Contents

• Summer Camp Season Underway
• G4MO Blitz
• Adam Ryan: #ScoilSkillz June Winner
• Stag Bar Helpers Wanted
• Other News
• Meet Paul Maher
• Team News
• Fixtures

Summer Camp Season Underway

The Cúl Camp began this week with 110 children taking part! Anyone interested in coaching or participating in future camps should contact Games Promotion Officer, Thomas

Upcoming Camps:
Multi sports: 15-18th Aug
Club camp: 21-25th Aug

G4MO Blitz

Scoil Sirens debut in the sunshine
Well done to our ‘Scoil Sirens’ Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others team who represented the Club for the first time in a national blitz competition in Athlone GAA on Saturday

Adam Ryan: #ScoilSkillz June Winner

Well done again to Adam Ryan, pictured here with Senior Football Captain Gary Rolls, on winning the June #ScoilSkillz €50 O’Neills voucher! There’s one more voucher to win at the end of August so send your entries to Alan on 085-7182745 or email to scoil.pro.eoc@gmail.com

Stag Bar Helpers Wanted

We can’t guarantee such novelty taps, but it’s not labour-intensive and gives an opportunity to have a chat with other members! Please get in touch if interested in helping out one evening a year

DUBLIN TICKETS

Any members who wish to order tickets for the All Ireland Football Quarter Finals, please send orders to suctickets@gmail.com by 8pm Thursday

PITCH SIDE ADVERTISING

Pitch side advertising is a great opportunity for organisations to raise their profile in the community & in the club, in addition to providing the club with much needed funds. The costs are very reasonable and work out at about 8 EUR per week for a 3 year term.

If you know of a company that might be interested in sponsoring a pitch side banner in Scoil Uí Chonaill grounds Please contact Aidan Mulvey @ 086-1450407 or Killian O’Connell @ 087-2072866 for further information or with potential opportunities.

GOALMOUTHS OFF LIMITS

Work will take place between 31st July and 14th August. Goalmouths will not be available to use during this time.

Meet Paul Maher

How long have you been involved in Scoil Uí Chonaill?
I was first involved in the 1990s as a star player for the Junior Footballers.I left for 20 years before Ronan Murphy dragged me back in with the promise of being a dance legend. No regrets!!

Do you have any nicknames? How do you like to be addressed?
Sir.

Where do you hail from?
Raheny, Dublin.

How did you come to be involved in Scoil?
Brian Kirwan told me I had to play or I would lose my traineeship with his firm!

Briefly describe your Scoil career as a player / mentor / contributor, if any.
Junior footballer with a few games for Intermediates until I was humiliated by Barney Rock. My two boys are now involved, and I’m assistant mentor to under 13s.

What would you say you are most known for within Scoil? i.e. what do people associate you with?
Strictly Scoil Dancing/Soccer Head.

What has been your greatest Scoil moment / achievement?
Raising a lot of much needed money for the Club in Strictly Scoil Dancing .

What is your profession / field of study / passion?
Lawyer.

What are your favourite hobbies outside of GAA?
Greyhound Racing and Soccer and in particular, Everton!

If you could make one addition to Scoil in any way (don’t be restricted by the plausible!), what would it be?
Some of my ideas are controversial so best leave it for another time!

What is your favourite Scoil ‘quirk’?
Keeping the tennis balls from the Tennis Club.

If you close your eyes and envisage Scoil in 10 years, what do you see?
A club twice its current size with teams at all ages and more inner city involvement and a second private pitch.

Finally, if you had to describe yourself as an animal, what would it be and why?
Baloo from the Jungle Book! The why is clear

Team News

Intermediate Hurling

St Kevin’s 1:14 Scoil 2:20

On a muggy Saturday evening our ever improving AHL3 team played away to Kevin’s in Crumlin in yet another MUST win clash. After losing our previous game to Isle’s it was vital we got back to winning ways. As its holiday season a few regulars were abroad and therefore allowed some of the panelists to stake a claim for the first team jersey.

