Éire Óg Greystones
GAA Club

This Week

Archive

Weekly Notes - 23rd May 2007

The Intermediates are at home to old rivals, Kilmac, on Saturday at 5 pm in their last league game before the championship and the Juniors host Enniskerry to-morrow, Thursday, at 7.30 pm. Why not drop down and give them your support - you will enjoy the experience. You will be surprised at the level of athleticism and skill, you will thrill at the goalmouth incidents, you will feel frustration at the many errors and missed chances and you will enjoy the company of the sideline pundits. Bí ann gan teip!

Our u-12 hurlers made the long journey to Carnew on Saturday to play the locals in the opening game of their championship. We lost by double scores. The occasion did, however, have its silver lining. Even the most fastidious of mentors could not but have been pleased by the commitment of the players and the way the team "e'en though vanquished" battled with bravery and determination to the end. Then we had the outstanding performances of Erin Horan at half-back (judged by many to be 'person of the match') and of Seán Minogue at centre field and the spirit raising endeavours of James (Poochie) Cranley and Conor Randles.

A disappointing result of course, but not sufficient of itself to account for the post-match dejection of the Éire Óg players and mentors. Rather had this more to do with the tenor of the game which did not fit well with the ethos being cultivated by the management of the Éire Óg team. One of their number expressed herself shocked at what she described as the totally inappropriate side-line promptings of the opposition and at the on-field indiscipline of their players.

An article analysing the distribution of field sports (rugby - both union and league -, Australian football and soccer) across the Australian continent appeared recently in one of our dailies. In it the writer described how all the other sports felt under pressure from the soccer because the mothers saw it as the safest game for their children to play. Mothers in Ireland are no different in their attitude to sport so there is no doubt that the future of Gaelic sports will be compromised if juvenile games are not played in safe, child-centred environments in which sportsmanship is paramount.

The club is proud of the contribution being made by its players at the county level. On Sunday Billy Norman had an almost flawless game in goals in Croke Park - he could not be faulted for the Louth goal - and his huge kick-outs contributed greatly to the Wicklow cause. Darragh Shiel and Darren Curran showed some lovely touches in the exhibition game at half-time. Five of our u-14 footballers , Darragh Browne, Niall Crosbie, Gary Elliot, Justin O'Brien and Andrew Walsh were on the Wicklow team which defeated a Dublin selection 3-8 to 0-7 at the week-end. The footballers have nothing on their hurling counterparts, however, for five of their number, Karl Devin, Ryan Horan, Shane Nolan, Dan O'Neill and Andrew Walsh are on the Wicklow team which is playing in the u-14 Leinster blitz in Croke Park at the Whit week-end.

The 3rd and final of the local (2000euro) draws in the club's Super Draw takes place in the Rugby club at 9p.m. on Friday the 25th. The result of the 1st of the six car draws will be announced on the night. The change of venue is dictated by the fact that most of the committee will be attending John Wynne's 30th birthday celebrations in the Rugby Club.

It came as a shock to us all to hear that our esteemed President, Danny Hatton, had been rushed to hospital recently. It was found that his condition required surgery. Post operation news is good, buíochas le Dia. Everyone at Éire Óg wishes Danny a speedy return to health and sideline socialising.