GRASSROOTS
ÉIRE ÓG GREYSTONES
Winning lotto numbers for Tuesday, November 1, were 8, 14, 15, and 27. There were two match three winners, James Smullen and Ciarán Demery who shared the €200.
The senior footballers’ year is ending in an upswing in performance and fortune. Hopefully their disappointing showing in the championship can now be consigned to the past and their recent displays are a truer measure of the squad’s character.
In their last three games the team’s opponents were semi-finalists in the county championship viz. St. Pats, Bray Emmets and Rathnew. Our lads proved well up to the challenge, winning against Bré and Rathnew and losing by a narrow margin to St. Pats.
The signs of a resurgence of form were to be seen in the St. Pats game, a home fixture about three weeks ago. This was the visitors’ first league match after their unexpected loss to Baltinglass in the county final.
Pre-game speculation centred on how this defeat was going to affect the opposition’s performance.
Was it going to dent their enthusiasm and commitment or was it going to incentivise their league ambitions? However, either way their fitness would not be in question and the Éire Óg hosts were fully aware that they were in for a physically demanding hour.
The lads had, however, the considerable spur of the desire to prove that their poor performance against the same opposition in the championship was out of character.
An intriguing encounter was in prospect. In the event, while lacking championship bite, the game turned out to be quite an entertaining one with plenty of fast open football and a regularly alternating scoring pattern.
Indeed the outcome remained in doubt right to the end. A few minutes before the final whistle Éire Óg led by two points and a home win was on the cards. But unfortunately it was not to be. The absence of captain Darren Hayden was sorely felt as the team could have done with a little more oomph up front.
There is an evocative photograph on the club’s Facebook page of the lads heading onto the pitch for the Division 1 match against Bray in Bray.
In it they exude an air of confidence and determination which calls for the paraphrasing of the opening verse of Roddy McCorley: “Oh see the fleet-foot host of men, who march with faces set ……..they come with resolution in their eyes and Emmet’s hopes will surely die on their own green sward to-day”.
Éire Óg won 1-08 to 0-07. Na Clocha Liatha had the advantage of a strong wind in the first half and it was vital that they have a good lead at the break.
As it turned out they were, thanks to a great goal by young Liam Maguire, the reasonably comfortable, but considering the wind, the not at all secure lead of five points ahead at the break.
The second half was mostly a case of battening down the hatches and this was effectively achieved by a hard-working defence.
An excellent all-round team performance with outstanding contributions from Jamie McDonald (MOTM), Danny Wood, Pat Egan, J.P. Connolly and Matthew Maguire.
The game saw the welcome return of captain Darren Hayden to the fray.
Congratulations - One has to be grateful that neither of the Éire Óg hurling teams was scheduled to play (not totally fortuitous, no doubt) a game during the Hallow’een week-end.
The club would have had either to pay a fine for non-appearance – not a particularly desirable option in our present parlous state – or to have fielded a ‘spooked’ 15 incapable of offering a resistance of substance.
This dilemma would have arisen because the senior hurling captain Billy Cuddihy’s marriage to Claire Byrne of Annacurra had been arranged for the Saturday and many of the squad had been invited to share their joyous occasion.
One has only to put together Peter Keane, Pearse’s Park and Billy’s stag to visualise the effect this sharing might have had on the players’ match-fitness. Guímid beannacht Dé ar Billy agus Claire and may they have a long and happy life together.
And may they live to see, as implied in the traditional wish ‘sliocht sleachta ar shliocht a sleachta’, a few generations of offspring.
Congratulations also and dea-ghuíonna to Karen Ellard and Eoin Gubbins on their recent marriage. Both Karen and Eoin played for a time with Éire Óg. Beannacht Dé orthu beirt agus go raibh saol fada acu le chéile
ST PATRICK’S
Our Senior lads travelled to Greystones on Friday evening to take on Blessington in the semi-final of the Dunne Cup.
In a repeat of the Senior championship semi-final on a frosty Friday evening St Pats played with the wind down the hill, St Pats took the game to Blessington to go in at half time 0-09 to 1-02.
Blessington started the second half but the pressure from the St Pats defence kept the scoring to a minimum.
