SECRETARY'S REPORT 2013 FOR A.G.M. Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Na Fianna Cómdháil Bhliantúil 2013 Áras Na Fianna.

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1 SECRETARY'S REPORT 2013 FOR A.G.M. 3 rd October 2013 Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Na Fianna Cómdháil Bhliantúil 2013 Áras Na Fianna.

2 Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Na Fianna Comdháil Bliantúil 2013 Áras Na Fianna Clár (a) Adoption of Standing Orders. (b) President's Address. (c) Chairman's Address. (d) Minutes of AGM 27 September 2012 (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) (o) Oifigeach Tiomsú Airgid (i) Motions and Recommendations. (j) Appointments of Auditors. (k) Any Other Business. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

3 CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October 2013 Standing Orders for Annual General Meeting The proposer of the motion or an amendment thereto, may speak for five minutes but no longer. A person speaking to a motion or amendment shall not exceed three minutes. The proposer of a motion or amendment may speak a second time for five minutes before a vote is taken, but no other person may speak a second time to any motion or amendment. The Chairman shall, at any time he considers that a matter has been sufficiently discussed, call on a proposer to reply, after which a vote must be taken. A person may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that the question now be put after which, when the proposer has spoken a vote must be taken. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

4 TUARASCÁIL AN RÚNAÍ 2013 Is cúis onóra dom an tuarascáil seo a chur ós bhúr gcomhair arís i mbliana. Another year has passed, another year of progress both on and off the playing fields. CLG Na Fianna continues to grow and to go from strength to strength. The club continues to be the focal point of the community for many people, a facet enhanced by a strong relationship with the local schools. I had planned to discuss our finances, a topic which takes up a disproportionate amount of time at each Executive meeting. Suffice to say that we need to fundraise about 40,000 each year in order to make ends meet. Those details can be found in the excellent Treasurer s Report. Instead, I will return to my theme from last year and pay tribute to the army of volunteers who create the magic that brings back the young boys and girls each week, who generate the excitement and enthusiasm that inspire those young people to emulate their heroes. We are privileged and proud that we can provide a career path for our members that will take them from the Nursery in Mobhi Rd to representing their county before huge crowds in Croke Park. The games are central to all our activity. We are proud of the fact that Na Fianna caters for hurling, football and handball for both men and women, boys and girls and for all levels of ability. Our main focus is on participation and development. We also salute the players who have been successful during the year. During the last twelve months our footballers have captured the AFL 1 league title for the first time since 1979 the senior camogie team also won the Div 1 league in their case, for the first time since Our u-21 footballers retained their championship crown while the minors collected a league title. Our Senior Ladies reached the County final, only losing out after a replay. On the hurling front, our Senior team gained promotion to Division 1 with the Juniors capturing the Junior A Championship. We also have the remarkable achievement of winning u-15, u-16 and Minor hurling championships in the same season and the Minor team had the privilege of receiving their medals from GAA President, Liam O Neill, at a function in Croke Park. A major achievement during the past year was the provision of floodlights on the training area in Collinstown. This project was completed at a fraction its potential cost due to the hard work of a group of dedicated volunteers who braved horrific weather to bring the task to fruition. A special thank you to all of you who contribute in any way to the community of Na Fianna. Those who coach, who wash jersies, make sandwiches, pick up litter, replace bulbs, paint, give lifts, attend quizzes or who simply attend matches the list is endless but such support is invaluable. Tomás Ó Riain Rúnaí CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

5 CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October Juvenile Team Reports Well done to the hundreds of players, mentors, parents and helpers who worked tirelessly to make 2013 another very successful and enjoyable year in Na Fianna. I hope you will enjoy reading the various year group reports, from which you will get a feel for the level of commitment, enthusiasm and success at every age. It hardly seems like a year since we all trekked back (late!) to last years AGM following the triumphant success of the 1997 boys in their Championship Football final following extra time! And here s wishing the best of success to all our players in the lead up to important matches in the coming months. Absolutely none of this can happen without the incredible and good natured assistance of a whole range of people. If I have missed anyone, I apologise saw a redevelopment of the Nursery under the untiring hand of Cormac Ó Donnchú. Mentors and parents were introduced to a more organised approach to the nursery, a range of presentations and induction courses and plenty of new equipment. Congratulations to Cormac, and best wishes to Philip O Brien who has recently taken over the reins with ease! We all continue to enjoy the provision of tea, coffee and goodies on a Saturday morning, and a big thank you to all involved. We almost take for granted that Seffie (Seosamh Breathnach) will be available to mend and provide hurls etc., and that Sean Behan, Sheila Quinn and co. will be standing in the shop ready to sell us jerseys, tracksuits etc. To you all, thank you. We look forward to the re-opening of the shop in the very near future. Colm Crowley, our GPO, arranged an array of courses, demos, and training sessions at all levels. If you managed to attend even one of them, you will appreciate the professionalism and benefit of these courses, for which we are truly grateful. Colm, along with many terrific helpers, also organised 4 fantastic weeks of Summer Camps which were enjoyed by players, many attending multiple weeks. In addition, Colm, Paul McCarville, Anne O Dea and co., along with much appreciated sponsorship from Lisney, presented us with an excellent month of mini-leagues in June, topped off with a very successful Family Day. For someone who declared their retirement last year, you have been very busy right across the juvenile section Anne, thank you! Colm also committed a huge amount of time to the introduction of the Games Development Committee, with Paul McCarville in the chair. This is going to be an invaluable club resource focussed as the name says, on games development, which sadly does not get the attention it deserves at juvenile committee level due to the level of planning and administration issues which tend to grab priority. Another area which is easy to take for granted is that pitches will be allocated and will be ready for use, and that equipment will be in working order. Most sincere thanks to the Fixtures, Pitch and Facilities committees, and to Rody Fanning for emergency repairs to goals leading up to Family Day. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

