AGM season
Our club’s adult and juvenile AGMs will take place on Monday, February 22 and Tuesday, February 23 next respectively. The St Colmcille’s Juvenile Club’s AGM has taken place this week. All the AGMs will take place online. All club members and supporters will be provided an opportunity to join the meeting. The link to the meeting will be sent out via email to those interested in attending.
1986 U14 SUCCESS
In our last notes, we looked at the clubs first ever victory in the City Division at adult level. This was the Seandun Cup competition of 1981. At juvenile level we had to wait a few more years before success was gained. This was, in part, due to the fact that we continued to compete in the East Cork division for underage competitions up to and including 1984. Indeed we had success in these years winning two U12 championships; one in 1984 and the other in 1982 when we competed under the recently reformed St Colmcille’s umbrella.
It was the former team that would bring further success to the club as they competed in the U14 C football league of 1986. In this period, teams competing in the U13, 14 and 15 City Division tournaments did not take their club names but rather took alternate names. Though representing White’s Cross, our U14 side were named Kilcully and they competed against teams called Charlie Perrots, Friars Walk and Norwood Court who represented Lough Rovers, Redmonds and Rochestown respectively. Each team played each other on a home and away basis, with the top two reaching the final.
We got off to a good start with a home win over Redmonds. The campaign took a little bit of a wobble at this point. The next game saw the team drawing a home match against the Rochestown representatives. The third encounter was also their first trip away and a meeting with the table-topping Lough side. This game went to form; unfortunately for White’s Cross. Despite strong performances from James Whooley (son of our recently departed Club President Dermot-RIP), the former Galway senior footballer Conor McGauran (then resident in Kilcully) and Colman O’Flynn it was the Lough Rovers side that prevailed by a six-point margin. This all but guaranteed them a place in the final after the first round of games. Rochestown and White’s Cross were next on the table having both won one, drawn one and lost one. As a result, the clash of these two in round 4 was to be of utmost importance in deciding the other final spot.
On March 22 in Rochestown, thanks to star performances from Mick O’Callaghan, Michael Scully and Tony O’Riordan in goal, it was White’s Cross that got the better of the exchanges and won on a scoreline of 3-01 to 1-01. With Redmond’s conceding their remaining games, there was one final group stage game against the, still undefeated, Lough Rovers outfit. With a final spot guaranteed, there was little pressure going into this game knowing that both sides would meet in the decider the following week. Still winning is a habit and momentum is good going into a final. And White’s Cross were to get that momentum winning the match by 6 points. The final score was 2-04 to 1-01.
So it was a week later and a third meeting of White’s Cross and Lough Rovers with each side having a secured a 6 point victory over each other in the group stage. A close game was therefore expected. This is not what transpired. Kilcully continued to improve as the weeks went on and saved their best performance for the final.
Conor McGauran was a massive influence on this team. He, along with Colman O’Flynn were outstanding through the centre. Other players to stand out on the day were Simon Buckley, Seamus Hayden, Sean O’Mahony and Jerry Burke. A rampant White’s Cross side convincingly beat their opponents on a scoreline of 2-03 to 0-01 and were crowned champions.
The starting fifteen for that final was as follows: Tony O’Riordan, John Burke, James Whooley, Jerry Burke, Michael Scully, Colman O’Flynn, Sean O’Mahony, Conor McGauran, Patrick Manley, Michael O’Callaghan, Seamus Haydn, Simon Buckley, Anthony Morley, Gerard Allen and John O’Mahony.
MARY BARRY RIP
The flag at White’s Cross GAA grounds is at half-mast this week as we mark the passing, on Saturday afternoon, of a great supporter, Mary Barry (Ballyphilip). In the early years of this Millennium Mary was ever-present on the sidelines at White’s Cross games - referees on duty had to be on topof-their-game or else they would have Mary on their case!
Those of a certain vintage will remember Mary and her late-sister Bess in their roles as sacristans in St Michael’s Church and caretakers at Upper Glanmire National School. Whether as altar-servers or with schoolchildren Mary and Bess had a great way of interacting with the young children that they dealt with - always polite and good-natured and up for a little banter too!
White’s Cross GAA extends our sympathies to Mary’s family - to Hilary, Philip, Timmy and Nora; to Tony and his family and to the extended Barry family. Leaba i measc na Naomh go raibh aici.