Boyle GAA Blog ...by Tony Conboy

Thank You:
Boyle GAA wishes to thank the following for their invaluable support of ‘The Walk to Croker’. Tom Commins; Fergal O’Donnell; Tom and Anastasia Maye of Maye’s Bar, Dorset St., Dublin; Pat Burke; Ronan Hever and family with Hillary McCabe of Maynooth GAA; Alan Cooney of Cooney Motors; Adrian McKenna of McKenna Transport; Sean O’Dowd realboyle; The Roscommon Herald, Shannonside Radio; Liam and Mary Clifford for substantial fuel sponsorship; Neil Kennedy of Londis, Boyle; Padraig Langan, Martin Purcell Printing; Shane Kelly, Supervalu; Paul Byrne Signs; Eugene Murphy, Mayor of Roscommon; Ver. Rev. Canon Gerry Hanly; Pat Conroy; Mary Regan; Seamus Nugent. I apologise if anyone is omitted in error and I’d be happy to rectify same. Posted, with appreciation, by Boyle GAA Club Executive and membership.

Monday 8 pm.
Boyle GAA Club extends its deepest sympathy to our Club President, John Joe Nerney and to the Nerney Family, Mockmoyne on the passing of John Joe's wife Agnes. As a mark of respect, all Club activities were suspended at the weekend.
The Club Lotto has been re-scheduled for this Saturday night in Wynne's Bar with Team ‘A’ in charge. The jackpot will be €4,500.
The National Automation Limited U21 team will play Clan na Gael in the Abbey Park on Bank Holiday Monday next 31st October at 2pm. Their postponed game with Padraig Pearses will be re-fixed for the coming weeks.
The National Automation Limited Minors are still waiting the fixing of their Division 1 League Semi Final.
The Cooney Motors/ Cooney's Centra juniors are also waiting the playing of their final round game in the Tansey Cup versus Creggs-see fixtures.
The McGovern Directional Drilling team is due to face St Barry’s in the semi-final of the Special, North West Championship at the weekend-again check fixtures.
All team managers are advised that the main pitch in the Abbey Park is NOT to be used for games, training or warm-ups until further notice as a consequence of the inclement weather. Consent must be obtained from pitch co-ordinator, Martin Purcell before any use of the pitch.
This Wednesday 26th October is the closing date for entries for Scór Na nOg. The semi finals are scheduled for Elphin on 11th and 12th November. The Club is seeking entries for Set Dancing, Figure Dancing, Instrumental Music, Quiz, Solo Singing, Novelty Act, Ballad Group and Recitation. Entrants must be Under 17 at 1st January 2012. Boyle has participated in a number of those categories in recent years and the Club is anxious that we are represented in all or most of them this year. Those interested in taking part or in seeking more information are asked to contact Martin Dolan at 086 2413529.
Best wishes are extended to Boyle Golf Club which is holding its Centenary Celebrations in St Joseph's Hall on Saturday night.
Sympathy is extended to the Taylor Family, Boyle on the death of William Taylor.

Sunday 23rd at 8.50.
Ladies Club Notes:
U10, U12 and U14 presentation evening this Friday in Abbey Park Clubrooms at 7.00pm, all Managers, players and parents are asked to attend.
Please support Halloween Fancy Dress, Sunday 30th October in St Joseph’s Hall. Doors open at 7pm, Music by Canon Dogs, Mucca and a DJ after. Fancy Dress is not essential but prizes for best dressed. Free drink on arrival, lots of fun and tricks on the night. Tickets €10, available from An Craoibhin, The Railway Bar and committee members. Contact Sharon 086-1953474 or Sinead 086-3797370 for further info….
Fiona Mattimoe
Boyle Ladies PRO

The sympathy of the Club is extended to John Joe Nerney and the Nerney family on the death of John Joe's wife Agnes whose burial takes place tomorrow Monday to Assylinn Cemetery after Mass at 11am in St. Joseph's Church.

