Secretary's Report 2020

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                Welcome to the 2021 AGM, Looking back on the Covid year of 2020/2021.

Ladies and Gentlemen  

I had this report written some time ago and started with the matches. Sometimes however other things take precedence.  In the past two weeks tragedy stuck when Tommy Carroll died after a short illness. Tommy was a player with the club and in later years was a coach with Bord na nOg. To Siobhan, Sean and Sophie, his parents Alice and Tommy Snr, Mary, Aine and Edwin, his nephews John former player and Killian current player with us, his many friends and family and former team mates in Blackrock GAA and Kilfinane Forest. It has been a difficult year with covid and we hope the vaccine will cover everyone and keep the community safe in the future. 

Our president Donie O Sullivan lost his wife Kathleen in the last few weeks also and there have been many deaths in the last year and especially since December and we send our condolences to all the bereaved.

On the playing field it was a stop start and stop again year;

U21 started the 2nd March with snow and hail v Monaleen in the astro turf in Rathkeale. We were beaten by a strong Monaleen team on a scoreline of 4-17 to 3-08, we played Adare, the eventual winners on the 8thMarch and played out a draw 0-11 to 0-11, then everything stopped as Covid restrictions set in.

We resumed in July playing Murroe Boher on the 17th July with a fine win in Kilfinane on a lovely sunny evening 4-15 to 1-13. We lost the quarter final to Cappamore after extra time on penalties on 29th July 3-16 to 4-13, awful way to lose but a fantastic year by the players and management. Many congratulations to Paudie Leahy, Richie McCarthy, Pat Heffernan Jnr.

The Panel for the year were Mikey Duggan, Michael Brazill Carroll, Sean O Sullivan(Yonkie), Aidan Gilligan, Callan Ensor, Daithi Heffernan, Gavin Ryan, Jimmy Quilty, Gearoid Lawlor, Declan Gilligan, Niall Fitzgerald, Danny Moloney, Sean O’Neill, Ciaran Considine, Colm O Keeffe, James Quinn, Padraig Burke, Mark Duggan, Robbie O’Keeffe. 

Minor A commenced competition on 26th August with a defeat to Bruff in Bruff  1-15 to 1-10, then a fine win over South Liberties/Crecora/Mainster on 1st September 5-19 to 3-08, followed by Cushlea Gaels with a memorable win on 11th Sept 2-14 to 0-19, great night for us all, sadly defeated by a very strong Naomh Eoin/Cnoc Gaels on 16th September 2-13 to 1-13. Again fine performances by the players and management, well done to Justin O’Donnell, Adrian Gilligan, Dave Moloney, Dave Healy and first aid Mike Duggan.

The panel for the year was Patrick Hough, Mike John O’Dwyer, Sean O Sullivan(Yonkie), Mark Duggan, Padraig Burke, Declan Gilligan Captain, Aidan Gilligan, Jimmy Quilty, Killian Aherne, Niall Fitzgerald, Ciaran Considine, Gavin Ryan, Sean O’Neill, Robbie O’Keeffe, James Quinn, Blake O’Doherty, Brian Hennessy, Cian Gubbins, Sean O’Dwyer, Paddy O Sullivan, Jack Carroll

Junior B – we had a big panel this year with a committed management and panel and we were well on the way to winning the county final when covid restrictions struck again and the competition was never finished, we reached the South final but this as yet has not been played and there will be no promotion.  We beat Dromin Athlacca 5-20 to 2-08, Bruree 3-14 to 1-13, Camogue Rovers 1-15 to 1-10, and Knockainy 5-19 to 0-07. A comprehensive year but no end in sight. Well done to the team and management, Pat McGrath, James O’Doherty, Tim O Sullivan, Brendan McCaughey, Brendan O’Brien. Con Danaher stepped back during the year due to the covid restrictions.

The panel for the year, Mikey Duggan, Tommy Clifford, Vinny Herbert, Don Flaherty, Niall Moloney, Mike Roche, Callan Ensor, Dave Healy, Declan Gilligan, Colm O Neill, Simon Hennessy, Dave Flaherty, James O’Doherty, Barry O’Shaughnessy, Ken Douglas, Ben Soundy, James McGrath, Darryl Crotty, Aidan Gilligan, Sheamus Ryan, Dave Carroll, Kevin Hosford, Jordan Slattery, Eoin Quinn, Alan Quane, Richard Fitzgerald, Tommy Lee, Sean Palmer, Danny Moloney,  Ciaran Considine. Jordan Soundy, Tom Casey, Gearoid Lawlor, Mike Heffernan,,

