La Fhile Padraig faoi shan is faoi mhaise daoibh go lir!
SENIOR FOOTBALL: Our senior footballers lost to Rathnew in their Div 1 game in Rathnew on Thursday night. As with every defeat there was disappointment in the camp but on this occasion it was tempered by an optimism generated by the never-say-die performance of the team which was emasculated by county commitments. It was a very competitive game in which the gap between the teams on the scoreboard was never more than a couple of points. At half time the score was 6 points to 5 in Rathnew’s favour. The villagers tagged on 2 points in quick succession after the break. An ire g rally half way into the 2nd period reduced the deficit to 2 points at 8 minutes from the end. Rathnew recovered and added a pair to leave the scoreboard reading 0-11 to 0-7 at the final whistle. The stand-out players for ire g were Jack Tanner, Craig Smullen, James Leonard and Sam Thompson.
DINNER DANCE: The organisers of club dinner dances are faced with the difficult task of striking a balance between the formalities of the event and its merrymaking function. This requires that the notable feats of players and the exceptional contribution of individuals to the running of the club receive due recognition without detracting from the fun-factor of the occasion.
Speeches are a sine qua non of these nights and if not carefully controlled can put a bit of a damper on the enjoyment to be derived from the function.
That Friday night in Greystones was so greatly enjoyed by all present was in no small measure due to the excellent manner in which these disparate demands were managed and co-ordinated. Take a bow Daniel ‘Doc’ O’Connor, Mark Barry and Anto Byrne. ‘Doc’ was allotted the role of fear a’ t; he ran a tight ship with the effect that the processes unfolded very much to schedule.
The preliminary drinks reception proved an excellent addition because it ensured that virtually everyone was seated at 8 o’clock.
Proceedings opened with a short talk by Uachtarn Danny Hatton in which he focussed on the recent achievements of the hurling and football teams and on the unprecedented number of our players who had been called up to county panels. He was followed by Cathaoirleach John Keane who, among other things, did a bit of a promo for the Lotto pointing out in the process that it had cost 130K to run the club in 2015. He also recounted that someone had asked him if any VIPSs had been invited to the dinner to which he replied that such invites were not necessary since ire g has in its own ranks a number of such. He cited Uachtarn Danny Hatton as an example. He then gave a brief outline of Danny’s achievements on and off the football and hurling fields.
Next up were the presentations to the members of the Junior hurling and football panels who were to the fore in 2015.
IOMINT: Hurler of the Year was Daniel ‘Doc’ O’Connor a committed and reliable back. He is also the club’s cisteoir. – is there no end to this man’s talents? In the course of the presentations it was pointed out that forwards are generally in the limelight and that backs have really to stand out to receive recognition.
Clubman of the Year: This award recognised the contribution of the individual to the esprit de corps of the squad which is reflected in his commitment on the field, his reliability,his attendance at training and a willingness to put the team’s interests above his own. The players chose Gavin Parslow for this accolade.
PEIL: Player of the Year Peter Keane. Peter’s first love is hurling and he is a member of the county hurling panel. Peter showed the same fearless engagement and steely determination which he displays on the hurling field, in his football. This made him the stand-out member of the Junior football squad.
Clubman of the Year was Dominic O’Brien who unfortunately has departed these environs for the lush pastures of Meath. Dominic is a whole hearted player who led by example on the field and who inspired others by his enthusiasm and commitment to training. The club wishes him the best in his new surroundings. (Tuilleadh le teacht more to follow)
LOTTO: Last week it would have been hard for visitors to the club to be oblivious to the fact that the club Lotto stood at 6000euro. The figure was eye-catchingly emblazoned on the Lotto noticeboard facing the car park. In giving it this prominence the club was unashamedly appealing to their speculative instincts ( the chance of winning 6000euro on a wager of 2euro at relatively reasonable odds as illustrated by the average lifetime of a jackpot relative to sales) because the income from the draw, as pointed out by Cathaoirleach John Keane at the Dinner Dance, is hugely important in covering the day-to-day running of the club. Unfortunately the Lotto has, for some time, been only limping along so at present a huge effort is being put into its revitalisation. It is now possible to subscribe on line at www.eireoggreystones.com
Winning nos. for Monday 7th March were 2, 12, 22, 30.
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