The first half was tight with points being swapped, we fell behind for the first time after 20 minutes, we responded well and were 1 up with 5 to go to half time, Kevins tacked on 3 points without reply and in the last minutes of the first half we drew level with points from Padraig Kinsella & Barry.

The second half started in a blaze of scores, Kevins scored a goal and we were 3 behind for the first time in the game. There was no panic, Ruairi scored a point immediately, then Joe bore down on goal and drove low and hard but unfortunately a fraction wide. 2 points followed from Robert & Ruairi & we were level in less than 5 minutes. To Kevin’s credit they took over and opened a 2 point lead again. So after 15 minutes of the second half we had come back from 3 down to level and find ourselves 2 down again. What followed was a total takeover, every line on the field started to dominate and we scored 2.6 to 0:1 in the last 15 minutes of the game. Padraig Kinsella started the ball rolling when he scored a goal. Points were tacked on by Willo, Barry, Padraig & Eoin O Carroll plus Barry scored a penalty. We ran out comfortable winners on a scoreline of 2:20 to 1:14.

Scorers on the day Barry 1:11, Padraig Kinsella 1:2, Robert & Ruairi 0:2 each, Eoin, Sean & Willo 0:1 each.

We are currently in a play off position with 3 games to go, final 3 are away to Crokes, followed by 2 home games against Towers & Crokes.

#UpScoi

Junior Hurling Championship

Round Towers Lusk 3-10Scoil 1-18 (AET)

It was a balmy Sunday morning in Lusk, north county Dublin for this junior hurling F quarter-final. The pitch was in pristine condition – just ideal for hurling.

On occasion, weather lets you down, a pitch is overgrown, a ref doesn’t turn up or some other such vexation. But on a day like this, the ancient game of hurling and modern day well-organized GAA, collided in all it’s beauty.

Both teams stood in their huddles a minute before the start looking strong and fit but a little nervous. From the minute the sliothar was thrown in by the larger-than-life referee, Scoil got into their stride and knocked over 2 or 3 lovely scores but Lusk were equal to the task and matched Scoil almost point for point playing with a real sense of confidence and urgency on their home pitch.

There was no question that 2 or 3 of the forwards for Lusk knew how to hurl and, while would have benefited from a few more sessions of winter training, this was their patch and they were rolling back the years to give an exhibition of high fielding and striking.

Despite some excellent goal keeping from Podge Kelly and defending from Cian MacDomhnaill, Kevin Farrell and Dara Hoban, Lusk, in the space of 12 minutes before the half time interval, flashed in 3 quality goals – 2 unstoppable shots from their menacing full forward who hailed from Tipp originally and was really enjoying his day.

It’s fair to say that Scoil came in deflated at half time, glad to hear the whistle. But somehow there was a feeling that we hadn’t hurled badly and that there was more in this Scoil team with its combination of youth and experience.

Some strong words were exchanged with the management leaving nobody in any doubt that we all deserved more and better from each other. Intensity was required and, having worked hard to get to the quarter final, and with fellas travelling from as far a field as Galway that very morning to make sure we fielded, all agreed we were going to bring that intensity in the second half.

Nothing spectacular happened as the second half wore on. Kevin Farrell scored a goal, David Kennedy scored a point from play and kept tapping over the frees, Shane Cotter went in full back and decided the Lusk full forward had played enough for the day, Mark Cunningham found some new energy and started to dominate his man, Dave Ryan took to the forward line, Darragh McGrath, Dara Hoban and Tighearnán O’Frighil started to show that, as well as hurl, they could win the race to the ball. Daragh Levins stuck over a free from 70 metres and all round Scoil started to enjoy themselves.

Having not asked the ref for the score at half time for fear the gulf was too big to discuss, after 20 minutes of the second half the ref announced that Lusk were leading by 1! This reporter estimates that Scoil were adrift by 10 points at half time.