6 This year we were delighted to get the opportunity to avail of grounds in Dominican College where our U-11 and U-13 Camógs trained. We very much appreciate and respect the grounds provided by a number of schools, particularly Scoil Chaitríona, St. Vincents, Dominican College, and ChildVision (aka Rosmini). In addition, I would like to acknowledge and thank the following:- Cormac, Philip and Colm make up the Juvenile Committee along with Juvenile Secretary Gerry Corcoran, Co-ordinators Richie Dunne, Austin Rock, Billy McLaughlin, Louise Rainford and Mark Brabazon, all of whom work tirelessly to make sure that things just happen at juvenile level. Deirdre Lambe, T J Gleeson, Fiona Greene Ladies Football and Camogie delegates who put in a huge amount of work with registrations, attending meetings, representing Na Fianna etc. Anne Foley, Pairic Clerkin, Paul McCarville: Childrens Officers, Child Protection and Garda vetting. Clíona Ní Dhálaigh and Frank Daly for their continued dedication to the development of the juvenile handball section. Finally I wish to thank and pay tribute to all of our juvenile mentors and helpers, all of whom give a great amount of time on a weekly basis to provide all of our young players in CLG Na Fianna with 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 Officers: - Juvenile Chairperson: Lesley Jamieson - Juvenile Secretar: Gerry Corcoran - GPO: Colm Crowley - Nursery Co-ordinator: Philip O Brien - Girls1 Co-ordinator: Louise Rainford (U-8 to U-12 Camogie and Ladies Football) - Girls 2 Co-ordinator: Austin Rock (U-13 to U-16 Camogie and Ladies Football) - Girls Adult Liaison: Billy McLaughlin - CCC1 Co-ordinator & Delegate: Mark Brabazon (U-8 to U-12 Hurling and Football) - CCC2 Co-ordinator & Delegate: (U-13 to U-16 Hurling and Football) - Deirdre Lambe & T.J. Gleeson - Ladies Football Delegates - Fiona Greene - Minor Board Camogie Delegate - Child Protection : Pairic Clerkin Lesley Jamieson Juvenile Games Chair CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

7 CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October 2013 The Na Fianna Nursery/Academy 2012/2013 It s been another superb year with the activity of the anthill which is our Nursery/Academy. Míle buíochas do gach duine a bhí baint acu i 2012/ Boys Philip O Brien & Maurice Grehan 2007 Boys Muiris Healy & Stephen Stenson 2008&2009 Boys Noman Ginnelly & Gary Bateson 2005 Girls Cormac O Donnchú & David Jenkins 2006 Girls Karen Hargan & Ciara De Rosfort 2007 & 2008 Girls Lisa Ainsworth There were a number of interesting developments and structural changes during the year which have been designed to build upon and reinforce the advances of recent years. The year commenced with the creation of the role of a Nursery Co-ordinator with the responsibility of coordinating the activities of all age groups operating. This development was followed by meeting of all age groups who adopted the new principle of alternating the starting times of Hurling/Camogie and Football. This has proved a great success and has now helped ensure that children are partaking in both codes and not just arriving in time for either Football or Hurling. The meetings of the mentor group of the Nursery were extremely well attended and comprised of a large number of parents who are new members of both the Club and the Association. The manner in which these mentors have engaged so positively in the management of the Nursery and indeed broader areas of the club is very heartening. The collaboration of the mentors of all the age groups of boys and girls resulted in agreement of a year long calendar with common start and finish dates, the repositioning of age groups on the pitch, a new formal process for parent induction, redistribution of playing resources and the arrangement of mentor training sessions. All these actions have resulted in a great sense of commradeirie and common purpose on Mobhi Road every Saturday. During the year a number of individuals from the Saturday morning crew have made special inputs which have made a significant, if discreet, input into club life and it s opportune to recognise some of these efforts here. The club Kit room was fully renovated and fitted with new slat wall and holders which helps enormously the management of all our precious resources this work was completed with the generous assistance of Martin Tynan. The club office has been the recent benefactor of an upgrade of IT equipment which will be a massive benefit to the running of the club. This has been a direct result of the work of Gary Bateson to whom we extend our thanks. This year also Maurice Grehan has given a huge amount his time by joining with Fionán O Connell as one of the club official photographers. Along with many other projects Maurice has been involved in we are grateful of his continued work in this area. Finally a number of players from the juvenile section(male and female) have joined us this year to assist in training and this has been a great assistance to the players. We are most grateful of the efforts of these young coaches who have done a spectacular job and their commitment to giving back to the club is a source of great pride for all us. Lean oraibh! It s been great to have the complete onfield actions of the players progress under the watchful and guiding eye of our GPO Colm Crowley. His quiet presence, words of encouragement, diplomatic interventions and guidance have been invaluable. Many thanks to our sponsor VHI Swiftcare Clinic for their support which helps us to continue to maintain the institution of Mobhi Road on Saturday morning! Our hope is that the club culture and collective effort of the 2013 Saturday mornings will be a defining influence as these age groups progress through the club for years to come. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