However it was our first year at senior in 25 years. We played Ballybrown on 25th July in Bruff losing on a score of 4-18 to 2-14, we picked ourselves up and drew with Garryspillane on 0-17 to 1-14 having been ahead for most of the match, they scored a point in injury time to draw. It was a nail biting match between Ballybrown and Garryspillane as Ballybrown had to win by a significient amount and they did, 5-25 to 1-11 so we were in the Senior B Cup v Monaleen on 5th September in Caherconlish 1-20 to 0-19. So a bit of silverware for the year. Congratulations to the team and management, Manager Jimmy Quilty, Aidan Fitzgerald, Eamon O’Sullivan, Peter O’Sullivan, Brendan O’Brien,

The Panel was Richie Murphy, Nigel Hosford, Colm O’Keeffe, Simon Hennessy, Marty Farrell, Daithi Heffernan, Richie McCarthy, Jimmy Quilty, Ian O’Brien, Kevin Palmer, Joint Captain, Dylan Dawson, Adrian Cooke, Ruairi O’Shaughnessy, Gavin O’Loughlin, Paudie Leahy, joint Captain, Mikey Duggan, Brian Moloney, Liam Walsh, Niall Moloney, David Moloney, Declan Gilligan, Vinnie Herbert, Kevin Hosford, Ciaran Considine, Barry O’Shaughnessy, James O’Doherty, David Healy, Aidan Gilligan, Colm O’Neill, Mike Roche, Darryl Crotty, Sean O’Sullivan, Mike Heffernan.

None of this could have taken place without the covid officers, guidelines, the players and parents filling up covid questionnaires, the Milton spray in the back pack. The signs, the podcasts, the what’s app meetings, the masks.

The Senior team organised a 24 hr marathon for charity in lockdown which was very well organised supported and the feedback from the club members was a wish to be involved if it was run again.

The players have funded gym equipment for the gym in Ardpatrick and best wishes to them in the running of it. There has been several fundraisers to fund it and a lot of work has gone into the funding and organising of the gym, well done. Thanks to Gilligans for several months rent free. There have been several last man standing competitions.

The lotto has been hit and miss over the year as covid restrictions limit the draws. It has not been won and the jackpot remains €13,000 with a new jackpot coming on behind. As the two Bredas were restricted due to covid, Fintan, Brendan, Tom Gleeson, Tom Murphy and myself have done the lotto over the last year, outdoors at times to comply with covid restrictions.

Sports Capital Grant; thanks to Maura Quane, Damien Lee and Ber O’Shaughnessy for the hard work, looks promising

Tom Gleeson, Brendan O'Brien, Liam Quane and Jim O Sullivan have as usual kept control of the field and the walking track. Many thanks to Kathleen Sheehy for washing the jerseys.

Thanks to Tom Murphy for the photos and administration on facebook, and Elaine Goggin who manages the website, which is sponsored by Molly’s. Thanks to all our sponsors, Sheehys Centra for jerseys, TQS for T-shirts.

Congratulations to the Limerick Senior hurlers, league, Munster and All Ireland Champions, and Senior Footballers, league 4 winners for 2020.

Hopefully the county teams will get to play this year, last years minor championship remains uncompleted, Sean O‘Neill is involved with them and we wish him well. Jimmy Quilty Jnr is involved with the U21 team and we wish him well. Best wishes to everyone involved with the county teams.

Best of luck to Hugh Murphy PRO of the South and County Bords.

Bord nanOg and Blackrock Effin camogie returned this week and we hope for a long and successful summer for our young boys and girls. We will endeavour to put their fixtures on facebook and hopefully we will all get to see them play. It is good for the soul to see the youngsters playing. The very best wishes to all involved in 2021.

There have been weddings and babies this year and congratulations to players Vinny Herbert and Brid Quaid, Simon Hennessy and Aine Barry and Barry O Shaughnessy and Ciara McCarthy who were married in the last year, and Paudie and Aoife Leahy, Tommy Clifford and Laura Costello, Dave and Cliodhna Moloney and Simon and Aine Hennessy who became parents.

Since the nomination papers went out, John Walsh has decided to step down as Treasurer and I would like to wish him well, it was lovely working with you. Many thanks to Fintan and Seoirse and all the officers for their help during the year. Dave Moloney does a lot of work registering everyone and he has set up the online payments on Foireann. Many thanks Dave.

In a separate sport local lad, Oisin O’Callaghan became world junior champion in downhill cycling last year and it was great news in the area during the covid fatigue.

It has been a difficult year off the field but a promising year on the field and hopefully 2021 willbe a rewarding year on the field. Take care everyone.

Carmel Murphy

mollyskilfinane