DOON GAA CLUB 2014 ROUND-UP
A round-up of all Doon GAA Club’s adult teams games this
year…..
EAST SENIOR HURLING
CHAMPIONSHIP
Our Senior team played their
first competitive game of 2014 back on the 9th of March – the East
Championship semi-final against Ahane. A comprehensive victory of 2-20 to 2-8 in
Doon that afternoon set out our intentions for what would turn out to be a good
year for the team.
A month later Murroe-Boher were our opponents in the
final of the competition, having beaten South Liberties in the other semi-final.
With a David Stapleton goal & some great points from Mike Fitzgerald and Micheal
Ryan another large victory was on the cards and it ended 1-21 to 0-11 in our
favour. A great start to get settled into the year ahead and some silverware to
show for it!
ALL COUNTY SENIOR HURLING
LEAGUE
There were 4 groups in this year’s All County Senior
Hurling League. We were drawn in Group 3 alongside Effin, Murroe Boher, Dromin
Athlacca and Hospital Herbertstown. The group stages were played between the
beginning of May and the end of June. We didn’t make it past this stage of the
competition.
COUNTY SENIOR HURLING
CHAMPIONSHIP
Having reached the semi-final of the County Senior
Hurling Championship in 2013, our sights were set on the big prize this year. In
the new set-up there were 2 groups of 6 teams in the Championship. Our
competitors in Group 1 were Ahane, Adare, Patrickswell, Murroe Boher and
Knockainey. Group 2 comprised Na Piarsaigh, Kilmallock, South Liberties, Effin,
Ballybrown and Granagh Ballingarry.
Our first game was against
Adare on Saturday 3rd May in Kilmallock. While the final scoreline (a
victory of 1-15 to 0-10 to Doon) sounds slightly flattering, it took us until
the 50th minute of the game to start properly pulling away. At that time a great
Micheal Ryan goal meant we led 1-11 to 0-9. It had been a close contest to this
with no more than 2 points in it at any stage. We had heavily relied on frees in
the first half with Cathal McNamara and Micheal Ryan stepping up but some second
half substitutions in the introduction of Barry Murphy & Michael Barry and
tactical changes made a huge difference to our game. The last ten minutes of the
game saw fantastic Doon performances throughout the field including a few heart
stopping saves on the goalmouth by our backs and goalie Eoghan McNamara.
A week later – Sunday 11th
May – we played Ahane in Caherconlish in very windy conditions. It was in our
favour in the first half & Micheal Ryan did well to strike for a goal and a few
points. Captain Michael Fitzgerald did well on the close-range frees with Ahane
relying on Niall Moran frees. At half time the score was Doon 1-7 to Ahane 0-5.
In the second half, our defence were under pressure but did well, in particular
Morgan Crowe, Eoin Fitzgibbon and Dinny Moloney. Even against the gale, we kept
the scoreboard ticking over. The subs introduced made a good impact with Michael
Barry setting up Micheal Ryan for his second goal. Ahane did get a late goal but
at that stage they were too late to catch up. Final score Doon 2-13 Ahane 1-10
With a month’s break from the
competition, our third round tie was against Patrickswell on Friday 13th
June in the Gaelic Grounds. We almost left it behind us that night, even though
we were a much superior team. The concession of two goals in additional time
played at the end of the game meant there was a mere point between the sides at
the final whistle (Doon 0-21 Patrickswell 3-11). In the first half, we outscored
the Well 0-11 to 1-3, as they recorded a huge number of wides. Only 4 of our 11
points were from frees with Niall Maher, Ger McPartland, George Allis, Dean
Coleman and Richie English all scoring from play. We held strong for a good nine
minutes into the second half and were still leading 0-16 to 1-4 thanks to two
Micheal Ryan frees, a Cathal McNamara free and a point each courtesy of Ger
McPartland and George Allis. Patrickswell at this stage were getting more
accurate with their shots as they had an amount of needless wides in the first
half. This accuracy and increased possession saw them clocking up points (almost
two for our every one) in the latter 20 minutes of the game. At the 60th minute,
Dean Coleman pointed for Doon leaving the score 0-21 to 1-11. But with the
referee playing a huge amount of injury time, Patrickswell had the opportunity
to score two goals (63 mins & 65 mins), meaning a skin-of-our-teeth win in the
end.