8 ACTIVITY REPORTS Adult Field Games ADULT FOOTBALL Senior (AFL1) Our Senior Footballers put the disappointment of the 2011 League Final loss to St. Jude s firmly behind them when winning the 2012 Senior Division 1 League by beating St. Sylvester s by just a point in the League Final. This was the first Senior League victory for Na Fianna since 1979 and represents a major milestone in the development of the Senior team. Over the past few years, we been bringing through 2 or 3 players from the successful Minor squads of 2008 onward and the League win marked a significant step in the development towards being serious contenders for Senior Championship in Dublin again. In the Championship Quarter-Final against St. Jude s, we came up just short on a night when the squad felt they didn t perform to their optimum has seen us struggle to meet the standards set in 2012 and we will not be in the top-four shake-up this year. We defeated Naomh Mearnog in the first round of the Senior Championship and St. Vincent s await in the next round once the All-Ireland has been played. Great pride all around in Jonny Cooper s performances in the Dublin team this year. Fantastic to see a Na Fianna footballer in Croker on the big days again. Mentors Mick Downes, Sean Forde, Kevin Stritch, Richie Neville Intermediate Football Following on from the achievements of 2012 which saw the team beaten narrowly in the league final this year was always going to be about consolidation and experience saw a few changes in personnel both playing and management with Kevin Bulman returning to the club as Manager and Tommy McKane and Harry O Donnell joining him as selectors. On the player front there were a number of new young players from the Minor panel coming on board. The year also saw 5 of last year s team going to the senior panel and a number of other players stepping down to junior level. Our league form has been patchy owing in some part to the personnel changes and number of injuries early in the season. In the Intermediate Championship we beat Naomh Fionnbarra by 9 points with a dramatic second half performance having trailed by 8 points after 25 minutes. St, Sylvesters are the opponents for the second round which has been delayed until after the All Ireland final. This is a very young team and the experience gained this year will be invaluable come next season. Thanks is due to Jimmy Ward for releasing his minor footballers to us when we struggled with numbers in the summer months. AFL8 The previous season had ended with promotion from AFL 9. The squad of players that started out was mainly the same panel as last year and a few new players to adult football up from minor Level joining. Training resumed in January and for most of the season we have trained with the AFL 10 and AFL 5 teams CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

9 CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October 2013 The season kicked off with some decent enough cup performances, but in the league it took us a few games to get used to the step up in divisions but around mid season we got on a run of wins that was helped by some very good championship wins. With 3 league matches remaining we are mid table with another win required to guarantee we don t end up in the relegation play off We played in the Junior C championship and had good wins away to St Annes and St Brendan s, but our championship run came to an end at the quarter final stage against Castleknock The season as a whole is going well with a good effort being put in by all the players, Mentors: Colin O Reilly, Pat O Connell, Aidan Collins, Brendan Mc Guinne Under 21 Football The Under 21 Football Championship was taken for the 2 nd year in a row in Capitalising on the talent that won Minor titles in 2008 and 2009, the team beat St. Maur s and Ballyboden to qualify for the final with Kilmacud Crokes, whom we had beaten in the 2011 final. A really tight encounter saw us come out the right side of a 0-10 to 1-4 scoreline. Odds on 3-in a row in 2013? The Minor victory in 2008 came a full 33 years after the club last won a Minor title and the U21 victory in 2011 came 32 years after the last one, so if all follows through as it should, Na Fianna will be challenging for Senior Championship any day soon. Mentors Pillar Caffrey, Clive O Reilly, Gerry Donohoe, Aidan Collins, Brendan O Malley Minor Football 2012 Season: The Minor football 2012 season was, as always, an eventful one stretching from January 2012 to December 2012 (for Minor B & C) and up to April 2013 for the As. With over players in the ranks, we fielded three league and championship teams. The 'A' team finished second in MFL Division 1 losing only one game to Kilmacud Crokes by two points to qualify for the Division 1 league final. In November 2012, we played the Kilmacud in the league final in Glenalbyn and were held to a draw due to a last minute Crokes penalty. After numerous false dawns, the replay was finally played in April 2013 in Mobhi Road where we emerged victorious by 2 points some tangible reward for the effort and hard work put in by this panel during the year. The 'B' team were up in MFL Division 3 for the first time along with the first teams of all the other clubs therein we played twelve games, won nine and finished joint second in the table, just missing out on a league final appearance by score difference. The 'C' team played in MFL Division 4c and played nine games, winning five and losing only in the games involving other clubs' first teams. In the Championship, both the A & B qualified out of their round robin groups in the A & B championships. The A s went down to our old adversaries Kilmacud by 1 point in the semi-final with the loss of county minor Emile Mullen, due to illness, keenly felt. The B s also lost out at semi-final stage to O Tooles first team by 3 points. Our C s ended up in the C championship (when realistically they should have been in D) and failed to qualify from their group. However, the importance of keeping players competing at C level is shown by the fact that some key members of the 2013 Minor A & B teams played at C level in 2012 and while they were U16s. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

