At underage level the club continues to go from strength to strength. We have increased the number of teams participating at underage level from previous years. For the first time in the clubs history we entered two teams in both the Under 13 and Under 21 competitions. "The Acorns", our nursery section, which was product of the late Joe Curran, continues to cater for children aged 5 and upwards every Saturday morning. We have a number of dedicated people who have followed in the footsteps of Joe to continue to promote GAA games among our youngest members of the club. The Acorns section was also responsible for the running of the Super Summer Leagues during the month of May. During the leagues we had in excess of 200 children between the ages of 5 and 10 partaking in games all of whom received a club tee shirt. The Finals days, held in early June was a complete success with all the children being presented with their medals by County Star Joe Sheridan. Our Under 10 team under the guidance of Maurice Murtagh had a very successful first year in the Meath League. They remained unbeaten in the East Meath section and are a team to watch for the future. At Under 12 level we had a mixed year. The Under 12 A team under the guidance of Michael Doherty and Vinny Carton had a good league campaign and qualified for the county Semi final of the Division 2 league. Having lost only one game in the group section to Walterstown we met Clann na nGael in the semi final who we had earlier beaten. Although 7 points up at half time we found ourselves on the wrong side of a 4-13 to 4-14 score line in what could only be described as a thrilling match. It was a great disappointment for players, mentors and parents alike but hopefully we can all learn from the experience and build for the future. Congratulations to Shane Melia, Andrew Colgan, David Murtagh, Cormac Fagan, and Niall and Eoin Hannon who represented the club in the Meath Under 12 development squad. Our Under 12 reserve team under the guidance of Mark Moynihan and Ciaran Benville did have more success as they captured the County Reserve title for 2005. During the group section they managed a number of victories to get the last playoff spot. Our quarter final game was an away match to Simonstown Gaels. Trailing by four points with minutes to go we managed to find the net twice to snatch victory from a much fancied home side. The semi final saw the team paired with another Navan based team. Having being beaten earlier in the group stages by O'Mahony's this was going to be a tough challenge but the team showed great determination, commitment and heart to qualify for the final with a two point victory. With the semi final played in late June the team worked very hard over the summer months in preparation for the final against Dunboyne at the end of August. The final, played in Ratoath was a tense affair but our lads came out on top to bring home the cup. The 35 player all contributed on the road to our eventual victory They all played at some point in either the group stages or knockout stages. A couple of points worth mentioning: Stephen Maguire, who scored critical goals in the quarter final and semi-final, missed out on the final due an accident in breaking his arm. Also half-back Eoin O Cribin missed out on the final because his family moved to Spain two weeks beforehand. The panel included Luke Adams, Yaris Baturov, Sam Benville, Conor Brennan, Ciaran Brown, Stephen Coates, Sean Cullen Geraghty, Mark Donnelly, Sam Elliott, Harry English, Cormac Fagan, Kevin Fenton, Rachel Fenton, Ciaran Gibney, Jack Hannigan, Scott Hanway, Kate Heffernan, Aidan Hughes, Jordan Kerrigan, Diarmuid Kinahan, Stephen Maguire, John McAndrew, Raymond McDonald, Darren McGeever, Joe Merry, Niall Moore, Helen Moran, Stephen Moynihan, Sean Murphy, James O Dwyer, Eoin O Cribín, Eric O Sullivan, Martin Quinn, Ryan Thorp, Jack Toohey. At Under 14 level we had a very successful year under the guidance of Brendan O'Connor, George Kavanagh and Michael Heffernan. After knocking on the door for the last two years this dedicated group of players finally got their reward when they were crowned Division 2 league Champions. During the group stages they recorded victories over Summerhill, Curraha, St. Colmcilles, Castletown and Clann na nGael together with an away draw to Skryne. Having topped the group the team faced Summerhill in the semi final. Trailing by eleven points at half time things did not look good but we battled back bravely and managed a last minute point to earn a draw and replay. The replay was also a tight affair but our lads played much better and managed a three point victory to earn a place in