Cruinniú Bliantúil Cumann An Chloigthí CLG Cluain Dolcáin 2016
Cruinniú Bliantúil Cumann An Chloigthí CLG Cluain Dolcáin 2016
Clár
1. Minutes of Annual General Meeting December 2015.
2. Adoption of Standing Orders.
3. Chairman’s Report.
4. Hon. Secretary’s Report.
5. Hon. Treasurer’s Report.
6. Appointment of Tellers.
7. Election of Officers:
President
Vice Presidents
Chairman
Vice-Chairman
Hon Secretary
Hon Treasurer
8. Election of remainder of Executive Committee
Assistant Secretary
Assistant Treasurer
Oifigeach Gaeilge
Three (3) Members
9. Motions and Recommendations
10. Any Other Business
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Executive Committee Meetings 2016
Number of meetings held: 27
Niall Connaughton 22 Tony Delaney 24 Martin Ryan 22 Ed O’Malley 20 Michael McGlynn 23 Andrew Cronin 25 Alan Milton 22 Billy O'Connor 26 John Ryan 22
Nominations for the Executive Committee 2016-17 Aimniúcháin don Coiste Feidhmeannaigh 2016-17
Position Outgoing Nominations
President: Tommy Keogh Tommy Keogh
Vice-President: John O’Malley Snr John O’Malley Snr Frank Cosgrove Frank Cosgrove Mary Dardis
Chairman: Niall Connaughton Niall Connaughton
Vice-Chairman: Ed O’Malley Ed O’Malley
Hon. Secretary: Michael McGlynn Martin Ryan
Hon. Treasurer: Andrew Cronin Andrew Cronin
Asst. Secretary: Martin Ryan Michael McGlynn
Asst. Treasurer: John Ryan John Ryan
Oifigeach Gaeilge: N/A Alan Milton
Members: Alan Milton Tony Delaney Tony Delaney Willie Kennedy Billy O'Connor Billy O'Connor
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Standing Orders for Annual General Meeting
1. The proposer of a motion or amendment thereto, may speak for three (3) minutes but no longer.
2. A member speaking on a motion or an amendment may not exceed two (2) minutes.
3. The proposer of a motion, or amendment, may speak a second time for three (3) minutes before a vote is taken, but no other member may speak a second time on the same motion or amendment.
4. The Chairman shall, at any time he considers a matter to have been sufficiently discussed, call on the proposer to reply, after which a vote must be taken.
5. A member may with the consent of the Chairman move that ‘the question be now put’ after which, when the proposer has spoken, a vote must be taken.
Motions / Recommendations
Recommendations:
Proposed: Seán Mc Namara Seconded: Ken Byrne
1. With the demands being made by the increased number of teams we recommend the formation of a Grounds Committee comprising of members from the various sections within the Club. This committee will have responsibility for pitch usage and allocation.
Proposed: Liam Mac Laughlin Seconded: Niall Reilly
2. We recommend that the Executive Committee grant access to the main pitch on Monastery Road for Juvenile training on a phased, rotational basis which will be overseen by the Juvenile committee in conjunction with those responsible for the upkeep and management of the pitch.
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Chairman’s Report 2016 Tuarascáil an Cathoirleach
I’d like to welcome you all here this evening to our Annual General Meeting in this the 132st anniversary year of our foundation. This evening presents an opportunity to review the past year and also to discuss the future development of the Club both on and off the field.
It is a huge honour for me to address you as I complete my second year and as Chairman of this great Club, 2016 was a very busy year and I would like to thank all members for the support I received over the last twelve months.
Michael will give a detailed report on the various sections but in general terms it was a good year for our teams with some successes and in most cases our teams were very competitive.
The last few years has seen significant focus on developing the underage section and improving our systems and resources. There is no doubt that the superb facility that is Monastery Road has been a major factor in attracting children, coupled with excellent Nursery & Juvenile committees and a superb Games promotion officer mean that our numbers at Juvenile level continue to grow and thus we are starting all age groups in the same high level three team groups as the big Dublin clubs – the challenge for us is to ensure we stay there throughout the players development and they receive the requisite support and structures around them to ensure they reach their potential.
To that end, it is vital that we continue to implement our Strategic plan with a particular focus on Coaching & Games. This area is driven by our Coaching & Games committee, Chaired by Tony Delaney, assisted by Coaching Officer, Derek Murray and an experienced committee.
In 2013 we as a Club undertook a strategic review which examined our structures and objectives under a number of different headings. It has been and will continue to be beneficial to us in giving us a roadmap for the future. We are now into year four of this exercise and we continue to make progress and I am confident the plan will be fully implemented by its completion in 2018.
On the Finance side the Treasurers report will show that there is a decrease in our fundraising income for the third year running which is a huge concern. We have tried a number of different approaches regarding fundraising – from large events to several smaller events yet they are not proving a success in general. This is an area that we need to improve greatly on as the burden for the ongoing running of the club continues to fall on two few members.
On a more positive note, the Monastery Road development is complete and debt free. This is a huge achievement by the Development committee, the
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Finance committee which oversaw the funding and all members and the wider community, for which we are most grateful. We must now continue to pursue our expansion of available training space in order that our growth at Juvenile level continues. To that end, we are applying for the next round of Capital sports grants in a joint venture with the Irish school campus on Nangor road and have established a working group to represent our interests in this initiative.
We have previously discussed at length in the past the huge burden of our long term debt of €500,000. As we previously discussed, we are finalizing contracts with a developer to sell a small parcel of scrap land, approximately one acre, and following an EGM in April 2015 where the membership approved this course of action, we are now at contracts stage and would hope to have the deal concluded after Christmas and realise a figure of approximately €400,000. We hope this will be the first step in a process that will lead to our club being debt free over the next ten years and allow future Executive committees to fully concentrate on helping our club reach its full potential. The reason for the delay was due to the National Lottery having a charge on the entire Monastery road site and the update of our trustees with the Chief State solicitors office.
Mid-November just gone saw the return of Sam Maguire to Dublin and once again we were able to host Jim Gavin, Frank Roebuck and a selection of the Dublin panel & backroom team. As always, the Dublin players and management proved to be wonderful ambassadors for our games.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude and thanks to the many people and groups that work so hard for the benefit of this Club - the players and mentors who give so much commitment to wear the green and white jersey, the board delegates, our supporters who continue to turn out in big numbers, the sub-committee members who work with and support the Executive in carrying out the day to day business, all our local schools who work with us in promoting our Club and our sponsors who give us invaluable financial assistance.
Finally I would like to thank all of my colleagues on the Executive who have worked tirelessly over the last year; they have been hugely supportive and never shirked a challenge.
Is mise le meas,
Niall Ó Connachtaín Cathaoirleach
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Secretary’s Report 2016 Tuarascáil an Runaí
Is cuis mór áthas dom an tuarisc seo a chur ós bhur gcomhair anocht ag an ocáid mor seo an Cruinniú Bhliantúil Chumann an Chloigthí. It is an honour for me as Runai of Cumann an Chloigthi to present the annual report on club activities for 2016. I am thankful to the mentors and members who have submitted returns for inclusion in this report and hope that I have been able to give an accurate account and overview of club activities in the past year.
In what has been a very busy year for our club it’s been my privilege to perform the duties of Honorary Secretary and below are just some of the highlights:
Underage Championship and League Success. Dublin Senior Footballers All Ireland victory. Jim Gavin and Frankie Roebuck homecoming with Dublin Senior Footballers. Growth in Juvenile section & Nursery. Establishment of Camogie Committee. Return of Adult Ladies Football Team Club Family Day. Potential Expansion with the Irish Schools in Clondalkin.
Significant progress has been made again throughout the club. On behalf of the Executive committee I thank again all who have contributed time, finances, ideas, energy, sponsorship, fundraising, etc for our club. There isn’t one among us that shouldn’t be proud of our modern day facilities and as a club we will continue to advance, grow and develop because of this.
The incoming Committee face difficulties on many fronts, not least the difficulty in meeting day to day expenditure and again will need the support of the membership to overcome these challenges. We again stress to members that the income generated by the development on Monastery Road once realised will not be used for future day to day expenditure but instead to tackle our long term debt and improving our infrastructure/facilities.
The increasing number of playing teams continues to pose a welcomed challenge in providing sufficient locations for training. The innovative partnership currently being explored with the three Irish Schools in Clondalkin has the potential to provide an additional All Weather facility and an Indoor Hall exclusively to Round Towers after school hours. This would go a long way in addressing current shortages and future growth. This is a long term solution which can be provided in the short term with an opening date scheduled for the complex in Sept 2018.
Similar to the difficulties with providing sufficient training areas the expansion of playing teams again generates the unenviable headache of pitch allocation for matches. Gerry Banks has performed this task like he
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does all his other responsibilities within the club with no fuss and complete impartiality. His close liaison with Sean McNamara and Shay Clifford in addition to all other sections and teams as required is to be commended and resulted in a very smooth year on the pitch allocation front for matches. It's testament to Gerry that not once was there a double booking on our limited pitch resources, and not one single complaint was received all year concerning pitch allocation for matches.
I thank teams and mentors for their patience with regards to training areas and would encourage all to look at alternative locations such as Moyle Park which has recently undergone an upgrade to the lights or other facilities with floodlights in the short term if required.
In line with the GAA membership year it has been decided that subscription renewals received from members after 31 March annually will be deemed ineligible for nomination to the next Executive, and precluded from voting at an AGM. Furthermore priority of All Ireland Tickets will be given to members that have subscribed on or before 31 March of that year.
Club Administration
Sincere thanks to all members who serve on the various sub-committees.
Adult Games: Bernie Cronin, Frank Cosgrove, Shay Clifford, John Ryan.
Adult Hurling: Patrick Byrne, John Hoolan, Pat Lawless, Gerard Kessie, Brian Douglas.
Ladies Football: Marie Crotty, Jessica O’Malley, Dave Mc Cabe (Board Delegate)
Camogie: Jenny Byrne, Susan Rafferty, Colm Kelly, Angela Quinlan, Declan Gregg.
Juvenile Games: Liam McLoughlin (Chair), Sean McNamara (Secretary), Alan Milton, Mick O'Meara, Noel Kelly, Board Delegates & Juvenile Mentors.
Social: Phil O Connor, Annette Harrington, Carol Condon, Mary Douglas, Anita Barry, Amy Clifford, Lorraine Bevan, Catherine Moran, Betty Ward.
Disciplinary: Sean McNamara.
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Lotto: John Ryan, Ray Verso, Gerry Banks, Sally Gilligan, John Whelan, Eugene Garrigan, Janet Hazel.