10 On the inter-county front, Conor McHugh, Emile Mullen, Joey Fitzgibbon and Luke Carey were members of the Dublin team that won the 2012 All Ireland Minor Football Championship we congratulate them and fellow Na Fianna management team members, Dessie Farrell & Philip McElwee, on this great achievement Minor Management personnel: Jimmy Ward, Dave Buckley, Pat Brennan, Fearghal Scanlon, Tommy McKane, Frank Mc Grath, Michael Griffin, Des Ó Dubhlainn, Jackie Dolan, Austin Kilcommins, Bill Reid, Dave Williams, Brendan Roddy Minor Football 2013: Joint training for the new Minor Football season began in early January 2013 and with large numbers once again, Na Fianna entered three minor football league teams ( Div1 / Div3 / Div5(North ). The league campaigns have progressed satisfactorily with all players given opportunities to develop and show their skills across the teams. A team finished unbeaten at top of MFL Div 1, qualifying for their League Final, which has yet to be scheduled. B team are currently joint second in MFL Div 3 - if they win their remaining 2 games, they will also qualify for their League final. C team finished joint top of MFL Div 5N and also qualify for their League final. Hopefully we will have 3 League finals to look forward to later in the year. During the summer training continued along with challenge games for all teams. Championship now beckons with Na Fianna teams been graded in the MFC A, B and C. Once again our C team have to play in the C championship, probably due to their good MFL performance, but realistically they should be in the MFC D. The Championship format for 2013 will require each of our teams across the A/B/C championships to play 3 round robin games with the top 2 teams from their group qualifying for the Q/Final knockout stages. At time of writing both A & C teams have lost their first round games so for them it s knockout from now on. B s won their first round game and are in a healthier position. Thanks to the following for their help and co-operation during 2012/13: Minor Hurling mentors - Tom Ryan & Co (2012), Colum King & Co (2013) 2012 U-16 managers Tom Gray & Colm Burtchaell Des Ó Dubhlainn, Colum Cronin and Robbie Bourke for sorting pitches and training facilities We would also like to thank the many parents and supporters for their encouragement and for consistently providing transport, doing side-lines/umpires, supporting fundraisers, etc... Finally, thanks to our sponsors who quietly helped us provide the players with the care they deserve Minor Management personnel: Jimmy Ward, Dave Buckley, Pat Brennan, Fearghal Scanlon, John Murchan, Frank Mc Grath, John O Dea, Des Ó Dubhlainn, John Lynch, Austin Kilcommins, Dave Williams, Declan Fitzgerald. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

11 CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October 2013 ADULT HURLING AHL Senior 2013 has been a year of mixed fortune for the Senior hurlers. Once again a large number of young players have been blooded, with others gaining another years valuable experience, but overall the results have been disappointing and the challenge for everyone will be to improve on that in Training began on New Years Eve 2012 and extended panel put in a significant effort into the initial 7 weeks work under the guidance of Robbie Bourke. A new hurling coach came on board this year and Ben Dorney took on the hurling mantra from late February onwards. The commitment and energy the lads committed to this 5 month period was second to none but unfortunately it did not result in championship wins and that is what it is all about. League campaign has drawn to a close and AHL1 status secure for another year. Year started brightly with 7 points from 8 in the league but over the summer months we lost consistently as we struggled to field a team with so many lads away or injured. Championship campaign began with a narrow defeat to Judes in Parnell Park on a night where mistakes where made on the line and on the pitch ; we live and learn and together we drove on to face the county champions Kilmacud Crokes two weeks later. Despite performing well for large parts of the game, we were over ran and as a result now face into a critical championship play off to regain Senior A championship status. At time of print, play off is yet to be scheduled but will be over the coming weeks and large support for this game would be appreciated. Special word of mention to Joey Boland and Mairtin Quilty who won National League and Leinster Championship medals this year with Dublin ; well done to Conor McHugh and Sean Burke who made the Dublin Under 21 hurling squad and Tomas Brady continues to represent us and the club with great distinction at county level. It was a cruel, cruel blow that befell Tomas with his latest injury but we know he will be back sooner rather than later and we look forward to that day and wish him all the best with his recovery. New management and backroom team was in place this year and without their tireless work, the team could not function. Míle buíochas to Ben Dorney, Liam Burke, Sean O Laoire, Aisling O Connor, Eoin O Ceallachain, Cormac O Donnchu, Joey Boland, Colum Cronin, Colm Burtchaell, Robbie Bourke and especially to Donal Buggy who has been a wonderful medical support to the lads over the course of the year. Everyone involved really appreciates the work all these people put in. Special word of thanks to Dermot Moran, Tom Ryan and all the crew who ensure the main pitch in Mobhi Road is in such good condition ; it makes a huge difference to a hurling game and really is appreciated. Best of luck to Colum King and the Minors as they face into their championship season and we look forward to bringing some of these young players on to the Senior panel next year. Best of luck also to Finbar Gaffney and the Inters as they look to finish their league season in style and gain promotion. Liam O Donnell and Wayne Brogan continue their long term rehab from serious injury and we look forward to seeing them in action in early Welcome home to Caoimhin O Coigligh, Odhran O Maoileidigh and Kieran Murphy ; always good to have quality players back on board and we look forward to them challenging for a place on the team over the coming season. All the best to Paul Downes and Diarmuid Broderick as they begin new lives outside of Dublin ; you will be missed. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