An excellent performance from Brian Coen throughout saw St Pats finish strongly scoring five points in the last six minutes from the boot of Stephen Duffy to reach the Dunne Cup final on a score line of 0-15 to 1-06.
Team: Ian Murphy. Wayne Doyle, Emmet Cullen, Ciaran Doyle, Conor Ffrench, Padraig Higgins, John Crowe, Shane Doyle, Ritchie Murphy, Brian Coen, Stephen Duffy, Bryan Doyle, Eamonn Wolfe, Gary Duffy and Conor O’Brien.
The Coláiste Chill Mhantáin First Year Boys’ Gaelic Football team played their first match of the year against Coláiste Craobh Abhainn on Monday, October 24.
Coláiste Chill Mhantáin started the game very strongly and enjoyed most of the possession in the first half.
Mark Evans and Ryan Beale were particularly impressive during the opening period, with each player scoring a goal apiece to give CCM a four point lead at half time.
The half-time break seemed to halt the momentum of CCM, and CCA upped the pressure for the remainder of the game. CCM were not helped by injuries to some key players, which may have been a factor in conceding two goals in a short space of time.
CCM couldn’t seem to register scores as easily as CCA in the second period, although a goal from Ross Quinn reduced the deficit to three points with the game going into the final stages.
A late free kick from close range gave CCM the chance to draw level, but with so many defenders standing on the line, the task proved too difficult. CCA were able to hang on for a three point win on a final score of CCM 3-04 CCA 2-10. Thank you to Mr Tiernan, Team Coach. Dates for your Diary: St Patricks GAA club will host the Scór na n-Óg county final this year on Friday, November 11. The competitors will be under 17.
Wicklow GAA County Convention is set for Monday, December 12.
The 2016 AGM will be held in the clubhouse on Thursday, December 1, at 8p.m.
Individuals interested in managing adult playing teams for 2017 should submit their name and management team proposals to the secretary prior to the AGM. Management teams will be appointed by the Executive Committee.
If any club member has any queries please contact our club secretary at: Secretary.stpatricks.wicklow@gaa.ie.
St Patricks GAA Club have distributed the All-Ireland club draw tickets. Please return to relevant team managers as soon as possible
We had no jackpot winners in our club lotto this week! Numbers drawn were 6, 11, 13 and 16. The bonus number was 2. We had two Match three winners: Liam Leonard c/o Louis Carroll and Siobhan Dunlop c/o Alan O’Brien
Thanks to the weekly club lotto sellers who give up their time to help raise funds for the club. It’s greatly appreciated.
Make sure you buy a ticket each week and you could be the winner of our match four prize €2,200 or match five €10,000 jackpot!
Our sincere condolences to the family of Patrick (Pat) Kavanagh St. Laurence’s Road, Wicklow Town, Wicklow, who passed away peacefully at St. Vincent’s University Hospital Dublin. Loving husband of the late Pauline and Loving father of Pat (Sting), Billy, James, Terry, Brendan, Nicky and Johnny, sadly Missed by his loving children, sisters Margaret and Teresa, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great grandchildren, brothersin-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, relatives and friends. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam Please send any information for club notes to Pro.stpatricks.wicklow@gaa.ie before 9pm on Sunday evenings. You can contact St Pats at Facebook St Patrick’s GAA Club Wicklow.
BALLINACOR
The club are running a race night this Sunday in Glenmalure Lodge starting at 7pm. Thanks to everyone who’s sponsored us already and sponsorship might still be available.
If anybody is interested contact players or committee members. All support appreciated on the night, its always great craic so please come along!
KNOCKANANNA
Lotto - No winner of this week’s jackpot of €5,600. Numbers drawn were: 10, 11, 13, and 17. No winner.
Two match threes: Syl Gorman and Jim Lancaster, €50 each. Seller’s prize: Paul Canna.
The jackpot now stands at €5,700. Tickets are on sale in the Wagon Wheels, Jacob’s, Byrne’s shop, Knockananna and you can also purchase a ticket in Boland’s pub, Hacketstown, the Corner House and Sean Murphy’s Butchers. Thank you for your continued support. The Championies will make their final appearance of the year at the club’s Dinner Dance in the Woodenbridge Hotel, November 25, at 8.30pm.
