Na Fianna Nuacht Na Fianna’s 60th Celebrations Last weekend Áras na bhFiann in Mobhi Road witnessed a fitting commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the club’s foundation. The three day celebration was a comprehensive re-statement of our club ethos and encompassed every sphere of the club’s activities. The celebration began last Thursday evening with the launch of an historical exhibition ‘Ár gClub, Ár bPobal’ which recalls many of the important achievements of the club over the past sixty years. The exhibition was officially opened by Paschal Donohoe TD, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and by Gareth Jones, Manager of the neighbouring Bon Secours Hospital which very generously sponsored the exhibition. It was very heartening to see so many locally elected public representatives, community leaders, principals and teaching staff from our local schools and neighbouring residents in attendance. After the exhibition was officially opened, those present were treated to a presentation of the central role which Na Fianna plays in the local community. Master of Ceremonies for the presentation was our club PRO Cormac O’Sullivan who in turn called on Cormac Ó Donnchú, Paul McCarville, Mary Nevin, Maurice Grehan, Mark McManus and Jimmy Gray to say a few words. Each speaker gave a different perspective on what exactly Na Fianna means to them and the appreciative audience was under no illusions after the contributions but that Na Fianna was so much more than just another sports club. Na Fianna Nuacht 11ú Meán Fomháir 2015 1 Na Fianna Nuacht Thursday evening was rounded off with the ‘Small Ball Remembered’, a re-union of many of the hurling and handball teams which have graced the club throughout the years. Musical entertainment in the Members’ Bar was provided by Tommy Flaherty and his colleagues who as it happened were only warming up for their ‘Oíche Áirneáin’ on the following night. Friday’s activities began with the ‘Battle of the Clans’ at 6pm on the main pitch. This was a hurling/camogie match in which a selection of the club’s younger players were pitted against their parents and should-know-betters. Rumour has it that the DRA will shortly re-convene to discuss a number of incidents arising from this game and that late night sittings are expected. As the ‘Battle of the Clans’ came to an end, the newly-refurbished Halla na bhFiann hosted ‘Ceiliúradh an Chathaoirligh’. This was the Chairman’s celebratory dinner for Founder Members, their widows and direct descendants, former club officers, club workers and invited guests. The Halla was choc-a-bloc with over one hundred diners but this only added to the intimacy of the occasion. Thanks to Aidan Irwin and his staff in Cater4U for a splendid meal and also to Robert Roberts for their sponsorship. In a wide-ranging after-dinner address, Cathaoirleach Colum Cronin welcomed all those present to commemorate and celebrate this special occasion. He stressed that the purpose of the evening was not alone to pay homage to the Founder Members of our wonderful club but also to ensure that the success and development of the club over the past sixty years would be continued and maintained into the future. A special welcome was extended to our Guest of Honour Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Aogán Ó Fearghail and to his wife Frances. On behalf of all Na Fianna members, Colum wished Aogán every success as he faced the onerous challenge of leading the Association for the next three years. Aogán’s inaugural address as Uachtarán to Congress last March in his native county of Cavan was recalled and the club Cathaoirleach noted how many of the themes touched upon then by Aogán were entirely relevant to Na Fianna as it stood today. The paramount importance of the Games had been emphasised with Colum adverting to the sterling work of our own Games Development Committee. The importance of tradition was also stressed while Aogán had also referenced more modern values such as the role of women in the Association, a topic to which an Cathaoirleach would return later in his address. Na Fianna Nuacht 11ú Meán Fomháir 2015 2 Na Fianna Nuacht Above all else we could identify in St Mobhi Road with what Nobel prize winning poet Seamus Heaney referred to as the ‘hedges of our first imaginings’, that sense of attachment to, loyalty for and love of one’s native place which is such a characteristic of the GAA. An Cathaoirleach referred to the wish of almost every club team to play its home matches on the HQ pitch at Mobhi Road as evidence of this unique trait. Moving on, it was pointed out the significant role which the Leinster Council had played in facilitating the establishment of the club sixty years ago. An Cathaoirleach