A tribute to our Girls Gaelic Football Teams!
On Monday, the 12th October, our girls football team played against an outstanding Scoil Naithi team in the Corn Tadhg Kenny semi-final. It was a really intense, high quality match between two brilliant teams but it was Scoil Naithi who proved to be too strong and deservedly earned their place in the final in Croke Park. The girls were absolutely devastated after the match but they should be so proud of their performance and the fighting spirit they showed. Regardless of the semi-final loss, the girls have had a terrific campaign and all their hard work and dedication has resulted in them becoming outstanding young players who have very bright futures ahead of them in this sport. I think it's only right that each and every one of the players deserves a special mention of thanks in this tribute. Bear in mind, we have 22 players on the panel so it may be a long read!
It was never going to be easy to replace Amelia who had been our goalkeeper for the past three years and it ended up being Cara from Fifth Class who put herself forward for the all-important role! Cara is actually a really strong outfield player but the goalkeeper is such a crucial position that you really need one of your best players to play in it and Cara selflessly accepted that role for the team this year. Cara's concentration never wavers as she is always so alert to come out and claim short balls and launch powerful clearances up the field. She is very much a thinking goalkeeper as she never just kicks a ball aimlessly - she will always try to find a teammate if she has the time to do so! Cara's also a great catcher and has made some fantastic saves this year. She had to deal with a lot of high balls with the sun shining directly in her eyes in the semi-final and did so admirably under the circumstances. Above all, Cara has a brilliant attitude, is a really hard worker and we were very lucky to have a player of her pedigree as our last line of defense!
At just 9 years old, Saoirse, may have been the youngest player on the team but she consistently played with a maturity that in all honesty is rare to witness at all levels of adult sport, never mind at Primary school level! Saoirse possesses every trait you could look for in a player - she is lightning quick, her catching from all angles is super-sharp, she is extremely brave and as alluded to earlier, has an exceptional temperament! Her semi-final performance was one to be so proud of as she threw herself onto blocks and breaking balls, collected high balls on her chest at full speed and pulled off unlikely last ditch tackles to keep us just about afloat! Considering Saoirse is just as good at camoige as she is at football, we should consider ourselves very lucky indeed to have a player of her class and determination to call upon for the next two and a half years in any future quest to get Sruleen back to Croker again!
At full back, this year is a player that, like Saoirse beside her, was also on the Senior Team back in Fourth Class and that's our vice captain, Leah 'the Stormer' O'C! Leah produced so many inspirational moments for the team this year whether it be by leaping up towards a high ball and making a breath-taking high catch (one of the best high catchers I have ever seen in the school, for sure!) or charging out of defense and embarking on one of her trademark, crowd-pleasing solo runs. As great an all-round team that Scoil Naithi were in the semi-final, after witnessing Leah's performance, I still remember thinking that if I were a Dublin scout, I'd still be singling out Leah as the actual talent that stood out most on the day and if Leah continues to work hard on her skills, there is no doubt in my mind that she has the potential to play at County Level some day! But for now, we thank Leah for her leadership and the laughs and we'll see this officially-anointed ATG soon again come soccer and camoige season!
'When the going gets tough, the tough gets going' is a phrase that certainly applies to Lucy Woods! Boy, did she stand up and be counted in that semi-final when our defence was under severe pressure! In a 'Player of the Match' performance, she produced countless huge clearances off both her left and right foot and also must have been aiming to get herself in the Guinness Book of Records for the most ever blocks recorded in a single match - The 'Queen of the Blocks' from last year (aka Keeva), would have been proud! Lucy has just been such an outstanding and reliable player for us over the past few years. She is such a fierce competitor on the pitch and yet such a humble, respectful girl off it - she will be sorely missed when she is gone but her crucial contribution over the past few years will certainly not be forgotten!