An emphatic victory over
Knockainey was to be our fate in the fourth round on Tuesday 19th
August in Caherconlish. With a final score of Doon 4-18 Knockainey 1-12, we kept
our unbeaten record in this year’s County Championship intact. Star of the first
half Darragh O’Donovan recorded a personal tally of 2-5 out of our entire 2-12
scored in that 30 minutes. Half time score Doon 2-12 Knockainey 1-4. Early in
the second half Micheal Ryan & George Allis added a goal each, with a point each
from Dinny Moloney and Ger McPartland. We were without a score for 12 minutes in
the middle of the half and let Knockainey crawl back with a number of accurately
pointed frees, and we weren’t on such scoring form as we had been in the earlier
part of the game. Final score Doon 4-18 Knockainey 1-12.
The last game of the group
stage was against our near neighbours Murroe Boher on Friday 12th
September in Cappamore. This was an unusual game in that we had already
qualified for the County semi-final and Murroe Boher could not progress any
further. We started well with a goal from Ger McPartland. We quickly added
points from play from both Micheal Ryan and Dean Coleman. However Murroe Boher
dominated the rest of the half with Seamus Hickey causing problems for our half
back line and the Tobin brothers scoring from frees and from play. We kept in
touch with frees from Mike Fitz but Murroe Boher struck for two goals just
before half time to leave us trailing 2-10 to 1-9. We started the second half
well with a point from Richie English and another from Micheal Ryan. Micheal
soon won a penalty and when Cathal McNamara’s shot was saved Micheal followed up
the rebound to the net. But we were conceding a lot of frees that Sean Tobin
converted and this meant Murroe Boher were able to stay in touch. Barry Murphy
did well in the second half at full forward and won frees that Mike Fitz
pointed. Barry also gave a good pass to substitute Michael Barry who took his
point and this was to prove the winning score. Final Score Doon 2-18 Murroe
Boher 2-17.
Our Senior team’s final game of
the year was to be the county semi-final against eventual winners Kilmallock. On
Sunday 5th October, we played the first semi-final of a double header
in the Gaelic Grounds, with Na Piarsaigh and Ahane playing the second game. No
doubt Kilmallock were strong competition. At the end of the first half they led
0-10 to 0-9. The first 30 minutes had been a very close affair, with no more
than 2 points difference at any time. Mid-way through the half, goalie Eoghan
McNamara was called upon to make 2 great saves in succession. Our first half
points came from Barry Murphy, Darragh O’Donovan, Niall Maher, Ger McPartland,
Pat Ryan & Dean Coleman. In a more entertaining second half we were awarded a
penalty for the blatant pulling down of Darragh O’Donovan inside the square as
he charged on goal. Cathal McNamara stepped up to take it (40 minutes), but was
denied a goal by the keeper. We were up 0-12 to 0-11 so a goal at this stage
would have boosted our confidence no end. As the second half went in the blink
of an eye, the drama was left to the very end of the game. It was 0-14 a piece
with 6 minutes to go – Doon got a point, Kilmallock got a point, Doon got
another. We were 1 up with 3 minutes to go…..Kilmallock were awarded a penalty
which they struck over the bar to be almost guaranteed a draw at least. As the
referee played 3 minutes injury time, Kilmallock made certain of possession and
added on 2 more points. Final score Kilmallock 0-18 Doon 0-16.
********************
This has been an incredible year for our Junior B team. A
dedicated panel of at least 30 players, led by manager Mike Ryan and selectors
Jason Ryan & John Murphy end the hurling year with at least 4 titles – East
League, County League, East Championship and County Championship. At time of
writing this, they are heading to represent Limerick in the Munster
Championship. Mention also to Con Barry for first aid, Physio Tony Burns and
Kitman Shane Whelan. Here’s how this bunch of lads reached this fantastic
achievement……
JUNIOR B HURLING LEAGUE
There were seven teams in the East Junior B Hurling
League – Doon, Pallasgreen, South Liberties, Cappamore, Murroe Boher,
Ballybricken and Caherline. Those group games early on in the year fare out as
follows….
Doon v Cappamore on Monday 7th
April
Doon 1-6 Cappamore 0-9
Doon v Murroe Boher on Monday
21st April
Murroe Boher 4-8 Doon 2-9
Walkover from Fedamore as they withdrew from the League
Doon v South Liberties on
Sunday 11th May
Doon 4-14 South Liberties 0-10
Doon v Caherline on Sunday 18th
May
Doon 2-13 Caherline 0-9
Doon v Pallasgreen on Saturday
24th May
Doon 2-15 Pallasgreen 2-10
Doon v Ballybricken on Friday
30th May
Doon 3-15 Ballybricken 1-4
As the top two teams in the
league after all above matches, old rivals Doon and Pallasgreen were down for
the East League final decider on Friday 20th June. The game was
played in Cappamore and we were delighted with our 4 point win – final score
Doon 0-14 Pallasgreen 1-7.
