2009 was the best of times and the worst of times for the boys of Blackhill. Some things stay pretty constant though in the mid-county club.

In the past year, the gaels of Blackhill collected yet another underage title under their own steam. A case of deja vu, observers would have you know.
The club also supplied a raft of players - in tandem with Oram - to the Emerald Sarsfields side that scooped a county minor title.
For a club that works from such a limited base, numbers wise, unimaginable positives abount at Blackhill and silverware is never too far away.
Beating a top senior side to capture an U21 county title and teaming up with their neighbours to claim a cup at underage level represented a good innings for Blackhill in '09.
Fact is, there's an ever-present coterie of underage teams representing the club who have been making their presence felt at various grades at county final levels.
Long-time club Secretary Brendan McEneaney unequivocally declares Blackhill's victory over Magheracloone in the U21 Division Three final as tops.
"The under 21 final win has to be the highlight of the year," Brendan enthuses. "Magheracloone would have been strong favourites for that match.
"They are competing at the highest level and a few of their players have experience of playing senior club football which would have helped them.
"Winning the U21 title was a real breadth of fresh air for the club; the lads played out of their skins and hopefully a few of them will make an impression on the junior team over the next few years. It's great to see those young lads coming through from underage."
Blackhill was, of course, a major stakeholder - along with Oram - in the establishment and running of the Emerald Sarsfields minor team.
With great vim and vigour the amalgam (including eight Blackhill players) galloped all the way to division two title success.
"Winning the under 21 and having a hand in the minor success made 2009 a good year for the club," Brendan delights in declaring.
"Even though we have to work with limited numbers every year and lose an odd player to neighbouring clubs, we tend to get the very best from the players that stick with us and we're very pleased with the progress that is being made on several fronts.
Brendan says the past season brought the usual trials and tribulations for the club but, thankfully, there were more good news stories than sad tales.
While the club's premier team predictably overcame Fergal O'Hanlons in the first round of the JFC, there was no such luck next time out.
"It was disappointing to lose out to Killanny in the quarter-final. I thought it was a 50/50 game beforehand even though they had better form than us.
"They beat us both times, home and away, in the league before and after the championship but we still thought we were as good as them.
"We could have beaten them in the championship but hit too many wides. People at the match all said we were good enough to win the game.
"But the general feeling was that the lads lacked confidence and conviction, especially going forward looking for scores at different times."
Brendan doesn't begin to point fingers, apportion 'blame' for the quick-fire exit from the championship or seek to trade in the business of hypothesis.
Instead, he highlights the energy, time and effort put in by outgoing team-manager Gerry Quinn and trainer Gerry Murphy plus their back-up team.
"There was a lot of work put in all year and no stone was left unturned to get the lads in the best possible shape for the championship and the league.
"We were hoping to get a good start to the league but in our first round game we lost to Sean McDermotts who had been an intermediate team.
"Even though we lost that one by three or four points, I still think it was one of our best performances of the year and things looked promising then.
"Unfortunately our first few games were against some of the top teams in the league and we weren't able to build up any great momentum.
"But we still managed to beat the likes of Toome, home and away in the league, and if we had beaten Killanny, we would have got a crack at them.
"I'm not saying we would have beaten Toome in the championship but we would have been in with a very good shout, to say the least."
Gaels in Blackhill have learned to be conservative in their ambitions. Aspirations at the start of any given year are tempered with innate caution.
Brendan reveals that the mass ranks of the club would have been happy with a mid-table finish in the league "and a good run in the championship."
"We were on the easy side of the draw but a place in the semi-finals of the championship would have been a good achievement.
"With a bit more luck and more confidence, the lads could have made the last four and hopefully with a more settled side that can happen next year.
"The average age of the team is no more than mid-twenties with only about two of the lads over the thirty mark, so they have time on their side."
Indeed, a lot of the present Blackhill junior team sport the sort of underage pedigree which suggests that the potential for greater things is on tap.
Ten years ago, the club scooped the U16 Curley Cup and the O'Duffy Cup. A large chunk of that winning squad would go on and lend their considerable talents at adult level for the club.
"The whole secret to doing well at adult level is to have youngsters coming up through the ranks with the basic skills," opines Brendan who has just completed five years in his role as club Secretary.
"Like most clubs, coaches who take a hands-on role are scarce in Blackhill but hopefully we can get a couple in the New Year to undergo a foundation level course.
"There is a lot of goodwill from parents in the area but it's not easy to get people who have the interest or the ability to actually coach kids.
"Seamus McEneaney who has been involved with the underage section of the club for over forty years has talked about standing aside and if that happens it would be a major blow for the club and for the youngsters especially.
"He has been involved in training an awful lot of teams from under 10 upwards and would be very hard to replace if he does decide to step down.
"New blood is very important for every club but we have to try and get more people interested (in coaching) so that the youngsters are looked after."
Additional refurbishment of the club's facilities, including a new car park surface is in the pipeline which will underpin Blackhill's asset rich status.
To fund the club's plans, on and off the field, Blackhill's faithful will rely on the largesse of the 200 or so households in their catchment area.
In the interim, the sort esprit de corp manifest in the club's underage ranks will continue to fuel further optimism within the body of the club.
Brendan, whose own personal courage in overcoming ill-health has proven hugely inspirational to those around him, talks up the club's season.
"This year there was a very good spirit and a good feeling of get-up-and-go around the club," he explains.
"The players were a lot more positive and everyone pulled together and morale was very good in the club all year.
"When things are going well on the field, it makes every job to do with the job that bit easier and I would rate 2009 as being a satisfying and positive year for Blackhill football club."
And what of the coming year?
"I would hope that we can make progress on as many fronts as possible.
"There's not an awful lot missing with the juniors that can't be found and to my mind they're well capable of a mid-table position in the league.
"On their day, they could make an impact in the championship as well but if you're looking at possible winners then you wouldn't be looking to far past the likes of Cremartin and Corduff.
"Nobody knows how next year will go. But isn't that what's good about the football? You'll always get the odd surprise and maybe we can cause a surprise or two." Tweet

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