Remembrance: Kitty Egan
Referees: Matthew McLoughlin, Adam Doyle, Declan Lyons, Heather McLoughlin, Micheal Walsh, Darren Gilligan Alan Gavin, Kevin O’Neill, Davey McCarthy, Eoghan Young, Chris Reid, Robert Doyle, Dave McCabe, Philip Carr, Andrew Cummins, Liam MacLaughlin, Craig Curtis.
H. Board Delegates: Dave Mc Cabe.
F. Board Delegates: Bernie Cronin (CCC), Bernie McLaughlin (CCC2), Eric Byrne & Mark Hampson (CCC1)
Ladies F. Board Del. Dave Mc Cabe (Leinster Council Delegate)
County Board Officials: Niall Connaughton - CLG Central Council Committee Member. Bernie MacLaughlin - Member of Bord na Nóg & County Youth Officer. Philip Carr - Juvenile Referees Tutor.
County Management: Jim Gavin - Dublin Senior Manager
Development: Barry Gavin Brian Douglas, Patrick Byrne, Paul Swaine, John Whelan, Sinead McNulty
GPO Steering: Liam McLaughlin Catherine Moran, Alan Milton, Neil Reilly, Mark Hampson, Tony Delaney
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Juvenile Section – Roinn na nOg: Chairpersons Report - Juvenile Section (Roinn na nOg) 2016
The year gone by has been a very active one for a growing Roinn na nOg. Section with Committee and mentors meeting on a near monthly basis. As you will see from the individual mentor’s reports we are fielding teams across most age groups with growing numbers in the area of Girls Football and Camogie.
Significant growth in numbers at the Saturday morning Towers Og and the Under 8 groups whilst very welcome have now reached the stage where existing facilities are being stretched particularly during the short evenings when lights are required for training. Our thanks are due to Moyle Park, Colaiste Brid and Gaelscoil Cluain Dolcain for the use of their facilities for Juvenile Games and training.
Whilst we could do with more volunteers we remain fortunate to have a cohort of people willing to give of their time taking out juvenile teams, undergoing coaching courses and providing an opportunity for the youth of Clondalkin to participate in Gaelic Games. We are indebted to many dedicated men and women playing a very active part in promoting, camogie, both girls and boy’s football as well as hurling on a weekly basis.
Their willingness to invest time in improving their own coaching skills, their dedication to the youth in their charge and their promotion of our games augurs well for the future of our Juvenile Section and the club as a whole.
I would like to acknowledge and thank all the players who make up the juvenile section who represented all codes throughout the year as well as the many parents who actively supported their children and the club on the sidelines.
Thanks also to the many sponsors of our juvenile teams that you will see mentioned in individual reports. Particular thanks to Clondalkin Travel for their sponsorship of Roinn na nOg and The Irish Fairy Door for Nursery Sponsorship.
The year gone by has provided us with many highlights such as:
U 16 Footballers winning the C Championship and Div 5 League U 13 Hurlers just narrowly missing out on promotion to Div 3 U13 Camogie Championship Shield winners U15 Girls Winning Division 4 of League Sterling performances in Hurling, Camogie, boys and girls Football Feile competitions Nursery (rebranded during the year as Towers Og) continues to go from strength to strength with growing numbers and parental involvement
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(great to see so many former players starting to appear and hopefully bring through the next generation) The continuing numbers of dual mentors and players from U7 to U12 Our ability to compete in three team leagues with larger clubs at younger ages Return trip to Glasgow with our U15 and U13’s away this weekend Primary Schools Blitz in Community Centre in September (8 schools attended) Local Schools increased participation in Cumann na mBunscoil with Croke Park Final appearances for Clonburris, Sruleen and Gaelscoil. September Mini Blitz’s in Monastery Road with 250 attending between ages of 7 to 12 Schools coaching and blitzes organized by GPO Family fun day where many of our juvenile mentors put on novelty events to raise club funds and the mentors who got together to organize the day Large participation in the Kube Fundraiser School visits of Sam Maguire in November and to be completed in December.
Through December and January last year we met with all boy’s football and hurling managements. This involved mentors looking at where they are, what ambitions they have, what success will look like for them and what needed to be done to help them achieve that success. A follow up is scheduled for the coming December and January.
In addition we have had a number of coaching initiatives delivered by James Glancy, GPO for new mentors, nursery mentors and team coaches early in the year. With James’s departure during the summer we have been fortunate to have got the services of Dave Farrelly who joined us in late September. Dave is currently concentrating on coaching in the Tier 1 Primary Schools of Clonburris, Sruleen, Gaelscoil Cluain Dolcain, Gaelscoil na Camoige and St Josephs as well as preparing the new U8 mentors for 2017.
2016 also saw us undertake a baselining exercise taking details of boy’s registrations for Football and Hurling by age group and by school to help inform where GPO resource can be best utilized.
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U8 U9 U10 U11 U12 U13 U14 U15 U16 Total St Josephs 2 4 2 4 9 3 0 0 0 24 GSCD 16 4 5 6 4 5 3 0 0 43 Gael Scoil na Camoge 15 4 9 3 3 3 0 0 0 37 Clonburris 7 8 0 5 3 2 0 0 0 25 Sruleen 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 Sc Mhuire 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 St. Johns 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 HFCS 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 8 Colaiste Chillian 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 7 7 21 Moyle Park 0 0 0 0 0 6 13 12 7 38 Other 9 5 3 4 4 6 4 2 1 38 Total 52 26 21 25 24 30 27 23 17 245
This summary data was collected at a particular point in time when most of the registrations were completed in respect of boy’s teams and highlights the number of schools in the clubs catchment area. In light of this information Dave is working to increase participation from certain schools. This is already bearing fruit with a resurgence of games in Sruleen and their recent success in Cumann na mBunscoil.
It has been a privilege to serve as Juvenile Chairman for the past two years with an active juvenile section whose overall aim is to facilitate the growth of Roinn na nOg and to raise overall standards in coaching and playing. Whilst we have not been able to get to all that we would have liked I do believe that we have continued to build on the work of previous committees.
I would like to thank in particular our extremely efficient and hard- working Juvenile Secretary Sean Mc Namara who has served the club so well in that position over the past three years. Regrettably Sean has indicated that he will not be continuing as Juvenile Secretary next year and whilst this will be a major loss I am assured that he will thankfully be assisting in any way he can. I have had the pleasure of working with Sean over the past two years and can honestly say that Sean’s hard work, cool head, diplomacy and common sense at committee level will be severely missed.
Finally sincere thanks to:
Alan Milton who has taken a very active and prominent leadership role in all Juvenile matters as well as liaising with Executive Committee. Catherine Moran, Gemma Carr and their many helpers in the nursery/Towers Og. Noel Kelly for his work in the background. Frank Mc Kenna our logistics guy shifting equipment. Brian Douglas for coordinating referees and Philip Carr prior to Brian. Bernie Mac Laughlin and Mark Hampson Board Delegates to CCC2. Michelle Walsh for her professionalism and diligence as Child Protection Officer.
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Chairman Niall Connaughton and Executive Committee for their support throughout the year and in particular for facilitating move from Corcagh Park to Community Centre.
Mise Le Meas
Liam Mac Lochlainn Cathaoirleach Roinn na nOg
Child Protection Officer:
Overall structures are working well. GAA are currently reviewing relevant courses and we will continue to run these accordingly for mentors in the new year. Just a reminder to any new mentors that they will require Garda vetting and the CPO course to mentor any underage player. New vetting forms have been issued by County Board.
Juvenile Referee Coordinator Report
This year we have had 16 juvenile referees active in the club. There are 4 level 2 refs and 12 level 1. We started the year with 5 new graduates of the Level 1 course and they have been patrolling the pitches on Monastery Road and in the Community centre with gusto. Over 300 games have been officiated by our team and our Level 2 refs have also been travelling to such exotic locations as Lucan, Palmerstown, Ballyfermot, Tallaght, Rathcoole and Saggart.
The quality of refereeing is very good and I have received several commendations from the county board where visiting teams have officially commented on how good our young refs are. In the past few weeks 2 of our Level 1 refs have successfully passed their Level 2 exams and will begin at this grade next season. We also have a team to trainees waiting in the wings to start their level 1 course in March. I would like to thank all the juvenile mentors for their continued support and their positive encouragement of the referees throughout the year.
Most importantly, I would like to thank the team of young people who have stepped up, applied for and passed exams to become a Referee. This shows a great level of maturity and commitment. The level of commitment you have shown throughout the year is commendable and is noted. My job as coordinator is made easier by the fact that in over 300 games I have only ever had 1 no show.
Finally, I would like to thank the juvenile secretary and chair for their continued support.
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TowersÓg
Sponsor: Irish Fairy Doors
Background
Our youngest players re-convened with the commencement of the school year in September coinciding with another great period for Gaelic games in the capital with the staging of not one, but two All-Ireland football finals.
This period coincided with the departure of James Glancy who had served the club with distinction for more than two years.
We were delighted to welcome Dave Farrelly to the club as our new GPO and his knowledge of the area and his command of the Irish as a former student of Coláiste Chillian were two obvious pluses from the get go.
TowersÓg has been one of his priorities and he has already set about making his mark on our important Saturday morning gatherings with great energy.
Our activity moved to Collinstown Community Colleage (indoors and outdoors) in November but otherwise takes place on our all-weather facility on Monastery Road.
Communications
In addition to our initial leaflet drop as part of our early recruitment drive, we update and amend our mailing lists to allow us to communicate effectively with parents on a week to week basis.
Support and Sponsorship
A special word of thanks is once again due to Gavin Lawlor and The Irish Fairy Door Company for their generous and valued support. This support
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enables us to subsidies jerseys for large numbers of children raising awareness visually of the club throughout Clondalkin and ensuring our budding footballers and hurlers have their own club colours at a very early stage in their development. We also hope it has helped to raise the profile of their company in the area, a superb success story involving locally based club members.
Mentor recruitment
A concerted effort was made to entice new coaching talent to assist with our growing numbers and the response was encouraging.
A Code of Best Practice / Child Safety Course was organised on December 1 and was well attended by potential new mentors.
Rebrand
'TowersÓg' emerged in 2016 after long-running discussions about the need to avoid the use of terms such as 'nursery' - denoting a babysitting service of some kind, and 'academy' which suggests that only those in pursuit of excellence are catered for.
The new name captures the club name while emphasising the importance of youth in the Irish language which is another obvious cornerstone of the GAA.
We would appreciate the use of our new name as often as possible to ensure it gains traction and becomes the only name used in years to come.
Buíochas - Go raibh maith agaibh
As previously stated, it takes a dedicated team to ensure the nursery functions as effectively as it does on a weekly basis.