Representing the East as we pressed on into the County
Semi Final where our opponents were Feohanagh. They proved tough competition on
the night in Clarina, where their sprightly corner forward scored 1-2 very early
on in the game and we found ourselves trailing 1-4 to 0-2 soon after. However,
some Tomas McLoughlin frees narrowed the gap ahead of half-time; at which time
the score read Feohanagh 1-7 Doon 1-6. Our goal came from wing forward Kevin
Lenihan. The second half was slow to pick up some pace but we were on fire with
goals when we did get going. The first came again from the stick of Kevin
Lenihan, the second was a Shane McKenna shot, which the goalkeeper deflected
into the net and the third was from Seamie Ryan in the 28th minute. Seamie also
had 2 points in the half & 1 from top-scorer Kevin Lenihan. Final score Doon 4-9
Feohanagh 1-9.
With just 2 rest days after our County League semi-final
victory, we played the County Final on Friday evening 27th June against
Blackrock in Kilmallock. A Ger Beary free ensured a point with less than a
minute on the clock. Beary was denied a goal just 8 minutes later when he took
his chance with a close-range free. Kevin Lenihan was quick off the re-bound to
hit the back of the net though and we were up 1-1 to 0-2. The rest of the half
was very evenly matched and ended 1-6 to 0-7 in our favour. Having been denied a
goal on the stroke of half time, corner forward Shane McKenna wasted no time as
the second half started and secured a point just a few seconds into it. We
stayed 3 to 4 points ahead for most of the half, but the threat of a Blackrock
goal always loomed. On the 29th minute, a Seamie Ryan point put us 1-14 to 0-12
in the lead and just a few seconds into injury time Ryan got a cracking goal to
end the game. With 8 Doon players getting their names of the scoresheet, it was
a great team performance on the night. Final score Doon 2-15 Blackrock 0-12.
Doon – County League Champions!
JUNIOR B HURLING
CHAMPIONSHIP
Two groups of 4 teams made up
the East Junior B Hurling Championship. Group 1 consisted Doon, South Liberties,
Cappamore, Ballybricken and Group 2 consisted Pallasgreen, Caherline, Murroe
Boher and Knockane. Our first round game was against Cappamore on 19th
July – which we won 2–11 to 1-6. Next up was South Liberties. Another win for us
here – 1-29 to 0-9. We had a walkover from Ballybricken, and as such topped our
group with 6 points.
The East semi-final was played
on 14th September in Cappamore and we had a more-than-comprehensive
victory over Caherline. Final score Doon 8–17 Caherline 1-8.
For the second time this year, we met Pallasgreen in an
East Final and, as was the case in the League, we again were victorious in the
Championship Final. It was a low-scoring game with a four-point margin - Doon
1-8 Pallasgreen 0-7. 2 Ger Beary points in the first half along with 1 from
Cathal Maher & 1 from Tadhg Hayes was our entire scoring tally in the first 30
minutes, against Pallasgreen's 3 points. 7 minutes into the second half Ger
Beary hit the net for what was to be the only goal of the game, but we waited
more than 10 minutes for another score to come our way-that was in the form of a
point from Rob McLoughlin on 47 minutes. At that time our lead was just 2 points
and we found scores hard to come by, but we saw out the game with another 3
points and won by 4.
On Saturday 4th
October, we beat Feohanagh in the County quarter final in Kilmallock. A great
win, but Feohanagh had a goal in their sights for the whole 60 minutes, putting
our back-line and goalie under pressure for long spells throughout. Thanks to 7
first half points from Derek Ryan (0-5 frees), 2 points from Shane McKenna and 1
from James O’Brien, we had a total of 0-10 in the first half, against
Feohanagh’s 0-2. Had they got their much-sought after goal, it would have made
for a very different game, especially as we failed to score in the second half
until the 56th minute. That was the first of our 3 last points (0-2 more from
Derek Ryan and 0-1 from Bernard Crowe). Feohanagh also only scored 0-3 in that
half, leaving a full time score of 0-13 to 0-5.
Kileedy were our county semi-final opponents a week later (Sun 12th Oct) in Bruff. The teams were evenly matched, and although it started off quite slow in that only 5 points were scored in the entire first half – Doon 0-3 Kileedy 0-2, our side erupted in the second half with a hat-trick of goals. Manager Mike Ryan instructed some positional switches and introduced sub Tomas McLoughlin – all of which contributed greatly to a flying last 30 minutes. Final score Doon 3-9 to Kileedy’s 0-6.
