O'Connells GFC ended the 2006 season with the ultimate disappointment when they lost the Intermediate championship final to Naomh Malachi by a single point. As a result they were left with a stark choice at the start of the new season - either lie down and lick their wounds or brush themselves down and get stuck in again. The year started with the annual presentation night in McBrides Lounge where a special presentation was made to Peter Bannon who was stepping down as club treasurer after what in today's terms seems like forever. As a result the O'Connells club were not only losing a treasurer but an incredible worker in the day-to-day running of the club. He can never be thanked enough for all he has given to the club and also the county in his role as a referee. The other awards handed out on the night included, Colm Kearney - Intermediate Player of the Year; Niall Conlon - Junior Player of the Year; Jackie Agnew - Young Player of the Year; Malcolm McDonnell - Club Person of the Year. On the playing front, the 2007 season started with a major change from 2006 as Derek Walsh replaced Gerry Fox as manager while Martin O'Hanrahan was appointed selector alongside Ian McGrory who had served the previous year. The Division 4 management team saw Norman McDonnell continue as manager while he had two new selectors in Aidan Murtagh and Martin O'Hanrahan. They appointed Jonathan Conlon as manager. Training commenced in mid January with JJB being used for a pre-season work-out. The panel was large and only a few were absent, notably Ronan Culligan who had to undergo surgery on a cruciate knee ligament injury and would miss the entire 2007 season. A solid defender he was badly missed and the club is looking forward to having him back in action next season. The first league game was against the Clans who came down from senior the previous year and this proved to be a real eye-opener for O'Connells when they lost at home by 2-7 to 0-5. Things were not looking good when the club lost their next two games against Roche Emmets and Dreadnots, and many in the O'Connells were disappointed with the fact that they had to play league games without county players, Stuart Reynolds and Colm Kearney. The Grove side finally got their first win against Geraldines and although they lost to Oliver Plunketts, a second victory arrived against Hunterstown. Further defeats came against O Raghallaigh and Dundalk Gaels which left the club needing three points from their final three games to survive in the Intermediate League something they managed to achieve with wins over St. Kevins and Sean McDermotts. The 2007 season saw O'Connells take part in the Special League which saw them fail to pick up a point in a group that contained Glyde Rangers, Dreadnots, Sean O'Mahonys, St Brides and Na Piarsaigh. There were mixed feelings about this competition in the club with some feeling that it was a waste of time, while others felt it was a good chance to blood new players and also to take on senior opposition. The Intermediate Championship was once again the main focus for the O'Connells as they attempted to return to senior football. The team prepared very well and Derek Walsh brought in the likes of Mickey McConville and Dudley Farrell to help with a team that had been grouped with Clans, Sean McDermotts, Geraldines, Oliver Plunketts and Na Piarsaigh. The first game saw O'Connells turned in a good second half display to claim a draw against Clan na Gael and they followed up with victory over Sean McDermotts on a 1-11 to 0-6 scoreline. Confidence was high when they saw off the challenge of Na Piarsaigh by 0-13 to 1-8 and although O'Connells weren't at their best in the next outing against Geraldines, they managed to hold out for a 0-9 to 2-3 draw. Although the side finished the campaign with a 4-14 to 3-8 win over Oliver Plunketts The Grove side missed out on a top spot and faced a quarter-final meeting with Dundalk Gaels, a side O'Connells had defeated in the 2006 Intermediate semi-final. The game was played in Louth Village, scene of O'Connells championship final defeat which brought back some painful memories for the maroon-and-whites. A tight first half ended with the sides level but it was Gaels who took control in the second half and emerged with a 1-12 to 1-8 victory on their way to claiming the title. Over the past year, O'Connells have put in a lot of work at underage level and a special mention goes to Gordon McDonnell for the great effort he has put in during his first year as Youth Officer with the club. O'Connells competed in all underage grades along with neighbours Stabannon and for some were under the St Michaels banner. The following are the teams, competitions and mentors: -The U-9 team competed in the blitz under the guidance of Brian Kearney, while Jason Cummins and Gerry McLoughlin took charge of the U-10 side in the Cumann competition and the U-11 blitz. Meanwhile Patrick Kiernan and Gordon McDonnell were over the U-12 Cumann league winners and the U-13 All County Championship and Div 1B league winners. -The U-14 side reached the semi-final of the league and championship under Keith Woods and Colm Doyle, while Malcolm McDonnell and Keith Woods were over the U-15 Summer League side. -The U-16 team saw Seamus Cairns take charge, while Leslie Walsh guided the U-18s to the B Championship and Div 3 League titles. The club appreciates the help put in by many others on the juvenile front, without who the teams would not have been able to compete, including Pascal Keenan, Sean Geeney, Margaret McGuill, Paul Fox and Declan Byrne. O'Connells have also been making great strides off the field with the main project being the plans for the new clubrooms. A special committee was formed to spearhead the development and fundraising in The Grove field, which comprised: Jim Byrne, Seamus Cairns, Declan Byrne, Malcolm McDonnell, Bernard Culligan, Sean Geeney, Gerry McGrory, Jim Connolly and Pearse McGeough. The club received funding from the National Lottery and along with others funds raised, a loan was secured from the local Credit Union, and it is hoped to soon reach the target for funding phase one of the development. The project had its official 'turning of the sod' ceremony in early September and work is currently underway and progressing at a steady pace. It is hoped to have the building completed by March 2008. The hardworking committee remains the backbone of the O'Connells club and all involved a extremely grateful for those who have worked tirelessly over the past year. Club chairman, Seamus Cairns, is one of those who has pushed the club forward in all areas this year. His fellow officers, Brian Kearney (vice chairman), Ronan Culligan (secretary), Patrick Kiernan (treasurer), Karen Tuite (Asst treasurer), Malcolm McDonnell (PRO/Co Board rep), Gordon McDonnell (youth officer), which committee members included, Marian Conlon, John Stanfield, Padraig Bell, Jackie Agnew and Paul Fox, while special thanks go to groundsman, Christy Kearney. All of the above have contributed in making the year run smoothly for O'Connells and the club is grateful to all who play, support, fundraise and give lifts or help in any way to making the O'Connells a thriving club. Tweet

Most Read Stories