Our mentors - some new, some not so new, all play a vital role so a special word of thanks is due to them. For fear of omitting someone, they are not listed here. I would especially like to point out the involvement of a number of our teenage club players who assist on a weekly basis. This is hugely encouraging and the link between our Saturday morning games and the Cúl Camps / Club Camps, has obvious benefits.
We had special visitors such as Bernard Brogan, Dotsy O'Callaghan, Sam Maguire and of course three-time All-Ireland winning manager Jim Gavin, over the course of the year and attempted to create a party atmosphere and sense of occasion on the day before we split up for the summer holidays. The Christmas break will be marked in a similar way.
Finally, a special GRMA to James Glancy and Dave Farrelly for the work they undertook/ continue to oversee with the youth of the area.
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TowersÓg is the driver for our juvenile section which can be viewed as the driver for the entire club. It is also the first point of contact for many parents/ guardians and to that end it is imperative we are as organised with as many skilled coaches as possible to fully exploit the potential of the numbers we are now attracting.
The numbers of young boys and girls being coached to a high standard in football, hurling and camogie at U8s, U9s and U10s bear testimony to the importance of what happens on Saturday mornings between 10am and 11.30 on Monastery Road and Collinstown Community College.
Newcomers - both players and helpers - are always welcome! Beidh fáilte romhat.
Go raibh maith agaibh. Mól an Óige agus Tiocfaidh sí. (Praise the young and they will flourish)
Alan Mac Maoldúin - Coiste Roinn na nÓg
Juvenile Football & Hurling
Under 7 Boys Football/Hurling Lead Mentor: Anthony Davis Sponsor: None
Following Towers Og reforming in September, myself and Willie Kennedy have help form the new Under 8’s for 2017. We have taken a mixture of boys and girls so far and have combined training between football and Hurling. We trained alongside Towers Og on a Saturday morning but branched out on our own weekend of the 5th November with attendance numbers currently at 45 regularly. We had our first match on the weekend of the 12th November away to Thomas Davis with another match scheduled for weekend of the 26th at home.
Off the field, we’ve approached a couple of parents with regards to sponsorship for the team and we hope to hear back soon. We’ve had great support from Towers Og and Niall Reilly with regards to borrowing equipment while we currently source some of our own. On the coaching side of things, we’ve had help from various parents and I feel we could end up with a strong coaching panel of 8-10 people.
Our plan for 2017 is to train once a week (Tuesday @ 5.45) for 1 hour and then play a match on Saturday mornings. We hope to host various Blitz’s up in Monastery Road and also to bring the team off to various sites within the city to help build up a team spirit.
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Under 8 Boys Football/Hurling Mentor: Niall Reilly, Paul Wisely, Duncan Banks, Stephen Homan, Ken Coy, James Kenny, Michael Fogarty, Shane Franks, Mark Matanes, Mark Ward, Dwayne Jones, Tom O’Flynn, Anthony Reynolds, David Adams League: CCC1 Under 8 Sponsor: Braudstone Motors / Green Isle Hotel / Proinsias Richards
The U8’s season began on Monday, January 11th of 2016 with a panel of 42 boys in Collinstown indoor facility. The transition from nursery to U8’s was greatly helped by GPO James Glancy and U8 Lead Mentor, Niall Reilly. The U8’s first test was the 6-week Gormanston Hurling Challenge, where 27 of the U8’s faced off against teams from Meath, Louth & North Dublin during January and February. The Go Games season began shortly thereafter and we initially entered 5 teams into the league. We focused on the fundamentals, which we collectively recognized as Fun, Foundations & Fraternity. We introduced a “Player of the Week” award to highlight each player on the team. Our dedication to making training session’s fun allowed us to consistently work towards guiding the team toward improving their basic skills. This readied the team for their first Football Blitz on April 2nd.
By June we had experienced a dramatic rise in numbers and had welcomed 13 new players to the club, bringing the total panel to 55. This allowed us to enter another team into the Go Games league and play both our “Green” and “White” Squads in 3 Leagues. That number has since increased to 65.
One of the key ingredients in our season was breaking up the year with off campus activities. Over the Easter Break we held a 1 day training camp at The Ward in North County Dublin complete with the world famous kebab pizza with thanks to Marcolino’s of Finglas. The U8’s were treated to an afternoon with SDCC Lord Mayor with thanks to Cllr and mentor, Mark Ward. We also took the team to the National League Football Final and 1916 Commemoration. For many of the U8’s, this would be their first game in Croke Park. We further enjoyed taking over 200 club players and parents to the All Ireland Quarter Final & Semi Finals later in the summer. Lastly, our end of season party was held in Base Entertainment Centre.
The obvious standout for the U8 season is how we watched the team grown in numbers, skill, maturity and team identity. Another standout highlight was the Kids Marathon where during our training sessions we recorded the distances ran which resulted in all players completing a full marathon over a 3 month period, culminating in a 1 mile run on an athletics track at the end of November. Our Hurling Highlight was playing against Ballinteer St Johns GAA Club (6 teams, 8 a side) in Marlay Park on Nov 12th for the last challenge-match of the season as we could see how much the team had come on. Our Football Highlight was the last match of the season played under the lights at home in Monastery Road against Newbridge Sarsfields on Nov 18th.
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We would like to thank Jim Gavin for the inspirational speech he gave to the team before the summer break. We would like to thank our mentors for all of their time and effort during this season. We would also like to thank the parents and families of the U8’s team for their dedication in bringing the boys to training and matches.
This was a truly remarkable season and all involved should be very proud of both the effort and result.
Under 9 – Boys Hurling and Football Mentors Football: Paudge Byrne, Frank Mc Kenna, John O’Malley, Paul Lindopp Mentors Hurling: Paul Lindopp, Eoghan Hutchinson, Paudge Byrne, Frank Mc Kenna League: CCC1 Under 9 Sponsors: McKenna Construction Broadstone Motors
Our under 9 team have just completed our second season of go-games. We were involved in a 3 team league in both hurling and football which requires us to field three 9-a-side teams each week. Playing against all the top southside teams there were no easy games and the level of performance in both codes was very pleasing for the mentors. The skill levels have improved consistently throughout the year and the players are already looking forward to being Under 10’s.
We hosted an u9 football blitz on the main pitch in Monastery Rd during the year hosting 3 other clubs, which was a great success.
A special word of thanks to a committed group of parents for bringing the children out 3 times a week and supporting the efforts of the coaches at all times. We are presently trying to recruit more players to ensure we can continue to field 3 teams on a weekly basis and we have had some recent success with 4 new recruits in the last few weeks.
Our season in 2017 will kick off with our participation in the Gormanstown Indoor Hurling tournament. This is a great tournament to kick-start the year running from the middle of January to the end of February.
A special word of thanks to our juvenile committee for their hard work and assistance throughout the year. We would also like to thank our club referees who do a great job for all our home matches. They are a credit to the club and are by far the best referees we encounter throughout the year.
Thanks to Barry Quinlan for setting up and administering our Facebook page. We plan to make more use of it next year. Thanks also to Trish McGowan for collecting our weekly subs.
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Under 10 Boys Football & Hurling Mentors: Patrick Morris, Lorcan Downey and Sean Flynn (Football only) League: CCC1 Under 10’s Sponsor: Ciaran Carr Foundation
Currently we have approx. 30 Children attending training on Monday/Wednesday. Match day’s numbers are as follows; Football - 27 – 30 players Hurling - 20 -23 players We are currently in a 3 teamer for both codes, we hope to enter a 3 teamer again in Football, and a 2 teamer in Hurling for 2017. The Gaelscoileanna make up the most of our players (Camóige & Cluain Dolcáin).
At under 11 in Cuman na mBunscoil (Football), a lot of players from our squad in Gaelscoil na Camoige were league champions again this year, and a good number also played on the under 13 squad this term which made it to the semi-final stage.
We have a couple of players from Clonburris, Surleen, St Josephs & Drimnagh Castle. Presently we only have 1 player from St Josephs (Tier 1 School) playing football only!! Regarding mentors, our major concern is the lack of hurling experience. We have only one mentor with hurling experience (Lorcán), the other mentors have only football experience. We urgently require additional mentor(s) for hurling for next year. We have approached all of the parents to enquire if any have hurling experience but to no avail. Liam Walsh was assisting us earlier on this year but with work and Dublin hurling commitments he is no longer available to help out.
Unless we are to get additional mentor(s) for hurling we believe we will be unable to develop our squad of players in 2017. The players have immense skill, enthusiasm and commitment at this early stage of their development and it would be regrettable to say the least if we cannot build on such a fine squad of young talent.
If the executive could organise the ‘buddy’ system to engage a senior player to assist once a week (for one hour), working along with are current mentors, we believe this would be both beneficial to the squad of players and to the current mentors. We will also endeavour to get some of our player’s parents to attend any upcoming coaching sessions as this will also assist us greatly.
Sponsorship – We are currently looking for a new sponsor for the 2017 season. We need both match day jerseys and training tops. If the executive has any knowledge of anyone within the local business community currently expressing an interest in sponsoring a team we would only too happy to talk to them if they could pass on our details.
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Under 11 Football Mentors: Gavin Lawler, Kevin Walsh, Jimmy Coleman & Alan Casey Level: Go Games Sponsor: None
We entered three teams (11 a side) in the league in 2016. Numbers were consistent throughout the year with 30 plus on match days. We regularly have 35 at training.
We played 14 matches and had two cancellations due to weather. We also entered a new year’s tournament at St James Gaels and performed very well over the two days. We played Graded A, B and C matches with the A and B teams performing well. The C team struggled with results however the performances and skill levels improved over the season. We added Friday night training for a number of weeks to do additional work on skills.
A number of the feeder schools had success with Cumann na mBunscol. A number of our players were with the Clonburris and Sruleen Senior teams who won their finals in Croke Park. A number of our players also represented the Gaelscoil Chluain Dolcáin and Gaelscoul na Camóige Senior teams who lost in their Cup Semi Finals. Well done to all.
Home matches continued in the Community Centre. We are grateful to the club for facilitating this. We spent a large part of the year training on grass at the Community Centre and Colaiste Chilliain and only returned to the astro when we were forced to due to lack of light. Our pitch allocation of 1/3rd of a pitch for 35 u11 boys makes training on the astro very challenging.
We have a couple of challenges lined up against Celbridge and Castlemitchell as we prepare for next season.
Additional coaches and help will be needed if we are to maintain 3 teams at u12. This will be addressed with the parents.
We’d like to thank the juvenile committee and Sean and Liam in particular for their support and enthusiasm towards our teams throughout the year.
