Grange celebrate past and present successes at social

GRANGE GAA Club held their victory social in Vienna Woods Hotel, Glanmire last Friday night with a fine attendance present. The highlight of 2019 was the winning of the County JBFC(1) title. Guests included Chairman Avondhu Board Arthur O’Keeffe, and his wife Ann, County Board Treasurer Diarmuid Gowen, and his wife Mary, along with Paddy Ryan, GAA correspondent and former Board PRO.

Mr Gowen said was honoured to address a club like Grange which has a proud history. He paid tribute to the work being done by the club officers, committee and all involved for the great work they do on behalf of the association in Cork and in particular in the Grange and North Cork areas. He congratulated the club on their endeavours both on and off the field. 2019 was a very good year for the club.

The highlight of the year was othe winning of the County JBFC(1) title. This victory was all the sweeter when you think back to 2015 and 2018 and the heart break that was suffered in County final defeats. Persistence paid off with a good win in the 2019 final.

Being a small rural club, Mr Gowen said, throws up its own challenges, particularly in regard to playing numbers. He said it is all about continued effort and consolidating what you’ve got and continuing the progress forward.

The County Board Treasurer was delighted that the ladies football has started and is being promoted in the club.

“Ladies football is the fastest growing sport in the country and some analysts would say Europe. It is a perfect fit for a club like Grange and it can lead to huge positives for the club,” he said, wishing all the best in this endeavour.

Mr Gowen thanked the club for their continued efforts and work in promoting the Cork GAA Club’s Draw. The draw in the county has been a tremendous success over a good number of years. The numbers in the draw from Grange are very high in comparison to other clubs who have far greater club membership.

He spoke of the great work being done at club level.

“Merely retaining the status quo is in itself hard work,” he said. “Grange club epitomises all of what is good about the GAA. It is that it is well organised as it prepares for the challenges of the future.”

Arthur O’Keeffe Avondhu vice-chairman, said he Social marked a splendid year for Grange in 2019. This County championship success he described as very scattered with a lot of travelling.

“Your club came very close to reaching the Munster final losing out by a two-point margin in the semi final. You will be playing JAFC this year and I have no doubt ye will be a force in the years ahead,” he said.

Mr O’Keeffe acknowledged the work of Dave Roche as the Board delegate for many years. Looking back at the 1979 team that won the County JAFC title 11 of that side attended Grange National School. He hoped that some Grange players would be available to the Avondhu Senior side for the upcoming County SFC.

PJ Roche outlined that the current Grange team had players from four counties, 13 clubs and one from Italy.

“At the moment we are a small club with 20 players having scored during the year. Between league and Championship, County and Divisional, Grange played 21 competitive games in 2019. Their overall score in the 21 games was 30 goals 189 points. They conceded 22 goals and 189 points,” Roche said.

“Noel Barry was the club’s top scorer with 4-65, David Keating was second with 5-15, Alan McNamara was in third spot with 5-22, Kurt Wheeler was in 4th spot with 4-21 while in fifth place was John Carmody with 2-13. The lowest score recorded in 2019 was in the County final when Grange defeated Goleen 2-4 to 0-7. In the 1979 County JAFC final Grange scored 0-14 to Knocknagree’s 2-4.”

Paddy Ryan, former Board PRO, recalled the 1979 County JAFC final in Buttevant where a strong Grange side took the County title defeating Knocknagree. Forty years later ye have the County JBFC(1) title. He paid tribute to the club members who kept the club going over that long period of 40 years. Grange were very competitive in the past six years reaching the knockout stages of the County JBFC a number of times.

In 2015 they reached the County final but came up against a great Kilmeen side. This was a one-sided final with Kilmeen winning by 5-14 to 0-5.

In 2018 Grange again did well. They defeated Goleen in the County semi-final and faced Ballinacurra in the County final. The game finished in a draw 2-8 to 1-11. In the County final replay Grange lost out by 3-11 to 2- 7.

This past year they met Ballinacurra in the County JBFL league final. On a night where Grange had a lot of wides Ballinacurra came out on to by 0-13 to 0-11. Last year Grange had a good run in the County JBFC and in the final overcame Goleen by 2-4 to 0-7.

For next year Grange will be up a grade in both league and championship when they will face Ballyclough in the Avondhu JAFC. Grange will also compete in the Under-21 FC and will be in the

Division 1 JFL.

County JBFC(1) medals were presented by Diarmuid Gowen to the Gavin Dawson, John Magnier, Mark Timlin, Brian Cashman, Darragh Scott, Michael Hennessy, John Roche, Devon Roche, Ricky Fraher, Alan Deegan, Noel Barry, Kurt Wheeler, John Carmody, Alan McNamara, Dave Keating, Noel Cashman, Sean O’Connor, Jordan Kelleher, Kieran Kelleher, Barry Kennedy, Darren Roche, Peter Stapleton, Niall McCarthy, Kevin Murphy, Lee Tobin, Mark McCarthy, Sam Cashman, Giacomo Moretti, Colin Scott.

The team management were Tadhg O’Donoghue (trainer) with selectors Padraigh Howard, John O’Gorman, Noel Cashman and P J Roche.

The player of the year award’ went to John Magnier. A new award this year was presented; the Walter Bermingham Memorial Award. The late Wattie Bermingham was of great football renown in the club. He was a member of the Grange Mocklers club that won the North Cork football title in 1935. He was club secretary in 1959 when Grange won the Novice football title. The inaugural presentation of this trophy was to well known club man Christy Roche.

Christy played his first football in Town Leagues in Fermoy in 1956. He was a founder member of the current club when it was reformed in 1959. Grange had a hurling team known as St Finian’s in the early 60s. Christy was elected Club Secretary from 1961 to 1966. He then became Chairman in 1967 and continued as an officer for 33 years. During his playing career Christy won seven North Cork medals and many league medals during an illustrious career. Christy Roche also played senior football for Avondhu and was a senior selector.

Apart from GAA, Christy was an athlete of note and was a founder member of Grange A.C. He served as an Officer with the Athletic Board and was a Cork minor Cross-country runner where he won numerous medals. He played his last game of football for Grange at the age of 45 in an Araglin tournament final.

Prior to his retirement Christy worked at Cavanagh’s Garage Fermoy and had a business in Mitchelstown. He studied at UCC and graduated with a degree in history.

He later wrote a book ‘A Glimpse of Grange’ which was a history of Grange school, Grange GAA, Grange Athletic club and a history of the location in general.

He served as a delegate to the North Cork Board and was a member of the G.P.C for many years. He was also County Board delegate and was a well known referee within the Avondhu Board.

He was a very worthy recipient of this prestigious award.