If I were to pick out one player from the whole squad as an example of what you can achieve if you work hard, have the right attitude and stay determined, it would have to be Ellie. Last year, Ellie was a sub on a really strong panel and if the truth be told, she did not get much game time as she was injured for much of the season. However, since this time last year, Ellie has dedicated herself to improving her game and in the space of only a few months, has transformed herself into the brilliant defender she is today and ended up rightfully earning her place on the starting team. Ellie is almost dangerously brave - she is brilliant at latching on to breaking balls and she will burst through a brick wall to help the team! She competes so ferociously and yet is so humble and unassuming off the pitch but I really do see a great future in the sport for Ellie and she is going to be a very important player for Towers over the next few years in both football and camoige!
I can't stress enough how highly I regard Nadia as a player and sometimes I wonder if she even realizes how good she is herself! She really made the all-important centre back position her own this year. Nadia is powerful and pacey and she is the most relentless, in-your-face tackler you will ever see. Nobody ever wanted Nadia marking them at training as they knew they'd be in for a torrid time! Nadia was so committed to the cause and was desperate to help the team try to get to Croker - In the semi-final, we were very proud of how she never dropped her head and kept fighting until the end! I hope this experience inspires Nadia to keep improving herself with Towers because I truly believe she can go really far in this sport and she will be a big leader for us this time next year, for sure!
Alisha has been one of our most impressive talents here at Sruleen for a few years now - she was midfield on the Go Games team that won the title a few years ago, after all! And this campaign was no different - Alisha played superbly in every match. There's no better woman to anticipate where a ball is getting kicked only to then race out ahead to it and catch it on the hop first time. Alisha is also very comfortable on solo-run and in all honesty, was one of our best players in possession all year. She was never selfish and always made the right pass or decision on the ball. Alisha's performances have been excellent in every match but above all, she has just such a cheerful presence and positive influence on her teammates which does not go unnoticed. Hopefully, she has a long career with Towers to look forward to but I'm sure her next priority will be camoige season and hopefully, she will get plenty of practice in over the long winter!
And now we turn to our inspirational captain, Ciara! Ciara has been absolutely integral to our success over the past few years - I mean, she has been playing at midfield since she was 9 years old. We'll probably never see the like of it again! She's just a special talent really. She can do everything : she can kick really well with both feet, she's super aggressive, she's a strong ball carrier, has superb hands and she will cover every blade of grass for the team. Ciara had to take on a lot of responsibility this year - she usually had to mark the opposing team's best player while also having to try and be our own most potent attacking threat herself from midfield! But as captain, she was happy to do the work and probably ended up being our top scorer! Anyone who knows Ciara won't be surprised to hear that she was well able to give the team a rousing pre-match speech but she has been a very encouraging captain to her team-mates and lead by example by having the right attitude at training! She was absolutely devastated after the semi-final loss but should be very proud of her achievements on the football pitch for Sruleen (She has well and truly confirmed her ATG status!!) and has a very exciting future ahead of her in this sport!
Ciara's midfield partner, Carly, has also been playing at Senior Level for the school since Fourth Class. Carly has always been a brilliant player for the school but this was the year where she made the step up from being a player who could dominate her position to being a player who could actually dominate a match! Carly loved being given the responsibility of playing midfield. She worked her socks off for the team, always made herself available for kick-outs while also regularly making surges forward to contribute to the scoreboard. Carly's solo runs are absolutely top class right now and it's a delight to watch her embark on them at full speed! She just has that spark about her which makes her so exciting to watch play! Carly was a big leader for the team in her final football campaign and I have a feeling that semi-final loss will make her hungrier than ever to have one last crack at Croker come Camoige season!
And what can we say about our Fifth Class star, Saibh! Saibh had a terrific campaign at midfield for the Go Games team last year but this year she proved that she was more than able to mix it at Senior Level. She is a very intelligent player who always takes up good positions for her teammates when they are looking for someone to offload the ball to. She is also a proper battler and was a very aggressive player for us in that middle third of the pitch! She uses her strength so well and rarely comes out on the wrong side of any scrap for a ball on the ground! She has plenty of footballing ability too and indeed scored a cracking goal at an important time in the quarter-final. Saibh just loves her GAA and especially loves her Camoige so she will be counting down the days before Camoige season. Hopefully, the winter won't feel too long for her!
