Aghada GAA Juvenile News.
Hi folks, hope this newsletter finds you well. The club enjoyed a fantastic hurling coaching day experience last Saturday morning in Páirc Liam Uí Riain Rostellan. Our thanks to Fergal ‘Rasper’ Condon and the coaching committee for facilitating this excellent morning of quality coaching. The groups tasked with putting their skills into action were our u10, u12 and u14 teams while many more benefited from the experience as coaches, children and club members were able to view the proceedings while also being able to listen in as the contributors were wearing speaker mikes courtesy of Anthony Oosthuizen. Donal O’ Rourke the Cork u21 hurling coach went through striking, catching, jab and roll lift and the handpass with the emphasis on movement and using your four steps, his analogy for getting the lads to move faster was if you were being chased by a dog how fast would you move. Cork senior hurler Declan Dalton did an exhibition in sideline taking, frees and general striking with the young players looking on in awe at his power and accuracy. Fellow Cork senior Ciarán Joyce did a masterclass on defending in both the air and on the ground and on the art of tackling with the dark arts involved that had the players enthralled. We also made some presentations on the day to our All-Ireland Celtic league winning contingent of Ger Sheehan selector and players Samuel O’ Driscoll, Tomás Condon, Robert Dean and James Hurley as well as Cork minor hurler Seán O’ Callaghan and the Cork duo of Dalton and Joyce did the presenting for us. Juvenile Vice Chairman Alan Devoy spoke glowingly of the players and their achievements this year while Chairman PJ Hurley thanked everyone involved in the organization of the event and especially to Rasper and the Cork contingent who he said were a credit to their clubs. The Cork stars were not finished when the coaching was over and signed every jersey, hurley, sliothar and much more before heading home. Days like this give a great insight into the qualities of good coaching and we will have the football equivalent in a few weeks’ time. More days like this would be very welcome indeed as we try and provide the best opportunities and environment for our children to thrive and to be the best they can be.
From the time we are born we are required to grow and learn and strive. We constantly test ourselves and if we win then we are applauded but even if we reach our goal the bar is set even higher and we are soon reaching for another higher one, forever onwards and upwards.
U13 Hurling championship Aghada 2-11 St Vincents 3-7 As the scoreline suggests, this one went down to the wire in a game that had everything, superb scores fine defending and great excitement. With seven players on the age and the rest of the team made up of u12s our lads showed nerves of steel in a tough uncompromising game. The spine of the team was strong, and it had to be against a far bigger St. Vincents outfit with Donncha Walsh and Dara O’ Brien colossal in their defending and David Murphy superb up front despite the close attention of the Northside back division. St Vincents played a fast-running game that we did well to cope with as we soaked up a lot of pressure in the first half. David hit an impressive 1-3 and Jack Kelleher also got on the scoresheet as we trailed at the break 1-4 to 2-2. In the second half we got hit with an early Vincent’s goal and had to up the ante big time if we wanted to get back into the game. We had huge performances from our midfield duo Cormac Cashman and Jack K who put the shackles on the northsiders runners and took the fight to our opponents. David was excellent from the placed ball punishing the many indiscretions and when the game was in the melting pot up stepped the returning Cathal Lowney after a lengthy enforced injury from his skateboard adventures to drill a low shot to the net after his initial effort was saved by the Vincents keeper. The final whistle sounded shortly afterwards to cue wild delirium from the Aghada supporters as they really appreciated the honest and hard-fought effort from this committed bunch of players. The one-point win had huge significance as this was our final game of a very tight group and the result propelled us from bottom to top in the standings and we now have a final to look forward to with time and date to be confirmed. Team & scorers Leon O’ Connor, Dylan Kearns, Donncha Walsh, Eoin Kirrane, Jake O’ Sullivan, Dara O’ Brien, Bobby O’ Riordan, Jack Kelleher 0-2, Cormac Cashman 0-1, Harry Burgoyne, David Murphy 1-8, Marcus O’ Loughlin, James Irwin, Cathal Lowney 1-0, Darragh Callanan. Sub used Maidhc Collins.
U12 football league Midleton 5-6 Aghada 1-6 We came out on the wrong side of the result against a big strong and direct Midleton side in Park south last Monday evening. We started well with two fine scores from the boots of Jack Kelleher and Ben Duggan inside the opening 5 minutes but once Midleton got to grips with proceedings, they turned possession into scores by sending good direct ball into their big full forward line and it paid dividends almost immediately hitting us for 4 goals by half time. It must be said we did not help ourselves as some sloppy play added to our woes. By half time Midleton had stretched out their lead and were 4-3 to 0-2 ahead. In fairness to our lads, they made a better fist of it in the second half spurred on by the dynamic play of Jake O’ Sullivan, Leon Joyce and substitute Luca Hurley. A fantastic free flowing team move was finished expertly to the net by Jack Kelleher to bring us closer, but the damage was done in the first half and proved a mountain too big to overcome. Team Alex Kapusta, Luke Hickey, Dara Callanan, Maidhc Collins, James Irwin, Mike McCrae, Leon Joyce, Jack Kelleher, Leon O’ Connor, Jake O’ Sullivan, Lorcan Evans, Bobby O’ Riordan, Conor O’ Neill, Ben Duggan, MJ Duggan. Subs used Seán Day, Luca Hurley.
We were invited to the Glanmire Michael O’ Leary Memorial u11 football tournament held last Saturday with Salthill Knocknacarra from Galway and Clonmel Commercials from Tipperary amongst others involved. This was a great experience for our lads who acquitted themselves very well and really enjoyed the occasion.
Our u10 parish leagues are up and running. We played hurling last Tuesday on a wet and windy night that did not dampen the excitement. The first round of football takes place this Friday so go along and support, you will not be disappointed with the great skills on show by our young Gaelic players. The parish league’s ethos is all about participation with every child playing.
We had four players involved with Midleton CBS Hurling in the Dean Ryan u17 competition as they accounted easily for St Francis college Rochestown last Wednesday. Colm O’ Donoghue, Isaac Oosthuizen, Jude Devoy and Tom Walsh represented our club, and they now go on to the quarter final on October 4th against St Josephs Tulla. Well done lads.
Our schools started their Sciath na Scol football campaigns this week and we wish them all the best of luck going forward.
Put Saturday October 7th in your diary as our Gaelic Mothers and others group are holding a family fun day for Seán Kenny, our good friend and clubman and his family, as Seán continues his ongoing battle with cancer. Your support on the day would be greatly appreciated.
We are involved in a cracking weekend of football finals at u13 and u17 level and we wish both sets of teams and management all the very best as they try and bring silverware back to the parish. You can find the details for these fixtures in our fixture list below.
Fixtures.
Sat 23rd U15 football C-3 league Aghada v Castlemartyr 13:00 Castlemartyr.
Sat 23rd U13 Rebel Og East Football Final Aghada v Bride Rovers 13:30 Mayfield
Sun 24th U12 Hurling league Aghada v Carrigtwohill 11am Rostellan.
Sun 24th U12 Hurling League Aghada v Crosshaven 16:00 Rostellan.
Sun 24th U17 Football championship final Aghada v St Michaels 18:00 Dungourney.
Thurs 28th U12 Football League Aghada v St Colmcilles 19:30 Rostellan.
Slán go fóill.
Be seen wear the Green.
Ár nDícheall Go Deo.
