Returning to training and play and lessons learned
The lessons learned in the last year have helped the GAA find its true values again, as painful as the circumstances might have been. It was a wake-up call not just for the GAA but for all sports and humanity in general. Now we must prioritise things that are important in our lives, that human interaction, human touch, that we just took for granted before. We grew up with going to the pitch with friends for training and a bit of craic on week evenings, playing games with many a weekend built around the big match. However, in recent years some overdriven professional systems of intercounty training were trickling down to clubs and putting unrealistic pressure on both clubs and players.
The games and the fun are so important for mind and body and our values are stronger returning to play as was shown last year. Our club members and indeed community worked so hard in arranging training and games on return to play, but all enjoyed the effort. This was done with good will, commitment, and strong values. The recent government announcement that full contact intercounty training will resume on April 19th is welcomed. However, this only caters for two per cent of players. This leaves us with ninety eight percent of club players without any formal return as they must remain alone in their efforts. The Government and NPHET have been cautious with controls and we must appreciate and abide by their instructions in the interim. New president Larry McCarthy has his first real challenge as together with the GAA Advisory Group they hope to show that all club players can return safely sooner rather than later. However, it is great to see that the non-contact underage training in pods can recommence on April 26. This is where clubs can take on a repeat of last year by setting up well and showing high standards and it may hasten a return for all players.
CASTLELYONS ARRANGEMENTS ON TRAINING AND RETURNING TO PLAY
Helen Hussey did great job for our own club last year on training and pitch booking, general requirements, and supervision and kindly agreed to work on it again this year. She has commenced work on the arrangements for return to training of the juveniles on April 26 and, hopefully, all players soon. We are awaiting new instructions on the return to play from the GAA and their special advisory group, but it will be much the same as last year.
The chairpersons of the adult, camogie and juvenile groups should contact team managers and ensure they have their Covid supervisor appointed, high vis jackets, and sanitizing equipment ready for use. It is important to note that last year we had just one point of contact for booking pitches for all the teams as we needed to ensure there was a 30-minute break between trainings to prevent any gatherings. Again, Helen Hussey will be the point of contact for pitch bookings rather than the Bookapitch system until we get back to a bit of normality. So, managers please contact Helen at 086-1701164 and she will also assist with sanitising equipment.
In the interim, please have patience and observe all guidelines. The divisional and county boards, likewise camogie have drafted fixture programmes but must await the intercounty set-up and knit around it. The devil is in the detail and while we await more anxiously don’t succumb to the devil by breaking guidelines.
CASTLELYONS CAMOGIE CLUB ARRANGED GRADING FOR 2021
Like all other GAA units our Camogie Club are delighted with the announcement that non-contact training in pods of 15 will be permitted for juveniles from 26th April. So, hopefully this will be the start of on field activity for the remainder of 2021. The club is currently negotiating the grading of teams for the year. There will be a junior A team for the first time ever and also a junior C team. The club will have a minor A team which is just below the top premier grade. The U16s will play at B grade while the U14s are graded A level which is a bit high as there are only a few players on the age. Overall, there is a feel-good factor about the most recent announcement and a request for patience until all get the go ahead for action.
SCRAP METAL DAY
The club in association with the community centre committee will be organising a scrap metal day shortly. There will be a prearranged drop off point. So, spring clean your garage shed, yard or attic. Bring all your unwanted scrap metal, batteries, old tractors and farm machinery, scrap cars, copper, electrical goods, motors, etc, and dispose of them for free. Please note that fridges, freezers, timber, tyres, or plastic will NOT be accepted. Further information is available from our club secretary Michael Barrett and there will be more detail next week, but you can be getting ready.
A REPORT FROM THE ARCHIVES - CASTLELYONS V NEWTOWNSHANDRUM CORK SHC 2005 Newtownshandrum 3-11 Castlelyons 1-11
’Three first half goals provided the platform for Newtown’s comfortable victory over Castlelyons yesterday at Kilworth. The best of the hurling and most of the excitement was packed into the first 30 minutes, when Newtownshandrum played against a stiff wind, but still had the game wrapped up at the break, leading 3-6 to 0-8. Strangely, they could only add on a miserly five points on the change of ends and tacked on another seven wides to supplement the same total from the first half.
Castlelyons threatened a revival after Silvester McAuliffe clipped in 1-1 after four minutes of the restart. But only two more points in the remaining twenty-six minutes illustrated their difficulties in penetrating the Newtown defence. Their cause wasn’t helped by nine wides including three from scoreable positions by free taker Eoin Fitzgerald who surprisingly struggled in this critical area.