It took 2 days out for us to see off Monaleen as our
opponents in the County Championship final. Initially, the final was set for
Sunday 19th October in Caherconlish as 12midday. Windy conditions on
the day made this a poor game.
There was nothing separating the sides at halftime (0-5 each). We were 1 point
ahead nearing the end of the game, but one last gasp free by Monaleen secured
them the draw as the referee blew the final whistle and we were set to fight
another day. Final score Doon 0-9 Monaleen 0-9.
The replay fixture came through - a week later we would head to the same venue
at the same time for another crack at it; and we made certain of it this time. Straight
from the throw-in, Bernard Crowe scored the first point of the game and even
from the first few minutes, this replay had great promise of entertainment. The
next 5 points were Monaleen's even though Doon were playing with a strong
breeze. At 13 minutes, we were 0-4 to 0-2 down and then we were struck with the
blow of a Monaleen goal which was hopped over the head of keeper Paddy Coleman.
Monaleen's discipline let them down and in doing so, the frees awarded against
them let us back into the game and thanks to 2 Derek Ryan frees and 1 from Tadhg
Hayes the score at half time was Monaleen 1-4 Doon 0-6. The Doon half-time talk
must have been epic because they started the second half with an immense sense
of determination not seen all year. Tadhg Hayes started the half with a pointed
free, then Ger Beary was on hand for 2 fantastic points. Derek Ryan would score
2 more points (0-1 f), 1 from sub Seamie Ryan, 1 from Bernard Crowe and a final
1 from Ger Beary at 60 minutes. We held Monaleen to just 0-3 in the second half
thanks to trojan work by our backs. At 60 minutes, it was 0-14 to 1-7 in favour
of Doon, and far from taking the foot off the pedal, Doon pushed and pushed and
got a goal in the dying seconds from the stick of Cathal Maher. The subs used in
the game were Seamie Ryan, Tomas McLoughlin, Denis Ryan and James Nolan.
We wish this panel continued
success in the Munster campaign.
********************
U21 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Ten teams contested this year’s
U21 Premier Hurling Championship, divided into two groups - Group 1 was
Ballybrown, Ahane, Adare, Doon, St Kevins and Group 2 was Patrickswell, Na
Piarsaigh, Deel Rangers, Kilmallock, Bruff. On Sunday 2nd March, our
first game was against Ballybrown and was played in Rathkeale. The pitch was in
good condition but the weather wasn’t. Luckily for us we played with the gale in
the first half and Darragh O Donovan hit over two long range points, one from a
free the other from play. Barry Murphy then latched onto a breaking ball and
buried it and he also hit over two more points, a close in free and one from
play. Tony Joe Berkery and Shane O Connell also scored a point each from play
and our scoring was completed with another free from Darragh O Donovan.
Ballybrown struggled with the wind in the first half and it looked like they may
not score. However not long before half time a long range free dropped short and
when it broke the Ballybrown corner forward pulled and it hit the net. They
added a further point from play and this left the half time score at 1-7 to 1-1.
The second half was a different story and Ballybrown piled on the pressure.
Eoghan Mac and the backs played well as a unit with Tommy Hayes making some
excellent blocks. Ballybrown scored six points in the second half with three
frees and three from play. We found it difficult to get out of our half of the
field and did not score. The final score was Doon 1-7 Ballybrown 1-7. Overall a
draw seemed a fair result in the circumstances.
The second round (Doon v Adare)
was played two days later in the Gaelic Grounds. This was a strong Adare team,
and we did well to come away with a 5 point victory – final score Doon 1-15
Adare 1-10. Almost immediately from the thrown-in, Barry Murphy scored a point
which was soon followed by another from mid-field’s Darragh O’Donovan.
Three minutes later with a penalty awarded to
Doon, O’Donovan again stepped up; hitting the back of the net this time. Another
2 points from O’Donovan along with 1 from Darragh Stapleton, 2 from Dean Coleman
and 3 from Pat Ryan saw out the remainder of the 30 minutes, and we had a strong
lead of 1-10 to 0-6 heading to the dressing room. Adare took some great
opportunities in the first 15 minutes of the second half scoring a goal and 3
points, and we found ourselves much slower in comparison.
Nevertheless, we held our lead the whole way
through, albeit marginally at times, and emerged with the 5 point win.