Under 11 Hurling Team Mentors: Jimmy Coleman, Kevin Walsh, Gavin Lawler Level: Go Games Sponsor: None
We entered two teams (11 a side) in the league in 2016. We played 13 league matches and also entered the Camaint where we played over 4 Tuesday’s in June/July and a successful final in Parnell Park in August.
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Matches were played at the Community Centre and we trained in the Community Centre and Colaiste Chilliain. We are working off a panel of 24 and it will be a struggle to maintain two teams.
Gaelscoil Chluain Dolcáin had a successful run to a Senior Hurling Cup Final in Croke Park with a number of our players involved. They lost on the day but performed brilliantly throughout.
We had a training session from Barry Whelan from the senior hurlers which benefitted the kids and mentors and also had two sessions from Noel McGrath either side of his All Ireland success which was brilliant for the kids and mentors. The mentors also took advantage of the Nicky English coaching session on Monastery Road. Additional assistance would be appreciated with coaching to help a talented and enthusiastic group of hurlers who are representing their club and schools throughout the year to reach their potential.
We’d like to thank the juvenile committee and Sean and Liam in particular for their support and enthusiasm towards our teams throughout the year.
Under 12 Football Mentors: Paul Swayne & Brian Kirk with assistance from Paul Lindopp & Dave Maguire League: Div 4 & 8 Sponsor: Life Pharmacy Clondalkin
Under 12's football team started out in January of this year and was a follow on from the under 11 team of last year. This group is made up of those born in 2004
Numbers have been good and consistent throughout the year, with between 22 – 28 kids attending training and matches in football
We have been competing in Dublin Go Games where we have 2 football teams, one competing in Division 4 and the other in Division 8. We have had moderate success with both teams with a very dedicated bunch of kids.
In Football at the start of the year we competed in grading games and as a result of these games we were positioned in the appropriate divisions. Division 4 proved to be challenging for the 1st team but rapid improvements in performances were being made towards to end of the campaign. The second team in division 8 produced a little more success however we did have to concede a number of points for away fixtures because we did not have sufficient numbers to fulfill a competitive fixture. The Under 11 team propped up this team when possible.
We also get a lot of support from parents who help out both at training and on match days. Paul Lindopp & David Maguire among others have been a great help and will continue to coach and help going forward. 04ú Nollaig 2016 Page 20
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Training currently takes place in the Monastery Road astro pitches @ 6.45pm Tuesday ,Match day venue was Community Centre / Colaiste Killian
At this stage for next year we will have one football team competing at Under 13 grade which is 15 a-side and depending on numbers and support from next years under 12’s we may have a second team.
Reilly’s Life Pharmacy provided sponsored jerseys for our teams this year and they have also indicated that they will continue to sponsor for 2017. Geraldine Finnegan looks after all our registration, subs, teamer etc,
Under 12 Hurling Mentors: Paul Lindopp League: Div 7, (3rd out of 8) Sponsor: Life Pharmacy Clondalkin
Overall, the U12 hurling year has been successful. In January I sat down with the boys and told them my overall team objectives for the year, namely to establish a good team spirit, to start playing as a team , to enjoy playing the game and to most importantly, to keep them all hurling.
I am very happy that the season went broadly in line with these objectives. The team has taken shape and its overall formation is more or less established. The boys are communicating with each other in games and are now confidently passing the sliotar instead to each other of merely hitting it. The ability to compete and win ball right until the full time whistle has dramatically improved. This has translated into us winning more tight games. Increasing the training to twice weekly has helped considerably in achieving this and I have had great buy in from the parents and boys in doing this. A lot of our so called weaker players have improved considerably in terms of skills and fitness, which has boosted their confidence and their ability to compete.
The league we were placed was a good fit in terms of the level of competition it offered. Of the 7 games played, we lost 2 of them and both only by a couple of points. The boys play “hard but fair” and the parents and I are keen to see this as the culture we want to foster in the team.
The Camaint this year was terrific in terms of giving us summer hurling against teams in higher divisions. We reached the division 5 final, narrowly losing to An Fianna by a couple of points but the boys took great heart in their ability to compete have a lot more confidence in their ability. We have a good rapport with the U11 team regularly trained with them over the course of the year.
We managed to bring the team from 15 to 17 boys with a potential of another couple of boys joining in the New Year.
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In the next few months, we will concentrate a lot on touch, fitness and scoring and are looking forward to getting going in 2017. They are a great bunch of lads and a privilege to mentor.
Special thanks to Paul Swayne, Brian Kirk, Kieran Downey and to all the parents for their dedication and commitment over the year.
Under 13A Football Mentors: Mark Hampson, Keith Murray, Derek Murray League: Division 3 Sponsors: Autoclass Motor Company County Rep: Aaron O’Driscoll, Jay Meehan
2016 has been an eventful year and a thoroughly enjoyable one. After winning all our grading games by some distance we were placed into Division 3. I made my views that this was too high for us at the delegates meeting but was turned down with regards to dropping back a league, and we just had to accept that and get on with the task in hand. I have no doubt that mixing with teams at this level has brought our lads on but it is still my view that we are a division 4/5 team and hopefully we can be better placed for next seasons league campaign and Feile.
We took the lads away to Birmingham to play in a memorial tournament and reached the semi-final. On that weekend we also travelled to Coventry to play a challenge game. We competed against mostly players who were a year older. The lads represented the Club well and earned plenty of respect, making memories and plenty of friends while over there. On the 25th of November coming we travel to Glasgow to play another tournament and the lads are really looking forward to this.
We are looking forward to our Feile next year and work has started on this with the lads already working on the strength and fitness with Louie in the Bushido Gym every Tuesday.
AUTOCLASS MOTOR COMPANY are our continued yearly sponsor and also sponsor a pitch side add and we welcome this local company’s support.
I would like to thank Keith and Derek for their help all year and also Richie and Ciara for their great work with the B team this year. Finally I would like to say a BIG thanks to Seán, Liam and Alan for all their help during the year.
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Under 13B Football Mentors: Richie Brown, Ciara Tait League: Division 9 Championship: N/A Sponsors: 2016 N/A, 2017 Sponsors secured Bon Barbers, Bawnogue
Ciara and I were tasked with taking on the B team in 2016 after Mark Hampson put out the call with Keith Murray taking up position with the A team. We took on the team when it was at its lowest ebb, they hadn’t been winning games and lacked confidence as a result. However, this first year has been an eventual year and a thoroughly enjoyable one. We didn’t start off well in our grading games, so rightly we were placed in division 9. When Mark had made me aware of this I sat down with Ciara and we made a plan to improve the lads on a week by week basis. Gradually we worked on the basics with them and slowly began to teach them how to read a game and win them. This was helped with the recruitment of players throughout the year. As the weeks went on we won matches and confidence grew!! We finished the year in a Top 4 Bottom 4 playoff and went unbeaten in that so ended up finishing in 3rd place in our League. I feel this is justification for the lads as they have worked their hearts out all year.
However we cannot rest on our laurels for next year and need to drive on and keep our numbers up in order to improve again in 2017. To do this we are already looking ahead and work has started for this with the lads already working on their strength and fitness with Louie in the Bushido Gym every Tuesday. This coupled with our weekly training we can drive forward and the lads can also look forward to our Feile next year.
I would also like to thank Mark for all his help this year as it hasn’t been easy back and forward almost every day. Also, thanks to Sean, Alan and Liam on the Juvenile Committee for everything over the past year.
Under 13 Hurling Mentors: Keith Murray, Robert Doyle, Mark Hampson League: Division 5 Sponsors: Autoclass County Rep: Harry Kelly
Our goal this year was to try and progress to Division 4 and contend strongly for the hurling Feile in 2017.
The lads fought very hard in the league to the extent that we finished joint second and were in a playoff with Liffey Gaels. Unfortunately this did not go our way and we lost by 3 points.
A lot of positives came out of this year and the team really showed great character and drive. One of our players Harry Kelly has gone onto trials with the Dublin Development Squad and we wish him well. 04ú Nollaig 2016 Page 23
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All in all very pleased with the season and already looking forward to next year. I would like to thank Mark and Robert for their help this year and also all the parents for their continued support. I would also like to thank our sponsors, Autoclass.
Under 14 Football Mentors: Ed O’Malley, Eugene Garrigan. (Helen O’Meara, Anita Barry - Admin) League Division 5 Sponsor: The Treetop Restaurant
The team played in Division 5 and finished in 4th place. This team has the ability and talent to do better in the future and a lot more work from all will be required for Championship and League campaigns in 2017 Many thanks to Marc Taylor, Keith Graham, Mick Hallows, Richie Harney and Des Morrow for their help with training and coaching.
Under 14 Hurling Mentors: Mick O'Meara, Philip Quinlivan, Paul Bevan, Conor English Helen O'Meara(Admin) League: Division 4 Sponsor: None County Representation: Senan Walsh, Stephen Barry
2016 was a relatively successful year for Round Towers U14 Hurling Team The team competed in Feile Na Gael D4B finishing 2nd in their group. They were beaten in the Semi-Final of by O’Tooles GAA who went on to win the final.
The team finished 3rd in the D4 league, missing the play off by a point. Our aim for 2017 is to canvas the County Board for promotion to D3 and hopefully build on the progress and hard work put in by all involved with this team.
On behalf of the players, mentors and parents we would like to thank everyone who contributed and helped the team in any way over the year, your support at fundraisers and on the side-lines is always greatly appreciated.
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Under 15 Football Mentors: Mick Broderick, Denis Kelly, Paul Whelan, Dean Alford. League: Division 2 Sponsor: Mooney’s Cars
The core objective for the management was to continue to develop the skill levels, ability & proficiency of the players. We also set ourselves a target of “holding our own” in division 2. We maintained a panel of 22 players.
Unfortunately it was a difficult year for various reasons. We suffered a lot of injuries with players. Also the “Sunday morning” syndrome was a challenge with players.
On a positive note it was great to see the panel support the Under 16’s to a double with the league & championship.
Thanks to the players and their parents who continuously support and attend the matches regularly. Also a special thanks to Liam, Sean, Alan & the Juvenile committee for their continued support and encouragement throughout 2016.
We look forward to the year ahead and will be setting high expectations for the team in 2017.
Under 15 Hurling Mentors: Eric Byrne, Paul Whelan. League: Division 1 Championship: Quarter finals County Rep: Alex O Neill , Joe Murray Sponsor: Mooney’s Cars
It was an interesting and big step for our lads this year in Division 1. Unfortunately we finished bottom of the division, with only one win, but our lads rose to the challenge and were unlucky in a few games. Great win in the first round of the championship and next we met the eventual winners Whitehall in the quarter final and were only beaten after a drawn game in sixty minutes, only to lose out in extra time. Big thanks to the juvenile committee, parents and hordes of supporters who gave great voice and cheer at every match.