the final against Skryne. The final was played in Ratoath and Skryne got off to a perfect start with a goal within the first five minutes. In a close and exciting game the sides were evenly matched and although Odhran O Donnell scored a goal mid way through the second half we trailed by two points going into injury time. With only seconds remaining Gavin Kennedy collected a pass just inside the Skryne half and after a solo run finished with a shot to the roof of the net to grab a one point victory and the cup for Donaghmore. Donaghmore Ashbourne: S. Kent; S. Murphy, R. O Connor, D. Carey; C. Walsh, B. Menton, S. Markham; I. Kavanagh (Captain), G. Kennedy; C O'Sullivan, S. Rock, S. Leahy; O. O' Donnell, S. Kavanagh, C. Randle; Subs: P. Kelly for S. Murphy, M. Devine for S. Leahy, Subs not used: J. Heffernan, C. Buckley, G. Brown, C. Miller, C. O'Byrne, In the championship the team managed a first round victory over St. Colmcille's but lost out in the quarter finals to eventual finalists O'Mahonys. The team finished off a successful year with a tournament final victory over their hosts Fingal Ravens of Dublin. Congratulations to Bryan Menton, Andrew Tormey, Gavin Kennedy and Robert O'Connor who represented the club in the Meath Under 14 development squad. Our Under 14 reserve team under the guidance of Jimmy Walsh and Gerry Giblin produced a number of fine performances over their league campaign but were unfortunate not to reach the play off places. In the championship competition we lost out at the first hurdle going down to Simonstown Gaels. Our Under 15 team of 2004 under the guidance of Aidan Mc Carthy, Frank O Donnell and Eithne Tormey won the Division 1 League title late last year. Unfortunately this final took place after the 2004 year book submission. Despite losing their first two games of the campaign we won all our remaining games and qualified for a final meeting with St. Colmcille's. There was little between the teams in the final and game ended in a draw. The sides met a week later and after 60 minutes of outstanding football the sides were level again and needed extra time. With greater determination and spirit our lads managed to pull away and finished the stronger side to be crowned county champions for 2004. This team continued their good run this year at Under 16 level and reached the Division 1 county final in June. Having won all our matches in the group stages we were paired with local rivals St. Colmcille's in the semi final. Having beaten the Laytown side after a replay last December to win the Under 15 League title and overcoming them again in the group stages earlier we knew there wouldn't be much between the two teams. The standard of football of both teams was outstanding and, as expected, there was little between the teams with the game ending in a draw. The replay was of an equally high standard and again there was little between the teams however a late score ensure that we qualified for the final and a meeting with Dunboyne. Having had the better of the Dunboyne side in the group stages we were unfortunate in the final as we could not reproduce our earlier form and lost out in the end. Congratulations to John Broderick, Eric O'Callaghan, Ciaran Ellis, Stephen Dervan and Finnon Mulivhill who represented the club in the Meath County level. This year's Under 15 team are currently top of their Division 2 table having won six games and drawn one. We have qualified for the semi final but are waiting on a number of outstanding matches to be completed to find out our opponents. Likewise, our Under 17 team under the guidance of Cathal Cullen and Aidan McCarthy are doing very well this year. We have already played 5 games in the Division 1 Section A of the league and having won all games are top of the group. We await the completion of Section B to find out our opponents in the semi final. Our minor team under the guidance of Com Menton and Jimmy Walsh reached the quarter final of the Division 1 competition but lost out to St.Cianan's of Duleek. We cannot review the 2005 Donaghmore Ashbourne Football year without mentioning Rory O'Connor. Over the last number of years our club has constantly increased the number of players participating at Meath County level in Juvenile Football, Hurling, Ladies Football and Camogie. This is a great tribute to the hard work and dedication shown by these players, their parents and mentors alike. Getting selected as a player on a squad is a success itself but when a player makes the first fifteen it is an even better reward. Rory surpassed this by being selected as Captain of the Meath Minor Football team for the 2005 Championship campaign and lined out for