It was our turn for a bye in
the third round. The fourth round was due to be played on 24th March,
but St Kevin’s offered us a walkover.
At
that point, we had one group game left – against Ahane – and this was played on
Thursday 27th March under lights in Kilbreedy. Almost from the
throw-in we got a twenty one yard free. Everyone thought this was going over the
bar but Darragh O’Donovan went for a goal which Ahane couldn’t keep out. Our
full forward line benefited from a great supply of ball from their teammates and
in the process racked up the scores. Pat Ryan got 1-1, Dean Coleman 0-3 and
Barry Murphy 0-3. Darragh O’Donovan also added a pointed free. As the half wore
on our concentration seemed to slip and Ahane battled their way back into the
game. At half time the score was 2-8 to 0-9. Ahane also started the second half
brightly and Eoghan McNamara had to make a great save. Soon after though they
did get a goal and it looked like they had the momentum. However the decisive
score came when Dean Coleman caught a high ball, rounded his man and placed it
in the top corner. Colm O’Cummin and Raymond Ryan came in to the team and both
played well. Final score Doon 3-14 Ahane 1-13.
Our County Semi-Final opponents
were Na Piarsaigh and unfortunately we exited the competition at their hands on
Sunday 13th April in Bruff. For the first 20 minutes of the game, we
were doing very well with 4 points from Barry Murphy and 1 from Darragh
O’Donovan. We had a 0-5 to 0-2 lead at that stage, but for the next 14 minutes,
scores eluded us and we took a hammering at the other end, conceding a goal from
a Na Piarsaigh free, followed by 5 points in quick succession. Darragh O’Donovan
put a point over just before the half-time whistle and the score at the break
was 1-7 to 0-6 in Na Piarsaigh’s favour. Our bad form continued into the second
half when we went 15 minutes without a score and conceded 7 points in that time.
But a huge Doon effort was yet to come and 3 accurately-pointed frees from Barry
Murphy on the 15th 17th and 18th minutes followed fast by points from Shane
O’Connell and Darragh Stapleton meant just 6 points between the sides with 10
minutes on the clock (1-14 to 0-11). Yet again with his accuracy, Barry Murphy
reduced the gap to just 4 points but there wasn’t enough time for Doon to claw
back anymore and 1 more point was all we were to get – that from Dean Coleman
with just a couple of minutes remaining. Final score was Na Piarsaigh 1-17 Doon
0-14.
********************
JUNIOR A HURLING LEAGUE
Back in early May, we started our Junior A league
campaign with first game against Ahane. This game was a win for us - 2-15 to
0-10. With a walkover next from Ballybricken, we faced Fedamore in the third
round. Our 4 goals made for a good scoreline and our victory was 4-15 to 0-03.
The East Final was played on
Saturday 14th June in Caherconlish and this great game against Ahane
even went to extra-time. We led from the outset thanks to a point from a David
Stapleton free and continued with great momentum until halftime with a 0-11 to
1-4 lead. The second half belonged to Ahane who clawed their way back and the
gap narrowed and narrowed particularly in the last 10 minutes. An Ahane free,
well into injury time, allowed them to draw the game. With twenty minutes of
extra time to be played the entire team rallied; we depended heavily on centre
forward David Stapleton for scores and he delivered. We were 1 point ahead after
the first ten minutes of extra time, but in the second ten minutes we outscored
Ahane 4 points to 2, meaning an eventual 3 point victory for us. Final score
Doon 0-25 Ahane 1-19.
Straight into a county
semi-final where our opponents were Croagh Kilfinny on 19th June. Our
two second half goals proved the difference. One was from the youthful Dylan
Dwyer, the other from the experienced Bernard Crowe. Final score Doon 2-11
Croagh Kilfinny 1-09.
Caherconlish was the venue for
our county final meeting with Ma Piarsaigh on 3rd July. It was the
David Stapleton show from start to finish with the centre forward getting all of
Doon’s scores in the first half (3 points from frees and 1 point from play). At
half time we trailed 0-7 to 0-4 and Na Piarsaigh had been the superior side. In
the second half, it was Stapleton again who opened the scoring with a point from
play just a minute in. Na Piarsaigh replied with 2 which were quickly followed
by a superb point by Jack Cummins from a sideline cut. With just 7 minutes
remaining in the game, we were behind by 4 – 0-10 to 0-6. Looking like all was
lost, we played on, but hit countless wides in our efforts. Having just had a
goal disallowed, on the 59th minute, we were awarded penalty. David Stapleton
stepped up to take it and made sure it hit the back of the net with force. The
puck-out landed in our favour and yet again Stapleton got his hands on it and
blasted it home for another goal. A winning margin of just a single point (Doon
2-6 Na Piarsaigh 0-11), with Stapleton even acknowledging in his acceptance
speech the last-second stealing of victory from the city champions.
