In a year which began with great expectations, Ballyhaise once again failed to make progress in their respective league and championship divisions and while they produced some outstanding performances they will have been disappointed with their campaign. A poor showing in their championship group saw them having to face a relegation battle at the end of the year and it was then at this late stage that the Ballyhaise side showed true grit and determination to save their place in Division 2 with a well merited and impressive win over Swanlinbar in a high scoring game. Ballyhaise provided some great displays throughout the season but the lack of consistency proved to be their undoing. Due recognition for the work carried out by team manager, Terry Hyland, and his selectors, Barry Tierney, Louis Lyons and Felim Costelloe was suitably noted with praise and it was generally felt that their great efforts did not get the reward they deserved. Terry has moved on to new pastures and takes up a position as a selector with Val Andrews who is now in charge of the Louth senior football team. Terry is wished well in his new position from everyone at the club. A new year beckons and Ballyhaise Football Club are looking ahead with a sense of enthusiasm and genuine confidence. A new approach has been augmented with a fresh structure in the form of a new committee spearheaded by Chairman, Tom O'Reilly, Secretary Mark O'Rourke (one of the stalwarts of the intermediate team) and joint treasurers Tommy Conaty and Francie Moore. The team is also under new stewardship in the form of Manager Felim Plunkett and selectors Enda McGowan, Pat Duggan and Sean Rehill. Strong Underage Structure Ballyhaise who have in a place a well constructed underage programme have recently seen the benefits of their work with teams contesting finals over the past number of seasons. 2003 was no exception. Saturday morning at Annalee Park, is a beehive of activity with juvenile coaching taking place. Paul McGoldrick and a cohort of volunteers help out every Saturday morning in coaching up to 50 children. U-12 An impressive unbeaten run in the league by the U-12 saw them failing in the final to Lurgan. Under the management of Dessie Reilly the team had a very successful year winning every match on their way to the Roinn B final before losing out to Lurgan in Breffni Park. While defeat was hard to accept after such a great campaign, the omens for a better future are also there. U14 and U-16. While neither the U-14 or U-16s made it through to their respective finals they both performed well and with the intense and committed coaching structures in place at Ballyhaise they too will eventually have their day in the sun. Minors On the minor front, Ballyhaise again proved to be the team to beat and powered their way to the Division 2 league final where they met Ballinagh. The game which ended in a draw, saw Ballinagh fail to turn-up for the replay with Ballyhaise being awarded the winners trophy. This victory placed them in the Division 1 championship, where they met a fancied Drumalee side who proved too strong on the day. Great credit and praise must be accorded to the two coaches, Adrian Delaney and Louis Lyons for their tremendous effort with the minors. U-21 Ballyhaise met Ballinagh in the first round of the U-21 championship and while they lost out to a side that were eventually narrowly beaten in the final they can take comfort with the fact that most of the side will be U-21 once again next year, where they should be a force to reckon with. Finance Committee A hard working finance committee of Andy Slowey, Barry Tierney, Seamus McEntee, Pat Fitzpatrick, Sean Smith, Sean Kane, Sean Rehill, Seamus Costelloe, Louis Lyons, Martin Rooney, Pat Duggan, Tommy Conaty, John Greenan, Francie Moore, Paddy Tackney, Ted Duggan, Tom Reilly, Gerry Corry, John Joe Lyons, Patsy Briody and Declan Reilly have left the club in a sound financial position. While the Lotto has proved to be a great success in helping to run the daily cost of the club upkeep, an ambitious plan to build a new stand has been undertaken. In an effort to avoid borrowing money from the bank, local organiser Brian Tierney has promoted a fund-raising plan of selling seats in the new stand to help raise the necessary finances to complete the project. So far many locals have opted for the plan. While this project is still active, already they have gathered a sufficient amount to see the work commence early this year. When they club have the proposed development completed it will ensure that Ballyhaise will have one of the finest grounds in the county. Success on that playing field would mean that Ballyhaise are in for a very interesting year ahead. Sponsor The club acknowledged the great sponsorship they had received for 2003 and urged all members that whenever possible they support their sponsor, Joe Gormley. New team manager An air of optimism has been engendered throughout the club with the appointment of new team manager, Phelim Plunkett. Phelim a native of the area has a quality background at club management level. Plunkett started his managerial career while still a playing member of Ballyhaise when the took charge of underage teams back in 1977. His first sojourn yielded results with the U-16 squad, winning out in their respective championship pool beating Laragh in the final. At under-21 level the same year, his march to victory was cut-off at the semi-final stage when they were beaten by a fancied Ramor Utd. outfit. Again in 1979 he took the combined Ballyhaise - Drumlane combination to championship and league success. Shortly after retiring from football, Phelim took over the management of the senior team in 1989. While the club was going through a difficult period fighting relegation most seasons, he managed to eek out some success with a junior B championship victory in 1994. Phelim remained as team manager until 1995 and left the club still a member of the senior fold a tradition which was held dear to his heart and to many Ballyhaise players and followers. Two years after leaving Ballyhaise, Phelim, was persuaded to take up the management role of Butlersbridge and with his brand of professionalism, it was not long before the club was making progress winning the Division 3 league in his season. In 1999 he guided his new charges to a Junior A championship final which they narrowly lost out neighbours, Drumlane. They were deprived a Junior C championship title when they went under to a much fancied and stronger Drumgoon side in 2001 while he crowned his stay at the 'Bridge with a Junior A championship victory in 2002. This had to be a testimony to Plunkett's ability as a team manager, as he had lost seven players of the team that had contested the final a little over twelve months earlier. When asked about his new appointment Phelim was keen to point out that he had a