the Royal County at midfield. At Under 21 level we hit another milestone within the club by entering two teams in the competition for the first time. Our B team, made up of a number of the younger players competed in the C Championship. Having got a walk over against Gael Colmcille in the preliminary round we lost out to Kilmainham in the quarter finals. We did have our chances in this game but lost out in the end. While the performance and result did not go our way the positive aspect of the game was that we gave football to 22 lads at a stage when many clubs are losing players at this age bracket. In addition the age profile of the team is young and many of these lads have a number of years at this level to look forward to. Our Under 21 A team have already seen of a fancied Na Fianna side in their quarter final game under lights in Skyrne. The standard of football shown by both sides on the night was outstanding and thoroughly entertained the supporting crowd. As we compile this annual review we are waiting for the semi final opponents to be identified. Hopefully we can go one better than the last couple of years. Ladies Football Our ladies football section within the club continues to go from strength to strength and 2005 have seen more success at both adult and under age level. Since its formation in 1998 the ambition of the club was to attain senior football status. By investing heavily in juvenile football over the last number of years and winning every title from Under 10 to Under 16 on the way the foundation had been laid. Coupled with the enthusiasm and dedication of the "less younger" members like Ally Kelly, Claire Flaherty, Ally Fitzgearld, Lizzy Lynch Eva Mc Neilis, Aine Ní Mhéalóid, Caitríona Lawton and many others, the team finally achieved this goal on August 14th. The intermediate final in Ratoath saw our girls take on Moylagh from the North of the County. The stakes were high as both sides battled hard to take the county title for 2005 with the bigger prize of playing among the elite of Meath Ladies Football the ultimate prize. We had a great start and rushed into an early lead within the first few minutes. Moylagh did manage to level things midway through the first half but a goal from Mairead O'Shaughnessy just before the break gave us a 2-08 to 1-07 half time lead. Another good start after the break saw our girls score 1-03 without reply and we looked comfortable. However two late goals within the last five minutes did give the supporters a little scare. Donaghmore Ashbourne Róisín Williams: Claire Flaherty, Rachel Mc Carthy, Niamh Mooney; Jennifer Moran, Alison Kelly, Mary Kate Benville; Lyndsey Conway, Mairéad Ó Shaughnessy; Liz Lynch, Caitríona Ó Shaughnessy, Maríosa Molloy; Hayley Lawton, Mary Rose Mc Cann, Danielle Mongan. Subs: Clíodhna Field for Danielle Mongan; Aisling Doherty for Mary Rose Mc Cann: Shauna Boxwell, Aoife O Rourke, Anna Reidy, Michelle Clarke, Mairéad Finn, Karen Menton. The team did go on to represent Meath in the Leinster club competition and their first round match was an away fixture to Ballylinan of Laois. While we played some very good technical football we were unable to match the host side in terms of physical strength and were unlucky to lose out by a single point. The team is very young (the average age being 17) but we are looking forward to participating in the senior ranks and have high hopes of progressing. No doubt with the hard work and dedication shown to date a senior championship title is not too far away. On the league front the team won promotion from Division 2 senior league in 2004 and managed to hold its own with the big guns in Division 1 this year. As we compile this annual report both our minor and Under 16 teams are still in competition and have qualified for their respective championship semi finals. Both teams are awaiting news of their opponents and fixture dates. At Under 10 level we had a very successful year under the guidance of Mark Power, Geraldine Moran, Timmy O'Keefe and Paul Walton. With ten of last years team eligible to play again this year together with the addition of sixteen new players we had the luxury of entering two teams in the league. The second team which comprised of all new comers played eight games in total and gained great experience from all their games. Playing some exciting football they grew with confidence with every game. Like last years Under 10 team many of these girls will be eligible to play at this level next year again and have benefited form this year's campaign. Our first team, having ten players from last year's beaten finalist team was very eager to play football and go one step better than last