The second running of the Periwinkle Games saw them take on a whole new slant as Abu Dhabi Combined with the Dubai Celts to form mixed teams in each of the football competitions...a sort of Goodwill Games to start off the new season. That left only the Hurling and Camogie to be decided in true inter-club fashion
The night before...and Maura and Sarah show complete impartiality in selecting the various teams for the next day. The fact that they ended up on the same team was a fluke!!
Teams C and B

Teams A and D

The teams were a mixture of the good, the bad and the sober...a joy to see Brian Gray finally capitulate and pull on a Fianna jersey!

Teams B and C

Graeme wanted this photo to show the lads back in Aberdeen his harem. The only one who actually took a shine to him is sitting fourth from the left in the front row!
Teams A and D

Men's Football

Team A
Gearoid Leen, Anthony Carey, Kieran Walsh, Declan Brady, Chris Livingston, David Keil, Noel Gleeson, Brian Gray, Robbie Brady, George Maybury

Team B
Ben Kehoe, Felim Bolster,Dixie Collins, Joe Phillpott, Mark Vevers, Craig Turner, Declan Hegarty, Geoffrey McNicholl, Declan O'Donovan, Derek Flynn

Team C
John Moran, Denis Crotty, Johnny Rea, Donal Lonergan, Aidan Gibbs, Joe Somers, Sebastian, Rodney McKeague, Brian Sargent, Shane Booby

Team D
John Dennigan, Sean Griffin, Pat English, Ross Di Miotti, Dave Saunders, Eugene Barry, Liam O' Suilleabhain, Ciaran Callaghan, Dessie Hardiman

Women's Football

Team A
Siobhan Ni Threasaigh, Michelle Fitzgerald, Fiona Kilcommins, Trish O' Reilly, Marina Mulqueen, Dympna McNicholas, Emma Fitzsimons, Emer Cody, Gail Donovan

Team B
Karen Frehill,Cathy McFerran, Jacqui Nolan, Sile Egan, Sinead White, Geraldine O' Shea, Brenda Ruth O'Dwyer, Aisling Tierney, Dee Fraser, Fionnuala Bannon

Team C
Sarah Howard, Ann Marie Galvin, Maura Geoghegan, Denise Carroll, Kelly Bartlett, Emma Rose, Noeleen Drumgoole, Niamh Daly, Karen O'Dowd, Ruth McGreevy, Sheena Dunne

Team D
Breeda Murphy, Fionnuala Diver, Neiti Morgan, Aine Roche,Lorna Kearney, Collette Brown, Caitriona Connolly, Amanda Murphy, Mary Connolly, Sandra Morton, Deirdre Sherry
The Junior and childrens games proved to be very popular and a great success. Are we looking at the future of the Fianna here?
A sequence of action from the games...

And continuing with the children's game we see Johnny clearing his goal line as he so often does..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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...and then the ball returning for a score...as it so often does when he kicks it to the opposition!!
A small section of the crowd, eagerly awaiting the Stick fighting competitions
The combined hurling teams after Abu Dhabi's first victory over the Celts...a historic day
And the camogie squad...from small acorns do big oaks grow...is this the start of something unprecedented?
Star of the day, Wanda, in a more leisurely moment...yes that shot went over too!

Time to clear up and wee Katie Scanlan lends a hand...someone captioned this beauty and the beast...

Nice jersey Graeme!
Hamdelallah...all over for another year...and still with a bit of a voice left!
Back to the Abu Dhabi Grand and the presentations to the winning teams...Scouse as captain of men's team B, and Karen as captain of women's team B...
...then Wanda as captain of the camogie team and Donie, the hurlers equivalent
Brian says a few words on behalf of the Celts...then Johnny replies with...yes , you guessed it ...the Half crown!!

Back in PJ's Rachel fills the cup...

...then Wanda empties the cup...

 

 

Before recounting her great deeds on the playing field...

 

 

"...you see children, t'was like this, there was me and a small band of valiant Fianna girls facing the massed hoards of caman wielding Dubai infidels..."

Donie then has the final say...placing the first ever Periwinkle hurling trophy into it's home.

 

Annie Fay...the teeth look really well!