Under 16 Football Mentor: Mark Casey, Kevin Bermingham, Richie Harney, Billy O'Connor League: Division 5 Championship: C Championship Sponsor: Ethiad/Clondalkin Sports
All in all a good year . Winners of 'C' Championship and Div 5 league. 17 players but relied heavily on the u15s . One player (Sean Casey) invited 04ú Nollaig 2016 Page 25
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for Dublin trials. Team has come on greatly this year . Expecting all of the players to progress to minor level.
Under 16 Hurling Mentors: Billy O’Connor, Eric Byrne, Jim Quinn League: Division 4 Championship: Semi finals Sponsors: N/A County Rep: Liam O’Connor
Our newly formed team with the help of U15 lads had a great year. We finished 6th in our league with an even split of seven wins and seven losses and had a great run in the championship only to lose by three points to eventual winners Clontarf. All are looking forward to building on this year going into minor and another milestone. Huge thanks to parents for belief in this team and to lads from year behind giving a dig out without a question asked, and to Jim and Pat for guidance and advice throughout league. Onwards and upwards, Towers Abu.
Juvenile Ladies Football
Under 8 Girls Football Mentor: Janette McKenna League: Go-games Sponsor: Irish Warehouse Liquidators
The U8 girls team was setup in January 2016 by Elaine Gavigan and myself as an assistant mentor. We had our first training session on January 12th with 6 girls . Our training day is every Tuesday on the Astro at 5:45- 6:45.
Elaine relocated to Donegal so with the help of Paul Malone, Robert Downes, Melanie Trusler and Kristen Gaffney they are doing a tremendous job of helping me coach our team. We primarily focus on basic skills, playing as a team while maintaining the fun element . Our team has grown from strength to strength resulting in our panel increasing to 27, unfortunately with our high numbers and registered as a 1 team, we only played against teams who had 8-10 players for each match. 13 girls from our panel will be moving onto the U9's in January 2017 while the other girls will remain at U8 level. We are hoping to have 9/10 girls that will be coming from the nursery to join the U8's .
We will continue to progress and to increase our numbers with the view of entering the U8's as a three team group for the 2017 season. We hosted a blitz organised by the county board in October, 3 clubs participated . In November we played a mini blitz with the our U8's U9's
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and U10's and this displayed the great progress being made by all the teams and the girls are all enjoying it.
I would also like to thank the parents for your continuous support and attendance to our matches . These girls are a pleasure to be with and I'm looking forward to 2017.
Under 9 Girls Football Mentor: Alice Dodrill, Linda Keogh & Aoife Lawler, U15 Girls Katie Doyle, Hannah Clarke. Carol Cryon (Admin) League: Go-games Sponsor: The Irish Fairy Door Company
On the 11th February we started back training in monastery road from 5:45 – 6:45 on a Thursday evening. A squad of 22 players turned up on the night making our first training session back a great success. It wasn’t long after that we got our team fixtures for the first half of the our 2016 season that would run from March – July and then through till October. Our first game would be against St Marys of Saggart at home. We got off to a flying start the girls showed great skill and enthusiasm.
On the 21st March the U9 girls showed up at the round towers Easter Camp this ran till the 24th. The U9 mentors went up to support the club and the girls. The timing of the camp was fantastic as it kept the U9 girls together as a team and they got a lot of match practice during this time. This was also the case when we ran a summer camp from the 11th – 15th July
Participation in the Go-Games U9’s South side league continued from March through to October with a one off blitz organised by the county board in October and hosted by St Jude’s in Tymon North. This is the 3rd year running that the U9’s & the U10’s mentors pooled their resources to man a stand for the Club's family fun day. This was an out and out success.
Currently the U9’s Girl Footballers share the astro at Monastery Rd with the U8 boys Hurling Team and U9 boy’s football team and the u10 girl’s football team every Thursday at 5:45 with the numbers continuing to grow for each team it is acknowledged that space on the astro is far too cramped to facilitate 4 teams. This is an ongoing issue that I’m sure will be rectified by the club in the not so distant future.
On the 12th November the Ladies section organised a mini leagues for the new U8’s, U9’s & U10’s teams. This mini league day showed off great skill, team work and enthusiasm from all three teams. For our team it showed how far we have come as a team and how much progress has been made by the girls. It showed that the hard work the girls are putting in is paying off.
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The U9’s Girl Footballers coaching sessions are designed in accordance with the GAA Fun do programme in order to ensure that the basic skills of Gaelic Football are shown., addressing the key teaching points of each skill with fundamental basics being taught. The Girls have also been given their own football skills booklet to bring home and practice the various skills; this will insure the kids are keeping active while getting an opportunity to practise their technique. This also will improve movement quality and help the players strive towards personal achievements. These techniques that are being practiced can only improve the player’s skills going forward. The U9 girls and their families are fully engaging and having a lot of fun while they are at it.
Under 10 Girls Football Mentor: Ken Byrne, Michelle Byrne, Austin Gaffney, Michael Fogharty, Aidan Robertson, Cathy O’Brien, Mark Ward, Mark Fitzpatrick, Lorraine Nolan and James Kenny. League: Go-games Sponsor: Braudstone Motors (Michael Fogharty) Barkshire Motors (Arthur McShane) ECD Engineering Solutions (Jim O’Brien)
The mentors have worked hard since the start of the year in maintaining and building on the current panel of 32 girls, up from 27 girls in 2015.
Preseason commenced on the 07th Feb with challenge games against Thomas Davis. Participation in the Go-Games U10’s (2 teams) South side league followed from late Feb through November complimented by additional challenge matches organised by the U10’s mentors. The team has performed well throughout.
The team also played in the following blitzes: 1. March: Fingallians, Colmcilles & Silversters 2. July: Leinster Bray Blitz last July 3. October: Dublin Southside league Blitz- Round Towers , Ballyboden St Endas & Kilmacud Crokes
The Girls played 44 games in total year to date. We experienced a good return from the Mini-leagues- 3 new players’. Thank you to Liam McLaughlin and Sean Mac Namara for the invite.
The team entered and won a competition run by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association to promote their code and game they play and love. This wonderful three-and-a-half minute video clip promotes the girls and reflects the wonderful camaraderie amongst this group of girls. The Girls took to the hallowed turf of Croke Park to play an exhibition game during the half-time break of the Senior All Ireland Ladies Gaelic Football Final, featuring the Dubs and Cork. They enjoyed the day and thank all concerned for the support.
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The U10 Girls train on Tuesdays (6pm to 7pm) and Thursday (5:45 – 6:45). We share the astro on Thursdays at Monastery Rd with the U9 boys, U9 girls footballers and the U8 boys footballers every Thursday at 5:45; this continues to be a challenge for all concerned.
This is the 3rd year that the mentors pooled their resources to enter a stand for the Clubs family fun day. A good day was had by all.
Girls Football U-11 Mentors: Róisín Ní Dhonnagáin and Veronica Morris League: Go-games Team Sponsor: None
The u11s have a had a great year. Their confidence and skill has grown as a team. Numbers have risen since last year and the new players have been working hard on their skills.
The girls have been doing great in matches and the skills practiced in training have been shown well in their matches. We had a great day out in Croke Park to support the Dublin ladies team. That morning the girls played in a blitz with Round Towers Kildare, and have made new links with the club since.
The future is bright at u12 for the girls next year.
Ladies Football U-13 Mentors: Marie Crotty, Ken Barry, Kevin Condon & Lorraine Bevan (Admin) League: Div 3 Championship: Div 4 Team Sponsor: Thermal Insulation
We did not get off to a great start in the League, We came up against very strong teams, but we continued to train, our numbers got bigger and our play improved. Training twice a week going into Championship with an average of 26 training each night we reached the semi-finals.
The girls are making great progress and we will continue to work hard. On behalf of Ken, Kevin, Lorraine and Myself, I would like to thank all the parents for their support throughout the year.
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Ladies Football U-15 Mentors: Annette Harrington, Gwynne Fahey, Carol Condon, Alice Dodrill League: Division 4 League, Championship and Feile Team Sponsor: Caddens Pharmacy
We started the year with approx 22 players we now have 25. It was a tough start to the league with a narrow defeat away to Na Fianna, but we came back strong to win all our next matches and eventually winning the Division 4 League in a nail biting final home game against Ballybouhgal who were also looking for league victory. The Highlights of the year was Winning Division 4 League and reaching the Semi-final of the Championship.
Thank You: Jessica O Malley is also a huge part of the running of our team. Alice Dodrill is the under 9’s mentor who has come on board as selector this year and was a great addition to our team. All our of parents who stand on the side lines at every match and always on hand to help out when asked from first aid to team photos. We have a great team who always set up the pitches, goals etc Kevin, Eamonn, Paul and Austin again couldn’t do without them
Juvenile Camogie
Under 8 Camogie Mentors: Angela Quinlan, Sue Kelly, James Sullivan, Janice Flood, Fiona Walsh League: Go-Games Team Sponsor:
It’s been a great year for juvenile camogie in the club; the under 8s had a very successful season. We started the season with a squad of 18 players. Angela Quinlan was the manager and was helped by Sue Kelly, James Sullivan and Janice Flood with other parents stepping in when needed. Fiona Walsh was a continued support to the girls regularly making training and attending some blitzes.
We played in a two team league playing 12 blitzes for the year. Our numbers grew so much that by the end of the season we were entering three teams. The girls were extremely competitive in all their blitzes, with plenty of positive comments coming from the opposition relating to their skills. Throughout the season we emphasised not only the need to practice their skills but to have fun whilst playing. Our numbers are now up at 35 with 15 remaining on next year at under 8 level.
Next year’s team looks set to be an extremely competitive side. Our round towers chant is getting louder and louder at the end of each training session and the girls feel very much part of the Round Towers club. With
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the help of fundraising and some sponsorship the girls are now fully kitted out in skorts and training tops. The parents were a huge support throughout the year whether it be organising cake sales, raffles or stepping in to take the subs so a huge thanks must go to them!
Juvenile camogie is going from strength to strength, we hope to make even more progress next year and grow our numbers again. We have plans in place for next season and with the full backing of the club we know we can push camogie forward even more.
Under 9 Camogie Mentors: Niamh Kearney, Bernard O Sullivan League: Go-Games Team Sponsor:
A great group of girls some really strong players, but could do with a little extra help to work on basics with some of the less naturally gifted players. They all give 100 percent at every game and love playing.
