Spring 2010 Volume 14 Number 2 2 THE Limerick GAA Youth Magazine Slick City Seize Sarsfield Cup Get Your Head in Gear! Cumann na mBunscol The new helmet rule: National Awards Lunch-Time Skills Publication of the Year Competitions Cornmarket/Allianz/INTO Ger Loughnane’s Recipe for Success! www.thegreenandwhite.com The Green & White Spring 2010 THE Throw In Spring 2010 A new year has dawned and a new playing season Issue Number 41 beckons for lovers of Gaelic Games. 2010 promises to be full Spring 2010 of opportunity and challenges. Volume 14 Number 2 Helmets Every player, adult or juvenile, who steps onto a hurling field, must be wearing a helmet according to regulations that came into force in January 2010. In this issue, we trace the evolution of the This issue helmet in hurling, speak to some followers with long memories 2 The Throw In and ask players of today about the challenges wearing a helmet will present for those unaccustomed to the headgear. We also find 3 News Digest out what some Limerick hurling goalkeepers think about the new 4 Cumann na mBunscol News ‘helmet rule’. 5 Shane O’Neill & Declan Hannon 6 Get Your Head in Gear Sarsfield Cup & More 8 The Kilkenny Way Limerick City stepped back into the winner’s enclosure after a lapse of 20 years following victory in the Sarsfield Cup final. Read all 9 Go Games Blueprint about the team that broke the long-standing hoodoo. There’s also 10 Limerick GAA 10 Years Ago a report on how the girls of West Limerick retained the Larkin 11 Blackrock’s All-Ireland Triumph Shield. And, in the County Football Shield, St Nessan’s N.S. of 12 Cumann na mBunscol National Awards Mungret were hoping to make it four in a row but Courtenay BNS 14 The County Football Shield had other ideas. Find out what happened in this issue of The G&W. 16 The Sarsfield Cup 18 The Larkin Shield Also in this Issue 20 East Schools News We salute Michael O’Donoghue, one of the great servants of 22 West Schools News Cumann na mBunscol Luimnigh over the last 30 years, who has 24 City Schools News stepped down from active service. We also take a look at the rationale behind Go Games and ask the question, ‘How is hurling 25 South Schools News promoted in Kilkenny primary schools?’ All this, plus the usual mix 26 The Croke Park Experience of photo features, results updates, cartoons and puzzles for you to 27 G&W Gallery enjoy—all in issue 41 of The Green & White Magazine...recently 28 Prize Crossword crowned ‘Best County Publication’ at the Cumann na mBunscol 29 National Awards ceremony in Croke Park. Cartoon Corner 30 Puzzle Page And Finally... 31 In off the Post Congratulations to Limerick’s newest (& oldest!) All-Ireland champions—Blackrock. Confused? All is revealed on Page 11. And well done to Munster Intermediate Hurling champions, South Liberties–whose captain, Shane O’Neill is profiled on Page 5, alongside Declan Hannon one of the stars of the mighty Ard Scoil Rís 2010 Harty Cup-winning team. We are indebted to our contributors Ger Power, Henry Martin, Dave Bulfin and Paul Kennedy, and to Tom Ivess who supplied us with many fine photographs for this issue. Editors: Joe Lyons and Ciarán Crowe Design: ConsidineDesign.com Printing: Colourworld Sales: 5,200 per issue Luimneach abú, Distribution: Gerry Bennis (061) 325077 Secretary: Mabel Mullane (061) 355057 Ciarán Crowe & Joe Lyons Editorial Address: Joint Editors Patrickswell NS, Co. Limerick E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 086 8113284 www.thegreenandwhite.com Front cover photograph by Tom Ivess: Action from the Football Shield County Final between Courtenay BNS and St. Nessan’s Ennis 2 Spring 2010 The Green & White News+++News+++News+++ Cúl4Kidz is Cool for Limerick GAA’s Teams Liberties) and Shane Kids! of the Last 25 Years Fitzgibbon (Adare). Cúl4Kidz is billed as Football team: Richard “the official GAA Website Bowles (Oola); Johnny for boys and girls.” Log McCarthy (St Kierans), onto: www.cul4kidz.com Paddy Ivess (Askeaton), and check it out for itself. Tommy Stack (Drom- It’s both fantastic and B’dford); Stephen Lavin FUNtastic! It’s one of the (Adare), Stephen Lucey most colourful and lively (Croom), Conor Mullane destinations in cyberhouse. (St Senans); John Galvin Without a doubt, it’s a (Croom), John Quane ‘must see’ site for all young (Galtee Gaels); Stephen G.A.A. players and fans! Kelly (Newcastle West), International Rules Donal Fitzgibbon (Oola), Fixture Confirmed for The site is divided into sections about GAA games, Limerick GAA’s teams Seanie Buckley (Drom- Limerick in the Autumn news from each county, of the last 25 years were B’dford); Timmy Cummins The GAA and the on-line activities & announced at a gala function (Galbally), Muiris Gavin Australian Football