CONTINOUS GROWTH IN 2009

Happy New Year to all and sundry in the Dublin 4 area and here’s wishing you a great year ahead. As I type, my fingers have stuck together with the cold as the snow belts down on my window pane.

I am afraid to turn on the heater because I don’t know whether I will be able to afford the next ESB bill because the news that I hear every day through our media tells me that this little island of ours is about to fall into the sea. Fall it can, but Clanna Gael Fontenoy won’t be falling with it because we have work to do. And plenty of it at that!

All our Juveniles are back training and fixtures have resumed. Despite the harsh January weather the numbers attending training are well up on last year and the Floodlit Ball Wall arena is a great attraction to all the youngsters.

The Ball Wall Arena is the provisional name that we have attached to it but this is open for debate as there are quite a number of other names floating about lately. One of these strangely enough is ‘The Cage’. You would swear we were in Dublin Zoo sometimes, as you hear Pat, J.J., Gay, Dave, Bernard and Roger ‘Who’ McGrath bellow out “Right lads into the cage.” Other names include The Square, The Hurladrome, Theatre of Dreams, The Cowboy Field (??), The Netting, The Faculty, etc, etc.

So with all that uncertainty regarding the name, Ladies and Gentleman of the whole wide world we are now inviting people to enter our competition to find an everlasting title to our ???. Appropriate titles should be etched on a five-cent coin (recession folks!) and flung over the hurling wall where newly-unemployed people will be waiting to catch it. The prize for the winner, which will be chosen by a panel consisting of retired Anglo Irish Directors, is shares in that same company at last week’s prices. My God what an incentive!

Staying with Juvenile matters, the Club are very sorry to announce the departure of Games Development Officer, Donal McGovern. Donal had done some trojan work in the last 12 months in implementing our five-year plan. Donal has gone back to study for a teaching post and the club wishes him every success in the future.

When asked why he chose a teaching career, Donal said that he had learned so much from his daily lectures with the Legend that he felt compelled to pass on such a vast knowledge to a wider population.

The good news, folks, is that Donal’s replacement, Declan Power comes with a wealth of experience in this field. Declan has worked for the Croke Park, Leinster Council and a host of GAA clubs throughout the county. Declan will take up his post immediately and will continue on with the rest of the Juvenile Development plan. Welcome on board Declan.

Star of the Sea junior footballers had their day out in Croke Park in December. This was the first final that the school reached in many years. The jitters got them in the first ten minutes as they found themselves 10 points down but they soon settled.

Ten minutes into the second half and the Sandymount boys had brought it back to one point and an epic battle ensued from there to the finish. Alas, the mighty effort they put into getting back into the game caused them to fall just short by two points in the end.

The young lads, their parents and all supporters headed back to the clubhouse for some grub and refreshments and the disappointment was palpable. This was their All-Ireland and it was understandable that such disappointment was so visible. Teachers Brian McDermott and Kevin Munelly, who had put such a mighty effort in getting them there, were no less shattered. Principal, Una Condron was likewise but I also sensed the pride etched on her face that the lads had done the school and the area proud.

Believe me, every one of those lads will remember their day in Croker, as I do 40 years on and they will talk about it for the rest of their lives. Thanks to all at the school for giving them that chance to remember.

Marian College have reached the Junior Football final and at time of writing the Seniors await their semi final fixture. We wish both teams every success!

Tremendous strides to report on the schools front! The Under 8s made the journey to Portarlington just before Christmas for some fun games with the locals. A great time was had by all and well done to Roger ‘Who’ McGrath for organising such a great weekend.

We also hosted a trip from Roscommon’s Strokestown when they paid us a visit in November. Once a stalwart at the Club, Declan Kavanagh, who wore the Club and County colours for over 20 years and who now resides in Strokestown in Roscommon, brought his U10 and U11 charges to challenge his old club.

On a beautiful winter’s afternoon in Sean Moore Park, the two sides produced a wonderful feast of football in a three-match event. Clans just pipped the visitors by winning the series two to one. In the after-match party in the clubhouse, where burgers, chicken nuggets and chips were provided for everyone, the Roscommon club invited the Clans down for return games this summer.

Staying with trips, the Seniors hurlers have just returned from their annual ‘Trip to Tipp’. This is the second year of this excursion and aptly named the Hurling Spa weekend. The boys were subject to 6.00 a.m. rises, fitness tests, swimming, video analysis of the beautiful game (hurling that is) and many hurling drills. The boys came back entranced, repeating the mantra “I am a Senior Hurler and a Senior Hurler I am going to stay.” Conor Thorpe seems to roar it more than anyone else.

This same team ran a Hurlathon in the cage or whatever you want to call it in December, where continuous hurling was played for 12 hours. Many of the Juveniles and their parents joined in and we even had a guest appearance from The Legend in the morning. Everyone was enthralled at the sheer skill of this Grandfather and many parents were delighted that they did not miss the show. Many thanks to all those who returned sponsorship cards and who helped out on the day.

The Camogie team have started back very early indeed under new Coach and trainer John Rimmer, a veteran of the 90s Hurling Campaign and Ladies Football welcome new coach Clare O’Mara.

Santa Claus paid a visit to the club yet again in December. (When else would he arrive?). He seems to be getting younger each year and the youngsters all seemed to know him by his first name.

The Inter footballers are preparing hard for their season, which is due to start next week and with some new signings, who have recently moved into the Docklands area, ensures that no positions are guaranteed. Can this be the year, on the 30th anniversary of when we departed Senior ranks that we will finally smash the tape and cross over the line to the Holy Grail.

The Shop is now up and running and it is a glorious sight altogether. You can talk about your Arnotts and your Roches but they haven’t a patch on the sheer quality on display in this new store. Expertly staffed by the Three Desperate Housewives, Christine, Laura and Lisa (CLL for short) (or the Terrible Triplets as they are sometimes known) there are bargains galore that are the envy of IKEA.

Whether you are a new-born or an ageing grandparent, this boutique has it all. Jerseys, Polo Tops, Hoodies, Rainjackets, Slippers, Bras and Gearbags are just a sample of choices available. Fat, Skinny, Giant or Dwarf, it doesn’t matter for we have all sizes. So come on down to Clannatown!

Opening Hours are Thursday night 7 to 9 and Saturday morning 10.30 to 12.30. Free Supervised Car Parking and cheap refreshment upstairs. Where would you get it!!

The Annual Awards night was held in the Hilton Hotel this time around and amid a packed attendance the following were the recipients:

Clubperson of the Year: Roger ‘Who’ McGrath. (Karen Flood has just started a fan club in his honour)
Senior Hurler: Shane ‘Sniffer’ Hilliard

Inter Footballer: Kevin ‘To hell or to Connaught’ Munnelly

Camogie: Antoinette Maguire
Ladies Football: Lynn Flood

Chairman Eugene Davey gave his usual no-nonsense speech until he had them all standing on the tables chanting ‘Eugene, Eugene’.But not all were standing on the tables! Eugene, unfortunately has developed a turn in his eye due to the many hurling belts he got over the years. This led to the audience believing that he was talking to one side of the room only. Hence not everybody stood on the tables. When Eugene was finished his back was slapped by one half of the room while his ribs were broken by the other half!

The AGM followed a couple of nights later. Amidst nail biting tension and ferocious lobbying, the crowd settled down to hear all the reports of the year. As the serious business of elections neared, the front benches and the back benches were clashing like a Roman Senate.

All sorts of accusations were flung across the room. Men and women, seemingly friends throughout the year, were now seemingly bitter enemies. There was a serious amount of daggers passed from chair to chair as the Chairman tried in vain to keep order.

The Clubperson of the Year, Roger ‘Who’ McGrath kept his council, despite many provocations and with a bit of help from The Legend sitting beside him. Juvenile Chairman, Dave Walsh fought like a seasoned pro, fending off daggers left right and centre. Tipperary Tom bellowed out flame after flame but with little fire.

As the votes were cast, the other Tipperary Tom was like a modern day investor as he watched his dreams go up in smoke. His tally men had given him wrong information! The Ladies Section formed a formidable force as they took the centre of the arena. Not a motion was discussed without an input from this centre squad and hell had no fury like a woman scorned jumped to mind each time.

Secretary, Ciaran Murphy slid in his chair and tried to hide under the table as the accusations flew at that top table but Chairman Eugene always caught him by the collar and forced him back up into view again. Some like Yankee Saunders whose face got redder and redder with embarrassment throughout the battle scene were simply afraid to open their mouths. Others just watched and enjoyed the sheer excitement of it all.

After all the hustle and bustle, everyone adjourned to the bar upstairs where now seemingly enemies downstairs were now friends upstairs. There is no doubt about it but this organisation known as the GAA is one of the greatest, if not the strangest in the entire world!

Roll on springtime when we are all together shouting, encouraging and cajoling all our troops under the common banner of Clanna Gael Fontenoy!!!

Top: Star of the Sea Seniors ready for action.
Middle: Shane Hilliard receives his Senior Hurler award from Chris Andrews TD.