Most of the Juvenile section have completed the first half of their season with some good progress to report. The U12 football and hurlers are having a very busy season so far.

The footballers reached the knockout stages of their cup competition and contested the semi final against St Mary’s of Saggart. And they had to travel to Saggart twice to get to the final after the first match ended in a draw.

A fantastic display in the replay saw them contest the final against St Anne’s of Bohernabreena. Deep in to injury time they led by a point but a fantastic sideline by a Saint Anne’s forward with the very last kick of the game meant they had to do it all over again.

In the replay St Anne’s proved to be just too strong on the day. Two weeks later a lot of the same crew contested the U12 hurling final only to lose out yet again to Saint Peregrine’s. But the lads have put in a mighty effort since the beginning of the year and even though it is very disheartening to lose two finals on the trot they know that if they stick together that their day will surely come.

The two Sligo Johns deserve tremendous credit and the word has it that they are shortlisted for the Sligo county job after the county’s recent fall from grace.

U11 Footballers have enjoyed a very healthy season to date and have had quite a number of big scalps on the way. They were watched by The Legend in a recent match against Ballinteer St John’s in Ringsend. In a hugely exciting contest the lads played some excellent football to record a great win right at the death. The Legend has promised to attend their next match for a report.

The squad on the day were Conor McKenzie, Callum Treacy, Arthur Coll, Ciaran Saunders, Robert McLaughlin, Adam Betts, Adam Murphy, Glen Donnelly, David Byrne, Adrian Dunnion, Dylan Grey, Theyzan Kelly, Jonathon Chester, Dylan Johnston, Aaron Doyle.

Manager Simon Beirne is one of the unsung heroes here in the club. He is training two nights a week with the adult footballers, gives one night a week and more to training this U11 team and takes them out every Saturday morning.

When the U11 hurlers were struggling to find a manager up stepped Simon and duly rallied to the call. Simon gives something back and more and he is a credit and an example to all.

U11 hurlers have turned around their season and have recorded three whopping results of late. Our new Hurling Wall is proving invaluable for their training and recent results have proved this.

The U11 and U12 hurlers prepare for the Dublin Camaint Finals which is scheduled in for the first week of the July. This is one of the best competitions in the GAA calendar as all participants will get the chance to play in Parnell Park.

Roger McGrath, manager of the U8’s recently brought his crew to Croke Park to see the Dubs playing Louth in the first round of the Leinster Championship. Roger hasn’t got out bed since and has been diagnosed with mental stress and exhaustion.

The U9s continue on their merry way with Dave Walsh at the helm. These guys have only lost one match in two years and are definitely a team for the future.

All other Juvenile teams are competing well and Saturday morning Academy is still operating strongly.

U15 footballers and hurlers are just returning from their Junior Cert and the club hopes that they did very well in their efforts. To get them back into the spice of things, they travel on a weekend away to Killary in Co Mayo on the 11th July. A great time is forecast and I’m sure that manager Gareth Yankee Saunders will get the same prognosis as Roger McGrath did when he returns. Gareth is so, so looking forward to it.

Eight of this U15 panel completed an intense 10 week grinds course in preparation for their recent Junior Certificate exams. These grinds were delivered by undergraduates from the Trinity College’s Gaelic teams who in return use our facilities for training.

The reports back from these undergraduates are that these lads are as bright as can be and this programme will continue for them right up to their Leaving Certificate. At a recent ceremony held in Trinity College these young lads were awarded their certificates by Trinity’s TAP coordinator, Ms Grace Edge.

The club intends to expand this programme for all its members in the future and would like to thank club Sponsors Dublin Port Company for their assistance in this project.

New Club Development Officer, Donal McGovern is as busy as a bee preparing various different projects for the remainder of the year. He will be ably assisted by Club Coach Johnny Sadlier. Below are some of the programmes listed

* Summer Camps

* Football: 11th to 15th August

* Hurling: 18th to 22nd August

Enrolment is €60 for one week or €100 for the two weeks. Please phone Donal at 086 8066421 for details or drop into the Club anytime for registration forms.

* Open Coaching for all club members from ages 5-12 from 7th to 11th July (Week 1) and 14th to 18th July (Week 2)

Hurling 2.15 to 3.45. Football 4.00 to 5.30 for both weeks.

Juvenile Camogie

The Juvenile Camogie section is up and running and training continues for all throughout the Summer on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7 under Lisa Murray and Elaine Maguire and includes those in 1st year to 6th year primary. All are welcome to join. Please contact Lisa Murray at 087 2801541.

Staying with Camogie, the adult section lost a close encounter recently to Donneycarney’s Craobh Chiaran in Sean Moore Park. The season seems to be coming down to the clashes between these two sides.

Clans having beaten these same opponents to capture Cup honours earlier this year have a return league fixture against the same girls. Who wins this episode will decide league honours.

Adult Hurlers (I) are finding the going tough in their new Senior League status but an almighty win away to Thomas Davis earlier this month by a point may have saved their season. With four matches remaining in this league their fate is still in their own hands.

Adult Hurlers (2) are having a determined season and are still in the championship at time of writing. This section wishes speedy recoveries to Brian Nicholson, Cormac Connolly, Neil O’Regan and Ciaran Cummins who all sustained recent injuries.

Adult footballers are having a fifty-fifty season but with some really important fixtures to come in the next few weeks, a better idea of how they are doing can be gauged. They also reached the semi ñfinal of the Loving Cup.

Their opponents were Saint Margaret’s and despite playing them off the pitch for long periods, found themselves two points down three minutes into injury time. Clans got a free which they lobbed in behind the defence and who came flying in behind them only the bold Stephen Mulreaney to punch to the net.

With everyone expecting the referee to blow up from the resulting kick out he allowed one more passage of play. Margarets launched an up and under and the ball bobbled around our square for what seemed like an eternity and horror of horrors ended up in our net. Game over– heartache. A true measure of this team’s character will be put to the test when they play three league games in the next fortnight. Time to be stood and be counted lads!

Adult ladies football are having a very good season to date and after a short break recently will recommence battle in the next week. Their cause has been greatly assisted by former Mayo All Star and All Ireland winning medallist Diane O’Hora who recently joined the Club. We wish her every success in her time with us.

As we enter into some crucial months ahead with a lot of teams we ask the players to remember that every time they put on that Clanna Gael Fontenoy jersey please don’t let it slip over your shoulder without pausing to think what that means to you. You are representing your area, your families, your Club and above all yourself and those combinations are enough to stir your passions into giving it everything you have on the playing pitch. Best of luck!

Top: Inter footballer, Ciaran Connolly is about to contest for a ball in a recent League match against St Peregrine’s.

Above: U15’s Ciaran Crowe gathers a ball despite severe pressure from Fingal Ravens in a recent league game in Ringsend Park. Anthony Byrne is just about to lend a hand.