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.
Click here to look at the photos from White's Cross VHI Cúl CampUnder-Age Activity
At the time of going to print most under-age competitions have come to a close for the winter season. However training is on-going for boys and girls aged 6 to 11 years each Sunday morning at Upper Glanmire Community field from 11:30 to 12:30, adjacent to Upper Glanmire N.S. These sessions are proving great fun for all involved as we attempt to make the coaching of football an enjoyable experience for all participants.
New players are most welcome, as always! Perhaps your son or daughter is not all that keen on GAA games just now but nonetheless we would encourage you to bring them along to one session and let them decide from there. We certainly will not be looking for any long-term commitments in the early days! If you have any query on this coaching, or any matter relating to under-age, please feel free to contact Ciarán at 086-3662914.
White’s Cross VHI Cúl Camp
Click here to see pictures from Cúl Camp
The Vhi sponsored Cúl Camps have now kicked into full swing this summer. It is the first time that the GAA coaching camps, which had been run across the country by individual club units since the 1980s, have been nationally coordinated by the GAA. White’s Cross GAA recently ran their Vhi Cúl Camp at the Upper Glanmire Community Centre, White’s Cross. Seventy–eight boys and girls, between the ages of five and thirteen years of age, attended the week long course.
Coaches at this year’s camp included Aidan Harte, Cairtríona Foley, Brendáin Murnane, Mairéad Foley, Gemma Donohoe and Conor Kelleher all of who are qualified GAA coaches. These coaches were assisted by a back-up team of Caitríona and Paul Harte. Caitríona Foley, a member of the local ladies club Rockbán, had the proud distinction of winning senior All Ireland titles with Cork in 2005, in ladies football and camogie. White’s Cross GAA was delighted to welcome her back onto the coaching staff again this year.
Each day the coaches and their assistants worked on developing new skills in a fun and enjoyable way. Participants later used mini-games to exhibit the learned skill from the earlier session. In the second half of the day participants then switched games and those that played football in the morning kitted out in their helmet and hurley and vice-versa.
As part of the Vhi sponsorship of the Cúl Camps, each participant received a trendy jersey, shorts and socks and kit bag on the first day of the camp. The fluid bottle also included in the kit bag proved very useful during the course of the week with the sun shining brightly for the entire week!
White’s Cross GAA is very grateful to the Upper Glanmire Community Association for the use of its facilities for the week. The Club also thanks all who provided support of one form or another to make this Camp the success it was.
Key highlights of this year’s camp included the visits of inter-county stars Graham Canty, Tom Kenny and Elaine Harte. Canty, Cork’s towering football full-back who also captained Ireland in the International Rules Series in Australia, spoke to the participants of the need to practice their skills each and every day. Cork’s hurling mid-fielder Tom Kenny spent a whole day at the White’s Cross Camp. He worked with each of the individual groups throughout the day, coaching hurling skills including blocking, batting, picking and pulling with the various age-groups. Kenny spoke to the boys and girls of the merits of playing for a small club, drawing comparison between his own club Grenagh and White’s Cross. Cork ladies football custodian, Elaine Harte had her goalkeeping skills put to the test with each participant taking a shot on her. Elaine, originally from White’s Cross, recalled her introduction to the game of football with White’ Cross and Upper Glanmire National School.
In a time when there is much attention on the amateur – professional debate in the GAA, it is very heartening to see these stars give of their time and energy so generously to the promotion of our games at the grass-roots level. Well done Graham, Tom and Elaine!
The White’s Cross GAA summer programme for boys and girls from 5 to 11 years of age continues each Friday evening with training at the White’s Cross GAA grounds from 7 to 8pm. New members are always welcome. A second Vhi Cúl Camp will be held at Whitechurch Community Centre from Monday July 31st to Friday August 4th, costing 55 Euro. Registration forms and further details will be available locally or at: www.whitechurchgaa.ie.
VHI Cúl Camp
VHI Summer Camp WebsiteBuilding on the enormous success of GAA Summer Camps, such as our own in White’s Cross which has operated very successfully for the past three summers, the GAA in association with Vhi Healthcare, has taken the concept one step further with the creation of VHI Cúl Camps.
A nationally co-ordinated programme, VHI Cúl Camps encourage children to learn and develop sporting and life-skills by participating in Gaelic Games, in a fun, non-competitive environment. The camps will run throughout the entire 32 counties this summer.
White’s Cross GAA Summer Camp, formerly known as the White’s Cross GAA Fun Camp, will this year operate under the VHI Cúl Camps umbrella. However it will not mean any significant change for participants as the emphasis upon the fun and enjoyment in football and hurling will continue as in past years. The Camp will run from Monday July 3rd to Friday July 7th at the Upper Glanmire Community Association grounds. All boys and girls attending national school are very welcome. The grounds is adjacent to Upper Glanmire National School and White’s Cross GAA is greatly appreciative to the Upper Glanmire Community Association for the use of this facility.