JUNIOR A HURLING
CHAMPIONSHIP
The group games of the East Junior A Hurling Championship
fared out as follows…..
Doon v Kilteely Dromkeen on
Sunday 6th July
Doon 1–15 Kilteely Dromkeen 1-8
Doon v Fedamore on Sunday 20th
July
Doon 3–17 Fedamore 0–11
Doon v Ahane on Friday 25th
July
Doon 2-18 Ahane 0–10
Doon v Ballybricken on Friday
15th August
Doon 1–13 Ballybricken 2–10
The East Semi-Final was played
in Caherconlish on 24th August and we beat Ballybricken on a score
line of 0-12 to 1-7.
We were beaten by a better Kilteely Dromkeen side in the
East Championship final on Saturday 13th September. From the throw-in, Kilteely
laid claim and scored their first point within 60 seconds. With 2 early shots on
goal (which were denied) they had our backs under pressure for a lot of the
half. But with just 2 points of a deficit at half time (Kilteely Dromkeen 0-8
Doon 0-6) it was all to play for as the teams lined out for the second half.
There was to be a double blow for Doon within the first minute of the second
half though as Kilteely sneaked 2 goals past goalkeeper Denis Barry. Losing 2-8
to 0-6, we scored the next 6 points of the game leaving just 2 between the sides
again. On the 20th minute of the half, our opponents capitalised on their lead
with 2 more points and we were running out of time to catch up especially as
they hit the back of the net for the third time at the very end. Final score
Kilteely Dromkeen 3-12 Doon 1-13.
Kilmallock was the venue for our county quarter final meeting with Monagea on 4th
October. We were dealt a blow early on with the red-carding of full-forward
David Stapleton after just 16 minutes; at that time we had a lead of 1-3 to 0-2
so it was still all to play for. Thanks to great accuracy from Darragh Stapleton
in his free-taking duties, and a superb Dylan O’Dwyer goal early in the half, we
were holding strong onto our lead. At half time, there was 6 points between the
teams (1-7 to 0-4), and even with only 14 players, we kept a firm grip on the
game. 12 minutes into the second half, Monagea had a player sent off which
evened up the numbers again, and not long after that, mid-fielder Patrick
Cummins hit the net for our second goal. We capitalised on this with more points
before the end, and Monagea just weren’t strong enough to fight back. Final
score Doon 2-12 Monagea 0-5.
The
county semi-final was to be our Junior A team’s last day out of 2014, when we
were beaten by Na Piarsaigh.
We depended on wing forward Darragh Stapleton for 1-14 out of our total scoring
tally of 1-16. Darragh’s goal came just before half time and left us trailing by
only 0-3 at that stage (1-10 to 1-7). An early second half goal by Na Piarsaigh
was a blow we didn’t need, and for the rest of the game we were on the back
foot, trailing throughout. Final score Na Piarsaigh 2-17 Doon 1-16.
********************
PREMIER MINOR HURLING
CHAMPIONSHIP
Our minor team’s dream of
three-in-a-row was not to come to fruition in 2014. Having won the county title
the previous 2 years, of course we had high hopes. In the first round, we played
Mungret on 29th June and won 0-15 to 2-03. The second round against
Ballybrown on 29th July was another victory - Doon 3-14 Ballybrown
1-12. We had to be satisfied with a draw in the third round - 0-13 to Adare’s
1-10. Our toughest game to date came thanks to Na Piarsaigh when the beat us
0-21 to 2-10. Our last group game was against our near neighbours Pallasgreen
and a 2-point victory secured us a semi-final place - 1–14 to 0–15. The latter
stage of the competition was on us in early October and on the evening of
Wednesday 8th, we played Ahane in the Gaelic Grounds. In the end it
was just a 1-point loss that saw us the exit the competition – final score Ahane
1-13 Doon 1-12.
********************
Congratulations and well done to all our teams and to
every individual player proudly representing Doon GAA Club this year. Thanks to
all our managers, trainers, selectors, first aiders and physios, and all who
give their time and volunteer their services in any way to the Club. We thank
you all and wish you a very Happy Christmas, a prosperous New Year and we look
forward to a successful 2015.
Valerie Nolan
PRO, Doon GAA Club
Doon Juvenile G.A.A.