Ella Mc was our only Fourth Class girl to play Senior Football last year so needless to say, we rate her very highly here in Sruleen! The question was : could she make another leap this year and lead the line at the all important centre forward position? Of course, she could! Ella just kept getting better and better with every match that passed. Ella was the focal point of our attack.. so many of our telling attacks came through Ella and she linked up play with our midfielders so well. Ella is a very unselfish player but of course, she is one of our most accurate shooters and was certainly one of our top scorers this year. Though Ella is technically excellent, she is also a great battler and never gave up in that semi-final against a very tough opponent which I think says a lot about her character and I, for one, am very excited about the potential prospect of a very formidable and dynamic midfield partnership between herself and Saoirse this time next year!
Zofia is one of the few players on our squad that doesn't play GAA for a club but she has always been such a dedicated trainer here in school over the past few years that you would never have guessed that she doesn't actually play GAA outside of school! But what is it that sets Zofia apart? Well, she is very pacey and when you combine that with the fact that she has great close control on her solo run, well, then you have a player who can cause a lot of trouble to opposing defences. She is also a really sweet ball striker and has scored some fantastic goals and points this year. If truth be told, Zofia was our biggest attacking threat against Scoil Naithi (which doesn't surprise me as she always plays her best in the biggest games!!). She regularly tore at their defense on a solo run when she got the ball out the wing and indeed scored a great goal and long range point while also providing the assist for our other goal! She has been a genuinely brilliant GAA player for the school but soccer is her first love and I've no doubt she will be providing the fans with great excitement and entertainment come soccer season with all those mazy, Messi-like runs she will be doing!
This time last year, Sadie sustained a very serious injury which lead to her missing most of the GAA season for the school. She must have been devastated at the time but she soldiered on and supported the girls wholeheartedly as we finally won the cup in Croker. It has been a long road back to recovery for Sadie and indeed, in order to even take part in this year's GAA season, she had to postpone an operation but that just goes to show that nothing was going to get in the way of Sadie trying to help the team get to Croker in her final year in Sruleen here! And all things considered, Sadie can be really proud of her endeavours over the past two months. Sadie's handling has always been very secure and she is a superb winner of primary possession. She's also just so reliable on the ball - she never gives it away, she uses her strength so well to ward off tackles and always seems to find a teammate. We had Sadie playing in the forwards this year even though she probably prefers playing in defense but she never complained once and just got on with it and tried to help the team whatever way she could! She is such a lovely girl and we really wanted to get to Croker for Sadie this year considering she missed last year through injury but look, there's always the camoige and no doubt, Sadie will be ready for battle again for one final crack at Croker!
And now we turn to our lethal full forward , Lucy Wisely! Lucy is a Peamount United star and soccer is certainly her first love but she has been nothing but 100% committed to GAA training at school these past few years and she has proved to be to be a very influential player for us over the past few years! Despite not playing GAA for a club, I would say that Lucy was probably our most technically gifted forward. Why? Because she can kick equally as well off her left foot as she can off her right and indeed has scored some brilliant points off both feet with very little time to think in that crowded full forward area! She was once again one of our top scorers this year and if you think Lucy is lethal in front of goal in GAA, wait until you see what she can do come soccer season! There are still some magic moments to come from Lucy this school year, yet!
And at corner forward this year, we had 'Mighty Mia'! Mia is a very feisty competitor indeed! Mia has been a star player for us for a number of years now and she loves nothing more than being in the heat of a real battle out there. She's really elusive and is a very tricky player to mark. Once she has possession, it's really difficult to dispossess her as she has superb close control and can twist and turn defenders inside out to the point of making them dizzy. And of course, she has also been one of our main contributors to the scoreboard this year. Mia was so disappointed after the semi-final loss but it just goes to show how much she cared and I have always found her to be a really respectful, bubbly girl at training sessions. I really believe she has a really bright future in GAA ahead of her! She's been a great servant for the football team but now these winter months will be all about preparation for camoige season!
