Dunderry v Drumree.Junior Camogie C.Final.28/9/2013
On an Autumn evening stolen from Summer Dunderry Gaels
gathered in the well appointed Longwood Grounds hoping that their young team
would continue the tradition of bringing
home a junior championship cup in each decade since the foundation of the
Club.The elder sisters ,mothers and aunts of the present crew had brought home
the Laurels in the 1990’s the 2,000’s and we were hoping that this talented
team would repeat the dose again today.
The dearth of
silverware quarried this few years back by their hurling and football brothers
and husbands hurts and we are all there
willing them to come up trumps.
There is history between Dunderry and Drumree.Both are
rural clubs flying the Gaelic flag in the face of adversity.Both are deeply
embedded in the communities they serve and some families have been trumpeting
the Games of the Gaels for over a century in their Parishes.Both know that
families are the backbone of rural clubs and that in no circumstances should
staunch and loyal members be treated without due respect.Ted Dowd coached
Drumree for a few years recently at Adult hurling.In revenge Drumree have sent G.T.Troy to us to coach this
Camogie team.He has done so assiduously as Ted did when the roles were
reversed.
Kit Doyle whose family
is synonymous with Drumree Gaels played here for a year when living in
the Parish.When he ceased to reside here
he transferred back home quam celerrime.
Maureen Doyle (nee Maguire) is a leading light in Drumree
Camogie.Her sister is married to my brother Martin,She captained KIlmessan to a
Senior Camogie Championship at seventeen years of age c.1968.The next Senior
Championship Kilmessan won was captained by my daughter Margarita many years
later.Margarita was a driving force in initiating many of the younger members
of today’s panel into the game.Families and
tradition.Ya can’t bate it.
The appointed referee Pat Gannon is a referee of
probity.From a family of traditional Gaels.He played hurling.He coached club
and County Teams.He knows his onions.The
nuances and the beauty of the games are second nature to him.Was delighted to
see him nominated to take charge in full confidence that fair play would
prevail.And it did.
The teams lined out as follows.
DUNDERRY.
1,Rebecca Scannell
2.Laura O Malley.
3.Grainne Dowd.
4.Michelle Daly.
5.Aisling Mc Donagh.
6.Emily Bray.
7.Danielle Clarke,
8.Jane Martin.
9.Labaoise Martyn.
10.Aoife Mc Cormack (Cap)
11.Julianne Griffin,
12.Sinead Broderick.
13.Aoife Minogue.
14.Emer Daly.
15.Jade Fitzsimons.
16.Leah Fitzsimons.
17.Freda O Leary.
18.Michelle Smith.
19.Aoife Gillick.
20.Niamh Quinn.
21.Muichelle Clarke.
22.Megan Byrne.
23.Sile Mc Kenna.
24.Emily Fleming.
25.Emer O Shea.
26.Tracey Fitzsimons.
27.Eveline griffin.
Manager .G.T.Troy.
Selectors.Eveline Griffin,Grainne Dowd and Tracey
Fitzsimons.
Four and fourteen are twin sisters.Five and ten are
second cousins.Twenty seven is the mother of eleven.Twenty six is Club
Secretary and the mother of fifteen and sixteen.Twenty two is the daughter of
Tom Byrne Club Chairman.
Emily Fleming injured her hand in the last match and
wasn’t available for selection.Emer O Shea could not be present due to an
unavoidable family commitment.Two huge losses.
Aisling Mc Donagh is the daughter of my daughter Jacinta
and Jacinta was one of the first to play with the Club when it was founded in
1988.I’d say she is unique in this respect.Aisling and labaoise are the babies
of the Team.
Aoife Minogue is daughter of GAA Club Chairman Mick.Niamh
Quinn is sister in law to Jane Martyn.
Families.Danielle Clarke is sister to Swiss a fair
footballer.
DRUMREE Team.
1.Anne Marie Rattigan.
2Jessica Wall.
22,Lisa Donnelly.
4.Emer O Reilly.
5.Muireann O Hora.
6.Alannah Chalkey.
7.Hannah O Brien.
8.Loise Griffin
9.Aine Brennan
10.Gemma Flanigan.
11.Clionadh O Riordan.
12.Cliona Murphy.
28.Aldi Pritchard.
14,Cliona Delaney.
15.Trish Monks.
3.Rosie Hand.
13.Emma Kenneddy.
17.Marissa Horan.
20.Sarah jayne Brady.
21.Bronagh Gavin.
22.Chloe Byrne.
23Cisara Jones.
25.Niamh Gallogy.
26.Emma Doyle.
29.Kim Slater.
30.Sarah Keane.
A short time ago
these teams met in the Junior League in Dunderry.Neither management showed
their full hand ,putting out shadow outfits .Today is the business.
Drumree put two players on Aoife Minogue our scorer in
chief.Both teams go out full blast.No quarter given nor asked.Hard and fair as
it should be.Tit for tat for a while .Rebecca misjudges a probing ball and we
concede a goal.The only mistake she makes in an impressive outing.Her puck outs
are deadly.Grainne leads her full back line from the front,fearlessly.Her
corners are rock steady.Emily is not easily brushed aside at centre back and
Aisling and Danielle hold their ground well ,tidying up any loose ball that stray
into their paths with aplomb. There is a battle royal in the middle and Jane
and Labaoise shade it ,just.Julianne is causing problems and Aoife must have
glue on her stick as she dances hither and thither helping herself to two
goals.Sinead prospers at the fringes of the acr tion and feeds the ball to
Aoife Minogue at every opportunity.Jade and Eimear get stuck in and take the
pressure off Minogue.
Despite the close attention she registers 3-3 by half
time at which we lead by 5-3 to 1-1.
The biggest Drumree cheer of the first half registers
when Troy is put outside the wire by referee Gannon.I was too far away to
witness what happened.G.T.is not flavour of the month in Drumree for sure.
The second half is a horse of a different colour.Drumree
employ a sweeper.Aisling likewise lines up as our sweeper.The initiative passes
to Drumree and cheered on by their
fanatical supporters they register 1-3 to nada for us in the first twenty
minutes after the whistle.
Spurned on in particular by Lisa Donnelly.Muireann O
Hara,Louise Griffin ,Gemma Flanigan and
Claire Delaney they bring the game to us and you would be anxious for our
lassies.
But not for nothing did we labour in the training field
all year.Aoife Mac quarries another minor,Julianne drives over and Eimear Daly
rattles the onion sack.
We lose the second half on a scoreline of 1-4 to 1-3 but
paddle safely through on the strength of the 5-3 banked in the first half.
Shelly Smith and Aoife Gillick were introduced after half
time and did their bit to stem the Drumree mini revival.
All those nights in the training field have achieved
their reward and the celebrations begin.Feed in the Lodge for starter.Disco in
Geraghtys and Grainne and a few other can look forward to their second Junior
medal with the Fort of the Oaks.
We have a young team tempered with the required
experience and a stream of players coming to replenish the ranks.The mammies
and daddies of the girls who do the coaching know their onions and are on the
ball.We have a good thing going .
With proper nurturing the sky is the limit.
D.V.