quoted directly from the minutes of a meeting held in the Engineers’ Hall on 16th April 1955 which outlined this. Having done so, a warm welcome was extended to the current Chairman of the Leinster Council John Horan and to his wife Paula. John is no stranger to Na Fianna having served the club as a player, a mentor, a manager and in latter times as an administrator. The club is justifiably proud of his success and wishes him all the best as Cathaoirleach of Comhairle Laighin. Reading the minutes of the early meetings of the club back in 1955, it was readily apparent how keen the founder members were to ensure that Na Fianna was straight away at the heart of Dublin GAA. The minutes record the inter-county honours enjoyed by club members and this trend continues to the current day. This year alone saw Shane Barrett and Joey Boland represent the county hurlers in senior championship action while Tomás Brady and Jonny Cooper did likewise in senior football. An Cathaoirleach pointed out how deeply Jonny’s roots run in the club. His grandfather Brendan Deignan was one of the club’s Na Fianna Nuacht 11ú Meán Fomháir 2015 3 Na Fianna Nuacht founding members and in 1955, the year of the club’s foundation, represented Cavan in an All Ireland semi-final. Jonny’s parents Loyola Deignan and Brendan Cooper were both present and were most welcome. An Cathaoirleach also welcomed John Caffrey, one of the ‘Twelve Apostles’ who won an All Ireland medal with Dublin in the 1983 football final success against Galway. It was fitting in light of Na Fianna’s central role at the heart of Dublin GAA that the club would welcome Cathaoirleach Coiste Atha Cliath Sean Shanley and his wife Phyllis. An Cathaoirleach paid tribute to Sean Shanley who only last February had assumed the office earlier than he had expected to or wished to following the untimely death of his predecessor Andy Kettle in the week before last Christmas. In his short period in office, Sean had shown that the future of Dublin GAA was in safe and steady hands. Turning to the role of women in Na Fianna, an Cathaoirleach referred to the fact that all three major offices in the home club of Uachtarán Aogán Ó Fearghail, Drumgoon Éire Óg were held by women. Na Fianna could not quite match that but Colum pointed out that the pivotal role of Club Secretary was held by Anne Foley. Both he as Chairman and Donal Ring as Treasurer were very aware that their roles could equally well be filled by their able deputies Deirdre Lambe, Leas Cathaoirleach and Karen Fox, Leas Cisteoir. The club was also exceptionally well served by Lesley Jamieson, Children’s Officer, Mairéad Breathnach, Cultural and Language Officer and Muiréad Gaffney. A significant female presence on the club’s Executive Committee would not be sufficient unless it was matched at all other levels of the club. Thankfully this was the case and females had equal provision to facilities in Na Fianna as males. An Cathaoirleach stressed that the club was not looking for any plaudits or pats on the back for this as anything less than full equality of the sexes would be completely and utterly unacceptable. The club’s camogie section had been founded in 1969 by Gretta Gray and others and was followed in 1990 by the ladies’ football section. Both camogie and ladies’ football were now thriving in the club and in some juvenile age-groups the number of girls exceeded that of boys. An Cathaoirleach warmly welcomed the Chairman of the Dublin Camogie Board, Pat Martin and his counterpart in Ladies’ Football Joe Keane and his wife Breedge. The club’s ideal location in Mobhi Road was often referred to as a ‘mini-Gaeltacht’ or breac Gaeltacht due to its setting between two Gaelscoileanna. Like all neighbours there were occasional minor difficulties but invariably these were resolved in a spirit of co-operation and comradeship. An Cathaoirleach welcomed the Principals both of Scoil Mobhí, Imelda Mhic Mhathúna and of Scoil Chaitríona, Carmel de Grae. Carmel was one of Na Fianna’s longest Na Fianna Nuacht 11ú Meán Fomháir 2015 4 Na Fianna Nuacht serving and greatest players although if she were to retain this status in the face of stern opposition from Clíona úi Dhálaigh and others she would need to don the boots again pretty soon. Na Fianna founder members present at Friday’s Ceiliúradh an Chathaoirligh pictured with guest of honour Úachtarán Cumann Luthcleas Gael Aoghán Ó Fearghail and Na Fianna Chairman Colum Cronin When the club was founded in 1955, there were only two Universities in Dublin, one in College Green and the other in Earlsfort Terrace. Great changes had been wrought in the intervening sixty years and there was now a third University in the city and right here on our doorstep in Glasnevin.