As for Andrea, I guarantee you that you will not find a more passionate or enthusiastic young player in the country! To me, Andrea is the ultimate example of how a player should conduct themselves on and off the pitch. She is a very fair player, always gives 100% for her team, encourages her team-mates and is always working on her skills with the goal to keep improving. Andrea is still in Fifth and this was her first year playing Senior but she more than made her mark. She is brilliant at pressurizing goalkeepers and defenders into making mistakes with her tackling but above all, she knows how to find the back of the net. She charged through for an important goal vs St. Mary's in the group stage and also took her chance in the semis vs Scoil Naithi brilliantly to give us a lifeline in that match. Next year Andrea will Sixth class and make no mistake, she will be a very important leader for our GAA team next year and I don't even have to remind her to be practicing for camoige season - I'm sure she's already doing it!
Lacey is a player who brings so much energy and commitment to every performance. She always plays with a smile on her face and her positivity is so infectious! She's a great tackler and is super fast but perhaps her greatest strength is her anticipation! Lacey knows where the opposing players are going to kick the ball before they even seem to know themselves and that's why she is always out in front for the ball! Lacey was probably the least experienced player on the squad as she has only started playing for Towers recently but she is improving at such a rapid pace that I really think she has a bright future in this sport and to be honest, if she had picked up GAA maybe a year earlier, she would probably have been on the starting team this year given how she has progressed so quickly in such a short space of time! Keep up the good work, Lacey!
When I think back on this year's season, I have to say that so many of my favourite moments involved one player and that's Bella! From that memorable high catch on her chest against Scoil Mobhi in the quarter-final to the two great points she scored against D7ET to the way she chased after the Scoil Naithi defender to make that tackle at a very important stage of the game in the semi-final - she was at the heart of some really memorable moments this year! Bella was a girl on a mission this year. She wasn't playing to make up the numbers - she was determined to make as big an impact as she could to help the team and that is exactly what she did! And Bella is an ambitious girl who will keep practicing away and she is certainly someone who will be capable of doing some serious damage to the opposing team's defenses come camoige season!
And now we turn to the girl we used to call the 'Energizer bunny' when she played her first year for the school and that was Sophie! And to be fair, Sophie has lost none of that energy she had back then for the battle on the pitch! Sophie has chosen to focus on camoige with her club but that didn't stop her from being fully committed to our football team this year. As a player, Sophie buzzes around the pitch, gets loads of tackles in, always makes herself available for passes and always seems to make the right pass herself when she gets it. Her performance in the Second Half against Scoil Mobhi was particularly impressive as she won virtually every single ball that came down her wing! And GAA aside, I just want to take this opportunity to compliment Sophie on her brilliant attitude. Whether she was asked to play as a forward or back, she never complained, she always tried her best at training and we are very lucky to have a player with her experience and talent to call upon come camoige season! Keep up the practicing, Sophie!
If you're looking for a tight-marking corner back, you may look no further than Ivy. Last year, Ivy was the vice captain of the Go Games Team so this was the first year that I truly got a chance to see her in action on a regular basis and honestly, with every match that she played, I became more and more impressed! She is a great winner of primary possession, a fine tackler and when Ivy gets the ball in her hands, you never have any doubt that the ball is going to make its way safely out of the danger zone! She was superb when she came on in both the quarter-final and semi-final as she made some absolutely vital interceptions! Ivy should be very proud of her contributions for the Senior Team this year and we will be keeping a close eye on her footballing progress down in Towers in the coming years as she is one to watch, for sure!
And now we turn to Marilyn, who like Ivy, also made the step up from the Go Games team to the Senior Team this year! Marilyn is a versatile player but probably plays her best football in defense and is one of the best player-markers we have on the full squad! She will not give the opposing forward an inch and she never holds back if she sees an opportunity to win the ball for her team even if it means she could get a hard knock in the process! She is also pretty darn fast and I really hope she tries out for the Sprint relay teams come the Santry trials.
Marilyn is such a humble girl that I don't think she even realizes, herself, how good she can be and I would love her to consider rejoining Towers again as she still has so much to offer this sport!
