News

Date 2010-08-31

FIXTURES   The Intermediates are at home to Tinahely in a Division 1 game on Thursday night. The team would be delighted with your support.
The ladies have a crucial championship match against Valleymount on September 12th.  Time and venue to be decided.
 
A week of turnarounds in Gaelic of all sorts and sizes.  At national level, in Dublin v Cork All-Ireland semi-final and a near miss in Down v Kildare game, in both All-Ireland minor semi-finals, in Wicklow’s defeat in the ladies Junior All-Ireland quarter-final and our Junior A’s defeat to Kilmac in Ashford on Sunday evening.
In the ladies’ game Wicklow saw a 10 point lead, based like that of Galway minors in last Sunday’s game on a plethora of goals, turned into a 1 point deficit and defeat by the concession of one of those late, late, no-chance-to-recover goals.  Devastating for all the team and not least for the Éire Óg girls who had made a huge contribution (half-backs Lorna Fusciardi and Niamh Kelly and half-forward Caoilfhionn Deeney 3-1) to the Wicklow effort.  The loss was this week-end rendered all the more unpalatable by the news that Louth had beaten Derry to advance to the All-Ireland final. 
If one confesses to having had a more than passing interest in the outcome of the contest, one hopes that you will be kind enough to indulge me in a little digression from interests purely local to those national to consider last Sunday’s minor game between Cork and Galway.  A leithéid de cluiche! (what a match!) for skill, good hands and good feet, for “point and goal scoring” (with thanks to that famous Corkman the Bould Thady Quill), athleticism, unsullied sportsmanship and unsurpassed excitement..  In short, sporting entertainment of the highest order which arguably could compete with that produced at any level in any team sport in 2010.  And all this from players of 18 years and under.  In short, a game which would have exposed to the open minded the wonderful potential that lies in Gaelic football for the development of the team ethos and the promotion of youthful athleticism.  To think then that many schools exclude the sport from their curriculum purely on the basis of its origins and social milieu. 
 
INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP  A person remarked to me recently that every match has its unique character and while history may be a good indicator as to its outcome, it is far from being an infallible one.  In other words, every championship match is a potential banana-skin and none can be treated with complacency.  One would have said that Tuesday night’s Intermediate championship game against Ashford in An Tochar had the ring of inevitability about it – an Éire Óg victory.  In the event, the outcome, as evidenced by the half-time score of 1-4 to 0-3, was not so clear cut.  Éire Óg hit the ground running, perhaps one might say, a little too fast.  Many of their movements came from an eagerness which prioritised speed over steadying reflection, and so, passes went astray and points were missed.  As a result we fell behind in the early stages and did not look at all comfortable.  Nerves were settled somewhat when Conor Monaghan capitalised on a well taken pass from Willie O’Hagan.
During the 1st half and even into 10 minutes of the 2nd half Éire Óg failed to exert a clear-cut dominance and not a little of Ashford ball found its way to the Éire Óg full-back line.  The return on this ball, however, was poor because of its quality, high to smaller forwards, and more especially because of a sterling display of full-back play by Alan Costelloe – his fielding was immaculate and his delivery pinpoint.  Ashford’s spirit was eventually broken by a second Éire Óg goal – Graham Morris, after a spectacular fetch, found Conor Monaghan with a well-timed pass and Conor’s trusty left did the rest.  The centre-field pairing of Willie Kavanagh and Ronan Hannaway was very effective throughout. Willie, shorn of his beautiful locks, (aren’t we lucky that his footballing skills are superior to those of his barbering?!) had an outstanding game.  Craig Smullen, back after a bout of illness, played a key role in linking defence and attack and Leon Hargan was industrious in the half-forward line.  Johnny Barry came in after half-time and scored  4 points (2 from frees).  Johnny made the return journey from Athlone, where he is working at present, to play in the game. 
By virtue of this victory Éire Óg have qualified for the play-off stages.  However, their next game against Aughrim will determine whether they will top the group.   
DEA-GHUÍONNA   Best wishes to Hilda O’Toole who has returned home after a period in hospital and to Ciarán (Mossie) Gaskin who is recovering from a by-pass operation.
COMHBHRÓN  to the family of Ted Crowley who died recently.  Ted was grandfather to Alan Joyce who plays minor football for the club.  He was a former classmate of yours truly.  Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam fhlaithiúil.
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Date 2010-08-31

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