LOTTO Congratulations to Margaret Martin on matching all 4 numbers in the clubs Lotto last week and winning 12,000 euro.
The winning numbers were 2, 7, 8, 12. The jackpot reverts to 2,000 euro for the draw on Monday 14th.
Eventually it has happened! Eire Og Greystones has beaten Rathnew in a Senior knockout- formatted competition. This unprecedented breakthrough in the clubs history was made in the semi-final of the prestigious Dunne Cup which was played under match-quality floodlighting in Roundwood on Thursday evening. The more perspicacious among you will have already deduced that, given the time of year, that the game could not have been played without the help of artificial lighting. One only includes this superfluous information to remind people that the provision of this wonderful facility, which is available in a number of grounds around the county and which tends to be taken for granted, involved a lot of hard work and financial tears for the clubs involved. If one is not mistaken, An Tochar were the pioneers in this area.
The opening exchanges presaged a nightmare evening for the seasiders. Scarcely had a minute elapsed from the ball leaving the hands of referee John Keenan at the throw-in when it was to be seen nestling in the back of Lorcan Treanors net. In previous years the towel might, at this stage, have found itself airborne but thankfully the lads absorbed the shock with a nonchalance born of experience and straight away were exchanging metaphorical blow for blow with Rathnew. A few minutes later the Clocha Liatha team received a welcome confidence injection in the form of a point from a free off the boot of Willie Decibels OHagan. While the exchanges that followed from that to the break were quite even Eire Og, because of some poor shooting, found themselves outscored 5 points to 2 and were in the uncomfortable position of being 1-5 to 0-3 behind going in for tea.
Greystones returned from the dressing rooms with a renewed determination nursed, no doubt, by the words of captain Darren Hayden which would have emphasised the importance a victory over Rathnew would have in establishing the teams credentials for a place among the footballing elite in the county.
In the 2nd period Eire Og was in high tempo mode from the off and had Rathnew immediately at sixes and sevens. This period of dominance culminated, 6 minutes into the half, in a rapid-response goal from Jamie McDonald when the ball broke suddenly in his direction from a goalmouth scramble. We then had to wait over 15 minutes for the next scores, a brace of points (one from a free) from Darren. Equality!Another scoring lull which was broken by a humongous point from Declan OMahony. This was followed by a point on the stroke of full-time from a free by Darren. Into injury time, an all-out attack by Rathnew. Eire Og goals having a charmed existence. A Rathnew point. Relief with the sound of the long whistle. Eire Og into the final of the Dunne Cup on the slenderest of margins. A special word of praise for our defence who kept Rathnews tally in the 2nd half to a single point.
A video, produced by the Bray People, of the critical scores of the game is available on the clubs Facebook on eireoggreystones.com
IOMAINT The senior hurling management team is in the course of being reconstituted. This has become necessary with the stepping aside of Brendan Cuddihy and Gerry Walsh after sharing duties at the hurling helm since adult hurling returned to the club a number of years ago.They will, however, still be playing their part in the promotion of iomint in Na Clocha Liatha. Taimid an-bhuioch diobh beirt for the trojan work they have put into bringing this most ancient of sport to the level it now enjoys within Eire Og.
Comhgairdeachas to dual county player Stephen Kelly on his appointment as captain of the county football team for 2017. Stephen has been hors de combat for a few months due to a very severe shoulder injury. We are all looking forward to seeing him back in action.
Ray Barry and Patsy Vickers looked very well in the photograph in the Bray People of Ray presenting his uncle Tom Swans Cup to the captain of Knockananna who had just defeated depleted Junior A champions Ashford. One was reminded that our own juniors came within a hairs breadth of defeating Ashford in the championship.
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