Last but not least is Georgia! Georgia is an incredible athlete. We, in Sruleen, should consider ourselves lucky to have one of the Top 10 female kick-boxers of her age group in the world - yes, you read that correctly- in our school! Yes, Georgia is one of the best in the world at her main sport. She really wanted to help our school team as much as she could but her game time was limited due to the fact that she had kick-boxing commitments. She does, however, have a lot of natural ability for the sport though. She is one of the fastest girls in the school, she is brave and strong, she strikes the ball with great conviction and she has a superb work ethic. She played brilliantly against D7ET and even got on the scoresheet. Honestly, we really could have done with her on the pitch as a player-marker in the semi-final but it was one of those situations that couldn't be helped. But hopefully, come soccer season, she will have a little more time on her hands to play for the school because she certainly looks like she can play ball based on the yard time matches!
We also had a great Girls Go Games team this year! We have some really promising young players in the school and they were so enthusiastic about playing in the Go Games League! We have never before had this many young girls interested in playing GAA and the Go Games competition has given these younger girls a chance to showcase their talents that they would not otherwise have had in years gone past. Most of these girls are still very young so they will not be receiving as comprehensive a write-up as the Senior girls because there will be plenty to say about these great talents in the coming years but they still deserve a special mention for their achievements and efforts this year.
We had a pair of joint captains from Fifth Class in Holly and Esme! Both had outstanding campaigns!
We'll start with Holly. Holly is the ultimate competitor! She is so driven to succeed and indeed has worked really hard on her fitness over the past year. Holly will always battle to the final whistle and lead by example but she is a fine footballer too - she kicks with both feet and her soloing is improving all the time and she is certainly someone who I expect to stand up and be counted at Senior Level next year!
Esme was also a brilliant joint captain for the Go Games Girls. She leads by example by always having a positive and humble attitude. Indeed, Esme was disappointed not to make the Senior Panel this year - but how did she respond? She came out and trained with the Senior players anyway and never missed a training! She has improved so much. She has great speed, her solos are excellent now and she is just getting stuck in and I know she is going to be very eager to make her mark at Senior level next year.
As for Holly's twin sister, Lilly, she is going to cause problems for opposing defenses next year! She is a powerhouse of a player and will go through any marker for a short-cut! She plays aggressively but with plenty of skill too. She is very accurate in front of goal and indeed scored one of the points of the match vs Divine Word so she is one to watch out for next year too.
This was Emily-Rose's first time playing GAA for the school and she seemed to really enjoy the experience. Whether she played in goals or outfield, she always gave her best efforts. Emily-Rose is very strong and athletic and if she works hard on her skills over the next 12 months and maybe even joins Towers, she could be one to watch out for next year, for sure!
As for Erin, Erin brings a lot of positive energy to the team. She loves cracking jokes and making the girls laugh. But she is also more than capable of making an impact on the pitch. She has a big, strong kick and her hand-passing is very accurate and reliable and hopefully, Erin considers trying out for the Senior Team next year as we could do with her strength and of course, her jokes!
Freya was the latest addition to the Go Games squad as she initially opted out of the trials. However, once she joined, it didn't take long for her to make a serious impact with a very impressive performance against Divine Word. Freya is like a little terrier out there - she plays fast and furiously and I genuinely believe that if she puts the work in, she can certainly make an impact at Senior Level next year!
Rounding off our Fifth Class contingent of the Go Games Team is Tess. Tess is a great kid who is always determined to learn more and improve. Her solos are getting better and better and she is very unselfish in possession, always looking to pass it to someone in a better position. And the good news is: Tess just told us that she has recently joined Towers so it really looks like she has caught the GAA bug now which is great to see! I am very excited to see her progress over the next 12 months now!
As for Ava, she was very unlucky not to make the Senior squad, given she was top scorer from the Go Games Team last year! Ava is one of those 'I'd pay money to go see her play' talents. Such a brave and fiery competitor but also such a skillful, elusive player than can twist defenders trying to get the ball off her into knots. Ava is one of our top talents and possibly practices as much as anyone in the school. She will certainly be at the heart of plans for the Senior Team next year!
Sofia is a player that has to be in the conversation for 'Go Games player of the year'. She spent a good bit of the campaign in defense, where she made numerous high catches, saving blocks, sharp interceptions and humongous clearances. She is a strong, powerful player. She is also very calm and composed and I believe she has the potential to make a big impact at Senior Level next year!