year. They played eight league games and were undefeated in all and qualified for a county final against Dunboyne who we had met in the early stages of the year. The final took place in Kilbride where both teams were well supported. This was a thoroughly entertaining game with both sides displaying top level skills and ultimate commitment throughout. Our team, playing against a strong wind in the first half worked extremely hard to support each other but the display from the back line was a joy to watch. On the odd occasion when this line was breached the Dunboyne team found Cathy Giblin playing the game of her life. Several times she pulled off great saves and at half time we only trailed by a single point. The half time scoreboard showed Donaghmore Ashbourne 0-01 Dunboyne 0-02. After the break and with the wind in our favour our girls soon took control of the game. An early point from Michelle Peel drew the sides level. Not long after Shelby Leahy found the net with a free and our girls never looked back. Further scores from Caroline Brothwood, Michelle Peel and another from Caroline Brothwood gave us a comfortable lead going into the last couple of minutes. Dunboyne did manage a goal late in injury time but it was not enough to worry our supporters. Donaghmore Ashbourne: Cathy Giblin; Leann Kenny, Eimer Murray; Jennifer Walton, Siofra Cleary, Grace O Sullivan; Caroline Brothwood (0-2), Michelle Peel (0-2); Sarah Browne(0-1), Shelby Leahy(1-0), Maggie Randle; Riann O Keefe, Sarah Markham. Subs Orla Cullen Geraghty for Sarah Markham At Under 12 level we had successful year under the guidance of Annette Menton, Mary O'Shaughnessy, Claire Flaherty, Mossie Fenton and John Kelly. We had impressive numbers with 30 players available and this allowed us to enter two teams in the league. Our A team competed in the Division 1 league while our B team competed in the Division 2 League. In Division 1 we managed three victories over Dunboyne, Navan O Mahony's and Royal Gaels. Unfortunately we lost out to near neighbours Ratoath but with a number of walkovers and the earlier victories we qualified for a place in the semi final. Our opposition in the semi final was Ratoath but this time we overturned the earlier group defeat in a nail biting contest with a last minute goal. The final was a repeat of the Under 10 final two years ago where we met Navan O Mahony's but this time the Navan side got revenge for both the Under 10 final and the earlier group game with a narrow victory. In Division 2 we managed victories over Moynalvey and Moylagh and despite a number of great performances we lost out to Dunsany, Ratoath, Clann Na nGael, Na Fianna and Walterstown. The team did manage to finish the year on a high when they retained the Conway Cup over neighbours Ratoath. The panel included Maire O'Shaughnessy, Niamh Hilton, Rebecca Walton, Emily Doyle, Helen Reidy, Lauren Lawton, Shauna Lawton, Rebecca Ivory, Jo Woods, Cristín Kelly, Roisín Hennelly, Jasmine Kerrigan, Charlene Harkin, Kyna O'Connor, Rebecca Conroy, Shauna Hutton, Gráinne Bonnar, Rachel Sinnott, Rachel Fenton, Jessie Madden, Amy Weldon, Ciara Menton, Kate Flynn, Kate Heffernan, Laura Andrews, Sophie Geoghegan, Helen Moran, Paula Sweeney, Meaghan Power, Hazel Gilsenon, Molly Kelly and Sophia Byrne. A very young U14 team under the guidance of Derek Moran, Mossie Fenton, Janet Finlay and Collette Behan performed well beyond expectations this season. Made up mainly of last year's Under-12 team, they went through the season with eight wins, one draw and just two defeats. Having a good run in the group campaign we qualified for the county final with the opposition on the day local rivals Ratoath. Despite producing a determined and committed performance our younger side did not get the result they deserved. However,they ended the season with heads held high and having learned important lessons for their championship campaign they are already looking forward to next year. Congratulations to Hayley Lawton and Rosin Meehan who turned out for the club's championship winning Intermediate team. Reflecting on our status as an up and coming club we are extremely proud of our players who represented their county with distinction in 2005. At Under 12 level Maire O'Shaughnessy, Rebecca Walton and Kyna O'Connor were part of the squad who won the Leinster Championship. At Under 14 level Hayley Lawton and Rosin Meehan played in the County's U14 team who were Leinster runners up. Both players featured strongly in the provincial decider against Dublin with Rosin captaining the team throughout the season. At Under 16 level Jennifer Moran and Michelle Clarke represented the club on the County