Castlelyons Juvenile GAA - A Year in Reveiw 2016 2017-01-19 14:49:00

Castlelyons Juvenile GAA Year in Review;

 

And so it’s the time of the year, where we take a sneak peek back through our season just gone and take in the highs and lows, although it must be said, for 2016 it was mostly highs.

Following a very well attended AGM in November 2015, the entirely new committee of Denis Buckley (Chairman), Lorna Murphy (Secretary) and Mary Fenton (treasurer), took on their roles in full throttle and kicked off the 2016 season with a very successful registration night held in January. Over 100 children were registered on the night and parents were treated to a tea or coffee while medal presentations took place. Colm Spillane was our guest speaker on the night and presented our U12 panel with their medals for a very successful 2015 Football campaign, which saw them win the 2015 Rebel OG East Football League. Our minors were then presented with medals for becoming the Rebel Og East Minor Hurling Champions 2015.

Inter County Panels;

It was with tremendous pride, we learned that Niall O Leary had been named Captain of the Cork Minor Panel in February. This was a great moment for our club and a fantastic achievement for Niall, a great reward for his (and his parents) many years of hard work and commitment. Along with Niall, we had a fantastic representation on board a number of the Cork Hurling and Football panels in 2016. Earning your place on a county panel takes years of dedication and diligence, along with many, many hours of training and a huge commitment on behalf of the player and their parents. Jamie O Leary, Barry Murphy, Keith O Leary, James Kearney and Jack Kenny, all did their club, parents and county proud in 2016 and we hope that they continue with their success for many years to come.

Easter Raffle;

March saw the launch of our annual Easter Raffle. With incredible prizes on offer, there was always going to be a lot of very happy winners. The Easter Raffle was the clubs only Fund raising event in 2016 and brought in the much needed income to keep the juvenile club ticking over. Shane Hogan from the Abbey Tavern became the proud owner of our First Prize – An X-Box One. We look forward to our 2017 raffle with much anticipation.

Sciath Na Scol;

April saw the return of the Sciath Na Scol Hurling and Camogie leagues. Castlelyons National School played a number of matches throughout the month, however, they were pipped at the post and didn’t make the finals this year in their venture. With the amount of skill and talent being seen in the Juvenile Club, we have no doubt they will be a driving force in 2017 and we wish them all the best.

Niall O Leary also captained the Cork Minor Panel as they travelled to Walsh Park to take on Waterford in the Electric Ireland Munster Hurling Minor Championship. Cork ran out victors on the night with a thrilling 0-17 to 1-10 win over their neighbours.

The club also held a night to order new club fleeces which was very successful. Over 80 people put in orders for the new gear, with shorts and socks also on offer on the night. It is hoped to repeat the orders in the coming year so keep an eye out for information on the “Fitting Night”. A reminder that we currently have stocks of Castlelyons Crested Shorts and socks available. Shorts are priced from € 12.50 and Socks from € 5.00. For further information or to order, please contact Mary Fenton on 087 678 2417.

1916 Commemoration;

It was a month long celebration, or so it seemed, in Castlelyons in 2016. We had the annual Communions and a later than usual Confirmation date. We also had a fantastic celebration weekend marking the 1916 Commemoration.

An absolutely terrific weekend from start to finish, took place in Castlelyons for the Commemoration. We kicked off the morning on Saturday with Eamonn Walsh, a grandnephew of Thomas Kent, raising the tri-colour outside of the Community Centre which was proceeded by the reading of the proclamation by Dave Broderick, secretary of the 1916 Castlelyons Commemoration Committee. This was followed by Ger Broderick, playing a rendition of the national anthem on the pipes accompanied by all the children, parents and supporters.

We began our Mixed Matches with our U8’s & U10’s playing on the main pitch. We saw the U12 boys, under the guidance of Declan Spillane, take on Grenagh as part of their Football League Campaign. We finished up with our final mixed match of the day with the U16 & U18 boys combined with the U18 ladies. Shane Hickey and Mark O Flynn took on the duty of managers for the day and while Shane went with the Red bibs, Mark had the orange. With the expert knowledge of our own local legend referee John Lenehan, the whistle went and the entertainment began.

