Éire Óg Greystones
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Weekly Notes - 3rd August 2005

Success! What are the criteria for its measurement in a sporting club? Surely any definition of that concept for an age cohort within the club must include the ability of its team to compete within its peer group.

Carnew, sited as they are near the Wexford border, have long been among the leading exponents of hurling within the county and their teams at all levels must constitute a yardstick with which a hurling team’s progress may be measured. On this basis, Ciarán Gaskin must be extremely pleased with how his u-12 charges are progressing. They recently had a comprehensive victory over this opposition in its home territory. A tight evenly contested 1st half suggested that it could be either team’s game. However, in the 2nd half, the superior skill and teamwork of Éire Óg began to reap its reward on the scoreboard and victory was assured well before the final whistle. Even the opposition mentors were impressed by what was an excellent all-round team performance in which Karl Denvir and Dan O’Neill excelled. Shane Nolan, who pointed beautifully from a 65, Niall Crosbie, Andrew Walshe and Ryan Horan were also prominent.

"There will be days like this" and the fewer the better. Last Saturday, unfortunately, was one of them for our Intermediates. They were beaten by Stratford in Aughrim after a most abject performance. Admittedly conditions were not ideal but they can hardly be used to excuse the plethora of basic errors and the insipidity of their display. Where were the fire and skill they had shown against Dunlavin and again against Stratford in the league when they were hard done by in losing by a point? How could they have been so bad? It was as if those months of dedicated training had never taken place. Truly a nadir of despair for their supporters and mentors.

The half-time score was 1-4 to 0-1 and the final score, 1-7 to 0-4. This tells its own story and it was hardly of the stuff of edge-of-the-seat excitement. Small consolation in that we matched their paltry score of the 2nd half. We lost Cormac O Súilleabháin through a hamstring injury after 15 minutes but it is doubtful if this had a huge bearing on the result as his replacement, Decky Hogan had an excellent game. The performances of Eoin O’Neill, Brian Gubbins and James Leonard together with an outstanding save from Shane Doherty were the only chinks of light in Éire Óg’s continuum of gloom.

The Lotto prize at the moment exceeds 9000euro and offers a fine return on a 2euro ticket! (You may also subscribe to the Lotto by way of annual subscription or by direct debit). The Lotto income is the financial life-blood of the club – without it where would we be? The club owes a great debt of gratitude to co-ordinator, Nellie Vickers, and to her teams of scrutineers and sellers