Lady luck smiled on Newtown, wearing Avondhu jerseys to avoid a colour clash, in the seventh minute. Pat Mulcahy’s effort rebounded off the upright straight into the path of James Bowles who scored the opening goal for a 1-2 to 0-0 lead. Ciarán McGann, Castlelyons’ best player, grabbed two points inside thirty seconds off no less a player that Pat Mulcahy before a Ben O’Connor free made it 1-3 to 0-2. That sparked Castlelyons most productive spell as they scored four unanswered points including a superb effort from McGann after fourteen minutes and the equalizer from Declan Wallace moments later set up an interesting second quarter.
A mistake at the back by Castlelyons however brought their progress to a crushing halt. Jerry O’Connor was left in the clear and there was always only going to be one outcome - a goal. Four minutes from the break Newtown combined brilliantly to claim their third goal in a manner that underlined what this team is all about. Playing keep ball on the left flank Phillip Noonan started the move which ended when Ben O’Connor’s incisive solo run created the opportunity for Donal Mulcahy to score from an acute angle. And the twins, Ben and Jerry, were at their most creative best in stoppage time combining well for John Paul King to fire over a sweet point.
The second half was flat by comparison. Newtown’s position was never really threatened by a plucky Castlelyons who couldn’t build on McAuliffe’s goal inside 90 seconds from a Fitzgerald pass. Three points from John O’Connor (2) and championship debutant Dermot Gleeson 3-9 to 1-9 after forty minutes and Newtown kept that two-goal cousin intact for the remainder of the game.
Newtownshandrum: P Morrissey, J McCarthy, B Mulcahy, AG O’Brien, D Murphy, P Mulcahy, P Noonan, AT O’Brien, G O Connor (1-0) D Mulcahy (1-0), D Gleeson (0-2), JP King (0-2), J Bowles (1-0), B O Connor (0-4f), J O’Connor (0-3),
Castlelyons: S Hickey, W O’Riordan, S Kenny, L Sexton, S Barrett, B Fitzgerald (0-1), K Barrett, M Hegarty, T McCarthy (0-3) 1f, E Fitzgerald (0-1), C McGann (0-3), E Fitzgerald, S McAuliffe (1-1), D Wallace (0-2), J Sexton. Referee: M Myers, Whitechurch.
The game was Timmy McCarthy’s first game after seven weeks out through a hamstring injury. On the September 11, 2005 Cork won the All-Ireland Championship as they defeated Galway 1-21 to 1-16 to claim their 30th title. Pat Mulcahy, Ben O’Connor (1-7) and Jerry O’Connor (0-2) all Newtownshandrum, Timmy McCarthy (0-2) Castlelyons all starred on the team and Ciarán McGann, Castlelyons was on the panel. This was Cork’s 30th title overall and the 31st is still awaited. Newtown went on to win the county SHC in October of 2005 defeating Cloyne in the final by six points, 0-15 to 0-9.
So, there were celebrations in both clubs that year as the MacCarthy Cup was hoisted in Castlelyons and it was a massive double for Newtown players with both cups.
PLAYER MEMBERSHIP AT CLUB RECORD LEVEL
A sincere thanks to current selector Peter Murphy for processing and synchronising our club with new GAA “An Foireann” system. This system brings better functionality for our club and the members which includes not just the online membership subscriptions, but online payments, streamlined communications, team and event management, health questionnaires, and attendance recording. We are lucky to have a person of Peter’s ability and willingness to set up this system for our club.
Also, well done to all players who have paid their membership to date as we now have over fifty playing members registered and we could make sixty shortly. This is a record number of playing members
and all the better as the club has entered a third adult team for the first time at junior C level. So, if you feel like a comeback or a blowout
get the gear ready again, a few 5K’s, come back for a few pucks and you could make the panel.
Just to note that only paid-up members for 2021 are eligible and insured to play and use club facilities. Adult player membership is fixed at €100, student at €80.00, non-playing member at €50 and OAP/social member at €20. So, contact Michael Spillane (Snr) treasurer and /or Michael Barrett secretary or of course pay direct. Our OAP / social members will receive a text of all our games, venues, and times. Also, if there are tickets available for games social members will be included in any draw for these tickets. Membership for 2021 was extended but is closing shortly.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
‘Go out there and give them plenty of timber. Drive ‘em into the ground. Cut the heads off ‘em. I want to see blood spilt’. Then just before we went out on the pitch the trainer blessed himself. ‘Now lads, we’ll all say a prayer that no one will be hurt.’
Billy Morgan recalls a typical pre-match talk in the dressing rooms of New York in the early 1980s. (The little Book of GAA Quotations).