Club Review 2014
After a successful
2013 Doon GAA Club were eagerly awaiting the 2014 season. Unfortunately
silverware was not meant to be for our juvenile teams but contributed greatly to
their divisions. Our u16s reached the Division 2 County Final where they were
runners up to Pallasgreen. Our u14s did very well to reach the Division 1
Semi-Final before losing out to eventual champions Na Piarsaigh. Under the
guidance of Limerick Coaching and Games, the u12s and u11s had some great
performances throughout the year with a finals day held in The University of
Limerick with our u12s having a 100% win in the competition. The u10s, u8s & u6s
are continuing their development with training every weekend and blitzs held
throughout the county and beyond.
Our u16s outing began
in Division 2 on April 23rd with an away trip to Caherelly where
Ballybricken/Bohermore were the opposition. After dominating the match for long
periods, hitting the post on a few occasions we lost out by a point, Doon 0.09
Ballybricken/Bohermore 1.07. Next up was Ballybrown at home on May 5th
where we ran out comfortable winners Doon 2.10 Ballybrown 0.06. This was to be
our last match before the break for the Junior Certificate so a win over
Ballybrown was important to get us back on track. June 23rd was our
next outing with St. Patricks the opposition where we ran out comfortable
winners 7.17 to 4.04. We followed this up with victories over
Kildimo/Pallaskenry (4.06 to 1.06), Caherline (5.18 to 0.06) and Cappamore (4.08
to 2.06). With our first group match our only loss it meant we topped the table
in our group and were drawn to play Dromcollogher/Broadford at home on August 18th
in a game we were on top throughout winning 2.11 to 2.03. This set up a
semi-final tie against Kildimo/Pallaskenry whom we had already accounted for in
the group stages on September 13th in Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale.
We raced into an early lead with some great goals and were looking like
comfortable winners. However, Kildimo/Pallaskenry never gave up and with some
well taken goals were back in the match with time almost up. Delighted to hear
the final whistle we were through to the County Final with 2 points to spare,
4.14 to 5.09. Pallasgreen were to be opponents for the final in what promised to
be a great match between two rival teams. We started brightly and were well on
top in 1st half with Pallasgreen relying on frees to keep in touch.
Leading by two points at half time (0.09 to 0.07) we were hoping the boys could
push on for the final 30 minutes. Pallasgreen came more and more into the match
and once they pounced for two goals in quick succession we were always chasing
the game from there. After numerous opportunities we finally landed a goal but
it was not meant to be with Pallas running out two point victors, 3.09 to 1.13.
Many thanks to all
the players, manager Seán Lysaght and his team of selectors Michael Barry, Paddy
Coleman & James McPartland for all their help and effort throughout the year.
Also thanks to Con Barry who helped out with First Aid.
At the beginning of
the year it was decided that our u14s would compete in Division 1 of the
Championship for the coming year. Even though we had an extremely young team
with the majority of the team still playing u12 it was hoped that they would be
able to compete in the top division. We bagan our year in Knocklong on March 30th
for the 1st Round of the Féile Competition that we have had great
success in in the last few years. Garryspillane proved too strong for us and ran
out easy winners 3.11 to 0.01. Training continued and challenge matches were
played as we awaited for 28th May and the 1st Round of the
Championship. We had a home tie against Bruff where the boys played great
throughout and ran out winners 3.07 to 1.03. We then had 3 very tough games
against the top 3 teams in the County in this division Na Piarsaigh, Mungret and
Patrickswell where we competed well in the 1st half but lost out
heavily in the 2nd 25 minutes. We finished off the group stages with
two victories over Kilmallock at home, 3.08 to 1.04 and away to Ahane 3.08 to
2.09. This then meant that we had qualified for the County Semi-Finals in what
was a great achievement for such a young team. Na Piarsaigh were to be the
opposition for us on September 19th in the Gaelic Grounds. Our lads
put up a great fight but just could not break down Na Piarsaighs strong physical
team. Final Score Na Piarsaigh 9.16 Doon 1.03.
This was to end our
participation for the year. Many thanks to all the players who gave a great
effort throughout the year. Also to manager Mark Doyle and his team of selectors
Dan Holmes and Kevin Lenihan for their guidance and coaching during the year.