The BIG change involved in becoming part of the VHI Cúl Camps scheme is that all participants receive a full set of playing gear. The kit includes a jersey, shorts, socks and knapsack. This (unfortunately) demands that the price be increased and that registration of your child(ren) be completed by an earlier date. This is so that an order for gear can be made in the weeks leading up to the Camp and the children have this in time. Application forms are now being distributed through the school at Upper Glanmire and will also be available at Hennessy’s Shop, White’s Cross. In past years we have been very flexible in our ‘closing date’ but we ask that you get in your completed application forms in good time so that we can order the VHI Cúl gear for your child(ren).
Football coaching for boys and girls between 6 and 10 years of age continues each Sunday morning in the Sports Hall at Old Christians RFC, Rathcooney from 11am to 12pm. Now for another geography lesson to get there – take the left turn immediately above the Upper Glanmire Community Centre (… ya you’re spot on, we did call it Barry’s Lane, …or were you!) and continue along this road to where it forks off left and right. There is a farm-house on this fork and here you stay right, leaving the town-land of Ballyphilip and heading into Rathcooney. You take the first left (which is located just before the Grave-Yards) and head down there for two hundred metres approximately, where the entrance to Old Christians, is located on your right.
New players are most welcome, after-all it is for you that we have prepared the directions! If the directions have left you confused (or worse still no where near Rathcooney on any Sunday morning!) please contact Conor at 087-6293430.
Encourage your son(s) and or daughter(s) between these ages to come along to these sessions where the emphasis is on fun and enjoyment. These sessions will move outdoors in the coming weeks, when the weather improves, so if your ‘crew’ are not able to attend this week or next, but would like to join up, contact Pat at 4821070 in advance to confirm venue, in case we have moved to the ‘great outdoors’!
Under-Age Activity
Our Under 13 and Under 15 footballers have also commenced preparation for the 2006 season, with the latter side tasting defeat in their opening league encounter against Ballinora. The Under 13 team have been training for the past number of Saturday mornings, with the Under 15 team training on Thursday evenings. These teams would also welcome ‘new blood’, whether it be new to the locality or those who want to get back playing football and / or hurling. Again, encourage your son(s) to come join in the fun! Contact Eoghan at 086 – 1053966 for details on the Under 13 team and Paul on 085 – 7237732 for information on the Under 15 side.
training is on-going for boys and girls aged 6 to 10 years each Sunday morning at Old Christians RFC Indoor Hall in Rathcooney from 11 am to 12pm. These sessions are proving great fun for all involved as we attempt to make the coaching of football an enjoyable experience for all participants. New players are most welcome, as always! Perhaps your son or daughter is not all that keen on GAA games just now but nonetheless we would encourage you to bring them along to one session and let them decide from there. We certainly will not be looking for any long-term commitments in the early days! If you have any query on this coaching, or any matter relating to under-age, please feel free to contact Conor at 087-6293430
Coaching Summer Camp
White’s Cross GAA recently ran their third annual GAA Coaching Summer Camp at the Community Field in Upper Glanmire, White’s Cross. Sixty boys and girls attended the week-long course, with each receiving a signed certificate at the end of the week, in recognition of their participation.
Running such a Camp is obviously no easy task, and to do so requires the support of many people. None of these people required any form of recognition but it is appropriate to thank them for their support in this non-profit venture – it is great to see the goodwill of so many people towards White’s Cross GAA.
Foremost we thank the Coaches and their Assistants who worked diligently and enthusiastically all week to ensure all participants benefited from the week’s activities. Thanks to Aidan Harte, Peter Barry, Gemma Donohoe, Paul Harte, Alan Ramsay, Brian Conway and Ciaran Allen and Conor Kelleher. Thanks also to Jo and Michelle Buckley who co-ordinated the lunches each day and comforted those who picked up any little knocks.
Thanks to Upper Glanmire Community Association for the use of their facilities for the week.
Thanks to White’s Cross and Whitechurch GAA for their assistance – in particular thanks to Ray Donohoe, John Drummy, Pat and Ann Reid, Pat O’ Callaghan, Michael Hennessy, Brian Furlong and Tim Mulcahy.
Thanks to those who sponsored drinks and food for the lunches each afternoon:
Billy Kelleher T.D., Tim Kiely (Pepsi Cola, Irl.), Dave Buckley, Anonymous. Thanks to Mr Micheal Cremin (Upper Glanmire N.S.) for his assistance.
Thanks also to Cork stars Joe Deane and James Masters for taking time to visit our Camp. Both arrived on the Friday of the Camp and spent much of their time signing autographs for some of their greatest supporters. James also tuned up for his Munster Senior Football Final debut against Kerry, on the following Sunday, by playing in one of the football games arranged for the final afternoon. Both stars spoke of the necessity to practice on a daily basis and the need to listen to coaches. Later on James presented the Certificates to all successful participants.
Finally a big thank you to the boys and girls who participated in the Camp who were a pleasure to work with
