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Weekly Notes - 28th June 2006

The Féile na nGael weekend is at hand. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are going to be hectic days for all G.A.A. people within the county. Between fielding teams, ferrying them to the different venues, hosting and entertaining visiting players it will be "an all hands on deck" few days for all the clubs. The Féile, while being a huge undertaking – in excess of 3000 u-14 boys and girls with their mentors and parents descending on the garden county – affords a great opportunity for Wicklow to put its best foot forward and to give the lie to its undeserved cliched "referee in the boot of the car" image. There is no reason why the Féile should not be a huge success; it will be no fault of the hardworking county committee if it is less than an outstanding occasion.

Éire Óg has 3 teams participating in the Féile – boys in Divisions 1 and 4 and a girls’ team – and is hosting teams from Monaghan (girls) and Galway and Wexford (boys). There will be games in the field on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Call down and you may get an inkling of why the game can survive in a world of wall-to wall globalised sport.

The juvenile section of the club has put, and is still putting, an enormous amount of work into preparing for the event. In the spring the u-14 teams and their mentors – a photograph on the website of Janey O’Halloran and Carmel Deeney is a reminder of conditions which had to be endured in the early stages of preparations – travelled to all corners of the county in a Féile dry-run. Then there was the effort entailed in the fund-raising enterprises – a hugely successful race night in the Beach House and a bag-pack in Tesco. Many thanks to all who supported the race programme and to the Beach House and to Tesco for the use of their premises. We are especially grateful to J. Woods and Co.ltd who are our main sponsors for the Féile.

All that, and there is still the weekend………….. One feels tired even thinking of all that is involved!!

Buíochas le Dia for the enthusiasm and energy of our Féile committee.

A reminder to parents and children (boys and girls 7-10 years) that the VHI Cúl football camp (3rd –7th) starts on Monday at 10am in the field. For value for money it is doubtful if the Gaelic football and hurling camps can be surpassed. Further, the range of skills to be mastered in these games ensures that there is a great variety in the activities involved and that there is little chance to be bored. If you have not yet registered (55euro/week) there is still a chance that you may be able to do so on Monday.

With the flurry of activities taking place over the next 10 days, it would be easy to forget the "bread and butter" happenings within the club e.g. the Sat. morning u-10 hurling (10.00-11.30) and football for 7-9s (11.45am –note the change in time) development sessions which will be going ahead through the holidays. Both are unfortunately cancelled this weekend because of the Féile.

One has to conclude that followers of the Intermediate team have somewhat of the masochist in them. Why else would they subject themselves to the tensions and the trials attendant on watching their favourites as they play Russia roulette with defeat in game after game? Sunday night in Roundwood was a case in point. ÉireÓg’s victory by 5 points conveys the thoroughly false impression of a relatively facile win. The truth was of a stuttering effort which at times saw them, with ill-conceived passes, turning quality possession into 40/60 ball, while at other times, especially during the last quarter, conveying the ball at speed with intelligence and accuracy in sweeping movements from deep within their own territory.

Éire Óg, with the advantage of a strong wind in the 1st half were lucky to be drawing at the break. The opinion at this stage was "we’re going to lose this one". But fair play to our lads! They upped their game considerably after the resumption and nullified any advantage afforded to Ashford by the wind. In this half it was nip and tuck on the scoreboard until breakpoint came in the form of a brilliantly taken goal 7 minutes from the end. Well done all! No room for names this week.