Under 11 Camogie Mentors: Claudia O'Flynn, Veronica Morris, Mark Fitzpatrick, and Sandra Tyrrell League: Go Games Team Sponsor: Castle Print
This is a team with great heart and spirit who are in a tough 2 team league coming up against some very strong clubs.
We have a lot of girls still under 10 but the skill and determination the team shows will lead to great things in the future, maybe even a few Dublin stars.
Under 12 Camogie Mentors: Colm Kelly, Declan Gregg. League: U13 B League Championship: U13 C - Shield Winners Team Sponsor:
A mixed year for this team as they embarked on their first year of competitive games.
Initially we entered the U13B League and had a tough year, with 2 draws and 5 losses. With the exception of one game, we were competitive in all our other games, and actually led in some of our games, including our games against the league leaders and league winners.
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We also entered a Feile team as an exercise in gaining experience, winning one of our 3 group games and losing to eventual winners, Erin Go Bragh. We were able to call on the services of some of the younger U16 players and they certainly made the experience worthwhile.
Next was championship, where unfortunately, despite leading at various stages in our group games, we lost all 3 games by narrow margins (including to Cuala and Ballinteer St John’s, who contested the championship final).
The highlight of our year was undoubtedly winning the shield competition, in an excellent final against Raheny (where we got our revenge for championship), we overcame them by 6-2 to 4-5 and was just reward for our hardworking team.
Our plans next year are to compete initially in the U14C league and to enter again for Feile.
Adult Football & Hurling
Minor Football Mentor: Kevin Gilligan, Colm Halpin, Tony Delaney. League: Division 2 Championship: C Championship Sponsor:
Last season was a frustrating season for the minor footballers. A good pre- season in January & February was undone by unplayable pitches, floodlight failure and teams not travelling. The result of this was our first competitive game was not played until the end of April. Despite two narrow defeats before the exam break, the players came back to win all league games played during the summer.
A disappointing first half against St Maurs in the first championship game and a three point defeat to Trinity Gaels in the second meant an early exit from the championship this year.
Nine competitive games in a season is not good enough for a group of players who are just one year away from adult football and is a poor reflection on the County Board who are responsible for this. At this moment there are still three outstanding fixtures for the minor team and a top four play-off seems to have been abandoned.
Despite the lack of games the players trained very well throughout the year and no doubt have a great future ahead of them. The players are a credit to themselves and their families who supported us during the year. Thanks also to all members who came to games both home and away, it is always great to see club members offering their support.
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Best wishes to all the players in the coming years and hopefully they will all play a positive part in the club's future.
Under 21 Football Mentors: Willie Kennedy Billy O'Connor Michael McAdam Sam Walsh Championship: C
Unfortunately we got beaten in the first round of the championship. A championship I firmly believe we could of won. Unfortunately things didn't go our way. Beaten by a late goal and a point in injury time. Was a frustrating time to be involved with the U21s and feel sorry for the lads that have played their last time at this level. I'd like to thank the lads involved, they are a great bunch with all having huge potential.
Senior Football Mentors: Paul Lanigan, Pat Murphy, Tony Delaney Mick Hyland (Jan- Apr) League: Division 2 (4th Place - Playoff Finalist) Championship: B (Last 16) Sponsorship: EMBAR Construction
After the disappointment of the playoff defeat to Skerries last year, the team sat down late December and decided that promotion to Division 1 was our main goal for this footballing year. We executed a plan that involved five nights a week training for the month of January as they embarked on this footballing year.
We began slowly with a disappointing opening day defeat to Naomh Mearnóg but over the next couple of games we steadily grew, though disappointingly still suffered another defeat along the way. With a few changes in early May, we now set our goal and focus on reaching the playoffs., The team went on to produce a great run of results, with wins in close encounters emphasising the determination and grit in the team to achieve their goal. One particular highlight was the defeating of the previously undefeated league leaders Skerries Harps at Monastery Road in August. Confidence was high and we achieved our goal of playoffs finishing fourth in the league.
The Playoffs brought two tough matches, we travelled to Naomh Mearnóg in the semis this signalled the huge strides made by the players over the course of the season as we vanquished our opening day defeat and beat the pre-match favourites at home. We then played Clontarf in the final hoping to cause an upset to the favourites once again, it wasn't to be, as we lost to the better team on the day.
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reach the Championship Final. We secured our Senior Football Championship status with a victory over Erins Isle last Wed night.
The Management team would like to thank the supporters for travelling far and wide to follow their beloved Round Tower team. We are very lucky to have such a dedicated support that are there encouraging on the team in any ground we played in. A special thank you to Gordon Gallagher for doing the stats which have been invaluable to the team’s preparation.
We would like to thank Louise O’Connor for looking after the Jerseys and having them ready for us on match day, Billy Passmore who has looked after the players and got them ready for the next battle, and to the umpires and Linesmen that offered their services we offer a hearty thank you also. We would also like to thank the committee for their support throughout the year from arranging pitch and astro availability or anything we required to get the team prepared for match day. Finally we would like to thank the players for their hard work and dedication that they have shown throughout the year. They got a small break in December before they began their preparations for the year on the 5th January. Their commitment has endured over the course of a year, from January to December. The players gave up personal occasions for the good of the team and wives, girlfriends & partners must also be thanked for facilitating the team’s needs. It is unfortunate that the season goes on far too long, as player welfare and longevity are suffering and I hope that this can be rectified in years to come.
I have no doubt that things are looking good for the future of Round Tower at adult football level and beyond with the success at under age level hopefully being a spring board to the adult teams in the future.
Junior A Football Mentors: Ciaran Delaney, Barry Gavin, Graham Hall & Liam Keighery League: Division 5 Championship: 2nd Round Sponsors: Gaelectric
Overall it was a disappointing year and a season of missed opportunities. After a promising start to the season, we lost a couple of games by the minimum margin and the season ended in early September with a mid- table position. The team had an early exit in the Championship to local rivals St Finnian’s, Newcastle.
On the positive side, the team is a nice blend of youth and experience and ten of the panel are U21. If we take on board the lessons from this season, there is no reason why the team cannot gain promotion in 2017 and be competing for Championship honours.
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Junior B Football Mentors: Anthony Davis, Frank McKenna & Aidan Foley League: AFL 7 (14th Position) Championship: C Championship1st round Sponsors: Red Cow Auto’s County
A very difficult year both on and off the field this season. We lost a combined total of 14 players from the previous season and we supplemented the squad with players from the Div 10 team and Gaa for Dad’s. We lacked some experience on the field and that told as the season wore on. We managed to fulfill all fixtures except our last one but we tried for 3 weeks to get it moved but to no avail.
We lost 3-4 close matches at the start of the season which I felt a couple of experienced players could have helped us win and set a different tone to the season. On the back of that, we lost all our league games bar one which we drew but it wasn’t without success. We used some minors and got some previous players back into the club. I feel on the back of that we have helped a lot of the younger players gain valuable experience within Adult football which should stand to them.
Going forward, myself and Frank have decided to step down due to our commitment to Juvenile teams. We wish all the lads well and every success in the future.
Senior Hurling Mentors: Aidan Lonergan, John Hoolan, Pat Lawless League: AHL3 Championship: Senior B Championship Sponsor: Red Cow Hotel & EMBAR County Representation: Gary Quinlivan (Dublin U21 Hurling)
The Senior hurling team started the year under a new Management team of Aidan Lonergan, John Hoolan and Pat Lawless. Targets for the year were set with a strong performance in both league and championship the main objective.
In the League the team went through the year only losing twice to finish third and securing a home playoff game. In the playoff semi-final we played a strong Olafs team but unfortunately lost following a big effort from the lads. Target for the 2017 league has to be promotion to AHL2.
In championship the team once again competed in Senior B. We were placed in a very strong group. The group turned out to be very competitive with some extremely close games. Despite playing some good hurling we unfortunately ended up in a relegation playoff against Naomh Mearnog. A very strong performance was needed and the team delivered a well-earned win to secure Senior Championship hurling for 2017.
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The year proved to be a difficult one for both management and players. The panel was not as big as previous years. We lost two players to serious injury for the year and others decided not to commit to the panel. Again one of the big pluses for the year was the emergence of the minor hurlers who stepped up to play in important games and this augurs well for 2017. There was also fantastic support from our Junior hurlers some of whom stepped up when needed to allow us operate with a full panel on match days.
With a bigger panel for 2017 the intention would be another strong showing in both league and championship.
The Management and team would like to thank the Club Chairman and Executive for all their support throughout the year. We also send a big thank you to our loyal supporters who supported us both home and away in what was a long hurling year.
Junior Hurling Mentors: Fergal McDonagh, Declan Rafferty, John Weafer, Ger Kessey League: AHL8 (Winners) Championship: Junior E Championship (Semi Final) Sponsor: Avon Ri
Another good year for the junior hurlers following on from league promotion last year to league final in 2016 which we won on the 27th of November in a hard fought game against Wild Geese. Unfortunate in championship to be beaten at the semi final stage again this year.
Great commitment shown by players and a big thanks to senior hurling management who allowed for mixed training sessions during the year,
Camogie
Camogie Section Summary
The year 2016 saw the continued expansion and formal setting up of a committee for the camogie section. For 2016 we competed at the following levels: U8 – 2 teams, U 9 – 2 teams,U11 – 2 teams, U13 – 1 team, U16 – 1 team and Senior team.
Overall we had in the region of 120 players playing camogie this year and next year we are hoping to expand even further. Next year, our proposed entries will be for U8, U9, U10, U11, U12, U14 while a decision remains pending relating to our participation at U16/Minor and Senior. At U8, U9 and U10 we are confident of entering 2 teams at each age group.
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A number of challenges remain for our camogie section, namely the securing mentors and volunteers for the 2017 season, issues with training venues and times and issues regarding the state of the playing surfaces at Moyle Park and Colaiste Brid which were of concern during 2016.
Ladies Football
Chairperson Report – Marie Crotty
2016 was a good year for us. Our Adult team was back up and running after the disappointment of not been able to field in 2015. Our underage teams has went from strength to strength. The increase in the numbers playing the game has doubled over the last year and with continues work at all levels it can only get bigger and stronger.
Congratulations to our U15 girls winning the league this year also our U13, U15 and our adult teams all reaching semi-final stages in the championship.
Congratulations to Amy Conroy who was selected on the Dublin panel that reached the All Ireland Final. Also to all our girls that are involved in the Dublin development squads.
