At Sunday’s AGM, a request was put out for club personnel to consider taking up the whistle and becoming a referee.
Concepta O’Connor began her report by welcoming everyone to the meeting. She singled out her working relationship with Chairman Freddy McInerney and her predecessor Pat Keogh for ensuring a smooth transition.
In her team reports, Cepta praised the “hard-work and determination” of our U21 hurlers who recorded a “special victory” over Sixmilebridge in the A quarter-final to kick off the year. It was the first win at this grade since 2012 and all players from this panel went on to play adult hurling later in the year.
“They went from inches of relegation to inches of winning a championship” was how O’Connor surmised the campaign of the senior hurlers. She gave huge credit to all involved with the setup and said their SHC quarter-final win over Ballyea “showed the Blues back at their best”. With the Clare Cup Final due to take place in the coming weeks, she remarked that “concluding the Clare Cup in mid-December is no way to promote the game”.
“Overall 2017 was a very positive year for our intermediates as they recorded their most successful championship campaign since 2013”. In chronicling the intermediate year, she added “Some points worth noting with the intermediates; 11 of the seventeen players that featured in their final game played U21 hurling in 2017, Colin Guilfoyle and Cathal Hayes were two more in that bracket prior to their senior call-up. Credit is due to the experienced players such as Eoin ‘Smiley’ McInerney, Pakie McCormack and Paul McInerney who helped out when numbers were tight for League games. John Guilfoyle’s performance as manager is very encouraging and a well-organised Newmarket intermediate side is capable of matching any other team in the grade. A League semi-final and championship quarter-final was reached in 2017, the goal for 2018 is to go bigger and better”.
Looking at the Junior B year, she stated “Having reached league and championship deciders in 2016, matching those exploits was always going to pose a challenge for our Junior B Hurlers”. “It is not easy to come back after losing a county final, that’s what this group did in 2017 and came up just short again. They possess a fighting spirit with a fine blend of youth and experience, here’s hoping they get their reward in 2018. Many thanks to all players on the panel for putting pride in the jersey over the past two years, several of this bunch have given great service to the club and for our young players making the step-up to the grade it is an education. John Hannon and his team of selectors; Seamie, Derek, John & Peter must be applauded for their efforts and assistance”.
Rory McGann taking charge of the Munster Club Final was mentioned, and Cepta underlined the importance of more people volunteering in this capacity, “we couldn’t have games without them”. In concluding she paid tribute to the work being done in the schools calling Liam Clancy one of the “best investments the club has made”, Kenneth Arthur for managing a difficult field roster, those promoting gaelic games at all ages and the maintenance of the pitch.