FACILITIES FIT FOR A PRESIDENT
The eleventh
day of the eleventh month is the cut off point for the receipt of nominations
and motions for this year’s annual convention. The Convention itself will be
held in the Sligo Park Hotel on Tuesday the 13th. of December. 11-11-2011 is a Date that should be easy
enough to remember as apart from anything else it is the Date set for the
inauguration of the ninth President of Ireland and An Coiste wishes President
elect Michael D. Higgins the very best for the future. The Eight President in
one of the last of her official functions was on hand to open the Club
Facilities and playing area recently completed by a hard working committee at
the Owenmore Gaels Club. Uachtarán Mary Mc Aleese unveiled the plaque
dedicating the facilities to the late Bernadette Connolly. The Páirc Uí
Chonghaile playing surface has been severally tested by the recent downpours
but proved itself well able to cope when it hosted a game the previous day. The
facilities are ideally situated as a neutral venue for many Club games and
should serve Club and County for many years to come.
IRELAND RULES
Ireland
delivered a crushing 80 to 36 defeat to Australia in the first match of the
International rules series at the weekend. There will be some disappointment
for the organisers, however, in that the crowd in Melbourne was smaller than in
other games probably as a consequence of the fixture not attracting the big AFL
names this time around. AFL coach Rodney Eade was quick to point out that he had
signed up every big name that was available to him but it was the AFL players
that togged out in green in greater numbers than ever that enabled Ireland
secure such a decisive result. Tadgh Kennelly and Tommy Walsh were just two of
the Australian based players that gave the Irish camp a depth of experience
that might have been lacking in other tests. The fact that the whole squad had
trained hard to perfect the type of tackling that is part of the Australian and
now the International game was also a plus. Australia’s panel were lighter and
faster than before but their poor ball skills let them down in this match.
Often
Gaelic players make headlines because of what they have to say but in Australia
this weekend the media made much of the fact that the Irish Captain Stephen
Cluxton had so little to say. Obviously Stephen would not be Captain unless he
could communicate with his team and use his leadership skills but it appears
that the Dublin goal keeper is content to leave it at that preferring to let others
deal with the media. Vice Captain Tadgh Kennelly did the talking when the
referees wanted a word with both Captains during the test.
Anthony
Tohill admitted that the fact that there were so many key players affected by
their own Club Championships at home did not help with the preparations.
Echoing the views of the GPA earlier in the week he feels that there is
something wrong when Club fixtures are still being played in October and
November. The man of few words who scored the winning point in his year’s All
Ireland was one of those who arrived late to the Continent because of club
duties but according to the manager he was worth waiting for “-----he does his
talking in the dressing room on the training pitch and in game situations.
That’s what we want from him.”
NEW GALWAY BOSS
Anthony
Cunningham has been ratified as Galway’s new hurling manager with his
management team of Tom Helebert and Matie Kenny. The new men in charge intend
to retain strong links with the Minor and u21 panels as well as drastically
improving the fitness levels of the present senior panel. They will be left alone for two years to
improve the fortunes of Galway hurling at which a review will take place.