Na Fianna Nuacht A Magical Christmas At Na Fianna One and a half days into the Na Fianna Christmas Market and halfway through the third panto performance and the Club is hopping! Santa arrived in style last night by fire engine accompanied by some of Na Fianna’s finest Dublin stars and was welcomed by the large crowd gathered to greet him. Thanks to all who braved the early rain shower and the “very localised” snow storm on the all-weather pitch to savour the delights of the Christmas Market. The Christmas atmosphere creatively constructed by the organisers was a sight to see as the shoppers moved from cabin to cabin in search of bargains form the very many gift ideas on display. The Market runs again today, Saturday 13th Dec and tomorrow Sunday so if you haven’t been down yet there’s still time to stroll through the Winter wonderland and enjoy the live music, seasonal foods and drinks, Santa’s grotto and above all the craic. Opening hours as follows; Sat 13th Dec 12 noon -10pm Sun 14th Dec 12 noon - 6pm. Na Fianna Nuacht 13ú Nollaig 2014 1 Na Fianna Nuacht Panto Review An Electrifying Production….so says our resident Panto critic Brian ‘Gow’ O’Sullivan about this year’s Na Fianna Panto production of Jack and The Beanstalk…and there’s more, read on! Electrifying, witty and charismatic! Just three connotations one could describe the opening night of Jack And The Beanstalk last Thursday night in front of a good crowd in Scoil Chaitríona. The cast brushed aside the cobwebs since last year and put on a show that had the audience in stitches throughout. The production that was put on by the members of CLG Na Fianna, both cast and producers, showcases the deep sense of volunteerism in the Gaelic Athletic Association. Players, mentors, parents, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters rowed in together for yet another memorable occasion in the history of the Mobhi Road Club. As for the show itself; all cast members performed well beyond their stage capabilities. They enthralled the crowd with not only their charismatic acting duties but became ‘Jack of All Trades’ when turning their hand at dancing, singing or general ‘ad libbing’ throughout the show. Some memorable performances from all the cast and witty one-liners left the audience in no doubt that this was an amazing Club performance. All in all, was it a most enjoyable production? Oh yes it was!! Na Fianna Nuacht 13ú Nollaig 2014 2 Na Fianna Nuacht Some tickets are still available for tonight’s final performance at 7.30pm. These limited tickets will be on sale at the door but the advice is to get down there early. For more details see Club website www.clgnafianna.ie Visit Santa at Na Fianna Once he touched down in Mobhi Road yesterday following his stylish arrival, Santa wasted no time and made his way through a very heavy snow storm to his grotto just inside the all- weather pitch. Once he was set up he began seeing the large queue of children that had eagerly awaited his arrival. Over the next two days Santa will be available for visits during the opening hours of the Christmas Market. Visits to Santa by accompanied children will cost €5 and will include a gift. Na Fianna Nuacht 13ú Nollaig 2014 3 Na Fianna Nuacht Minor Champions Last weekend will be remembered as a very historic one in Na Fianna. Our Minor A footballers won their Championship final against Kilmacud Crokes and by doing so secured a Championship double as the lads had already won the Minor hurling Championship a few weeks previously. In addition our Minor A Camogie team also won their Championship final and our Minor C hurlers came out on top in their Championship final. Congrats to all our Minors and to all involved with them this year on the remarkable and possibly unprecedented, achievement of having won Championships in football, hurling, ladies football and camogie, a great year. First up is the Minor A footballers who had a fantastic win in front a great crowd in O’Toole Park last Sunday. Coming from behind to defeat Crokes, the lads showed immense character and maturity in turning a three point halftime deficit into a seven point win. Some unforgettable individual Na Fianna performances all over the pitch ensured that the lads would carry the day. This they did in style converting top quality scores at important stages of the game. Owning the game for the last quarter, Na Fianna dominated and their confidence grew and their resolve to win out intensified as time ticked away. Final