See underage section later this week for pictures of school visit
Golden Jubilee Dinner Dance
White’s Cross GAA Celebrations of their 50th Anniversary commences in earnest on Friday March 9th next at the Vienna Woods. The Club will hold a diner dance at the recently renovated hotel, now under the ownership of the Fitzgerald family. White’s Cross GAA cordially invites anyone and everyone who has been involved with the Club during its proud fifty years of existence. Perhaps you togged out for the Club once upon a time or roared us on, on a championship day; however minor your involvement we would love to catch up with you on March 9th.
Pride of place on the night will go to the four cups won by our adult teams in 2006. These of course include the Seandún Junior A Football Championship Cup, won by our first football team for the first time ever in our history – how apt their timing! This team also went on to record a clean-sweep of City Division competitions by also winning the League and the McSwiney Cup. Our Minor footballers also won their Championship to add a fourth crown to the Club’s war-chest. Mean-time the second string Junior hurling team in our sister-club Whitechurch also won the Craobh Rua Cup and these medals will also be handed out on the night.
Thus it will be a busy night of awards-giving but we promise there will be plenty time for dining and wining (no this should not read whining ..!); dancing and chat; reminiscing and catching–up. So, to all you friends and former associates of White’s Cross GAA we extend a warmly welcome. Tickets can be purchased at Hennessy’s Filling Station, White’s Cross; from any committee member or by ringing Conor at 087-6293430. Beidh fáilte mór romhat!
Back to School…!
Members of White’s Cross GAA Club returned to school when they re-visited Upper Glanmire National School recently, with the four cups won by the adult teams in 2006. Obviously White’s Cross GAA and Upper Glanmire National School have always had close links, with the School being the primary feeder of players for our teams and we are very grateful to the teachers at the School for the part they play in this development. More than twenty of the players involved in our two Junior teams in 2006 are past pupils of Upper Glanmire NS:
UGNS indicates that the player is a past pupil of Upper Glanmire NS
JUNIOR A CHAMPIONS: Eoin Murnane(UGNS) , Conor Kelleher (UGNS), Damian Kenneally, Paul O’ Sullivan, Bryan O’ Sullivan, Billy Sheahan, Murt Kelleher (Captain) (UGNS), Conor Buckley, Paul Finnegan, Kevin Buckley, Rick Burke (UGNS), Martin Kelleher (UGNS) . Sean Murnane (UGNS), John O’ Connell, Donal Kelly, John Drummy (UGNS), Sean Gorman, Victor O’ Sullivan, Edwin Buckley (UGNS), Jonathan Kenneally, John Meade (UGNS), Breandain Murnane (UGNS), Donnacha Murnane (UGNS), Pat Hennessy, Pat O’ Driscoll.
Coach: Finbarr Kiely Selectors: Richard Kelleher (UGNS) & TC Buckley.
JUNIOR B FINALISTS: Aidan Harte (UGNS) , Derek O Connor (UGNS), Padraig Murnane (Captain) (UGNS), Brian Humphreys, Brian Murphy (UGNS), John Hegarty , Sean Murnane (UGNS), William Casey, Breandáin Murnane (UGNS), Roy O Driscoll, Eoghan Kelleher (UGNS), Thomas Meade (UGNS), Damian Kenneally, Alfie McEvoy (UGNS), Philip O’ Connell, Paul Noonan (UGNS), Dave Buckley, Robert O Brien, Colm Sheahan, Paul O Donovan (UGNS), Colin Lawless, Paul Morly (UGNS), Jason Kelly, Don O Regan, Patrick Casey.
To parents in our locality, we would ask you to encourage your child(ren) to play with our local GAA Club – quite simply and very obviously we cannot survive without a proper under-age structure. Today, with the increasing numbers of families moving into our area, we recognise the importance of organisations such as our own in the community of Upper Glannmire. We are very keen to continue to work with the youth in the area. The ideal in this respect would be to provide games and competitions for these youngsters at their age.
In order to achieve this we need the youngsters to come and play with us, and we are asking for your cooperation in this matter. We want your child(ren) to play with their neighbours and friends, so encourage them to come play with the ‘small’ Club! We would argue that there are many advantages for them:
+ The children get coached in smaller numbers allowing for greater individual attention
+ There is a greater chance that children will not ‘slip by the wayside’ in our smaller Club where every individual is valued and a necessary ‘cog’ in fielding teams – we can ill afford the drop-off rates of bigger clubs
+ Thus there is a greater likelihood that they will stay active in this sport later into their life
+ Playing our native games is fun, especially with your own neighbours and friends!