While it was initially thought that this would be a timid match, it turned out to be a cracker. After an energetic match and a wondrous display of hurling skill, the final result ended up Shane Hickey 4-01 to Mark O Flynn 5-01.

 We had a large crowd to support these matches and they were kept refreshed by the Tuck Shop, run jointly on the day by the Camogie and Juvenile clubs.

Schools Coaching;

With the summer weather, came the annual summer schools coaching. This year, under the guidance of our new but already great coaching officer, Shane O Neill, Noel O Keeffe came from Ballynoe and spent his time between both Castlelyons and Kilmagner National Schools, teaching the children the basic skills of hurling. This is an annual initiative financed by the juvenile club to encourage children to become more active and involved in sport. Noel was aided by a number of transition year and fifth year students, who generously volunteered their time so that every student had individual attention.

Championship Season started for our U16’s and they headed to Castlemartyr to take on Kilta Og. Start as you mean to go on, they say, and they certainly did that, winning on an impressive score line, with all players giving 100%.

Our U6 training took off under the guidance of Simon Barry and Edwina Condon. With every training session, came a new player and having only started with 5, the numbers were now in double digits. And then it began, their first outing to Killeagh for a Rebel Og Blitz. The boys were great on the day and made very positive strides during their first set of matches.

Cul Camp;

This year, Castlelyons Juvenile and Camogie GAA Club ran its most successful Cul Camp to date. With 194 children and 25 coaches, the camp was buzzing from 9.30am on Monday morning right through to 2pm on Friday. Dave Hegarty, founder of the Juvenile Club, remains at the forefront in the organisation and co-ordination of the camp, and along with the unwavering help from Orla Hallihan, Mary Mc Nulty and Michelle Griffin, this camp was always going to be a success.

With a coaching staff of 25, preparation was always going to be key. All the children were grouped according to age, groups were more often than not, kept to a maximum of 16 children, to ensure every child benefitted from the coaching provided. Coaches were rotated on a daily basis, the hope being, that every coaching team brought something new to the group. Again this year, we were blessed with good weather and with that, came great fun and games. On the Wednesday, Shane Supple visited. Shane is the Games Development Administrator for Cork East and was very complimentary of all our coaches, and the fact that we had such a great uptake on what is a voluntary position for the coaches. This year, Castlelyons had a number of students’ par-take in the Foundation Coaching course through both the Juvenile & Camogie Clubs and also their schools. This course is invaluable to anyone, who wants to become involved with helping within the club and is a very valuable asset to have. On Thursday, it was the turn of Rena Buckley, Bill Cooper and Briege Corkery to drop in. It was an awe aspiring morning and although some were a bit tongue tied, others weren’t short of a few questions for them. What an unforgettable start to summer 2016.

Under the management of Shane Hickey, it was the turn of our Minors in their first Championship outing of 2016. They were drawn away to St Vincent’s and on a glorious summers evening, they got off to a great start with Niall O Leary scoring two early goals. John Paul Murphy’s accuracy from the puck outs was excellent.

Meanwhile our U16’s were dominating in the Championship and had reached the Rebel Og East C Grade Hurling Championship final. They played in Watergrasshill against Ballinora. An epic match ensued, with our boys lifting the Cup. They had won the Hurling Championship, a fantastic result for Manager James O Neill, who had taken the helm of this team earlier in the year.

County Final;

Following their excellent result in Watergrasshill, our U16 panel progressed to the U16C Clayton Silversprings County final in August. They headed to Castletownroche, where they took on a strong Buttevant team, on not one but two occasions. A fantastic Castlelyons Supporters army arrived in Castletownroche to cheer on the lads as they did the club and the parish very proud.

It was said the first match was a thriller but the second was certainly a heart stopper. Full credit goes to both teams, who put on a brilliant display of hurling at its best. We were well up when Cathal Egan blew the whistle for half time and we left the pitch on a score of Buttevant 1-03 Castlelyons 1-10.

