mc Kenna, James Sweeney and Pairic Bolger. CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September

19 CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September 2011 Under 13 Football It s been a quiet enough year for the 98 football boys who have had only league games to concentrate on. No cup competitions to worry about. Quite a few of the boys were asked to assist their 97 counterparts in Feile and it was a great privilege for them to do so. We also have a number of boys selected for the Dublin Football Development squad and I m sure more will be added to that squad as the season continues. Numbers remain consistent with boys available for games every weekend. Also great numbers attending training sessions every Wednesday night. Two long serving mentors stepped down this year due to family commitments but thankfully one new mentor joined the group. This year also saw the introduction of a co-ordinator role for the group and glad to report that this has been a very successful initiative. So it s onwards and upwards for the 98 boys footballers. Under 14A Football Player development must be the key focus at U14 and as a group of mentors we try to ensure that all the boys are playing at an appropriate level and experiencing competition for places at all times. To this end a total of 23 players have played with the A team so far this year. This team has performed superbly all season and it is particularly pleasing to see so many of our players kicking so assuredly with both feet in competitive matches this is a skill (a gift) that they will enjoy for the rest of their playing days. In an effort to further develop the players we arranged challenge matches against a number of U15 Division 2 teams. This approach worked very well giving the players valuable experience against physically stronger and taller opposition. Results-wise we have maximum points from the 10 Division 1 league matches played to date and wish the boys well in their final 4 matches. U14 is of course Feile Peil year. On April 30 th we hosted a Division 1 Feile qualifying group in Mobhi Road. We came through the group, defeated Kilmacud in a hard fought but thrilling semi-final in Silver Park before narrowly losing to Ballymun by 0-5 to 0-3 in the final in Parnell Park. Finally on behalf of the players and mentors we would like to thank all those parents who have helped the team during the year. Many hands make light work! Under 14B Football Having started the season being promoted into division 3, it was always going to be a big step up for a B team but they held their own against some strong teams. Currently lying 2 nd from the bottom, going back to division 4 next year is not the end of the world; most importantly the lads are enjoying their football and will all be back next year. They are a great bunch and there is a great bond between them. The lads put up a great fight in the feile even though the odds were stacked against them when we lost our captain with a broken wrist after the 1 st 10 minutes of the first game. We just lost out getting into the semis in the last match, fatigue had set in on top of injuries, it was not for the lack of trying, the showed real heart and grit, a true reflection of the lads spirt. The futures bright for 97B football. Mentors : Padraig Deeley and Jimmy Flannery CLG Na Fianna AGM 29 September