Under 16 squad. Róisín Williams, Claire Flaherty, Rachel Mc Carthy, Lyndsey Conway, Mairéad Ó Shaughnessy, Danielle Mongan, Eva Mc Neilis and Aine Ní Mhéalóid all represented the club at County Junior level. Finally, Caitríona O'Shaughnessy who played on the Meath Senior team, beaten by Dublin in the Leinster final and finally eliminated in the All Ireland quarter final by eventual champions Cork. Well done to all, we are extremely proud of your achievements. Hurling Like the other codes within the club the hurling section has seen an increase in the number of teams entered in the 2005 competitions. For the first time in a number of years we entered two teams in the adult hurling championship. The adult hurlers under the guidance of Davy Gaughan saw ex Meath county manager John Hunt join the management team and provide valuable coaching to our hurlers. In addition the lads were also assisted by John Coughlan and throughout the year we saw hurling skills and performances improved from game to game. In the Grade 1 league campaign we had mixed results with victories over Stamullen and Dunboyne and defeats to Boardsmill and Ratoath. In the championship our intermediate team had victories over Dunboyne and Gael Colmcille with a draw against Wolfe Tones. Unfortunately defeats to Na Fianna, Dunderry, Kilskyre and Blackhall Gaels prevented us from qualifying for the knock out stages. Our second team played in the Junior B Championship and despite being a young team we performed well and gained a lot of experience. It is encouraging to see that our numbers have increased and that the future is bright within the club. Underage Hurling At Under 11 we had a successful run in this year's campaign winning five of their group matches and qualifying for the B Championship. Unfortunately we were knocked out by the eventual competition winners Boardsmill and we look forward to next year's campaign. At under age level our Under 12 team of 2004 showed that the hard work being done by people like Ken Mc Kenna and Harry Randle were beginning to bear fruits. With nine members of this panel eligible for the Under 12 team this year again we entered the B championship with great confidence. As we compile this report we have qualified for a semi final meeting with Moylagh however a date has yet to be set for the match. At under 13, 14 and 16 level all three teams competed well in their group matches and kept their championship ambitions alive until the last group of matches. Unfortunately results did not go their way on the last day and they failed to qualify for the play off places. At Minor level we played some good hurling in the group stages and with only one defeat we qualified for the semi final where the opposition was Blackhall Gaels. Despite giving a committed performance the opposition finished the stronger during the closing stages of the game to earn a place in the final. From a positive point of view all but three of the players on this year's panel are eligible again for next year so hopefully we can go one better. Congratulations go to Aonghus Mulvihill and Colm O Mealóid who represented the club on the Meath Under 21 team that reached the All Ireland B Final. Colm is also a member of the UCD hurling team that are doing well in this year's colleges series. Camogie At the start of the year there were a number of concerns over the availability of players for the Camogie team but thankfully all was sorted and the adult camogie team began to take shape. Being regraded and having a number of younger members in the panel the girls stuck to their task and under the guidance of Maura Roach and Morgan Garry things began to take shape. By the time September came we had qualified for the Junior final where we met Dunboyne. Unfortunately being a younger and physically smaller side we competed well but lost out in the end. While our girls were disappointed with the result we have to look at the positives from the game. These include the endless commitment of Lizzy Lynch and the future prospects of the younger players such as Dareena Burnell, Mairead Finn and Roisin Williams. At under age level the commitment and dedication shown by Bronagh and her team are beginning to bear fruits. This team commenced a new programme where they brought Camogie to our national schools in Ashbourne. This was a fantastic experience for players and mentors and they have introduced a number of new players to the game. We hope to continue this wonderful plan and in a year or two we aim to have all three schools competing in the Bun Scoil competitions. Outside the schools the development of Camogie is beginning to turn a very positive corner. This year we