The lads came out from the dressing room for the second half, to a rapturous applause from a large and excited Castlelyons Supporters Army. Buttevant, came out fighting and within the first ten minutes of the second half, they dominated the play and had scored 2 goals and a point levelling the sides. Conor Mc Carthy scored a great point from a free in the 12th minute. After a great strike from Dave Morrison at the half way line, Shane Flynn, surrounded by three Buttevant players, batted the sliotar over his head and straight in the hand of Jack Kenny, who belted it straight into the back of the net – what a goal, what a roar from the Castlelyons supporters. With Dave scoring another point, Jack Kenny added a third to ensure his hat trick of goals, the crowd were erupting.

Buttevant, certainly not lacking courage or heart, scored another two goals, keeping the scores almost level. However, and not for the first time, Gavin O Neill was superb in goal and made some spectacular saves, keeping us in the game until the final minutes when Conor Mc Carthy, James Morrison and Dave Morrison ensured our win by scoring three great points. Cathal Egan blew the final whistle, when the crowds sprinted from the stand and flooded the pitch to congratulate our fantastic players. The final score board read Buttevant 5-05 Castlelyons 3-15.

Our U14 Footballers unfortunately lost out to a strong Carrig Na Bhfear side in the first round of the Championship as did our minor team when they took on Cobh. There is certainly a “never give up” attitude running through the juvenile club and for anyone that was present at any of these matches, they will know the lads continued to battle to the final whistle.

Our U13’s had a great game as they took on Passage in a league match. They started strong, with a couple of hard and fast goals from Evan Lenehan and Colm Mc Carthy. The boys played to their potential and their passing and striking was first class. They dominated play and made a number of great runs, resulting in some great scores. With Michael Griffin and Brian Spillane adding two great goals to the score sheet, they were never going to be caught. When the final whistle blew, the score was Castlelyons 8-13 Passage 4-04. Well done to everyone involved, let’s keep this up lads.

Cork Teams;

Our Minor team headed to Rathcormac to play St Catherine’s in the East Cork Minor A Hurling Final in September. Following an arduous first half, with every player putting in a huge effort, we left the pitch on a score-line of Castlelyons 1-10 St Catherine’s 1-04.

This team had shown great character and work rate, which they knew they needed coming up against a great club in St Catherine’s.

With the referee finally blowing the whistle after playing six and a half minutes of injury time, it cued a scene of wild celebrations as this great team had captured the East Cork Cup. The match finished on a score line of Castlelyons 1-15 to St Catherine’s 1-11. Overall this was a superb team performance of great skill and work rate and the boys really deserved this cup after a massive effort. A County semi-final against Kilbrittain followed a week later. While Kilbrittain fought a hard battle to the bitter end, when the ref blew the final whistle, our boys had a victorious win, with a score line of Castlelyons 2-13 Kilbrittain 0-15.

Jack Kenny and James Kearney both represented their county on the U15B Cork team and travelled to ClareCastle in September. Cork played Limerick in their first outing and finished on a great score of Cork 2-14 Limerick 1-04. Their second match was against Kerry, a footballing county by heart and Cork had a great win finishing 5-13 to Kerry 0-07. They went on to play in the final against Tipperary and again Cork were comfortable winners, 2-12 to Tipperary 0-07. Jack Kenny, captaining the side, was presented with the ClareCastle Tournament Cup to a rapturous applause from the many supporters.

Barry Murphy represented his county on the U17 team in Mallow. Their first match was against Tipperary and the Cork team played a tough match but came out winners on a score line of Cork 0-16 Tipperary 1-11.This was followed up with a comfortable win over a Galway side, finishing Cork 4-13 Galway 0-09. They proceeded to the semi-final where they played a great game, winning on a score line of Cork 1-16 Clare 2-03. The final against Kilkenny was a tough battle and unfortunately only one point separated the sides on the final whistle. They were deserved runners up in the Eugene Carey Tournament with a final score of Cork 0-11 Kilkenny 1-09.