12 Intermediate Hurling (AHL4) Captain: Ciaran Fanning. Vice Captain: Seosamh Breatnach. Since the AGM in 2012 we won the Junior Hurling Championship Final in Parnell Park in a great game of hurling against a strong Faughs team. We finished 4th in the league, narrowly missing out on promotion. Training resumed in January followed by 4 challenge matches in February and 2 Cup games in March. This preparation set us up for the commencement of the league in April with a win over Craobh Chiarain in Mobhi Road. Following our Championship win last year we are now up to Intermediate where several senior teams from Division 2 compete. We then played 3 consecutive Championship matches and recorded 2 good wins over St Marks and Fingallians; we lost out to a strong Whitehall (senior) team by 4 points. The league resumed with a hard earned win over Trinity Gaels and a disappointing loss to an injury time goal to Fingallians. We then beat Vincents and Good Counsel in our final group Championship matches to finish joint top of our group a significant achievement in our first year up at Intermediate. 5 league wins ensued where our resources were stretched to the maximum in the summer months. The highlight was a fantastic 1 point win (3-17 to 4-13) away to Ballyboden who were unbeaten. Championship resumed in early September with a home quarter final against a very strong Raheny side (who lost out to our Seniors last year in a league play off!). We had a disastrous first half, conceding 4 goals and went into the break 16 points down. We competed well in the second half and eventually lost by 13 points. We are on top of the league with 3 remaining games and in charge of our own destiny if we win these games we will win the league. We play Cuala at home on Sat 21 Sept, Marks away on Sun 6 Oct and Sc Ui Chonnaill at home on Sun 20 Oct. Managing a team is a significant logistical challenge, particularly due to the number of players who travel during the summer. We were supported by several minors during the summer months and they proved themselves more than capable of competing at this level. We have used a total of 37 players in 14 league and championship matches this year which is a measure of the challenge faced by all team managers. Players need to look at themselves and fully commit to their team by attending training and matches. Finally, we would like to thank Colum Cronin, Colum King and Dermot Moran for their support. Management: Frank Foley, Finbar Gaffney, Colum Meleady & Dick Shanahan. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

13 CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October 2013 Junior Hurling No Junior report submitted Minor Hurling At the time of writing the Minor Hurling Championship has just commenced. We had a good win on Sunday last (15th September) against Ballyboden St. Endas in our first outing. Next up is Whitehall Colmcille & then Cuala in the group stage. Here's hoping we can keep all our players injury free over the next few weeks in order to progress as far as possible. We play in Division 1 of the Minor Hurling league and although our target was to win the league, we lost a couple of games which left us out of contention. Due to the demands placed on our county hurlers & footballers there were days when we had to dig deep into our resources to field a team. Great credit must go to all those who stepped up when asked to play above their age group, and to those "B" players who adapted well to the pace of "A" hurling. It is a great tribute to the players, and to those who have coached them over the years, that we had 10 players on county minor squads this year. This is the first year that the current management team has been in place, and we hope we can follow the winning example inherited from last years management team. Our thanks also to the club for all the help received with pitches & training facilities etc. Colum King, Fran Cullen, Stephen Fitzgerald, Damian Murphy, & Eamon Rainsford. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

14 ADULT CAMOGIE Senior 1 Camogie (Senior) The 2012 season ended with the Senior 1 camogie team won our first league title in over 2 decades, so hopes were high starting into the 2013 season back in January. Despite a number of girls moving on from the panel due to travel, long-term injuries and work commitments we started with a stronger panel than ever before. Eight long weeks of pre-season training were put in prior to the league which commenced in March with a draw away to Lucan. Following that we won 5 out of our next 5 matches of the year. 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, Hannah McInerney, Grainne Ryan, Ellen Keatley and Cliona McCullagh. Grainne was the vice-captain of the Dublin Junior team and was an inspirational leader in their Junior All- Ireland win. Additionally Mags D Arcy from Wexford joined us this year and continued to represent Wexford who got as far as the semi-final stage of the Senior All- Ireland series. On resumption of the league we won our first game which set up a league final against St.Vincents. Unfortunately on the day Vincent s despite a phenomenal effort by the girls, they pulled away in the end and we finished as runner-up in the league. The championship commenced in late August with 2 great wins away to both Good Counsel and Raheny. In the final group match against our old rival of St. Vincent s in Mobhi road, on a beautiful September evening in a highly intense and physical match, Vincents once again pulled away from us in the second half. At the time of writing we are in the championship semi-final against Ballyboden St.Endas and are hoping to end the year with some silverware again!! We would like to firstly thank all 24 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 senior 2 team: Sandra Tarr, Colum King and Brendan Cooper for the assistance and support throughout the year. In particular we want to thank them for the development and encouragement of the younger players. This is essential for the continued success of the Senior 1 team. We also want to thank all the ATTs from Exwell who patched the girls up throughout the year, Adrian Kelly for his 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 we will give you something to cheer about over the next few weeks in the championship. The future is bright for this very talented bunch of girls, watch this space Mentors: Ciara O Reilly, Paddy O Reilly. Senior 3 Camogie (Intermediate) The easiest place to start is with the Senior 3 championship semi-final played on 19th September last. We were beaten by Portobello 2-4 to 1-6. The semi-final jinx struck again! We lost last year by two points in the semi-final, and now this year by one point. There was a feeling of total devastation at the final whistle, but in the days that have followed, there has been such a resolve among the girls to go that step further next year. They're already planning pre-season training. I suppose we all knew it was going to be a difficult season. We won promotion to Senior 2 last season, and it was always going to be a mammoth task against six other clubs first teams. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

