Celebration Night

The club victory celebration dinner was held last Saturday 20^th February in the Hillgrove Hotel, Monaghan and there was an excellent crowd in attendance and it was an amazing and very enjoyable night.  We promised you a party and wow it was a fantastic occasion especially as the Packie Boylan Cup was present alongside the Paul Kerr Cup. It was a great night and the party continued into the wee hours as family and friends gathered to socialise, recognise and acknowledge the magical journey of our senior footballers & team management. Sean McCaffrey was Master of Ceremonies and as always he kept the audience entertained with his witty humor and kept the night flowing at a nice pace and on behalf of the club I would like to sincerely thank Sean for his time. Special guest Sean McKenna, representing Monaghan County Board, presented medals to the victorious panel and it was truly a surreal moment to witness the lads collect their County & Ulster medals. Speaking to Cathal Sheridan after he collected his medal he expressed “I feel good, it’s a wonderful feeling to get my hands on an Ulster Championship medal….it’s one of the highlights of my life.”

Hall of Fame

Congratulations to Ben Duffy who was inducted into our Hall of Fame last Saturday night. Ben has given many decades of sterling service to our club and his contribution and achievements are worthy of recognition and I was delighted to honour a man who has given and continues to give great service to Rockcorry GAA. Thank you Ben for everything you have done for the club.

Player of the Year 

There has been a lot of discussion recently and it’s been a hot topic of debate about who was going to be named player of the year! We have all been blessed to have been part of an incredible journey where every player was honest and they always gave their all and they played their part towards a fantastic season. Picking this year’s recipient was not an easy task because if you take a glance through the panel there were many candidates who stood up and performed courageously throughout the campaign. They all were magnificent from our super shot stopper to our rock-solid defenders who were hardworking and dependable, to our towering midfielders who were dominant and off course our forwards who created endless problems for their opponents they all delivered some incredibly passionate performances that ended with two glorious titles. When you play a team sport you quickly learn that it doesn’t just come down to single player or the best player, it comes down to working as a team and one of the best things about the year was the spirit that was created within the squad and really our strength was our teamwork. Last year (2015) was a magical year and the memories the lads have provided us with will be forever etched in our minds and no doubt will be celebrated and talked about for many years. It has been a special occasion for the club and therefore we (the committee in conjunction with the team management) took the incredible steps to do something very different. We believe it is only fitting and right to honour not only a single player but every single player who contributed towards a fantastic season. That is why this year’s player of the year award went to the whole TEAM.

Special Presentation

A lovely moment last Saturday night occurred when Niall McKeown and Mark Daly, on behalf of the players and the team management, made a special presentation to Ann Carroll who provided and served cups of tea, sandwiches, buns, apple tarts and other delights to the panel after every training session since last September. The lads really appreciated the refreshments especially the homemade buns and no doubt they will be expecting this level of service for the year ahead….keep on baking Mam!

He is the Man!

He is the man, I say he is the man…because at Saturday night’s Celebration Dinner Anthony Clerkin’s name was first out of the hat for the €100 first prize and he kindly donated the money back to the club….what a sound man

Team Management

By now, most of you are probably aware or have heard gossip that last year’s team management involving Mickey Morgan, Jimmy McGeough and Pascal Smyth were ratified at a recent committee meeting to continue manging the senior team for 2016. Speaking to Mickey recently he highlighted that the year ahead will be challenging and demanding and will require hard work from all the players and pointed out that’s its now time to draw a line in the sand and start preparing for the year ahead. I would like to echo those comments and while there are no official fixtures out yet its anticipated that the reserve league starts at the beginning of March with the intermediate league scheduled to start on Sunday 20^th March.

Congratulations

On behalf of everyone at the club I want to extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes to senior footballer Ciaran O’Hart and his wife Julie on the recent birth of their baby girl Clodagh Rose. As the saying goes may she bring you sugar and spice and all things nice.

Mass

The annual Mass for deceased members and friends of our club will be celebrated on Sunday 28th February at St. Mary’s Chapel, Corravacan (11am). Anyone who has suffered a bereavement among family or friends in the last year is especially welcome to attend. If you are unable to attend and would like to have a name included in the Mass please contact myself and I will be pleased to facilitate you.

Start Dates

The start dates for underage competitions have recently been issued and are as follows. The Under 12 football starts on Saturday 19th March for all zones, with a throw in time of 2pm. The Under 12 Spring League Finals are scheduled for Monday 2^nd May. Regarding the Under 14 Football it starts on Saturday 12th March for Divisions 1 & 2, with a throw in time of 2pm. The Under 14 Division 1 & Division 2 Football Championship (Feile) – Quarter Finals start on Monday 4th April with a throw in time of 6:15pm. The Under 14 Divisions 3, 4 & 5 start the football competitions on Saturday 26th March, with a throw in time of 2pm. The Under 16 Football starts on Thursday 31st March for all divisions 1 & 2 and the Under 16 Division 3 start their football competition on Thursday 14th April.

Minor Football League Division 3

The minor football structures were recently published and for the record, we have been placed in Division 3 which comprises 6 teams and is to be played as a double league and clubs include Sean McDermott’s, Tyholland, Doohamlet, Cremartin and Latton. The first round of matches is scheduled for Tuesday 5^th April.

Club Membership

Club membership is now due once again and can be paid to our club Registrar Pat Brannigan. The annual subscription for adults is €20 with all juveniles under the age of 18 costing €5 and any student that can provide a valid student card the membership fee is €5. It is important that ALL players pay their membership as soon as possible otherwise you will not be covered under the GAA insurance scheme. Please note that club membership will close on Wednesday 30^th March 2016.

Deepest Sympathy

On behalf of everyone at the Rockcorry GAA club I would like to extend our sincerest condolences to members of the Morrissey family on the recent passing of Teresa Morrissey (Tipperary). May her gentle souls rest in peace.

Annual Top 4 Lotto Ticket

Don’t forget, you can support the club’s Top 4 lotto by entering for 12 months, 6 month or a 3 month period. To play simply select your four numbers between 1 and 28 complete the form and you need never miss a draw again! Tickets cost €90 for the 12 month option. Your continued support is always much appreciated and we wish you good luck in future draws.

News

If anyone would like to have some news, events or anything at all included in the club notes or advertised on our website then just get in touch on 086-1041165 or email pro.rockcorry.monaghan@gaa.ie