realistic view on the position of his home club and felt that Ballyhaise were now at a crossroads. The defining point at this crossroads will depend, while not entirely on the players, but to a greater extent on their approach to the season, if they are to achieve the status of senior rank or slip into the oblivion of junior football. According to manager Plunkett: "For a club with such a proud tradition at senior football, having been the longest remaining team in senior ranks up until they were demoted, to slip further down the football pecking order would be a tragedy. With the village having recently expanded out of all proportions and a greater number of residents now living in the area, the club has a duty to sustain a strong and viable commodity for those who come behind. "There has been a great juvenile structure in place at the club for the past number of years, and I feel the work done by people like Dessie Reilly, Paul McGoldrick, Mickey Moran, Enda McGowan, Louis Lyons and many others will help rectify the present position of limbo. I use the word limbo because we have at some stage throughout the past season beaten each team in our division, but the lack of consistency has been a problem. .We have a number of very good quality players with county experience. Once again I will be looking for a strong commitment from former Offaly star, Adrian Delaney, and the two McCrudden brothers, Barry and Gerry - who both played senior football for Cavan. Former Cavan midfielder, Barry, has been selected as team captain for the coming year, and the quiet dedicated man, will be an example to the many young talented players at the club. We also have a number of very talented young players in Eamon Costelloe, Brendan Lyons, Connor Lyons, Adrian O'Rourke and Barry Kelly who all have the talent and will be expected to deliver on their promise this coming season. Many of the minor panel that won the Division 2 league final will also be strong contenders for the team. Players like Fergal Slowey, Ali Pickett and Raymond Cullivan who have been invited to join the county minor panel, will be a tremendous asset to our plans. These young players are the results of a very active juvenile club who strive to ensure that there is a conveyor belt of talent starting with Under-10s on a Saturday morning. I would also be hoping to try and entice back, former stalwarts, James Brady and Padraig McCrudden. Both these players are former inter-county players and if committed could give the squad the necessary platform to advance through the Division 2 ranks. With Mark O'Rourke, presently a member of the senior panel now doubling up as a very active secretary, the club will be making an all out effort to move forward.The response from the players seems positive and I fell that this year could be a turning point for the club". CASTLETARA CAMOGIE CLUB Castletara Camogie Club had its most successful year todate in 2003, winning the senior championship and league double; Junior A league, Junior B Championship and the Mid Ulster League and just missing out in the final of the Ulster Club championship. In the senior league competition, Castletara were undefeated and played Laragh in the final. Also on the same day, the Junior A side played Laragh in their respective final. The Junior team showed great resilience when down by five points at half-time they produced a rousing display and turned the game around to overhaul their opponents and take the title. Their senior counterparts had little trouble in dismissing the challenge of Laragh seniors and ran out with an easy victory. The junior B championship final saw the club come up against a strong and fancied Lacken side. The game which was played on the October Bank Holiday Monday saw two evenly matched sides produce a thriller with Castletara just edging out Lacken by two points to take the title. Great displays by Nola O'Hanlon, Ann McCabe, Majella Prior and the young Aileen Smith laid the foundations for this win. In the Senior championship final, Castletara, the defending champions took on Crosserlough. The experience of the Castletara girls where the Prior sisters, Majella, Maire and Elaine along with the club's most talented player, Lorraine Crudden, saw them dismiss the Crosserlough challenge and run out comfortable winners and thus ensuring them another tilt at the Ulster Club. Monaghan champions, Castleblayney were the opposition for the first round of the Ulster Club but the Castletara club made sure of victory with a strong team performance to see them through to a semi-final spot against the exiles, London. The London girls while they tried hard, provided little opposition for the Cavan club, and by virtue of this facile victory had Armagh champions, Crossmaglen as their Ulster final opponents. The final was to prove to be a disappointing pill for the Castletara ladies as a brilliant Crossmaglen side completely dominated the game and were deserved winners. Crossmaglen went on to win out the All Ireland final and the Dr. Crokes Sevens. While losing out in the Ulster Club championship final, Castletara had some solace when they won the Mid-Ulster League. With teams from Cavan, Fermanagh, Louth, Monaghan and Armagh taking part, this was a prestigious tournament to win. The competition which was run as a two group league, saw Castletara head their division with fellow Cavan club, Laragh runners up. In the other division, Blayney from Monaghan and Granemore (Armagh) came through. Castletara beat Granemore while Laragh accounted for Blayney, thus setting up an all Cavan final. This was to be a repeat of the Cavan senior league final. Laragh looked intent on gaining victory and raced into a nine point lead before the Castletara ladies got to grips with proceedings. A determined and resolute display saw them chip away at the Laragh lead and had it reduced to just four by half-time. In a second half, fuelled by the performances of Ann McCabe and Lorraine Crudden, the Cavan champions, produced a great team-effort to earn themselves two superbly taken goals to set them on their to another victory. Player of the Year Aileen Smith, was honoured, when she was selected as Camogie Player of the Year in the poll sponsored by Shannonside Northern Sound and the Anglo- Celt. Aileen won medals at senior and junior level this year and has also a strong pedigree at underage and school levels. This recognition of Aileen ability, shows the great progress being made by the club with the younger players coming through. Club Member Honoured One of the club's greatest stalwarts, Angela Newman was the recipient of an award for her outstanding contribution to camogie over many years. Angela received a presentation from Nola O'Hanlon, the club's longest serving playing member at a club night celebrating a successful season. Tweet

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