Martin Hewitt (Chubsy) began to look more menacing in full forward and as the minutes ticked by both teams traded point for point. Scoil got level through a 65 from David Kennedy and with the clock edging towards full time Mossie O’Connell flashed over a wonderful point that looked like it was going to be enough for scoil to press on and win. Lusk and the referee had a different view. The ball flew down the pitch and with a second soft free in a row given to Lusk, they had a 50 metre free to almost certainly win it. The ball dropped in at crossbar height to be plucked out of the air by Podge Kelly as cool as you like. Full time whistle and we’re into extra time.

Extra time was a nerve-racking affair. Scoil looked controlled and while Lusk went in after the first 10 minutes of extra time leading by a point there was a growing sense that this was to be a Scoil day. In the second half of extra time Aaron Linnane, Darragh Reddy and Caolan Minogue showed great fight and with 2 minutes to go, after a couple of great scores from play and 65s, Scoil looked like we were home – but true to their form Lusk gave one last big push and Scoil scrambled the ball from the 21 metre line under massive pressure from Lusk who felt very hard done by to hear a full time whistle as opposed to being awarded a penalty.

After extra time score: Round Towers Lusk 3-10Scoil Uí Chonaill 1-18 

Team: Podge Kelly, Aaron Linnane, Mark Cunningham, Cian MacDomhnaill, Dara Hoban, Darragh McGrath, Daragh Levins, Shane Cotter, Kevin Farrell, Tighearnán O’Frighil, Darragh Reddy, David Kennedy, Tomás O’Connell, Martin Hewitt, Caolan Minogue. Sub: Dave Ryan.

Scorers: David Kennedy 0-9 (0-8f); Daragh Levins 0-3; Kevin Farrell 1-0; Tighearnán O’Frighil0-2; Tomás O’Connell, Caolan Minogue, Shane Cotter, Dara Hoban 0-1 each.

All credit to Martin Hewitt (Chubsy), Matt Cushen and Tommy Naughton for keeping this team ticking over and getting to this stage.

Semi-final due to be played Sunday 20th August.

#UpScoil

Ladies Football

Scoil 1-9 Raheny 3-9

Ladies narrowly miss out on home Championship semi final after exciting game against Raheny.

The team had already qualified for the Junior B semi final but required a win or a draw in their final group game to secure a home semi final, while Raheny needed a win to advance into the semi finals in their own right. 

Raheny made a strong start to the game, with Dublin forward Siobhan Woods, very much to the fore. Raheny opened the scoring, and maintained the lead with a strong wind at their backs, leaving Scoil trailing 0-9 to 0-3 at halftime. Scoil were perhaps fortunate to be so close at the break, but determined defending from Nicole Rock, Laura O’Reilly and a couple of excellent saves from Hannah Costello in goal kept Scoil within touching distance.

Scoil made a better start to the second half, driven on by surging runs from Aoife De Burca and Naoise Ni Bhroin allowed Scoil to chip away at Raheny’s lead keeping Raheny scoreless for large periods of the second half. A breakaway move from Raheny saw them register their first score of the half, finally breaching Hannah Costello’s goal to extend their lead. Not to be deterred, Scoil with a fine move of their own, saw the ball land into full forward Sophie Gibney who finished well into the top corner to cancel out Raheny’s strike. Scoil again kicked on, with a brilliant display of point taking from Emma Condon (who hit all 9 of Scoil’s points on the night) to bring the sides level with 2 minutes to go. With this however, the Scoil girls were dead on their feet, hard running in tough conditions had really taken it’s toll, which allowed Siobhan Woods to show her class again to set up and score 2 late goals. An unfair reflection on the scoreline, but the performance was was something to be proud of.

Next up is the Junior B Championship Semi Final on Thursday the 3rd of August away to O’Dwyers at 7.30pm.

#UpScoil

Fixtures