League quizzes, Cúl Camp news, in the Strand Hotel (Monaleen), Micheal Reidy have confirmed that the Cúl Coaching tips, GAA recently. Ciarán Carey was (Drom-B’dford). International Rules series History, Cool Statistics, unveiled as Limerick’s will resume in October Player profiles and hurler of the last 25 years 2010. interviews, notes for while John Quane was Two Test matches parents and much, much honoured as the footballer will be played in Limerick more. There’s a Cúl4Kidz of the last 25 years. and Croke Park on the magazine too. A new issue 23rd and 30th of October is published each term. respectively. Copies of the magazine GAA can be ordered by schools Director for just 50 cent per copy General (and the magazines come Páraic Duffy wrapped in a free copy of and AFL The Irish Times). Details Century Man Chief Executive Andrew regarding dates of John Hayes of Cappamore Demetriou were in contact publication etc. are became the first Irish rugby on a number of occasions published on the website. player to win 100 senior since the New Year to Hurling team: Tommy international caps when he arrange the details. Quaid (Feohanagh/ lined out at Twickenham v ‘We are delighted that the Effin); Steve McDonogh England on February 27th. Australians are back in (Bruree), Leonard Enright John fondly recalls that he Ireland to play this year (Patrickswell), Declan first made his mark as a and we are all looking Nash (South Liberties), sportsman in the colours of forward to an enjoyable Dave Clarke (Kilmallock/ Cappamore Boys National two games in October,” Bruff), Ciaran Carey School when he lined out said Duffy. “Each player (Patrickswell), Mark Foley in the East Cumann na deems it a great honour to (Adare); Mike Houlihan mBunscol leagues. John put on an Irish jersey in an (Kilmallock), Ger Hegarty wore the East jersey in the international setting and (Old Christians); Paddy Sarsfield and Mackey Cup values the experience of Kelly (Kilmallock), Gary competitions. He still has playing with players from Kirby (Patrickswell), the Limerick Leader cut- other counties”. Jimmy Carroll ting which announced his (Hospital-Herbertstown), victory in the INTO Long TJ Ryan (Garryspillane), kick competition of 1986. Joe McKenna (South 3 The Green & White Spring 2010 Cumann na mBunscol News Limerick City Cumann na mBunscol Hurling Forum The Limerick City Primary School Hurling Development Forum organised by Denis O’Connor (Milford N.S.), Words to the Wise Chairman of the City Branch of Cumann na mBunscol was an outstanding success. Denis’ backroom team included “Learn to ride over Pat Culhane, Noel Hartigan, Ger Downes and Adrian O’ scepticism and negativity, Sullivan, each of whom works tirelessly in City schools to promote Gaelic games and improve skills. don’t be bogged down The discussion and workshop elements of the evening were facilitated by Pat Fitzgerald, Secretary of the Munster by them.” Council. Every member of Limerick Senior County Board Ger Loughnane was present to show support for teachers who promote Gaelic games in City schools and to listen to their views. The Guest Speaker was Ger Loughnane, Principal of St. Aidan’s N.S., Shannon, Co. Clare. He told teachers, “You are central to the GAA, the value of the work you do is inestimable”. He added that if hurling is to thrive in this or any other county, the link between local clubs and schools must be very strong. Michael O’Donoghue Nominated for Service to Sport Award The contribution to Limerick Primary Schools G.A.A. of Michael O’Donoghue (Newcastlewest) was recognised in a significant way when he was nominated for a Service to Sport Award last “Everything I learned about coaching and the feel I got for Christmas. it started for me at primary school level. In the beginning, I made every mistake a coach could possibly make...” The nomination was based on In time, school and club teams coached by Loughnane the following criteria: tasted success– a lot of success. A key ingredient in this, l Michael served as Secretary he believes, was the ‘lunch-time skills competition’. of the West Limerick Primary “Lunch time skills competitions were crucial... we’d see Schools Board and later as secretary of County who could bat the ball the farthest. You’d get so many Limerick Primary Schools Board until 2008 points for that. How far you could hit it on your weak when, due to a traffic accident while on GAA side... free-taking, ‘line ball’ taking... standing in goals to duty, Michael had to retire from office. save shots from the ‘21’... How good were you at scoring l He also served as: Treasurer of West Limerick from the ‘21’? We had points for all these and young lads Primary Schools Board for a term, Secretary of were stone mad for it.