Abu Dhabi Fianna Squad

Back: Johhny Rea (and Teddy), Adrian Reen, Neil Creedon, Mark Vevers, Joe Philpott, John Moran, John Dennigan, Donal Lonergan, PJ Kirwan, Declan Brady,

Middle: Dixie Collins, Felim Bolster, Noeleen Dromgoole, Annette Morgan, Sile Egan, Julie Dowd, Celine McArthur, Cathy McFerran, Karen Frehill, Ben Kehoe, Gearoid Leen

Front: Anthony Carey, Sinead White, Maura Geoghegan, Ann Marie Galvin, Lorraine Monaghan, Jacqui Nolan, Sarah Howard, 'Wanda' Ni Treasaigh, Fiona Kilcommins

Missing: Caitriona Connolly, Aine Fay, Simon McArthur, Lorna Kearney

Trying to loosen up the muscles before our first game against Riyadh...pre-match stretches and nerves in the dressing room

With concentration in his eyes Gearoid gives the speech

Out on the field and down to work

Abu Dhabi 3-6 Riyadh 0-1

A great start against the champions of the past four years

Prior to their opening game against Riyadh Sarah stretches out setting fine example for the rest of the team to follow suit

Having accounted for Riyadh in the first match the girls then hammered Dubai B...the team was beginning to click!

In this sequence we see Annie G scoring a point, Wanda in full flow and Sinead showing a clean pair of heels to the opposition...note the size of the goals!!

The exertions of the players in temperatures reaching 38°C is clearly seen in the faces of these 'redheads'!

The rest of the squad settle down to a bit of air conditioned R&R
Meanwhile, Fiona and Lorna, having answered the SOS from Jeddah for a couple of players find themselves taking the preparations very seriously
Day 1 over, the men eventually lost out in the final , while the women achieved their goal of qualifying for the final...time to party!
Squad dinner...posh...at Pizza hut!!
Out on the town...Jacqui checks out an alternative hair style, John D checks out prospective wedding presents...and the rest of us wonder if qualify as "Normal Gents"
A bit of misleading information lead us back en masse to JJ Murphy's...scene of last years seisuin...and sure enough we were soon into the flow of things
Aine and Jacqui lead us once again in a rousing rendition of Fear an Ceol....Dennigan even manages to put together a few words and notes and wows us with his dulcet tones...the crowd meanwhile lap it all up!!

The lads find a game more suited to their energy levels at this stage of affairs

Felim mistakes the ball for a shwarma!
Dennigan...a man of many surprises!! Diggers brings out the hidden Michael Jackson
Day 2, The women are forced to play their final soon after getting off the bus...and three hours ahead of schedule...the result is not a good one as they go down by a point. No cameras could do justice to their disappointment. The hurlers and camogie players are soon into action and fare better. The camogie team win to leave as champions, while the hurlers are eventually allowed to play and end up as plate winners, both finals seeing us put Dubai to the sword

Adrian shows the style that helped him win his first hurling medal!! Diggers was a bridge too far I'm afraid!

Meanwhile, Mark declares himself ready and willing to take up a hurl...but only if we're really desperate!!

Day over, and Johnny regales us with another version of the 'Half Crown'...and considerably shortens the bus journey back to the hotel
A few short hours before the man from West Clare was flinging full forwards aside in his quest for the sliotair...now Dixie turns his hand to baggage handling...indeed a man of many talents!
Tournament over...and it's time to get back to PJ's for a wee celebration, and to place our newly won silverware in where it belongs

Pride of place to the Camogie players...Wanda brings the championship cup home to Abu Dhabi for the first time

 

Sarah, meanwhile, has to be content with returning the runner's up trophy to the cabinet...

...while Donie is happy enough to see the hurling Challenge trophy nestled for another year

 
Hurlers! The all new hurling backline show the determination that brought it's just rewards over the weekend

Finally, we welcomed a new member to the Fianna the same night...pity he couldn't bring his squad!

He did however acknowledge the help of our secretary!