I would like to thank everyone involved with teams for your commitment and time throughout the year, without your help none of this would be possible and with your continues support I can safety say Ladies Footballs future in this club looks very bright.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jessica O’Malley for all her hard work and support throughout the year also to Dave McCabe who continues to attend our County Board meeting for over 20 years now and this took a lot of pressure off me if I could attend.
I would like to wish all club members a very happy Christmas and a happy new year.
Senior Ladies Football Mentors: Fergal McDonagh, Declan Rafferty, John Weafer, Ger Kessey League: Div 3 (Second) Championship: Junior A (Semi Final) Sponsor: Seahorse Aquariums and Betty and Biddy.
The adult ladies football team was back with a bang this year after not fielding a team in 2015. The ladies were regraded to Junior A championship and competed in Division 3 league and cup.
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The season kicked off in April under the management of Ciaran Corrigan. A successful season was started and continued until mid October, a long but enjoyable season. The ladies had a great league run and finished second in the league after a top spot play off against Templeogue Synge street. Finishing second should gain the ladies promotion to Division 2 for the 2016 season.
A good cup run lead to a semi final position, which was unfortunately lost. On the championship front, the ladies topped their group and progressed to a semi final position. The ladies were beaten in the semi final by St. Maurs who went on to win the junior A championship.
Overall a successful run for the renewed ladies adult team. Massive thanks goes to Ciaran Corrigan and Tom Corrigan for their commitment and leadership. Credit is due also to the support system around us - the ladies committee Marie and Jessica, the executive committee, our families and friends and anyone and everyone who came out to support us this year. The ladies are very grateful for the massive support we received this year, long may it continue. Amy Conroy represented the club by playing on the Senior Dublin ladies team. They were narrowly defeated in the All Ireland final. Amy did us very proud.
Finally a big thank you to our sponsors Seahorse Aquariums and jewellery company Betty and Biddy.
Gaelic4Fathers Mentors: Frank McKenna Number of Players: 43 Training Days: Tuesday at 8.30pm & Friday at 7.30pm at Monastery Rd Average player attendance: 20 - 335 Games played to date: 11 Homes & Away Teams played: Newbridge Sarsfields, Fingallins, Colmcills Bettystown, Naomh Barrog
Highlights: We travelled to Düsseldorf, Germany. We played the local team Düsseldorf Gaels. Everyone enjoyed the weekend trip. With our training standards so high we had strong represtation on the Junior B team . Our training has involved players from other teams such as Junior B and Minors.
Gaelic for Dads contributes to the social aspect in the club, we feel we now are an active part of the club which we very much appreciate. Of our players 60% of them are actively involved in juvenile coaching/mentoring from Nursery level to Under 16's and Intermediate. I would like to thank the players for their commitment all year and we look forward to 2017 with the view of new players joining. .
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Gaelic4Mothers Mentor: Anne Darbey Non Competitive: No League Player of the year: Louise Lambe
Our year has worked out fine as usual, as the ladies are a uncomplicated bunch to work with & the section runs itself well. We are very grateful for the facilities available to us for training in Monastery & the umbrella support of the club & we continue to collect for the club lotto weekly through Yvonne Doyle. We also look after our own Insurance & pay our dues for Monastery Astro without fail. For the first time ever we did not participate in the leinster or National Blitz as advised by the Executive Committee, due to unregistered players. This is a complicated situation for such a group who are mainly social & dont play in a league. If we make the payment compulsory we will definitely loose a lot of ladies, yet most are prepared to pay a fair fee to the club. Hopefully this can be resolved by next season and we can all continue to support each other.
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Sponsorship
The sponsorship received by the club from various contributors is greatly appreciated and vital for the ongoing development and running of our many teams. However a special word of thanks is due to our main sponsors.
The Red Cow Moran Hotel Group McElroy’s Funeral Directors Clondalkin Credit Union Ethiad & Clondalkin Travel The Irish Fairy Door The Maldron Hotel
Lotto Committee Report 2015
Members: John Ryan, Ray Verso, Gerry Banks, Sally Gilligan, John Whelan, Eugene Garrigan, Janet Hazel.
Lotto Sales have remained more or less static for the last 12 months, with weekly sales average of 650 - 700 tickets. This figure includes online and direct debit tickets purchased. There was a slight increase with direct debit sales (20 over a 12 month period). At one stage there were over 150 tickets per week on direct debit and it now stands at 56. Some of this shortfall has been taken up by the online which is more easily managed by purchasers. I would urge all those who have left the direct debit scheme to consider this alternative method. We have recently started a sales pitch with the Towers Og on a Sat morning thanks to Catherine Moran, Mary Douglas and Anita Barry. Again as I mentioned at previous AGMs the loss of the Fridy night sales in the village pubs was a major setback to the Lotto as at its peak this initiative generated a further 250 weekly ticket sales.
A special thanks to all our sellers and helpers throughout the year, Jimmy Lee, Tom Brady, Pat Lawless, Billy O Connor, Richard Keane, Frank Cosgrove, and to the various businesses in the village, namely; The Steering Wheel, The Laurels, Quinlans, The Maldron Hotel, The Red Cow Inn and the Mill Centre for facilitating our sales. Other areas that generate sales are the Age Active Retirement and Bingo on Tuesdays courtesy of Jimmy and Sally, and the G4MAs thanks to Yvonne Doyle.
Our Mill Sales continue to be very hea;thy thnks in no small way to our dedicated team on a Sat morning; Carol Lombard, Frank Sherwin, Frank Soady, Michelle Walsh, Kay Hoban, Anne McCarthy, Des Morrow, Jessica O'Malley, Ed O'Malley, Anette Harrington, Fiona O'Shea, Martin O'Shea, Gerry Banks, with a special thanks to Carol Lombard and Frank Sherwin who cover the first 2 slots every Sat morning.
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We wish Pat Lawless the very best wishes in his retirement. Pat has been an excellent salesman for the Lotto for many years.
Finally thanks to all our purchasers without whom the club would be at a very severe shortfall in funds.
Media Coverage
PRO Report by Mick McGlynn
On a weekly basis, Membership and the wider community are provided with two important mailings to inform of Round Tower activity. Our ‘weekend activity’ mailing informs of matches scheduled for the weekend at adult and juvenile level, as well as social events the club may be hosting. Then on Monday the ‘clubnotes’ inform of how the weekend activity fared at adult level and of other club news. The clubnotes are featured within The Herald GAA supplement and local newspapers The Echo and The Clondalkin Gazette. Our local papers are provided on a weekly basis with match reports, pictures and news of club activity for featuring within their papers. The Gazette devotes a page within its sports pages and with Round Tower competing with other sports and activity around the Clondalkin area this provides valuable PR.
As I do on an ongoing basis, I would encourage mentors or followers of club teams to share match reports or pictures for wider circulation. This provides valuable opportunity to promote your team and the wider club. A number of Mentors are doing so and I thank them. Their repots and pictures are often featured within local papers, exposing the players and our games to the wider community. Angela Quinlan, Maria Shannon, Ken Byrne, Mick O’Meara , Colm Kelly and Niall Reilly are names that spring to mind – apologies if anyone omitted.
Our own club platforms prove very effective means of informing of club activity. The website is updated on an ongoing basis, informing of fixtures, match reports, social events. It should also be noted the website is a helpful resource, providing coaching resources, player information, master fixture listings, club and wider contacts. Our Facebook platform has over 7,200 followers and provides a very effective means of informing our Membership and those beyond of our activity. Postings regularly receive high volume attention. Our recent video promoting Jim and Frank’s association with the Dublin footballers and our appreciation of their success reached 6,000 people through Facebook alone. The club Twitter account has over 2,000 followers and our match tracker account 1,500. Thanks to ‘The Hutch’ and Ger Hickey for their regular postings from matches to inform of scorelines. And our Flickr provides a gallery of club images and is updated on ongoing basis. Thanks to Club President
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Tommy Keogh and Club Chairman Niall Connaughton for regularly providing pictures for use on this and our other platforms.
A disappointment during the year was endeavours to resurrect Between the Posts on an ongoing and permanent basis proved unsuccessful. Bringing a printed publication together on weekly or monthly basis requires time and dedication. Club Members have been consulted but regrettably, as with me, it is the time commitment that is required on an ongoing basis that they are unable to give. If any Member felt interested in taking charge of the resurrection of the newsletter I would be happy to engage with them.
It is important not to overlook our standing within the wider community and the importance of promoting our club beyond our ‘four walls’. Yet again the lub hosted events such as our annual Family Fun Day and the return of Jim Gavin and the Sam Maguire, which generated turnouts of hundreds from beyond the club ‘parish’. We again took a lead in the Clondalkin Festival, Clondalkin St Patrick’s Day Parade and big kudos to Alan Milton who brought together and hosted Clondalkin’s only 1916 commemoration in the club. The annual school blitz, Easter and Summer camps bring hundreds of local school children to our excellent facilities at Monastery Road on an ongoing basis and all involved deserve great credit. Club Members should not underestimate the importance of turning out to support club events, helping them be successes and in assisting us in spreading the word as to what is ongoing.
The massive growth in numbers attending Towers Óg is testament to the growth in popularity of Gaelic Games and our club within the community. Liaison with outgoing GPO James Glancy to promote the then nursery was on an ongoing basis, with James on the ground promoting to schools. I take this opportunity to thank James for his ongoing engagement and wish our new PRO Dave Farrelly great success.
Thanks to Seán McNamara and Gerry Banks who on a weekly basis inform of club fixtures for pushing out to wider Membership and community. Thank you to fellow Executive Members for their excellent work on an ongoing basis to facilitate and organise club activity.
Playing Fields
A special word of thanks to Gerry Banks for doing such a thankless job in coordinating all pitches for games. We are as always indebted and thankful to the Marist Brothers PJ, Nicholas and Coleman, as well as Moyle Park Bord of Management for the use of their facilities in Moyle Park for our underage activities. We are also grateful to Colaiste Brid who accommodated some of our younger teams and to South Dublin County Council for use of the Community Centre and Corkagh Park pitches.
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Financial Position
Treasurer Andrew Cronin will give a detailed analysis of this year’s financial figures.
Fundraising continues to decline and is proving ever difficult to ascertain. The stagnant Lotto sales in the past year is a concern going forward that as a whole could be addressed if every member bought and sold a Lotto ticket per week! The day to day running costs of our club are not declining but with expanding numbers are ever increasing. Therefore our reduced revenue needs to be addressed.
We are extremely grateful to all our Sponsors and it's great to see fresh sponsorship on board this year in addition to our ever reliables! A more centralised approach to sponsorship is proving effective and reaping dividend. Therefore teams/mentors are reminded to keep the Executive abreast of any possible sponsorship for their respective team for de- confliction purposes. Mentors are further reminded that all fundraising earned must be put through the club treasury for accounting purposes. Too many teams are not following this practice and accordingly are leaving themselves wide open to question.