Another County Final;

Another month, another county Final. Our Minor lads headed to Fermoy to take on Ballygiblin in the Clayton Silversprings Minor A County Final. We knew coming into the game that it was going to be a fierce battle and this certainly proved to be the case. With a half time score-line of Ballygiblin 2-08 Castlelyons 0-07, we had it all to play for going into the second half. With five minutes left on the clock, we were only two points behind. This lead to a frantic finish but we showed great heart to get the draw when the final whistle blew. The final glimpse of the score board revealed the full time score Ballygiblin 4-10 Castlelyons 2-16.

Our U10 hosted the Finals Day of the newly introduced U10 Rebel Og Hurling League. They had reached the semi-final which saw them play Tracton. This game ended in a great win for the Castlelyons boys, to set up a final against Grenagh.

In the final, the boys started well and had 2 quick scores, but Grenagh ended the half better to lead by a point. Grenagh started the second half with a flurry of scores and for a while it looked like the game was going to get away from us. With the game in the final minute we won a free just inside our own half. Up stepped Jack Cremin, who made it look easy and levelled the game. It was a great end to a great game and a great mornings hurling. Our U9’s also had a great season, playing Fermoy in a final match at the end of the season. The highlight of their season, would have been completing their skills passport, a new initiative introduced by Donal O Callaghan earlier in the season, to promote skills development in our younger lads.

Our U12 panel headed to Aghada to play in the Rebel Og League semi- final. This team had progressed well throughout the year and we were looking forward to the game ahead. However, it wasn’t their night and having played tremendously throughout the match, they conceded a goal in the fifth minute of extra time to finish on a score line of 2-08 to 2-05. This team have been very consistent over the year and have worked very hard for their mentor Declan Spillane.

Our U7’s & U8’s travelled to Lisgoold to partake in their end of season blitz. Under the guidance of Sean Cotter and Conor Hickey, the lads played extremely well and held their own throughout their three games. They played teams from Carrig Na Bhfear, Whites Cross and Lisgoold and were successful in all three matches. They came home with both the U7 & U8 Lisgoold Blitz Cups, more silverware for the cabinet!

Alas, it wasn’t to be for our minors, who bowed out of the Clayton Silversprings County Final Replay against Ballygiblin on a score-line of Ballygiblin 2-13 Castlelyons 1-15. The boys made a valiant effort and put their hearts into the game. One things for certain, their season was inspirational for all the younger players coming through the club and they certainly did the club, their mentors, parents and parish very proud.

A Fantastic end to the season for our U16 lads, who won the Rebel Og East Cork U16C League Final against a tough but well matched Kilta Og Side. The final scoreboard read Castlelyons 3-10 Kilta Og 1-13. Again, these lads deserved their triumphant season after a year of hard work, dedication and commitment.

AGM;

November saw the AGM take place and the 2016 committee made such an impression, they were immediately re-elected. The Juvenile committee for 2017 is Denis Buckley (Chairman), Lorna Murphy (Secretary), Mary Fenton (Treasurer). Details of all managers and contact details will be on the notice board over the coming weeks. It was great to see so many parents and mentors at the meeting taking in an interest in the future of the club. Such enthusiasm is hard to stem and we hope 2017 will be as successful and eventful as the previous year.


Social Night;

Due to phenomenal success on the pitch this year, the Castlelyons Camogie and Juvenile committees have decided to hold a Social night on Saturday January 28th in the Midleton Park Hotel. As this is not a fundraising event, costs are being kept to a minimum. Adult tickets with a 4 Course Meal and Children’s tickets with a Children’s Menu are currently available. To reserve/confirm your ticket, please contact Helen Hussey (Camogie Club) 086 170 1164 and Elaine Murphy (Juvenile Club) 086 604 2387.

Avondhu;

There wasn’t a week in 2016, that didn’t go by without great coverage of our club in the Avondhu. They have given Castlelyons Juvenile GAA great support and at times, front page headlines which have exceeded our readers expectations. There is no doubt, the coverage we have received have boosted our club’s profile in the local community.

