Clonard are celebrating one of their greatest years, following an unprecedented run of success at juvenile level. By mid-summer, three juvenile titles had already been garnered in the form of U14 league Division Four, U14 championship Division Three and U12 league Division Four - a hefty harvest by any standards and, fingers crossed, the beginning of a brave new era for this proud Meath GAA outpost. What a year for Clonard! The degree of success the club enjoyed at juvenile level was previously unheard of, marking 2005 out clearly as one of Clonard's greatest years in living memory. Little wonder everyone associated with this hard-working Royal County outfit is in such good spirit reflecting on the events of a thoroughly wonderful season. Two-thousand-and-five is one they won't forget in a hurry. They'd never had a year like it. Clonard hadn't won an underage title on their own before (all previous juvenile successes had been in conjunction with Ballinabrackey), so scooping three major titles within the space of a month was indeed the stuff of dreams. It was also the culmination of a gargantuan effort from everybody associated with the club - officers, foot soldiers, committee members, sponsors, well-wishers, players, mentors and supporters past and present - all of whom pulled together for the overall betterment of Clonard GAA. Great credit is due to everyone in the club … these victories belong to them. The seeds of the 2005 breakthrough go back five years earlier, when a juvenile section was re-established in Clonard after a lapse of some 20 years or so. Joe Gannon had taken over as club chairman and one of his first priorities was to get the underage wing up and running again. This he did with assistance from his wife Mary and the invaluable support and help of many other like-minded individuals within the club, including secretary Niall Walsh and vice-chairman Declan Tuomey. An immediate impact was made in the form of an U10 Blitz victory in Enfield and it was predominantly that same crop of players that came through to win the U14 double in 2005. During the intervening years, teams were entered in the various leagues and championships at U12, U13 and U14 levels. Clonard reached U13 and U14 finals as well as two U14 semi-finals, but suffered narrow defeats. However, the perseverance of all those involved in juvenile football in the club would pay off eventually… Clonard received a major boost three years ago when former county footballer Kevin Foley, who lives locally in Killyon, came on board. Kevin's three kids represent both clubs (Killyon in hurling; Clonard in football), as do his brother Brendan's. The Roes, Flanagans and Fitzsimons from Killyon also bolster the Clonard playing pack. One day, Joe asked Kevin would he like to get involved and the Trim man accepted the offer. He's been there ever since and has become an invaluable asset to the club. The success achieved in 2005 would not have been possible without Kevin Foley's selfless input. As Mary Gannon puts it: "Kevin said he would help us out and he has been here every day since. He hasn't let us down a single night and has made a huge contribution to Clonard. We're very lucky to have a man of his calibre, and we're also extremely fortunate to have Niall [Walsh], who himself won All-Ireland minor and junior medals with Meath." PRO Angeline Treacy also provides a huge helping hand to the club's relentless juvenile drive, while Edwina Darby patiently addresses perhaps the toughest and least-appreciated task of all - looking after the kits. "The success has come because of the support of a large team of helpers, who are too numerous to mention. The club belongs to the community and everyone has contributed," chairman Joe Gannon adds. Clonard are making quite an impression at county level too, with representative on most Royal County underage sides. They had two players - Shane Glynn and Gary Raleigh - in the Meath U14 squad in 2005 while Patrick Kenny was involved with the county U15s and Kenneth Darby was with the U16s. And Eoin Treacy made the Meath minor hurling team, even though he still has another year as an under 18. Having lost the U13 final by a point in 2004, Clonard went into the '05 campaign quietly confident of a victory at U14 level. The U12 win was a welcome boost and, with all but three of that side eligible again in '06, club members are hopeful that more success could be about to follow. Late June/early July was certainly an exciting time for Clonard as the unlikely treble of U14 league Division Four, U14 championship Division Three and U12 league Division Four was completed. Blackhall Gaels were defeated by 6-8 to 1-4 in the U12 league final and the Blue & Yellow saw off Moynalvey on a scoreline of 3-4 to 2-2 in the U14 equivalent. Both Clonard teams were comprised mainly of boys but a few girls were also involved. Stephen Connolly, a nephew of David Connolly who played for the Meath minors, captained the U14s, and the U12 side was led to victory by Darren McNevin. Darren is a grandson of club chairman Joe Gannon and nephew of former Meath hurling goalkeeper Mark Gannon. The success Clonard achieved in 2005 would not have been possible without their loyal sponsors. To this end, the club was well served once again during the past year by Robert Bagnall Super Valu Kinnegad, The Monastery Inn, Clonard (and former player Pat Dunne) and Paddy's Pub, which is located beside the club's pitch and is run by former club secretary and great supporter Padraig Donovan. Kevin Foley is glad he got involved and was delighted to see the club scoop three trophies in 2005. The former Meath player moved back to the area from Cork three years ago and became involved when his eldest son Conor started to line out for the club. "Joe asked me to help out and I was glad to be able to do something to assist them," he reflects. The U14 double was quite an accomplishment for a club unaccustomed to success of any kind. What did Kevin make of it all? "It was great for the team. They had been in two finals as U12s and U13s and they were getting closer. They kept at it and they deserved their turn at this level. It's great for such a small club, with little tradition of success." Within the space of a month, Moynalvey were toppled in first the league decider and then the championship final. The main competition was played initially on a group stage and Clonard emerged from a section including Ballivor, Moynalvey, Ballinabrackey and Longwood to book a semi-final berth, wherein they got the better of Syddan. Did Kevin think at the start of the year that the team was capable of doing so well? "I thought this would be their best chance of making it because they had been in the league final against Boardsmill the previous year and lost by a point, so they clearly weren't too far away. Boardsmill went up a grade as well, which improved their chances. They had been knocking on the door for the past couple of years and just needed a bit of luck." The victory for the U12s came as a nice bonus. "It was nice," Kevin agrees. "That one wasn't really expected but they improved with every game and the U14 success gave them a boost. "I'm happy for the young lads and it's also just reward for Joe and Mary Gannon. They revived underage football in the club about five years ago and I honestly don't think there'd be anything there today only for them." Tweet

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