So, if you would like to join these fine gentlemen, you can purchase a ticket (€30) from Dawn Byrne, Andrew Byrne, Paul Canna, Paul Lancaster or Padraig Lancaster.
Numbers would be required for the Hotel fairly lively so if you can contact any of the above as soon as possible it would be much appreciated.
LARAGH
This year’s Dinner Dance will be held on Saturday, November 19, in the Glendalough Hotel. This is to honour our 1976 champions and this year’s Division 3 League winners.
Tickets are now on sale and are priced at €30 each this includes a three-course meal and music on the night.
If you want tickets get your order in ASAP as the list is getting long. Contact any committee member for tickets.
Best of luck to Avondale under-16s who play Baltinglass in the ‘A’ league semi-final this Friday in Annacurra at 7.30pm. All support welcome.
Hard luck to Avondale’s under-14s who got beaten in their final last Sunday morning.
Laragh GAA send its deepest sympathies to the Holden family on the death of Seamus last week.
AGB
AGB Minor girls are Minor county champions after defeating Tinahely on Sunday in the Minor county championship final.
This was a huge achievement for the AGB girls and the final piece of silverware to be added to the AGB ladies collection this season.
The AGB team arrived on the pitch and quickly got the game going.
The first score of a goal from the Tinahely side never daunted the girls, who quickly got stuck in. The girls were strong and determined not to let Tinahely slip by them again.
They kept the ball moving through them and the hard work they had been putting in on the training field was evident as they played together as a strong team.
AGB dominated the field for the majority of the first half as the AGB girls were on fire and were not a team to be reckoned with.
They went into the half-time break leading 2-09 to Tinahely 1-00.
The momentum the girls had created in the first half continued through to the second half, and Tinahely found it very hard to break through.
The AGB girls remained strong and fast as further scores were clocked up and the AGB side remained the dominant side on both the pitch and scoreboard.
The whistle blew and a thrilled AGB side finished with a final score of 3-18 to 2-02.
Congratulations to the Minor ladies and their management, from all at AGB on their very successful season.
A special word of thanks to Christy’s in Arklow who provided meals for the team and their families on their return home with the cup.
The AGB Intermediate team’s journey into the Leinster GAA Championship ended on Saturday as they suffered defeat to St. Colmcilles (Meath county champions) in the Leinster GAA Championship quarter-final in Pearses’ Park.
A huge crowd of supporters turned out to watch the AGB men take on the mighty Meath team, and were treated to a great game of football.
AGB gave it their all and proved to be a tough match against the Meath side. The first half saw the visitors take a swift lead and put the home side through their paces.
However, AGB never relented. They pushed themselves on, and although St. Colmcilles went into the half time break leading, AGB came into the second half fighting to regain some control.
They shortly brought the match to a level score and the pressure was on from both teams. Tensions were high and the second half was full of action.
Unfortunately a three-point lead was in St. Colmcilles favour and the match ended 1-16 to St. Colmcilles, 2-10 AGB.
The Wicklow county champions were defeated and the Leinster journey although short lived is only the start of a promising future for this AGB team. A season of victory will be behind them, one that everyone in AGB is so proud to have witnessed, and a new season at Senior level lies ahead.
However with still some league games to play out the season is not yet over for these lads.
AGBs Juvenile Annual General AGM takes place on Friday, November 16. If you have any nominations for any position on the 2017 committee please contact any member of the outgoing committee.
AGB’s Men’s Annual General AGM takes place on Friday, November 16. If you have any nominations for any position on the 2017 committee please contact any member of the outgoing committee.
AGB’s Annual General Meeting is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 25, in the Ballymoney Clubhouse.
The next meeting of the Arklow Geraldines Ballymoney Club Executive is scheduled for Wednesday, November 16, at 8.00pm in Pearses’ Park.
Please send club notes to arklowgaa@gmail. com You can contact the AGB PRO at above email, Facebook (‘Arklow Geraldines Ballymoney GAA Club’ or ‘AGB Ladies’) or Twitter.