 

Colaiste an Chraoibhinn;

Colaiste have also dominated this year and are heading to the Senior County Hurling Final, following a very successful semi-final against Passage only last week. They play Mallow in the final and we look forward to another great match. We are delighted to have some of our players on the Colaiste school team representing both hurling and football codes.

The Senior Football panel came away with a single point win, following a tough match against Colaiste an Phiarsigh, final score 4-06 to 3-08. We again wish both teams all the very best in their respective finals over the coming weeks.

St Colman’s Fermoy;

St Colman’s College reached the semi-final of the Harty Cup 2016 Campaign in February but lost out to Ard Scoil Ris, on what was a bitterly cold and miserable winter’s day. With no less than 5 Castlelyons players on the panel, we were extremely proud of their achievement in the competition. Having had an emphatic win over St Flannan’s Ennis, final score 4-22 to 2-19 after added extra time, we wish them all the best for their 2016/2017 campaign.

Meanwhile the U16.5 St Colman’s team reached the All-Ireland Final against St Kieran’s Kilkenny in recent weeks following a very successful Dean Ryan Campaign in 2016. Again, with a strong Castlelyons contingent on the panel, we followed their path to success with bated breath and are very proud of all our players.

 

Lotto;

We are back this week with a lotto jackpot of €7,000 and tickets can be purchased in Murphy’s Vehicle Repairs, Sharon’s Hair Design, Fitzgerald Butchers Fermoy, Mc Donnell’s Coolagown, and The Abbey Tavern and from the usual ticket sellers and promoters. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support with the lotto, which is a vital source of income for our club. Why not make a New Year’s Resolution now and join up, for €2 a week, can you afford not to be in!

Senior Club;

We wish Maurice Carroll (2017 Chairman) best of luck with his new role for the coming year and wish him, his committee and players the every success for 2017. We would like to say a sincere thank you to the Senior Club for the use of the pitch and facilities throughout the year. We greatly appreciate the use of these. Finally a well done and best of luck to the opening of the new club gym, it will be a valuable asset to the future of the club and is a great initiative introduced and managed by the players in 2016. It’s great to see such a keen interest in the rejuvenation and on-going development of the club.

Sympathy;

Our sincere sympathy goes out to everyone within the club, who have lost loved ones throughout the year.

Volunteers;

We are always seeking new players from five years upwards and of course all those who have played with other clubs and are now living in the area, are more than welcome to join. People who never played GAA are also encouraged to become involved, perhaps your skill lies in IT or catering, fundraising or flag making. Perhaps, you might like to help with the coaching or training sessions. If you could give an hour a week or a month to Castlelyons Juvenile GAA, your help would be greatly received. In the next few weeks, the club will be back to its full momentum with training of all underage groups ongoing on a weekly basis. If you would like to get involved, please contact any member of the committee. With over 120 juvenile members, there is always something to be done.

 

Sponsor;

Riordan’s SuperValu constantly have fantastic in store offers and competitions, so please support our sponsor, they’ll make it worth your while. They have continuously supported our club throughout the years and we are very grateful to Mike and Martha. We encourage all our members to shop local – Shop Riordan’s Super Valu.


Finally, a personal thank you to all the managers, coaches, players, parents and supporters from 2016, for making my job a little easier. I would also like to say thank you to the Top Table of Denis Buckley, Lorna Murphy and Mary Fenton for a fantastic fun filled 2016. They were always on hand when needed and I certainly enjoyed working alongside them for the past twelve months.


The Castlelyons Juvenile GAA Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped us over the past twelve months. From coaching the teams, washing the jerseys, transport to matches, to selling tickets and making tea, we genuinely appreciate all the support we have continuously received from everyone throughout the year. We would especially like to thank Dave Hegarty for his constant support and encouragement and to Bridie for always having the meeting room warm on those cold winter nights! We look forward to your continued support in 2017.




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