younger players. If they manage to keep their panel together the bulk of the minor team who have competed and won at underage level in the top division then they can re-establish themselves in Division 1 as worthy contenders.
JUVENILE FOOTBALL
Cormac Wall, Cathal Young and Killian Watters. The team management of Mark O’Rourke, Colm McBreen, Eamon Brady, Bricker Wall, Finbarr Moore and Derry Scanlon can indeed be proud of their achievements.
MINOR CHAMPIONSHIP
The fruits of good direction and excellent coaching at juvenile level has paid rich dividends over the past few seasons with the Ballyhaise club now recognized as strong contenders in all grades. Juvenile Chairman, Mark O’Rourke has fused together a strong, dedicated and knowledgeable coaching structure through their dedication and commitment have produced many wonderful underage sides over the past seasons. This season has been no exception with the U14s taking pride of place as they produced some great displays on their way to the Division Three Championship final. In the final at Kingspan Breffni Park, Castletara took on Drung/Kill amalgamation St Finbarr’s and struck three first-half goals through Oisin Boyle, Finbarr Moore and Killian Watters to lead by 3-5 to 2-5 at the halfway stage. In the second-half, St Finbarr’s piled on the pressure but the brave Ballyhaise boys held out, with another goal proving vital in a 48 to 3-8 win to capture the title. The Ballyhaise squad was as follows: Gary Bonner, Ryan Bonner, Oisin Boyle, Michael Brady, Ryan Conaty, Aaron Crowe, Stephen Duffy, Conor Duggan, Brian Foley, Adam Heaslip, Ross Hennessy, Alpha Ike, Oisin McBreen, Ryan McMahon Lynch, Finbarr Moore, Cian O'Reilly, Gary O'Rourke, Isaac Scanlon,
Ballyhaise were joined with Drumalee to form Drumbo this past season and reached the semi-finals of the Division Two Minor Football Championship final in September. Having saw off the challenges of Drumlane (0-12 to 1-5) and St Felim’s (4-14 to 0-5), Drumbo entered into the last four of the competition with strong form ahead of their clash with Southern Gaels, who had defeated Ramor narrowly after a replay. Played in Cornafean, it was the Gowna/Lacken amalgamation that edged a 0-9 to 1-4 win to advance to the final against Crosserlough, who would emerge 1-13 to 1-10 winners at Kingspan Breffni Park when the two teams meet in mid-October.
CAMOGIE A major drive at the beginning of the season saw the club secure the services of local men, Colm Lynch and James Brady as team trainers and Tom Smith as selector and chairman. The focus was on developing the younger players alongside the more established campaigners. Playing under the banner of Castletara, the club proved to be the dominant force in the Cavan camogie for many seasons. Fielding both senior and junior teams this season proved to be a much leaner spell as regards silverware. With the
club in the throes of rebuilding it was heartening to see the junior squad make it to the final of the junior championship for the first time in three years. This squad led by experienced players Lorraine Crudden, Geraldine Mulvanney, Ann McCabe was backed up the youthful talents of Carmel Fay, Roisin Dunne and Serianna Morrow. Playing against a more physical Denn side Castletara lost out. When the disappointment of losing a final fades the experience gathered by the much younger Castletara players will stand to them in future campaigns. With eight players on the county senior panel , Sinead Moore, Orla Prior, Mairead McCabe, Hazel O’Connor, Grainne Smith, Brid Boylan and the two Elaine Reillys, the club will be hoping for greater glory in the coming season. When you take this cadre of county players and align with the talents of experienced campaigners like Majella Prior, Jolene Lynch things can only move in the right direction. “According to long term club servant and playing member, Geraldine Mulvanney: “We do have the talent and the experience to make it back to the top ranks of camogie in Cavan. We have a strong panel of senior county players and a good pool of upand-coming young talent as well as some more experienced players from the ‘glory days’. I feel this combination along with the management set-up of Colm, James and Tom can drive us on to greater things. We are also very well served by an excellent first aid officer in Susan Smith who has given freely of her services over the years,” said Geraldine.
Continued Best Wishes To Ballyhaise GAA In 2013 From
O’Neill’s Scanning & AI Service ALL ASPECTS OF FERTILITY & PREGNANCY
Telephone: 087 9255217 OR 049 4338033 Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan • Email: info@sligoai.com • www.sligoai.com 210