Eire Og excelling in so many areas
December 30, 2010Juvenile
On the playing field this year pride of place must go to our U11 team, which did the double by winning the BC Colton shield in Emyvale for the second year in a row and retained the Luke Keenan cup at the Roslea U11 blitz. This is a tremendous achievement by a talented group of enthusiastic players and their mentors . Well done.
Unfortunately this was the only silverware that our young men got this year but it was not for the want of trying. The U12 team had a great campaign throughout the league only suffering a single defeat along the way, which resulted in a final spot against Aughnamullen. In that game they got a terrible start and were trailing 2-6 to 0-1 after the first quarter. They staged a wonderful come back but got no luck on the day and had to settle for second best on a score line of 3-9 to 3-6.
The U14 team qualified for the cup semi finals going down after a replay to the eventual winners of the competition. The U16 finished mid table not reaching the play off's. The minor team was an Eire Og / Killeevan combination which had a reasonable run but did not make playoffs.
At pre-competition level a dedicated bunch of four men, Joe Leonard, Dan Toal, Mike Hamill and Gerry Reilly, on a weekly basis trained up to sixty children from 5 to 11year old, boys and girls. Many challenge matches were arranged with local clubs, which were thoroughly enjoying for both players and parents. We have over 90% of the children in the area participating at this age.
Thank you to all team managers and mentors who helped out with all our juvenile teams this year. Success is not only in silverware but is in the joy the youth get in playing our games.
Ladies football
Brendan Toal, Mathew Mc Quaid, Eileen McCluskey stand up and take a bow. These were the people who deserve much of the credit for the success of the ladies football this year. They looked after U12, U14, U16 and U18 teams this year. It was a very good season again for Eire Og ladies football, with the U14 winning their competition, 11 a side, with a win over the Sean's in the final. The U12 team reached the final but unfortunately were defeated by a strong physical O'Neills team. The U16 team also reached the final but this time the Sean's came out on top. The U18 team reached the semi finals but were defeated by the Harps. Congratulations to the mentors and the ladies committee for their work this year.
Intermediate football
A change in team management at the beginning of the season saw a rejuvenated Eire Og team perform well in the early rounds of the intermediate league. Gerry Moane from Brookborough, took over the reins and after seven games we were in the top three with nine points. With no pitch of our own most of our home games were played in Scotstown, which was proving reasonably lucky for us. The wheel then fell off the cart, with five defeats out of six games, which put our team hovering above the relegation zone. A win against Donaghamoyne in Tyholland in the third last game gave us a little breathing space. With Aghabog and Emyvale unable to notch up points we had secured enough points to stay safe. We ended the season with 14 points in the league which last year would not have been enough. In the championship we were paired against Aughnamullen in the first round. After a good performance we emerged victorious and faced Doohamlet in the next round. Ten minutes into the second half, the game was in the balance but we hit the self-destruct button, which resulted in a six point defeat. In the back door Rockcorry provided the opposition in Clones. This was a game to forget. We would like to thank the clubs who gave us the use of their facilities this year, Scotstown, Sean McDermotts and Tyholland . Their help is very much appreciated.
It is with great sadness we remember those associated with the club who died throughout the year, especially a former player and friend, Ned Boylan, may they rest in peace.
The wanderers are glad to be home again
At the beginning of every year, a team will look to their home fixtures to collect those all important league points to lay the foundation for the season ahead. However, for Eire Og, major redevelopments to their playing facilities meant they were on the road for every game in 2010 writes Alan Gunn.
Anyone passing the Smithboro club will have noticed major work to their playing area as a new Prunty Pitch was laid. Work began in October 2009 and now the new green sward is complete and ready for action come the start of the new season. Club secretary Joe Leonard is just one of the hard working committee who has had a busy year.
"Work began in October last year and the pitch is now complete. We will be back playing on it next year and hopefully have an official opening. We also hope to erect a spectator friendly fence around the pitch," said Joe.
"The club bought some land and extended the pitch and widened it and the total cost is in or around the region of 300,000."
Of course finance must be raised to allow the club to move on and improve facilities. Eire Og set up a "Special Members Club" with the club faithful giving contributions over two years. Leonard and the club hope that they will be debt free in two years and at the end of it all, the people of Smithbora can be proud of their playing area.
"We have to thank so many people for their support, players, club members and all of the community," added Joe.
The start of the year also saw a change in management with Brookeborough man Gerry Mone at the helm. It was a tough task for the new man from the off as he knew each game away from home. The senior side played their so called home games at neighboring club Scotstown while the 'B' team made Sean MacDiarmada their home for the year. As for training and the juvenile teams, the club had to rent a field.
"We rented a field about a mile out the road for training and for the juveniles to play their games. We transferred the lights from the pitch out and we will have that for training for three years which will give the new pitch time," explained the club secretary.
With work on going and the old pitch now becoming a distant memory as the new one began to take shape, the season began and the league campaign was just around the corner. Leonard like many knew it was going to be a challenge.
"It was a tough year, you are always probably guaranteed six points at home so it was always going to be difficult to pick up points not playing on your home pitch."
However, they got a good start and took some of the pressure off themselves in the early rounds as they stamped their mark on the Intermediate league. But as Leonard states they hit a bad patch midway through their campaign.
"We started well but in the second half of the year we fell away and hit a bit of a slump. I think when the county team began it affected us," said Joe.
"We were on a good run with the games coming thick and fast and you get into a rhythm but then when the games slowed down we lost our way a little."
Despite only finishing four points and one place above relegation, Eire Og still had an impressive run of results taking points off three of the final top four sides which included victories over Tyholland, Donaghmoyne and Inniskeen. Over the year they failed to collect points from just three teams as they suffered double defeats at the hands of Currin, Rockcorry and Doohamlet. Indeed two of those sides also ended their championship hopes.
They began with victory over Aughnamullen in the championship but then suffered defeat to eventual champions Doohamlet the next day out. It was a game in which they were very much in contention for long periods.
"We beat Aughnamullen and then in our second game against Doohamlet we were level ten minutes into the second half and give away a stupid goal and fell apart," said Leonard
A week after that loss they took on Rockcorry in the back door and in very poor light, indeed almost darkness in Clones, they suffered a heavy loss ending their championship for another year.
Overall though they remained in the Intermediate grade and now that they are back on their home pitch, they will hope to contest for honours in 2011.
At Juvenile level it was the U-12 side that caught the eye, reaching the final of the Division 3 Cup. In the final they came up against Aughnamullen. Both sides had been the most dominant teams on their way to the final suffering just one defeat, that at the hands of each other. In the final Aughnamullen came out on top despite a battling fight back from the young Eire Og boys.
"The boys got a terrible start falling 2-6 to 0-1 behind after the opening quarter but fought their way back but had no luck on the day."
The U-14's reached the Cup semi final, the U-16's also fielded and the Minor team amalgamated with Killeevan to form Na Mullai Sarsfields.
The club also fielded an U-11 team in the BC Tournament hosted by the Emyvale club and won the Shield defeating Monaghan Harps in the final. They were also victorious in the Roslea Tournament beating Emyvale in the final.
The Girls were not to be left out and the club fielded teams at U-12, U-14, U-16 and Minor. The U-14 side took home the Cup while both the U-12 and U-16 sides lost out in the final and the Minor team was beaten semi finalists.
The club was also to be hit by sadness at the sudden death of Ned Boylan, a former player and an Eire Og great during the 80's and 90's. Tweet
