VHI/CÚL CAMP - HURLING   Hurling,s claim to being the greatest field game in the world was further attested to in Thurles on Saturday.  Why not have your child introduced to this wonderful sport at the VHI/CÚL camp on next Monday 28th in the Éire Óg grounds.  Further details from Colm Gaskin 087-2711124. FOOTBALL   Controversy has been an Éire Óg companion in some of its recent games.  We feel we have been hard done by on a number of occasions.  Is this just paranoia on our part or do our grievances stand up to objective scrutiny?  The writer is definitely not the one to ask!   U-14 Our recent u-14 home game against St. Nicholas in the all-county football league proved to be hugely enjoyable in the quality of its football and in the excitement of the Éire Óg fight back from an 0-9 to 0-3 interval deficit. Shortly into the 2nd half we were back in contention with points from play from Marco Petrassi and Adam Brennan and a point from a free from Maedbh Deeney.  Following some great work at mid-field James Smullen found Josh Tanner on the edge of the square with a beautiful pass and Josh made no mistake.  The Éire Óg tally was topped off with a delightful point from Ciarán McDonald and a second goal, scored by Marco Petrassi.  A great team performance >from which Éire Óg management drew much satisfaction.  However, they singled out the goal-keeping of Barry O,Donoghue for special mention.  A draw, by the Éire Óg connections, reckoning.  But, no!!  The referee, the final arbiter, had it otherwise ^ Éire Óg had lost by a point.  It transpired that he had credited us with only 2 points in the 1st half.  Despite Carmel Deeney quoting chapter and verse ^ points from Maedhbh Deeney, Evan Thompson and James Smullen ^ he did not relent.  Muscail do mhisneach Carmel.  Tipp might win an All-Ireland!    INTERMEDIATE    Then there was Tuesday week,s Div.2 league game which, as we recounted last week, had more than its fair share of debate-raising incidents.  The game itself produced some good football and when they moved the ball our lads did so effectively and with no little elegance.  Unfortunately, however, their finish was often not in keeping with their approach work.  We had a 2 point half-time lead but were 6 points down less than 10 minutes after the break.  Many of the opposition scores resulted >from the tendency of some of the backs to adopt the high-risk strategy of playing the man from the front.  At this stage the team seemed to be beset by a kind of stasis and things looked very bleak indeed.  Reanimation came with the introduction of Johnny Barry who had made the long journey from Athlone.  He was scarcely a-field when a sweeping movement out of our backline, executed at pace, found Darren Hayden on the right wing.  Darren, with commendable perspicacity, found an unmarked Johnny 14 yards out with a beautifully flighted ball and Johnny, with the sangfroid that comes from experience, coolly slotted the ball past the keeper.  Johnny followed this up with an excellent point from a free. Conclusion: a worthwhile journey.  Darren Hayden gave a Oman of the match, performance and showed once again why he is a member of the county senior panel.  His on-the-ball evasive movements had a zero-gravity quality about them and were a thing of beauty.  These skills were certainly needed as he was subjected to an attention which at times bordered on the unhealthy.  Craig Smullen and Kenny Naughton were whole hearted in their defending. In the forwards Declan O,Mahony and Anto Byrne were others who were prominent.  Some of you may be disappointed at no mention of Sunday,s match but one felt that Omature reflection, was in order.       SNIPPETS   Congratulations to Caoilfhionn Deeney and Laurie Ahern who successfully passed through the preliminary tests for the selection of the Underdogs.  As a result, they are both included among the 30 ladies vying for places on the final panel of 20.  The process of the elimination of these 10 players forms the basis for a series of reality TV programmes on TG4.  The prize is a place on the Underdogs team which plays London in London later in the year.  Comhgháirdeachas cailíní agus go mbainfidh sibh taitneamh as an dubhshlán. The Éire Óg ladies send their best wishes to Leah Horan who has moved to London to work in the finance department of the Kensington Marriott.  She has joined the Fullham ladies, Gaelic football team and they regard her as somewhat of a "find" she notched a couple of goals in their last outing.  For her part Leah has found that being part of the team has been a great help to her in settling into her new environment. Tweet

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