Here to stay
December 31, 2009
By now the novelty that was Fergal O'Hanlon GFC seven years ago is no more. The club is now firmly woven into the Monaghan GAA landscape.
Fergal O'Hanlons might bend but the smart money says they'll never break. The sceptics who said the GAA rookies would be history two years after setting up have long since choked on their humble pie.
At Mullaghdun, a real passion play is played out by the club faithful on a weekly basis. And they ain't going away either!
Mullaghdun is the home of the still fledgling club, forming the backdrop to some sterling outings every year by it's up-and-coming stars and starlets.
Since it came into being in January 2003, the county town Gaelic games rookies have made progress, year-on-year, from its Clones-road base.
In 2009 the club bolstered its burgeoning pedigree, especially at underage level, with Cumann Fheargal Ui Annluain fielding sides at under 8, 10, 12, and 13 without fail over the course of the past year.
One of the people at the coalface at Fergal O'Hanlons is Darren Doyle and he is delighted with the enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by the underage fraternity in '09:
"The children have been great all year and their attitude to the club training and the matches we have played have been first class," Darren declares.
"We have never failed to field a team which is a great achievement in itself considering the resources we have to work with and considering that some people said that the club wouldn't last more than two or three years."
2009 showed that not alone are the youngsters enthusiastic but they are talented as well and in the past year Fergal O'Hanlons competed in the U12 Division Four League and U13 Division Four League and reached the semi-finals of both competitions.
With the assistance of Martin McCaffrey (Youth Officer) and PRO Brendan McKenna, Darren has worked diligently to help the club's youngsters fulfill their potential among their own peers.
But the last-named is keen to make it known that the underage set-up at Fergal O'Hanlon is all the more efficient and competent for the help afforded it by county coaches Paul O'Connor, Paul Turley and Colin Malone.
"The county board coaches have been a brillant help to us and their go-games are always very well organised, timely and attract great attendances.
"We have a great squad of youngsters at under eight and under ten grades with the under 8s winning the Monaghan Harps tournament which was excellently run by Finbar Conlon
"Then our under 12s won the JB O'Hagan tournament run by Clan Eireann which was another great achievement.
"Silverware isn't everything but winning medals definitely helps fire the enthusiasm of the youngsters and adds to their ambition.
"Our under 12s and 13s showed up well too without winning silverware, losing out to Drumhowan and Tyholland in their semi-finals."
Recently a visit by the GAA's Director General Paraic Duffy helped to bolster and underpin the growing confidence evident at Mullaghdun.
With their own clubhouse now in place, the club is determined to keep going forward even if their only current source of income starts and stops with their weekly lotto.
"Finance is a concern for every club, especially in the days that are in it and we're no different but hopefully we'll get some help by means of grant-aid down the line.
"It would be a big boost for us if we could get showers installed in our new dressing-rooms because that could only help us attract and keep on board more players.
"When you're competing with other sports like soccer and rugby, it's important that you're able to offer youngsters the best facilities possible.
"At the moment, we aren't where we want to be in terms of dressing-rooms etc but we'll keep working at it and keep moving forward with our plans."
At Fergal O'Hanlons, every youngster gets a chance to display their skills in tournament/competition circles irrespective of the opposition or level.
Catering for a growing raft of keen Gaelic footballers from 8-14, Fergal O'Hanlons boast 'feeder' national schools in the Gaelscoil, Louis Convent and St. Mary's.
According to Darren, the county town-based crew has its sights on expanding its number of teams and the quantity and quality of its players.
"Next year we'd be hoping to field an under 14 team to run alongside the eights, tens and twelves and we were delighted when three of our players made it onto the county Under 14 Development Squad.
"The attitude of the players is first-class and their ambition is as strong as fellas from any other club. They want to win every game and win cups.
"Our priority though is to enter all competitions and field teams on every occasion 'cause we know that winning isn't everything.
"At present we have 40 players registered for competition purposes and we'd hope to grow that number once again next year."
Good communication lines is vital in any organisation and the shakers and movers at Fergal O'Hanlons believe in empowering and informing.
"We let the parents know at the start of each year what the ground rules are and we encourage them to come to us with whatever suggestions or queries they may have at that time or as the year progresses; it's a two way thing.
"We advice everyone to speak up for the benefit of the players and the club. In the same way that every player gets a game, every parent should feel that they can have a voice when it comes to ideas for making the club even stronger as we go forward."
Still, like most clubs working overtime to, firstly, establish roots, and, secondly, to reap a good harvest, Fergal O'Hanlons has to constantly strive to build a profile and underpin its recruitment drive annually.
In this regard, Darren - the club's first junior team-captain - accepts that a 'hard sell' tactic is de rigeur in the Mullaghmat, Cortolvin and Rossmore areas of the town where the club's catchment area is loosely located.
"Obviously with so many other distractions in a town the size of Monaghan, you have to work hard at encouraging them to play Gaelic football.
"There's a lot or work to be done by the GAA in urban areas nationally to keep pace with other sports and the GAA in Monaghan town is no different.
"The more kids are playing Gaelic games the better, no matter what part of the county or country you're talking about.
"The general feedback we've got from other clubs since we set up has been very positive and we're encouraged by that support.
"At this stage, between league and championship and the go-games we've probably played against twenty of the teams in the county.
"I think all of those clubs, bar none, would probably tell you that we're doing our best and that playing Gaelic football is the only thing on our agenda."
A playing member of the O'Hanlons' junior team 'till three years ago, Darren says that the club has proven its bona fides at this stage.
Gone are the days when the club failed to record a score; gone are the days when the club failed to fulfill a fixture; gone are the days of not winning matches.
Having notched its first-ever junior win (against Killanny in the 2007 JFL), all sorts of bogeys have been dispensed with by the O'Hanlons.
The club is proud of its commitment to the ideals and objectives of the GAA. Getting to this year's JFC quarter-finals is the stuff of bonuses.
As for the coming year, Darren is optimistic that the club can continue to move forward with vim and vigour:
"I'd like to see us making a big effort to get to the semi-final of the league; that would be massive progress for us.
"Overall, I'd like to see us continuing to field teams at as many grades as possible and fulfilling all our fixtures.
"It would be great to win something again at juvenile level too."
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