We have flagged Sienna's natural talent for this game here on the blog in the past and this was the year that she made the step-up to midfield on the Go Games Team. Sienna has a safe pair of hands, is super fast and fit and very, very, very hard to stop if she gets a run at you. But she has also really improved her tackling and work rate which are traits she will certainly need when she will be playing at (as I predict), Senior Level next year!
And now we turn to Amazing Amy! Amy is one of Tower's under 10s dual superstars and she has always been 100% committed to playing GAA here in the school. She is an absolute battler out on the pitch! If I could point out her more impressive quality, it would have to be her catching! Amy can catch any ball whether it is coming high or low at her and I am really excited to see more of her in a Sruleen jersey - she will certainly always bring the passion and commitment which is exactly what we are looking for in Sruleen!
Isla also had another excellent year for the Go Games team this year. After another year of playing for Towers under her belt, you can tell that every aspect of her game has improved. She has become a really determined player who is always looking to get out in front of her marker and I have to say she is probably one of the best strikers of her age group too. And finally, what a lovely, mannerly and respectful girl Isla is on and off the football field!
If there was a prize going for the most improved player from the Go Games Team, Robyn would be surely have to be one of the strongest candidates for it. Robyn is so dedicated to this sport and is always looking for way to improve. Her catching is superb now, she doesn't let any player get by her easily and she approaches the game with the right mindset of getting out in front and attacking the ball so needless to say, we are looking forward to seeing just how far Robyn can take this progress over the next two and a half years!
And what about the sharp-shooter herself, Zoe! Zoe is definitely one of our more technically proficient players. She is very comfortable on the solo run and is very accurate in her shooting. She has a lovely striking technique of the ball, it has to be said. She is also a big Dubs fan so unfortunately, if she is hoping to enjoy the experience of some glory in Croke Park over the next few years, Sruleen might be her only chance!
Millie's first love is soccer and apparently she has been playing some great stuff with Rathcoole Fc lately. However, when I see her play GAA, I see huge potential in her. She is so strong, fast and athletic and strikes the ball with real ferocity too. Due to the fact that she doesn't play GAA for Towers, some of the other schools might not know her as well but make no mistake, if Millie continues to train hard at school, she is going to be a really dangerous 'Secret Weapon' for us in the future!
I have been trying to persuade Evie to start playing GAA for years now and she kept saying 'NO!' But she finally had a change of heart and thankfully, so far she seems to be really loving it and she is also improving at such a fast pace. She is just a natural athlete. She is not only super fast but she can run all day for you too which is an important trait to have on the football field. Her catches and kicking is also improving and if she continues to practice lots on her skills, she is going to be a name to watch out for in future years, for sure!
Whenever we have a surprise GAA training during break times at school, there is not one person who tends to be more enthusiastic and excited about those trainings than Maisie! She has really started to love her GAA and believe me, the natural talent is certainly in her. She is capable of catching some very tricky high balls and her soloing is improving quickly. And....she also has no fear of getting stuck in. So basically, she has all the ingredients of being a top player and we are very excited to see what the next few years has in store for her!
Lilli-Blu's sporting priority outside of school may well be soccer but Lilly-Blu has always been very passionate about playing GAA for the school! She is blessed with blistering pace but she also has great endurance (not a Cross Country Champion for no reason). Lilli-Blu is also a very intelligent player who takes up smart positions when out of possession and always seems to make the correct pass in possession. Above all, you just know that she is one of those girls who will raise her game when the going gets tough which is exactly what we are looking for here in Sruleen!
Speaking of tough, they don't get much tougher than our tigerish half back, Libby. I hear she has the nickname 'Destroyer Duffy' down in Towers and it is easy to see why. Libby is an absolutely relentless tackler - a thorn in the side of any opponent. She attacks the ball aggressively, blocks fearlessly and strikes the ball powerfully. She really reminds me of Lucy Woods from the Senior team actually which as you can see is high praise. And best of all, Libby is obsessed with GAA and trying to improve her skills which can only make us excited for what she can produce for in future years!
