U13 Footballers & Hurlers visit Bruff, Co. Limerick
It was a unique and worthwhile occasion. Our U13 hurling and football teams joined forces for a most enjoyable expedition to Bruff, County Limerick in late July. Local Superintendent Tom Lundon, mentor with one of our U13 football teams and a former Kilmacud Crokes player, set the games up. Excitement ran high on local streets in the weeks leading up to the games with betting favouring an easy win in hurling for the home team and the reverse result in football. Happily what we got was two very competitive games with the result in both in doubt to the very end. Bruff won out in hurling and Kilmacud had to fight all the way in the football game to ensure honours on the day ended even. The skill levels of our players in both codes was praised as was the manner in which they accepted the referee's decisions and played fairly at all times. The same could equally be said of our opponents.
We travelled from many parts of Erin's Isle to this east Limerick hurling heartland set in verdant countryside, pleasing to the city eye. Apart from the convoy from Dublin people travelled from Wexford, Birr, Galway, Clare and Kerry. Holidays were broken off to be there - a sign of great enthusiasm! Our right half-forward Jack Fagan's grand-parents, Marie and Tom Leane, travelled up from Listowel to see their grandson in action. Setting the tone for a very hospitable day, tea and biscuits were laid on in the impressive hall at the Bruff GAA grounds on our arrival. It is not surprising that Limerick County teams train there given the quality of the facilities and pitch.
Our footballers readied themselves for their game by kicking ball against the excellent dual-purpose practice wall while without much ado our hurlers were in action and perhaps could have done with more time to stretch after the long journey. However when they got to the pace of the game they matched Bruff score for score for most of the hour. The skill level of our hurlers was a surprise to our hosts but not to us - we've been watching them for years after all! Manager Kevin Coakley and mentors Michael Crowley, Michael Culligan, and Brian Geraghty were rightly pleased with their charges' efforts. The return game in September will be interesting when each side should have all absentees back on board.
With less than a half hour interval before the second game our football team comprised those who had not played already, backed up by some weary lads who had, but as we found out everyone was willing to push themselves to the limit. Manager Eamon Keating, back on his native heath, and selector Don O'Shea, stoked up the troops beforehand and Tom Lundon pushed the point home that it was HE who would have to walk the streets of Bruff when WE had all gone home.....!
Mike O' Hara on behalf of Bruff, and another man from Clare, brought all the players together in the middle of the pitch afterwards and gave a gracious speech praising our players and the value of playing different teams from outside their County and the learning that brings. Tom Lundon replied on our behalf and invited Bruff to Kilmacud in September for the next instalment. Our travelling photographer Darragh Hickey took many fine photos of both games as can be seen in this report (many more on view in this gallery). John Finn provided an excellent barbeque and set a very high standard for us to replicate when Bruff visit.
It was great to have games in the middle of the summer - that's the time when hurlers and footballers are really made. Light weekly training has continued and this was the sixth "extra-curricular" football game. Players have enjoyed their football in the relatively good weather. The interest these youngsters have in playing their national games is heartening - long may it last! For the mentors of the various teams different players have been seen in action and given a chance to improve. Not for the first time did we ask ourselves why it is that in Dublin we do not play more games at the optimal time of the year.
Thankfully the weather stayed it's hand for the day. We visited a charming part of our hinterland which we would otherwise never have had the chance to thanks to the ubiquitous reach of the G.A.A. All in all a great day out! We are very grateful to Bruff GAA for the thought, consideration and, dare I say it, professionalism of their organisation and the warmth of the welcome!
Panel: Cian O'Connor, Daniel Coakley, Mikey Crowley, Conor Gowing, Adam O'Neill, Sean Keating, Gavin Sheridan, Eamon Allen. Mark McCallion, Ryan Murphy, Peter Linehan, Francis O'Reilly, Kyle O'Keeffe, Stephen Barr, Robert Cahill, Liam Lundon, Stephen O'Hurley, Andrew McGowan, Ruairi Geraghty, Fintan Jordan, Jack Fagan, Des Dagg, Kevin Culligan, Sayed Rivisi, Andrew Liffey and Sean Ryan
Click on this photo if you'd like to see all of Darragh's pics from both games:
