Exciting season under review at Duhallow GAA Convention
2019 can only be described as an eventful season with the highlights coming under scrutiny at the Duhallow Junior GAA Board Convention in the Kanturk GAA Clubrooms on this Thursday at 8pm.
2019 marked a productive year for many clubs and Divisional Secretary Tony McAulliffe will relate to delegates that a number of clubs fulfilled significant ambitions on landing divisional and county honours.
With Boherbue maintaining their domestic dominance in football with a three in a row of honours, Much different elsewhere, Newmarket bridging a 40 year gap to regain a divisional JAHC title and the divisional Senior footballers progressed to a County final for the second consecutive season.
“2019 was another very successful year for Duhallow with a good spread of divisional titles among the clubs, however very poor weather conditions at the beginning and end of the year contributed to a huge amount of disruption in our fixtures programme,” said the Report.
“The main highlights of the year were the capturing of a County Intermediate football title by Knocknagree and the massive contribution made by Duhallow players to the Cork under 20 and Minor football teams. It was also a successful year for our divisional Scor representatives who captured both county and provincial honours and competed in All Ireland Finals to serve their division and County proud,” said An Runaí.
Coiste Duiche Ealla consists of twenty adult clubs affiliated again in 2018, the Secretary highlighting difficulties of falling population and movement of natives to larger urban centres.
“It became necessary for the board to run a twelve a side competition in football to ensure the survival of a number of clubs who are struggling with numbers. This is a situation that needs to be addressed urgently by the national and county committees to ensure that many rural clubs countrywide do not face extinction,” he says.
Five U-21 amalgamations were also necessary as some clubs had insufficient numbers to field an U21 team.
“I would like to thank everybody who contributed to the success of our divisional teams throughout the year especially management teams and backroom staff. Also a word of thanks to all the players who made themselves available to represent the division as I am fully aware of the many demands made on players in the current environment,” said An Runaí.
“I would ask all clubs to actively encourage their players to make themselves available for the various divisional teams in the coming year as participation at a higher level improves the player therefore benefitting the club,” he said.
The outgoing Duhallow Junior Board comprises of President, Tom Dennehy (Kiskeam); Chairman: Joe Kerins (Kanturk); Vice Chairman: Steven Lynch (Boherbue); Secretary Tony McAulliffe (Lismire); Development Officer, Seán McAulliffe (Kilbrin); Cultural Officer: Liam Buckley (Kilbrin); PRO John Tarrant.