catered for teams in the Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18 age groups. While all teams took part in their respective championships results were mixed but there performances and dedication could not be faulted. Although we did not bring any silverware home we have seen a huge improvement in our teams. Our Jamsie Kavanagh Tournament for Under 10 teams took place for its second year on the June Bank Holiday. This was a great success with great support from most of the Camogie clubs in Meath. We are delighted to have named our under 10 tournament after Jamsie. He was an inspiration to a lot of young and old players and was a very fond follower of Camogie. He always brought us to where ever our matches were on in the days of the club bus and when the bus was no longer he jumped in his car and followed us up and down the county always cheering us on and giving encouragement regardless of the score line. We know Jamsie would have enjoyed the day seeing all the bright stars of the future. Another highlight of the day was Ros Fodhla Bernadette Smith who started our tournament by throwing in the sliotar. All the children were delighted to have a celebrity pay so much attention to them. Our annual day out to the All Ireland Camogie Final was another success this year. As usual the coach from Ashbourne to Croke Park was as lively as ever with many of the girls in the club colours and singing their hearts out. This year the girls had an added bonus of getting on the hallowed surface of Croke Park during the interval between the Junior and Senior Finals. As part of the experience we asked all our members to write a report on the day. We had 3 age categories and the winners are as follows: 6-9 years Sarah O'Connor 10-13 years Cathy Giblin 14-16 years Mairead Finn All three winners received a voucher each from Eason's bookshop in Ashbourne who kindly sponsored the prizes. We are extremely proud of our players who represented their county with distinction in 2005. At Under 14 Level Eimear Keaveney, Aideen Ferry, Sorcha Ferry, Fionnuala Kenny, Jenny Long and Ailbhe Ni Caba all represented the club on the County Under 14 squad. Mairead Finn represented the club on the County Under 16 squad Roisin Williams represented the club on the County Under 18 squad Finally, Lizzy Lynch deserves a special word of mention as she will represent both the club and county on the Leinster junior panel who play Ulster in a tournament coming up shortly. Well done to all. Off the Field As well as all the activity on the field the club is alive with loads of activity off the field. Our club development is well underway with the work now complete on the pitches. To date the four pitches have been constructed and are in the growth stage with the grass surface coming on nicely. In order to give the surface maximum time to root we hope to be playing our first games in late summer or early autumn 2006. This year also seen the launch of the new club web site. The site has been redesigned and we hope that it will prove a valuable part of the club's communication strategy. The site can be visited on www.donashgaa.com. As part of the GAA's new club development programme the club took part in a club development programme run over two nights in September. We were one of the first clubs in Meath to partake in the programme and work is underway on the new club Development plan. In early January 2004 hurler of the year Sean Óg Ó hAilpín came to the Wotton to present medals to the Under 12 hurling team and a number of football teams. Sean was an excellent guest on the night and was his patience and time for the adults and especially the kids was second to none. Buíochas agus Focal Scoir As we come to the end of another year within the club we would like to acknowledge the contribution and support of a lot of people who helped make the year a success. Firstly we would like to thank all our committee members and mentors for their dedication and hard work throughout the year. We also wish to acknowledge the work and commitment shown by all our players from our acorns right up to the adult players. To all the parent of our children we wish to thank you for your support. To our supporters who attend both the home and away games week in and week out and who support our club lotto and other fundraising activities we thank you also. Finally we wish to acknowledge our sponsors for their constant support throughout the year. Each and every one of the above play a vital part in the success of Donaghmore Ashbourne GAA club and without your support and contribution our success would not be possible. Tweet

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