GAA Notes 2nd July 2012

Post date: Jul 02, 2012 8:1:59 PM

Sponsored by Tallow Area Credit Union

Tallow GAA Lotto- supported by Kearney's Restaurant

2/7/12 Numbers Drawn 1,4,8,20 One Winner

Consolation Prizes Liz Barry Josephine Morrison Eileen Roche Nell Forbes Promoter Timmy

Next Draw Corner House 9/7/12 Jackpot €1600

From Tyrone to Tallow

Our friends from the Naomh Columcille GAA Club in County Tyrone are bringing an u14 squad to Tallow on July 20-22nd for a weekend of coaching and games. We have a long association with the Tyrone club with our current senior hurling selector Liam Mulcahy being a founder member and former president and chairman of the club and Eamonn de Paor having visited them on many occasions to spread the gospel of good hurling. We were also invited to play at the opening of Naomh Columcille's new pitch in 2006.

Our first visit up north was in 1996 when an u16 Tallow team travelled to Coalisland for a tournament under coaches Rachel Ryan and Colin Cunningham. The club delegation was led by the late Sean Sheehan and included Finn Mc Carthy, Tom Doyle and Johnny Geary. We got a train from Cork to Heuston Sation before dining at a then-exotic Mac Donalds (they had yet to come to Dungarvan) and then making a mad dash to Connolly Station to catch a train to Belfast (Finn gently shoving what seemed like at least twenty four young lads into a seven-seater taxi). I remember the train stopping in Portadown (during the height of the marching season with more Union Jacks visible than in Buckingham Palace)) but fortunately nobody was unintelligent enough to get off. We won that tournament defeating Cushendall in the final and a young future publican who was already sprouting sidelocks won the player of the tournament award.

Since then Tallow and Naomh Columcille have exchanged visits on several occasions with u12, minor, u21 and senior teams. More importantly, they benefited from the visits of some top coaches including Justin Mc Carthy, John Fenton, Denis Walsh and our own coaching master Eamonn de Paor. He always saw it as both a duty and a privilege to support clubs like Naomh Columcille who were doing their best under extremely difficult circumstances to grow the game of hurling north of the border and coached them on several occasions in the 90s. In November 2006 he wrote to the club:

"My greatest joy would be to visit you in Coalisland. If God is good, next summer I'll make my way up to Cavan where my daughter is married and on to Tyrone for an evening's meeting with your beloved hurlers. We'll have a couple of hours of hurling saturation, I'd love that!"

Sadly, his deteriorating health didn't allow him to make that trip but his time and support is greatly appreciated in the club.

On Sat 5th November 2011 Naomh Columcille Hurling club celebrated 25 years in existence at a dinner in the Armagh City Hotel which was attended by GAA President Liam O Neill. Hurling legends Dan Shanahan and Paul Flynn were among the guests of honour along with Tipperary's Paraic Maher. Tallow were well represented with Colin Cunningham, Johnny Geary, Finn McCarthy, George McDonnell, James Clancy, Mick Barry, Liam Mulcahy and the hero of '96 Fada Og all making the trip. It was a proud occasion for this brave club which many predicted would not survive longer than a couple of years.

The development of this proud club continues. On Friday 20th July the Tyrone club revisit Tallow with a panel of under 14 hurlers. With them of course will be the main who has been the inspiration and main driving force of this club since its inception, Damian Mor O Neeill.

The schedule for the week-end has yet to be finalised but it is expected the lads will arrive in Tallow late on Friday afternoon. Denis Walsh will conduct a coaching session with them at 7 00 in Pairc Eamonn De Paor. We are very grateful to him for his time and this is not his first time coaching a Naomh Columcille team. On Saturday our visitors will get to see more of the county when they travel east for a game and coaching session, probably in Ballygunner. The plan is they will travel to Tramore in the afternoon for some recreation time.

On Sunday morning they will line out against our own u14 team. They will head north after lunch. They have a busy schedule and we hope they benefit from the coaching and games. The boost to their morale may be even more important as they appreciate that clubs in so called stronger hurling counties recognise and support in a practical way the work they are doing

Junior Football

Tallow 0-10 Old Parish 0-10

Our junior footballers maintained their unbeaten record with a hard-fought draw against Old Parish on Friday night. There was never much between the two teams as a point from Kevin Henley and two each from Michael Curley and Shaun O Sullivan in the first half left us level with Old Parish at the break, five points each. The scoring continued to see-saw during the second half with points from the O Sullivan brothers and two from William Curley keeping tabs with our opponents. Old Parish looked to have won the game with a late point but JP Grey was on hand to perform his best Stephen Cluxton impression and fire an equalising free at the death to leave us level at the final whistle.

Team: JP Grey, K Fraser, E Hickey, D Martin, T Mc Grath, B Henley, S Pratt, K Curley, A Pratt, K Henley, M Curley, K Geary, S O Sullivan, R O Sullivan, W Curley. Subs D O Brien for M Curley, T Mc Sweeney for R O Sullivan

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to a great club man and supporter Mick Tobin who celebrates a milestone birthday this week