15 CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October 2013 We weren't helped by the loss of five players from our squad to the Senior 1 team. However, not only did the team hold their own in the higher division, we finished only four points behind eventual winners Naomh Brid. The targets remain the same for next season; stay in Division 2 and win the Senior 3 championship. This very young team, will have learned so much from this year, and we have no doubt, that the goals set, will be achieved next season. Roll on Sandra Tarr, Brendan Cooper, Colum King Senior 6 Camogie (Junior) No report submitted CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

16 LADIES FOOTBALL (ADULT) Senior Ladies Football The 2013 season senior ladies squad is made up of 27 players and 4 backroom staff. The senior ladies have played 6 games in the league, winning 3. The senior ladies have won all 6 cup group games, topping the group, defeated St. Brigids in the semi final and are due to play Fingallions in the Senior Cup Final in the coming weeks. The senior team were also in the county final after qualifying from a tough group including Foxrock/Cabinteely (last years County Champions) and Fingallions. Unfortunately this year they were not successful narrowly losing out to Fingallions in a replay. The senior ladies team also played a number of strong challenges against inter county opposition in the lead up to the final including Dublin U21, Offaly and Fermanagh. The team, have also entered the All-Ireland 7 s competition taking place Saturday 28th September We would like to thank the club for their work, dedication and support, especially Colum Cronin for his time and patience with us. And also Tom Gilligan, The Duke and Two Harcourt Street. Mentors: Adrian Kelly, Ray Dorney, Johnny Quinn, Barry O Connell Junior Ladies Football A demanding year in a very competitive division. Progress was achieved in each competition league, cup and championship where we got out of our group and made the semi final. Training continued in the off-season and we would especially like to thank Frank and Cliodhna Daly for their handball sessions that kept us on our toes during pre-season. As the year progressed, injury hit a tight panel but the players lifted their performance and even in games lost, showed determination and talent to dominate for phases of the match. Thanks to the players who organised events during the year, including International 7 a side, Run a Muck, a successful table quiz and a themed? Christmas outing to mention just a few. The mentors would also like to acknowledge the support especially from injured players and friends, who have been fanatically loyal to the team. Thanks also to our club minor players who added energy and talent and fitted in so well especially in the championship campaign. The experience of playing in competitive championship games, often against first club adult teams, has strengthened their play, helped them adapt quickly and will act as a sound introduction to a successful and enjoyable playing career in adult ladies football. We look forward to building a broad and successful base for Ladies football in our club. Pat Naughton Minor Ladies Football This team competed in Division 1 of the League and ended on a high note with a good win away to Clontarf. The championship saw the club entering two teams, one in Division 1A and the second in Division 3. At the time of writing the Division 3 team has qualified for the Shield semi-final and the Division 1A team awaits a crucial match against Foxrock Cabinteely on October 12 th to decide its fate. No less than eighteen minor players have played this year for either the senior or junior club teams which is a record and bodes well for the future. Congratulations to Fiona Tuite who won a Leinster minor title playing at midfield for Dublin and narrowly lost out in the dying moments of an All-Ireland final replay on the ultimate honour. Mentors: Fionnuala Sexton, Tommy Cushen, Colum Cronin CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

17 CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October 2013 ACTIVITY REPORTS Juvenile Games Under 8 Football & Hurling JUVENILE GAMES - Football At the start of the year the 2005 boys graduated to the Go Game leagues from the nursery. Since then the group has played more than 75 games (over 25 hours of match time). In addition, there has been almost 33 hours in training sessions. The group has performed well against our opponents but we have lots of skills to work on. There are over 60 kids in the 2005 boys group and we have entered six teams in the Go Games (two 3 team groups). We have 14 very active and enthusiastic mentors to help out with the teams. Our group assisted the club in running a very successful Mini League during the summer. Each year Leinster GAA invites teams from all over the province to play at Croke Park. Over the Easter break a number of the 2005 boys were invited to play a hurling match. The lucky kids had a fantastic day and were well supported by very proud parents. As the first group to achieve 100% paid subscriptions for the year, the club presented us with a 500 voucher to purchase equipment. The voucher allowed us to get much needed additional footballs, sliotars, bibs, first aid kit, etc. Since our first training session this year on a very wet Friday night in January the kids have all improved immensely. Their passion for the games makes it an enjoyable process for all involved. We hope to see further improvement over the coming year and look forward to moving to the next phase of the Go-Games. Under 9 Football & Hurling The "2004 Na Fianna Boys Football and Hurling Teams" had a very successful year. In January we began to train two nights a week, one football and one hurling. This assisted the jump to under 9 back in February, when the big question was whether to play balanced or streamed teams. We started out with balanced teams and after a some deliberation, we quickly realised it is best to fully stream. We participate in 2 different groups. The boys are given the opportunity to move between C to B and B to A and vice versa. This sometimes takes a little diplomacy, but it is done as fairly as possible. Numbers have remained very similar to last year with about 73 playing football and 60 playing hurling. Most play both codes, with approximately 15 only playing football and 2 play only hurling. They are a dedicated bunch and are very well motivated by their parents. We have 6 teams participating in Football and 5 participating in Hurling Go Games. From the Mentors side it was very rewarding year. There were a few challenges to overcome, but we strive to learn from every new experience. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