And last of the Fourth Class girls but by no means least is Rylie! When hearing back reports of how the Go Games matches went this year, when it came to the question of who was the 'Player of the Match', one name kept popping more than any other and that was Rylie's! She has so much natural talent. She can claim incredible high catches out of the sky, she will throw her body on the line for a block and she can even solo her way out of defense before launching big kicks into the forward line. Imagine what she would be like if she played for a club! Irish Dancing is Rylie's first love as much as the Towers coaches are desperate to sign her up, we should feel very lucky that a player of her class is at least committed to playing for Sruleen for the next few years!
And now to our final two players. Due to the unusually large number of girls from Fifth and Fourth Class on the Go Games Team this year, we only had room for two girls from Third Class on the basis that they were the two with the most experience playing Gaelic Football for Towers. That was Maia and Harlow! They may have been the youngest on the teams but they certainly had no fear of competing against the older girls. Harlow is naturally very sporty with great eye-hand co-ordination so she is very suited to playing GAA and she relished the opportunity to play for the school this year. Harlow certainly didn't shy away from the action, making lots of catches and tackles for the team so she is certainly a big talent to watch out for. As for Maia, her potential is crazy! Already, she seems to have all the traits required to be a top player: she is incredibly fast, she's brave, her catching and soloing is already excellent and she seems to want to keep improving so as far as I'm concerned, she has the potential to be 'captain material' by the time she is in Sixth Class and I know her peers in Fourth Class rate her highly! There are also a few other Third Class girls like Poppy, Madison, Ella and Ramona who all have great potential that we are hoping to see more of in a Sruleen jersey and maybe there will be a few other girls who have not played yet who will pop up and surprise us! Either way, the future is bright!
So there you have it! It's great to see so many girls enjoying GAA at school right now. Ms. Molony, Mr. Marrinan and our SNA, Ros, have really enjoyed being the coaches of the Go Games team this year and have been really impressed by the talent! As for next year's teams, we have so many girls who want to play now that it is going to be difficult to manage to accommodate everyone but we will try. Just regarding the Go Games team, it is generally a team for Fourth and Fifth Class girls or boys. However, we have a rule that if a Third Class girl or boy is playing for a GAA club, they will also be allowed to try out for the Go Games team. We have this rule because the numbers interested are already so big and we feel like it is a great incentive for girls and boys to join their local GAA club. For example, when we brought this rule in last year, within the space of a couple of weeks three girls joined Towers and they are absolutely loving it down there now!
We didn't make it to Croker this year but the girls certainly tried their best and provided us with many wonderful memories. Ms. O'Donovan was a huge help as always regarding the managing of the Senior Team and is as passionate about her GAA as ever! Speaking about passion for GAA, Mr. Kelly is a huge driving force behind the promotion of GAA in the school and always came out to watch the girls play whenever he could. He is very proud of what they have achieved and is looking forward to seeing how they get on with the hurl and sliotar come Camoige season! We also want to thank all the parents and grandparents who have been so supportive of all the boys and girls all throughout the campaign. We often get lots of volunteers to provide lifts to the away matches. We want to assure you that these sacrifices do not go unnoticed. We also have to thank the LGFA , the Maldron Hotel and Wayne Gaynor from R'n'R cleaning for sponsoring our jerseys and the Fitzsimons and Kenny families for sponsoring the team jackets and bags respectively. I apologize in advance if I have missed out on any person who has made a contribution or donation that I am not aware of. Above all, it has been great to see so many people come out and support the girls and boys this year and long may it continue!
We also want to take a moment to thank the volunteers at CnmB who do a mountain of work that goes unnoticed behind the scenes to make these amazing CnmB competitions possible. Our own Mr. Stevenson knows all about it for the Santry Athletics. It's not easy work and it should not go unappreciated!
Finally, we want to congratulate Scoil Naithi on winning the Corn Tadhg Kenny cup. They were the best team that I have come across as a Sruleen coach not just this year but for many years. They were strong and skillful in every position but most importantly , they were a very fair and sporting team. They won convincingly in the final in Croke Park by all accounts so I think it is fair to say, they were the deserving champions this year. Coming up against strong teams like Scoil Naithi should give our girls even more motivation to practice because now, we can see the levels we need to reach if we are to give ourselves a chance to get to Croke Park again. Congrats Scoil Naithi!
And Happy Halloween everyone!