score of 2-9 to 1-6 saw the lads claim top prize in what has been a great and well deserved year for them. Our Minor A Camogie team were just as determined to show that they meant business when they took on Balinteer St Johns in their Championship final in Chanel. The following report Na Fianna Nuacht 13ú Nollaig 2014 4 Na Fianna Nuacht on the girls’ big day was provided by www.wearedublin.com , Dublin Camogie Championship sponsors. Na Fianna 1-10 Ballinteer St. John 1-05 This Morning in a sunny but bitterly cold Parnells GAA Club, Na Fianna and Ballinteer St. John played out an exciting and entertaining final in the We Are Dublin Minor B Championship Final. Na Fianna got the first score of the game from the player of the match Niamh Rock. Ballinteer replied with two points from Grace O'Shea and Eleanor Aherne and the tempo of the game suddenly rose with both teams attacking at pace and the battling qualities of the two sides to the fore. Ballinter had a purple patch of possession in the middle of the half but they will be disappointed that they didn't turn the large amount of ball and territory into scores as they hit wide after wide. Na Fianna punished St Johns misfiring up front with a goal from corner forward Aoife Nic Con Iomaire. Ballinteer finally found the black spot with a point from Grace O'Shea before Na Fianna's Niamh Rock had the last say of the first thirty minutes with a well taken point and the Mobhi road girls had a two point lead at the break 1-02 to 0-03. Na Fianna had the better of the opening period in the second half and pushed their lead out to four with two well taken points from Niamh Rock and Na Fianna Nuacht 13ú Nollaig 2014 5 Na Fianna Nuacht Laura Mulvey. Ballinteer were under the cosh a little at this stage but centre back Sophie Quinn and centre half back Grainne were playing out of their skins and repelling the Na Fianna attacks. This allowed Ballinteer to get a foothold back into the game and a fine point from Eleanor Aherne cut the deficit to three. But a well worked move seen Roisin O'Donoghue hit a point to give Na Fianna the four point cushion again. Ballinteer won the ball around the middle of the pitch and the ball was sent in around the house and finished to the back of the net by the excellent Grace O'Shea to put the bare minimum between the sides. Moments later and the teams were all square with Amber Traynor point. But Na Fianna were not going to be denied today and finished the game in devastating fashion with the last five scores of the match,one from Emma Deeley and no fewer than four points from the hurl of the outstanding Niamh Rock to claim the Minor B Championship. Last game of the day saw our Minor C hurlers in Championship final against Lucan Sarsfields in Alfie Byrne Road and the lads certainly rose to the occasion. Na Fianna Nuacht 13ú Nollaig 2014 6 Na Fianna Nuacht Na Fianna's C Minor Hurling team won the Division 4 Dublin Minor Hurling Championship last Sunday in a pulsating final against Lucan Sarsfields. The game was played in a cold wind in Alfie Byrne Park. Having played against the wind in the first half, Na Fianna trailed Lucan 1-8 to 1-3. The lads put in a titanic effort in the second half. They clawed back to within a point only to see Lucan score a second goal. But again our lads didn't panic and quickly replied with a second goal of their own. With four minutes to go we took the lead for the first time. Another point with two minutes to go sealed the victory. The Na Fianna heroes were: Peter Mongey, James Leahy, Liam Ó Cearbhaill, Eoin Sperin, Shane O'Brien, Lorcan Garvey, Cathal Brennan, Finn McGuinness, Aidan Twomey, Darragh McHugh, Ciaran O'Connor, Nghia Tran, Éanna Ó Donnchadha, Ruadhán Clerkin, Andrew Flannery, Colin Flanagan, Peter Shanahan, Micheál Killarney, Sean Owens, Cian Donovan, Luke McArthur, Kevin McKenna and Cathal Caverley. An chéad uair riamh gur imir trí fhoireann mionúr iomána ón gclub sa sraith agus sa chraobh - agus an craobh buaite ag sárimreoirí na foirne C! Feachtas ar siúl acu anois chun veisteanna ceiliúrtha a fháil. Tá Daidí na Nollag ag teacht is dócha! Final score, Na Fianna 2-12 Lucan Sarsfields 2-10, mighty stuff lads! Club Lotto This week’s Na Fianna Club Lotto winning numbers were; 16 22 24 27 No jackpot winner but congrats to our single Match 3 winner Seamus O’Neill winning €130. Congrats also to our five Lucky Pick winners who won €15 each; John Cotter, Conor Buckley, Cheryl c/o Vinny, Lorraine Dempsey c/o Vinny, P.