18 Between both codes, we were scheduled to play and played approx 176 games from Sept 2012 to July This was mostly Go Games, but various tournaments as well. We found it necessary to cancel games on 1 day due to Communion commitments. In June the 2004 boys teams travelled to Dicksboro,Kilkenny for a hurling game and day out. It was great to get away with the boys for our 1st day trip outside Dublin. It was also an education to pit ourselves against a Kilkenny Club. Southern Gaels, a Westmeath hurling club brought 2 teams to play against us in July on Leinster Hurling Final day. This was their 2nd year to travel to play us. In addition, during May, we were invited to field an A and B side in a Ballyboden Hurling Tournament. Our A Team reached their Final and were unlucky to be beaten by the hosts. Our B Team performed brilliantly and won their 1st final. In football we were invited to 2 A tournaments, by Kilmacud Crokes and O'Tooles. The boys performed brilliantly and reached both finals. On Bank holiday Monday in June, we hosted a group of 35 boys from Clann na ngael (Roscommon) and played 3 challenge football matches and looked after their travelling group in Na Fianna with food and beverages. This was a successful event for all involved. To give the C boys tournament time, Paddy Connolly organised a C Football Blitz in St Mobhi Road, with 6 clubs in July. This was very well received by all the clubs,and run very smoothly thanks to Paddy. In April, Paul McCarville organised to bring 25 boys to the National League Football Final. This was a fantastic day out, made even better by Dublin's victory over a strong Tyrone team. We were very successful in collecting club subscriptions. As usual the boys really enjoyed the Mini Leagues. From this we have a couple of new players. The boys are already looking forward to next years mini leagues, which will unfortunately be their last to participate in. Finally and most importantly, it is clearly visible the improvement of the boys ability and skill over the last year. The boys easily won more "Go Games" than we lost in both codes, even if this is not a requirement for participation, it keeps the players keen to continue. The 2004 Boys Mentors Under 10 Football The 2003 Boys, under 10s, recommenced training in January with friendlies then go-games for the rest of the year. We have been again concentrating on the basic skills appropriate to under 10s and progress was slow. However once we entered a few blitz competitions the lads understanding of team work and team play came to the fore for the first time. All the coaches noted this as the major achievement of CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

19 CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October 2013 the year. The core concepts are for the lads to enjoy the football and improve their skills and interest in the game. Numbers were solid through the year, fielding 5 teams with the help of the under 9s and some younger brothers thrown in to balance the numbers, performing admirably it must be said. Highlights of the year were competing very well in two blitzes in Naomh Gall, Belfast and Tinahealy, Wicklow respectively. Not to forget a pre summer training session by Dubs full back Rory O Carroll. Numbers are steady but we will need to unearth some new faces to continue fielding five teams next year. Thanks to all the players and their committed as ever parents for lifts and help setting up pitches in Collinstown. Thanks also to the under 9 players who boosted our numbers. Mentors: Dave Scanlon, Aidan Kelly, Ray Pugh, Leo Fay, Paul Lambert, Philip Lynch, Jim Grennan, Peter Guinan, Jim Grew, Brian Williams, Hugh O Brien, Tom Hickey and Ben Conroy. Under 11 Football 2013 began for the 2002 boys looking forward to moving on from the Go Games and into a more competitive league format. However rule changes in Parnell Park meant that we continued to adopt the Go Games approach but were now playing South side teams as well as Northside. This was a very welcome but somewhat challenging development. We have 73 boys on our panel distributed across 5 teams, this breaks out into 2 groups; a 3 team group and a 2 team group. While we continue to have strong numbers we have seen a small number of boys retire their football jersey for a variety of reasons. However we have also been delighted to welcome some new boys to our ranks. Our entire panel trains together and we started off the year in Feb in St Mary's all weather pitch. As the days grew longer we moved to Johnstown Park. Both facilities cater well for our large numbers. We continue to focus on individual skills and team play but introduced some speed and core strengthening exercises this season. The boys certainly enjoyed the strength work but less so the sprints! Our training regime continues to evolve as the boys do but participation and fun are the corner stones for us. Some of the panel took part in the Kilmacud Crokes annual invitational blitz and won the Plate competition this year. We have also been invited to the inaugural Templeogue Synge Street Football Blitz at the end of September Our plan for the remainder of 2013 is to continue to develop all the boys and build a strong panel for next year. We are also planning a fund raiser and a fun away day for the group. More anon! Finally we want to thank all the parents and guardians 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 whilst reminding us of what it s all about. Mentors: Andy Matthews, Dara McGowan, Dave Kerins, Dermot Conroy, Dermot Kane, Fergus McCabe, Mark Brabazon, Paul Flynn, Philip Mongey, Shane Coleman, Shay McHugh, TJ Gleeson, Pairic Clerkin, Jim Deane CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