This year we also
entered an u13 team in Division 1 of the competition. With many of the players
already playing for the u14 team we felt it would be beneficial to them to get
as many games as possible for them in the top division. We had a great victory
over Bruff in Round 1, 3.13 to 2.09. With Ahane giving us a walkover it came
down to ourselves and Murroe/Boher in our final match as to who would top the
group and compete in the final. Murroe travelled to Doon on October 2nd
in what turned out to be a very competitive match with some great scores. Murroe
proved to be that small bit better than us taking their scores at important
times to run out winners 3.09 to 2.06.
Many thanks to Mark
Doyle and Declan Ryan for their efforts during the year with this team.
Our u12s had a very
good year in this years fixtures. Our u11s also competed in the u12 Leagues
which proved to be a great experience for them. We played some great hurling and
both panels worked really hard to develop their skills. The fixtures pitted the
u12s against Na Piarsaigh, Mungret/St.Pauls, Adare, Murroe/Boher, Monaleen,
Ahane & Crecora. While our u11s
competed against Ballybrown, Glenroe, Monaleen, Pallasgreen, Cappamore, Ahane &
Murroe/Boher. Our u12s had victories throughout their campaign and went on to
beat Ballybrown & Garryspillane in UL on the finals day. The u11s had some great
victories and really played well against some other clubs first teams which will
stand to them for the coming years. They had a great victory over Adare on
finals days and narrowly lost out to Croom in their other match.
Both these group of
youngsters have really worked diligently and effectively in gaining the
essentials required for the game of hurling and it is great to see them
competing at a high level at their own age group. 2014 was also a year in which
these teams competed in several tournaments.
On Saturday Sepember
6th, our u12 team travelled to Rathdowney, Co. Laois for the Darren
Hickey memorial tournament. It was an honour for the club to be asked up once
again to this tournament. This was the day after our Final Day in UL but the
lads were delighted to be heading off to the Rathdowney/Errill GAA Club where
they were hoping to go one better than their final defeat last year. This didn’t
work out however but players really enjoyed their day out.
This led to our own
tournament being held for the late PJ Richardson on September 28th.
Both our u12s and u11s got to play against Corofin, Co. Clare in which were two
games of real high quality. Our u12s held out for victory in which some great
scores were taken on both sides with Corofin then beating our u11s. It was a
wonderful occasion for both the club and Richardson family and great to see a
good crowd on the day supporting the event.
Our u12s also got the
opportunity to play in Semple Stadium, Thurles in a blitz on August 6th.
This proved to be a great day out for the lads who were delighted to get the
chance to play in such a high-profile stadium with 3 wins out of 3 over
Mullinahone, Thurles Gaels and Charleville. The day was then finished off with a
guided tour around Semple Stadium with Tipperary hurler, Denis Maher (Thurles)
A special word of
thanks to both Rathdowney/Errill, Thurles & Corofin GAA Clubs for hosting and
supporting the tournaments. It is
always nice to get the chance to play clubs from other counties and see the
standard in other parts of the country.
Thanks to all who
helped out with both our u12s and u11s during the year especially Declan Ryan &
John Stokes.
Our u10s, u8s & u6s
are continuing to make great strides week in week out under the guidance of
several parents and coaches. It is great to see so many people involved with the
nursery and will continue for many years to come. Well done and many thanks to
all involved.
Our Cúl Camp ran from
Monday July 28th to Friday August 1st in what was a great
success with over 100 children in attendance. Under the guidance of Ollie Coffey
the coaches put the children through their paces and were well impressed with
the high skill level of our players. It was also great to have our own local
hurlers Darragh Stapleton, Shane O’Connell & Stephen Ryan as coaches for the
week. The week was finished on a high as Limerick full-back Richie McCarthy
visited the children, answered questions and signed jerseys for all.
Our Cash for Clobber
fundraiser once again proved successful during the year. Many thanks to all who
contributed clothes, shoes etc to us.
2014 also proved to
be a great year for Doon with great representation on our County Teams. It is
great to see players making the step up to the county setup and hopefully will
provide them with the motivation to keep improving at all times. The following
players represented Limerick at county level:
U17: Barry Murphy,
Tadhg Whelan, Brian McPartland, Thomas Hayes
U16: Mark Coleman,
Josh Ryan
U15: Mikey O’Brien,
Padraic Ryan
U14: Jack Ryan, Chris
Berkery
In conclusion, 2014
may not have produced any silverware for our Juvenile Club but I am in no doubt
that significant progress is being made in all age groups from u6 upto u16. It
is great to see such enthusiasm and pride in the club jersey to improve all the
time which gives us plenty to look forward to for the coming years ahead.
Wishing you all a
happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year for 2015
Yours in Sport,
Jack O’Connell
Secretary, Doon Bord
na nÓg