Dunderry V Drumree Junior Camogie Final 28/9/2013

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.