20 Under 12 Football Our Under 12 Footballers continued to progress during the past year. Fielding three 13-a-side Go Games teams and working with a 50 strong panel our emphasis remains on skill development. A big thanks to Niall Cooper, Mark O Dea and Stephen McGlinchey for their valuable inputs over the last few months. Also thanks to all the parents and mentors for their co-operation during the year. Mentors: Kieran Brennan; Ciaran Burke; Stephen McGlinchey; Mark O Dea; Ricky O Sullivan; Joe Smyth and Paul Smith Under 13 Football This year has been very much one of transition for the 2000 footballers with the change to fullsized pitches, full rules and of course the move to secondary school. There are large numbers in the 2000 group with over 70 registered footballers, excellent retention and turnouts. A decision was consequently taken this year to field four teams (a non-competitive D team was added to Division 7). The reason was practical; during one of the grading league days, we had 19 substitutes across the A, B and C panels and we felt, as a group, that players at this age should have game time. The developmental imperative was emphasised to parents. The commitment of the children and support of parents for the various management teams has been excellent though, at this age group, the issue of balancing time, space, school sports commitments and other codes remains a big challenge for all involved. Division 1 is fiercely competitive this year though despite a disjointed start to the season due to weather disruption, the A panel is competing very well. A sequence of narrow defeats early in the year has put the squad on the back foot but this is not being allowed to obscure the long-term aim of the management which is to ensure that the players individual and collective development as Gaelic footballers is prioritised. A management plan for the next 12 months is in place to ensure that this focus is maintained. With all bar one of the A football panel also playing hurling, there is an excellent relationship between both management groups. It has been a very good season for the B panel (our A and B squads train collectively). The team is developing all the time and great progress in skill levels has been made by all, reflected in the elevation of a number of players to the A squad. After a slow start the team got back to winning ways and have shown great character in their matches. They put the early defeats behind them and have dragged themselves back into contention for the league with 4 matches to go. With a bit of luck the lads might gain promotion for a second year in a row. The C panel, who have improved rapidly under the guidance of Conor Buckley and Paul O Dea, stand in joint second in their division and continue to enjoy excellent turnouts and commitment from players. An emphasis on skills development remains the priority while game time is guaranteed by the inclusion of the non-competitive D squad, facilitated by the help of Eoin McCabe. Mentors: A: Seán Potts, Ian Foley, Michael O Leary. B: Stephen O Neill, Bernie Caffrey, Paul Nolan. C: Conor Buckley, Paul O Dea. Co-ordinator: Brian Skelly. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October

21 CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October 2013 Under 14 Football The Na Fianna U14 footballers(1999) had a very exciting 2013 they entered 2 teams in the in the U14 Dublin football leagues in Division1 and Division6 and competing in the 2013 Annual Feile. League performance to date show our Division1 team leading their Division and will be in contention to qualify for Top Four play series. Division6 team is currently mid-table winning 50% of their games to date. We have managed to bring through 2-3 boys from the B team which has created good competition for the A squad. Feile proved yet again to be a fantastic experience for all the players. Our Division1 team was beaten in the Dublin Feile Final and the Division6 team narrowly missing out on a semi-final place. The experience was positive for all concerned and all boys got good game time. The fundraising for Feile was a good experience with particular thanks to those who came along to the Table quiz we ran which was a good source of income and a good social night for all concerned. Thanks to all who contributed but particular thanks to those who came along who had no direct connection with the boys. One note of disappointment was the decision taken to move the hosting of the Div 6 feile from the Mobhi road to Collinstown this caused a good deal of irritation amongst the group. Number continue to hold up with 40/43 boys regularly attending training sessions and matches. A sincere thanks to all the parents, coaches and sponsors for their invaluable help throughout the year. Under 14C Football At the start of the season, we entered three teams as usual as we had sufficient players and wanted to give real game time to as many as possible. However, early in the season, some players left the club or stopped playing football, so we struggled with numbers, but got great support from the U14B team. We found it difficult to compete - we are a genuine C team, (With help from the U14 B team) but were often playing single team clubs or teams made up of a lot of U14A players. We had a tough season, with no match wins. The under 15 boys showed great spirit and continued to turn up despite the poor results. Well done to all. Next season we will enter only two teams and hopefully have a better season. Under 15 Football Under 15A The 1998 football group continue to field three teams at u/15 level. Numbers remain fairly consistent although we have lost a few players this year. However with the help of the U/14s we have never been in a situation where we have been unable to field full teams. The biggest problem we have encountered this year is the number of injuries received by our players. Not all the injuries were received while playing football but it is a concern that so many players are receiving various injuries. This year we are very fortunate in that three of the senior football players have taken on a coaching role for the group. This has been extremely encouraging for the boys and already we can see the benefits that the coaching has had, and hopefully will continue to have. CLG Na Fianna AGM 3 October