Please encourage your child(ren) (5 to 11 years inclusive)to come and join in our weekly sessions which have recommenced after the Christmas break. We are currently training indoors at Old Christians RFC Hall in Rathcooney, on Sunday mornings from 11:30am to 12:30pm. Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí.
Treble and Four in a Row in One!
The White’s Cross Junior A footballers finally wound up their season recently – they now enjoy a brief break before facing into preparations for 2007. Having already clinched the championship and league competitions, a win in the McSwiney Cup would give the Club a clean sweep of competitions in the City Junior A division, a feat only ever achieved twice previously.
White's Cross v Carraig na bhFear.
The final threw up a novel pairing as we sized up against near-neighbours Carraig na bhFear. The Clubs had not met in a competitive clash at any level in well over 20 years, since White’s Cross Club decided to leave the Imokilly barony and compete instead in the Seandún division – although some would argue that the many ‘friendly’ matches played against each other in the interim had a most competitive edge! Carraig sought and received permission from the Seandún division to compete in this year’s cup competition. On route to this year’s final White’s Cross defeated Bishopstown, Mayfield and St. Finbarrs.
In the final itself, in what was a very competitive hour’s football, a goal was always going to be a decisive score in the heavy conditions that prevailed. White’s Cross got this vital score after 11 minutes when centre-forward Kevin Buckley got a fist to a high delivery from Edwin Buckley. This complemented an earlier Donnacha Murnane point and was added to later by similar scores from Murt Kelleher (2), Bryan O Sullivan, Edwin Buckley and Conor Kelleher, leaving the score 1-6 to 0-2 at the short whistle.
However this was a slender enough lead given the gale wind blowing against our lads in the second thirty. The White’s Cross backs stood firm however with Eoin Murnane, John O Connell, John Meade and Victor O Sullivan all excelling, to such a degree that Carraig failed to score from play over the entire 60 minutes. Instead they relied on pointed frees from Colm O Reilly and Eamonn Bowen for all their scores. At the other end man-of-the-match John Drummy tacked on a point to give White’s Cross victory 1-7 to 0-5. This was the Club’s four consecutive year winning the McSwiney Cup final, but more importantly it clinched the treble in A football competition in the Seandún division.
John Hickey Perpetual Cup
In fond memory of our departed friend John Hickey (R.I.P.), a White’s Cross Fifteen recently took on a Bus Éireann Fifteen at White’s Cross grounds. The White’s Cross side was made up of some of the many players that had played alongside John during his many years of dedicated service to White’s Cross, while the Bus Éireann side was made up of John’s former work colleagues.
John, along with his brothers Andrew and Tommy, were to many the faces of White’s Cross GAA Club for many years. His sudden death at the age of 54 years in September 2005 startled and saddened us all. Our memories of John are of his commitment and passion for sport – for many, many years this was given exclusively to White’s Cross GAA – although in later years he concentrated much of this energy towards cycling.
John gave many years of sterling service to White’s Cross GAA as a player and club officer. Under his chairmanship the Club undertook a complete draining and leveling of the grounds at Ballinvriskig. The Club had a great period of success at the beginning of the 1990’s, with John operating as full-back on both the football and hurling teams. He was a great leader on the field, full of encouragement and praise for those playing with him.
John will be remembered fondly in GAA circles, not alone in White’s Cross but right across the city and into the county. John had acted as Board Delegate for White’s Cross GAA for over 15 years right up to the mid-1990’s.
It is fitting then that John would be remembered for his sterling service to our Club and this game is now to be an annual event. In 2007 White’s Cross will seek to wrestle the cup off the Bus Éireann side as they had the upper hand in the recent clash, although a number of the White’s Cross lads questioned some refereeing decisions of an reiteoir Paul O’ Neill! Afterwards at a function in the Stirrup Bar, John’s wife Kathleen presented the cup to Bus Éireann captain Mick Dunne. Commemorative medals were also presented to all the players by White’s Cross president Dermot Whooley. White’s Cross GAA is most grateful to Bus Éireann who put forward the Perpetual Cup for this annual game.
