GRASSROOTS

keep things going.

The under-8 and under-10 girls training starting back this Wednesday, April 11, at 7pm in Tinahely pitch. Everyone welcome. Wicklow’s Aoife Kavanagh (left) in action against Longford in the Leinster Under-16 football championship clash in Laragh last weekend. Photo: Paul Messitt weather which led to a large number of postponements.

The foul weather on Tuesday last did not however deter our under-9 hurlers and footballers from achieving the ambition of all G.A.A. players viz. that of playing on the hallowed turf of Páirc an Chrócaigh.

The Éire Óg children were one of the many groups in a Leinster Activity Day for this age cohort.

After having run onto the field to the hugely inspiring sound experienced by inter-county players on big match days, they got to play both a cluiche in iomáint agus ceann i bpeil.

Not to be outdone the Éire Óg under-12 camógs travelled to Croke Park on Sunday morning to take part in an inter-county club blitz organised by Bronagh Gaughan on behalf of An Cumann Camógaíochta.

The event was run off in glorious sunshine and our cailíní got to play teams from Kiltale ón Mhí, Kilrush of Clare and Kilmacud Crokes.

The Éire Óg contingent was impressed by the sense of fun which prevailed on the occasion and by the friendliness of the girls from the other clubs.

PEIL NA MBAN - The under-16s opening fixture in the league scheduled for An Tóchar on Tuesday evening was postponed because of an unplayable pitch in Roundwood.

Under-12, Under-14: Martin Roche and Séamus Ahern have joint responsibility for these teams.

For Séamus who is the senior mentor with the under-12s it is very much a case of déjà vu as the girls who are now graduating into senior ranks started their playing days six or seven years ago under Séamus at under-12.

The current group had their first league game away to Blessington Bs on Saturday morning.

The Éire Óg girls e’en though vanquished thoroughly enjoyed the game. The final score was 3-4 to 1-3 but Éire Óg had the satisfaction of leading at the break 1-1 to 0-2.

This is the lowest age group in peil na gcailíní so there is an uncertainty about the assembling of a squad and the mentors were delighted that 18 players made the trip.

Under-14s were at home to Newtown in their opening game in the league and it was a case of tosach maith leath na h-oibre (well begun is half done) as they defeated the visitors 9-6 to 6-4.

The win however was not as facile as the final score would suggest and really hinged on the Éire Óg girls’ readiness to shoot for goals as these are nearly as easy to score as points at this level.

The seeds of victory were more or less sown in the opening period when Éire Óg built up a 5-3 to 3-2 lead.

A simple exercise in subtraction shows that the second half was much more closely contested.

Ella O’Reilly had an excellent game in goals while Ciara O’Neill and Eimear Ryan were the backbone of a solid defence. Eva Skerritt and Meadhbh O’Neill held the upper hand in the centre of the field and eight different players got their names on the scoreboard.

PEIL - Éire Óg was well represented on the Wicklow under-16 football team which defeated Wexford (or as John Mullane would have it , the Wexicans) in a challenge in Ballinakill at the end of March. The Greystones lads involved were Daniel Healy, Neil Brown, Cian Hynes, Eoin O’Neill, Cillian Keane and Conor Fullham.

Under-13 Hurlers - Comhgáirdeachas to our under-13 hurlers who reached the final of the Leinster intercounty club league which was played in Johnstown in Kilkenny.

They lost to a good Kildalkey team. Participation in this league has been hugely beneficial to our lads in that it has provided them with pre Wicklow-season games and has contributed to building up the team’s confidence.