The introduction of online payment options for membership, Club Lotto, Club Fundraisers has had a positive result and continues making payments much easier.
The Land Sale on Monastery Road and the realisation of some €400,000 will go a long way to reducing our crippling debt and putting us as a club in a much more secure financial position going forward.
Membership
We have 389 Adult members a reduction of 2 from 2015. A growing club like ours should be increasing membership year on year. Having analysed our membership for the past 3 years it would seem we have a "floating membership" of circa 150 persons. This is an area for us to concentrate on going forward in addition to attracting new members. We also have over 400 Juvenile members.
All adult members continue to receive a smart card that allows them avail of member’s prices in the bar. Please alert a member of the executive if you need a replacement card. The online payment facility introduced now accounts for over 80% of membership subscriptions received.
Accordingly the Executive have decided that the only method of payments for membership will now be through the online payment facility on our website or by cheque. Both these methods guarantee an official record of
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payment and will improve further the accuracy of the membership list which will be updated regularly and online on our website.
In line with the GAA membership deadline it has been decided that subscriptions received from members after 31 March annually will be deemed ineligible for nomination to the next Executive and precluded from voting at an AGM. Furthermore priority of All Ireland Tickets will be given to members that have subscribed on or before 31 March of that year.
As the club continues to grow particularly at Juvenile level it’s an ideal opportunity to increase our membership numbers and therefore this year's stagnation is disappointing.
Ticket Distribution
Ticket distribution in both codes was overseen by a team including John Ryan, Niall Connaughton, Michaeel McGlynn, Andrew Cronin & Martin Ryan in what is always a busy operation particularly when Dublin reach the All Ireland Final. The loaves and the fishes worked again and many thanks to Alan Milton in supporting us in our hours of need as well as Dublin County Secretary John Costello.
The Give Respect, Get Respect campaign continues to provide a great platform for young members attending All Irelands and championship games all Summer. Thanks to all who participated and again to Alan for assisting in providing such an opportunity.
As mentioned under the Membership review in the report members that renew membership within the GAA deadline will be prioritised for future All Ireland ticket allocations.
Golf Society
The golf society held a number of outings throughout the country this year and continue to offer a great source of entertainment to members. New members are always welcome.
Fundraising:
Thanks to all who assisted in the running of our fundraising events and indeed those who support the events by selling tickets, etc. Whilst all of the events were a relative success certainly greater funds would have been raised if more members would get behind the events either through assisting in the organisation or in anyway. This year we ran less events in an effort to maximise return but support levels remained low.
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The Cube:
Very enjoyable fundraiser with every team in the club having to contribute a contestant. Low attendance on the night particularly from club members which was disappointing given the work put in to this fundraiser. An event like this has the potential to make in excess of €20k if supported.
Flag Weekend Bucket Collection:
Many thanks to all who helped with our bucket collections in September. Members collected in the village churches, pubs, supermarkets, and Long Mile Road to name but a few venues. Money raised and volunteers was well down on last year for this event. Numbers is key to the success of this fundraising activity particularly on the main roads. Larger collection teams at the Long Mile Junction would have multiplied the collection in what is a fundraiser that requires minimal effort except giving up your time.
Family Day:
Again this was one of the better organised fundraisers this year and great credit must go to the Juvenile Section and all team mentors for organising what can only be described as a great day out. Great imagination, ideas and effort were shown by all mentors in developing each individual stall, game, shope, etc. This event was largely attended by the wider Clondalkin community and not one complaint was to be heard on the day or after despite the weather! Such a showcase event for the club must be developed and nurtured further and the executive have every intention of having annual Family Days. Plans to possibly have the Family Day in May or June are to be discussed by the incoming executive.
Golf Classic: Organising committee: Ed O’Malley, Tony Delaney, Bren Cronin, John Ryan
A great day was had by all in Newlands Golf club in what was a well supported fundraiser. Team entries were similar to last year. Having the classic on a Friday increased interest and playing a quality course like Newlands was positively received in all feedback as teams returned to the clubhouse.
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Remembrance / Na Mairbh
To all club members and families who lost loved ones during the year the club extends its deepest sympathies and prayers. A special thanks to Kitty Egan for her continued diligence in acknowledging bereavements on behalf of the club. Ar Dheis Dé go raibh anamacha ár mbaill go leir a déag i rith na mbliana.
Annual Club Mass for Deceased Members 2016:
There was a very large attendance at the Annual Club Mass for Deceased Members held in the Clubrooms on 7th July and now in its 38th year. The Club Mass holds a very special place in the Club's calendar as we remember those club members and supporters who have passed away over the years, especially those members who have passed away in the preceding 12months.
Father Damian Farnon celebrated the Mass assisted by Father Fergal Maguire, from Boot Road and now Parish Priest of St. Aidan's, Lindisfarne, East Acton, London. The Maguire family have long associations with Round Towers, his father John was a member of the 1951/52 Intermediate League / Championship team but sadly passed away earlier in the year.
After Mass John Ryan on behalf of the Executive Committee thanked both Fr. Damian and Fr Fergal, organist Geraldine and singer Tina for the beautiful music during the Mass. He also thanked all those associated with the Mass arrangements, Tommy Keogh and his team of helpers viz. Brenda Cahill, Sean McNamara, Bernie Cronin, Breda Delaney, Ann Byrne, Kitty Egan, Ted Keane, Kathleen Cosgrove, Kathleen O'Doherty, Jean Brocklebank, David McCabe & Paul Bevan. He then invited the attendance to remain on for a chat and to enjoy the refreshments provided by the Catering Committee.
Social Committee:
Members: Phil O Connor, Annette Harrington, Carol Condon, Mary Douglas, Anita Barry, Amy Clifford, Lorraine Bevan, Catherine Moran, Betty Ward. Claudia Kinsella & Jessica O Malley help out at the discos.
Activities: We ran 9 discos throughout the year for 3rd/4th/5th & 6th Class with an average of 160 kids attending. We hosted many musicians and acts this year including Laurie Hartz, Who’s Eddie & Joey Murphy. We had Jack Whelan and friends on St Patricks Day and the club was hopping.
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Purchases: We bought a notice board that is erected in the car park which highlights our upcoming event.
Thank You: Thanks to Robbie Moore our resident DJ for the disco and a big thanks to all our teenagers who help out we couldn’t do it without them. Also a special thanks to Jimmy and Sally behind the bar.
Going forward if anyone has any ideas or suggestion please feel free to contact any member of the committee all ideas appreciated.
Catering Committee:
The club’s catering is organised by Catherine Moran, Betty Ward & Jessica O’Malley. They are always on hand, sometimes at very short notice, to cater for various events in the clubrooms. A special thanks must also go to McLoughlins Butchers in the Mill Centre who provide the excellent quality meats for the events and to Jim Chapman of Chapman’s Superstore, Monastery Road, for all his help throughout the year.
Facilities Committee:
Members: Ed O Malley, Willie Kennedy, Rory Dunne, Tony Quinn, Keith Graham, Frank Cosgrove, and John McCormack
Many thanks to the members above who keep our club facilities and grounds in top condition. From small tasks such as changing light bulbs, fixing locks etc to larger jobs they are always on hand. Our main projects this year we're revamping our clubroom dressing rooms and upgrading the floodlights in Moyle park to facilitate more training there which aliviates pressure on mono rd. lighting at the main gate at monastery rd will be installed early in the New year.
Maintaining our main pitch is a large undertaking requiring a lot of time throughout the year. Any extra help here would be appreciated During the year we have purchased two fertiliser spreaders and a weed spraying machine so we can now fertilise and weed the pitch ourselves which will save the club a great deal of money over the coming years Many thanks also to our Tus employees who help with the upkeep of monastery rd and to Gerry Banks who maintains the flower baskets and the flower bed at the front of the club
Bar Staff:
On a personal note I would like to thank Jimmy and Sally for their efforts throughout the year. Special thanks to Frank Sherwin who is a constant support to the staff. Tireless time and effort is spent in the early mornings 04ú Nollaig 2016 Page 47
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and late evenings keeping the place in order between meetings, parties, bingo, age active and members using the facilities.
Club Shop
A big thank you to Betty Ward, Catherine Moran and Jessica O'Malley who continue to stock the shop and provide members with an outlet from which to buy club merchandise. Their willingness to help our members and call to the clubrooms or members houses at short notice to provide shorts, socks and other items to members is very much appreciated. I would urge our members to use the club shop for their training, match day and supporter clothing and equipment needs.
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Conclusion
Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas ollmhór a ghabáil le baill an chlub a chuidigh liom an tuairisc seo a chur i gcríoch agus mo bhuíochas faoi leith a ghabáil leis an choiste riaracháin atá tar éis a chuid ama a thabhairt ar mhaithe le riarúcháin an chlub le bliain anuas.
I wish to apologise for any errors or omissions, and to thank everyone for their contributions to the report and for your work throughout the year.
I would also like to acknowledge all my outgoing executive colleagues and thank them for their time and efforts throughout a sometimes difficult but very much rewarding year.
As secretary for the past year I’m grateful to all my executive colleagues for their support, guidance, assistance and general can do attitude. It has been a great honour to serve as an Officer and member of the executive of this great club. The role of Secretary whilst at times challenging I have found to be very rewarding and an opportunity to give back to the club that has given me so much! I wish Martin the very best of luck in his role as Secretary next year. I look forward to working closely with you in the coming year.
I wish to congratulate Niall Connaughton on his second year as Chairman and wish him the very best in steering the ship going forward. It's also great to see Ed O'Malley so active again in club life so quickly after a recent illness. Normal business has very much been renewed!
The Adult Games committee under the stewardship of Bernie Cronin, and with Shay Clifford performing the role of Secretary have made my life and last year as Secretary a great deal easier. On behalf of the executive I wish to thank this committee for taking charge of Adult Games and providing a crucial link between the executive and the teams.
Juvenile Secretary Sean McNamara again this year has eased the burden on the Secretariat of the club through his pragmatic and efficient approach to Juvenile matters. The club will be at a loss next year with both Sean and Liam stepping down from their respective roles with the Juvenile Committee, however there is little doubt that you will both have further key roles to play in the club.
To my fiancé Donna I must thank you again for your patience, and support throughout the year and apologies for having the AGM the week before our wedding!
I look forward again to the year ahead and the challenges it may present to all of us. As an executive we can only hope for the continued support and goodwill of the membership.
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Ní neart go cur le chéile!
Is mise le meas,
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Micheál MacFhlionn Rúnaí
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