Thursday 11.25 pm. The U 21 game v Pearses has been moved to Kilbride at 6.30 on Saturday and is not now in Athleague.
Wed. 19th 11 am. I had a nice email from my friend and former(50s' early 60s') Boyle GAA stawlart Austin Beisty long since domiciled in the exotic sounding address of Babylon (New York). He keeps a sharp eye on Boyle GAA and Boyle itself. Among his comments were:
Hi Tony, Congratulations to the Boyle minor team and their mentors, a long time coming. Hopefully, they will be a foundation for a championship senior team.
A small correction (to my T.C. post below). I always considered O'Malley to be the best. Fr. Dockery (R.I.P.) would be in my top 5 or 6, the others being: Boland, Earley, K. Winston and T. McManus. I consider the 1980 team to be maybe one of Roscommon's best ever.
Slan for Now,
Austin Biesty.
Boyle U 21s’ take on Pearse's in -****Athleague*** changed... on Sat. next at 6.30. Creggs are in the Connacht Junior semi final which has implications for Boyle Juniors. In the North-West Intermediate competition Boyle’s next opponents look to be Tulsk. It’s a shakey competition.
There is a very good pic. of Roscommon players in Oz on the Ros. Herald Sport page 12, this week. Mentioning Oz I see the authorities there are getting very strict with Irish who are overstaying their visas or who cannot prove they did the right thing to get extensions or some such.
There is a general Club Meeting on this Thursday at 9 pm. Mary Clifford will have a comprehensive report from the County Board meeting of last Monday night incl. emphasis on insurance and draining water for periods of frost plus some coaching positions and if clubs wish to recommend managers for the three County teams now seeking managers et al. Gate receipts are well down (€30,000 overall, €13, 000 at the County final) this year for county championship fixtures. Finals are too late with the weather just putting people off in October. A motion could be teased out to have the All-Ireland’s brought forward by perhaps two weeks which would put the onus on inter-county championships to be resolved earlier clearing the way for inter club games.
I’m looking forward to your report Karl!
Monday 4 pm. I have no reports from Roch Hanmore's wedding as of yet.
The following were €20 winners at the most recent Club Lotto draw which was held in Kate Lavins;- Francis Gaffney, Olive and John Filan, Margaret McKenna, John and Olivia Kelly, Adrian McKenna, J.P. Molloy, Mary Moran, Majella Hynes, Michael Beirne (Ballinameen) and Joanne McPhearson. The numbers drawn were: 4/12/22/24. The house prize was won by Barry Harvey. The jackpot wasn’t won and it will stand at €4,500 for next Saturday night’s draw which will be held in Wynnes’ Bar. Team 'A' will be in charge .
It was another week end of mixed results on the playing fields with the Club represented at games in three different locations on Sunday. The O’Connor Auctioneering U16 team lost narrowly to St Croans in the Division 1 League County Final in Elphin, thus failing to make it three in a row U 16 League titles. This team has had a great year in reaching both the Championship and League Finals, but unfortunately they don’t have silverware to show for their hard work. Thanks to the entire panel and to Jonathan and the rest of the management team for their unstinting efforts.
The National Automation Limited U21s drew with Strokestown in Strokestown in their first game in Division 1 of this competition. They will meet Padraig Pearses in their next outing at a neutral venue and under lights on Saturday evening next-see fixtures.
The McGovern Directional Drilling team defeated St Ronans in the first round of the new North West Special Intermediate Championship in the Abbey Park on Sunday. The Cooney Motors/ Cooneys Centra juniors are scheduled to play Creggs in the last round of the Tansey Cup on Sunday-sees fixtures.
The National Automation Limited minors are awaiting a play-off to determine their opponents in the Division 1 League Semi Final.
The will be a full Club meeting in the Clubroom on this Thursday night at 9pm. All members are requested to attend.
Go raibh maith agaibh,
Martin Dolan
P.R.O. Boyle GAA Club
086 2413529
Boyle Ladies are holding a Halloween Fancy Dress Party in St Joseph’s Hall on Sunday 30 October, more details next week.
Fiona.
I attended the Roscommon GAA Supporters Club dinner in Dublin on Saturday evening in Croke Park. We visited the GAA Museum and the Dermot Earley section therein. It is very impressive and interesting and if you are in Dublin and have a couple of hours to spare, you should arrange a visit. Talking of museums and exhibitions one of growing importance is the Derryglad Museum of Charlie Finneran near Brideswell/Curraghboy in South Roscommon. You turn off the main Roscommon/Athlone road at Kiltoom near a prominent pub there, whose name escapes me. Anyway Derryglad is an expanding gem. It is made up of social, farming machinery and other artifacts and a small but very well presented GAA section. I recommend it especially if you are in the area and have a couple of hours. As the ad says tell tell them I sent you!
Getting back to Saturday night the team being honoured was the, in a sense forgotten, Roscommon team of the early sixties. They got to the League Semi-Final of '61 being beaten by Keery in a replay. They won a great Connacht final v Galway but were beaten by a fine Offaly team in the All-Ireland Semi Final. 1962 is remembered as the year of the broken crossbar Connacht Final in Castlebar which is now part of the folklore of Ros. football with the display of Gerry O'Malley. After defeating Cavan in the semi-final they were well beaten by Kerry in the final after and early disabling injury to Gerry O'Malley and a supreme performance by Mick O'Connell.
A number of the team are now deceased including 1. Aidan Brady, 2. Fr. Des Dockery (said by Austin Beisty as probably the finest player he saw playing for Roscommon) 3. John Oliver Moran, 4. Bernie Coyne (just a few months ago). Those present on Saturday evening were: Goalies 5. Mickie Kenny, Oran; 6. Christy Grogan, St. Croan's; full backs, 7. John Lynch, 8. Dickie Beirne,Shannon Gaels, (9. John Joe Breslin absent); half backs, 10. Gerry O'Reilly, Rooskey; 11. Gerry O'Malley (Capt.), St. Brigid's; 12. P.J.Shine, Clann na Gael; 13. Aidan Kelleher, Shanon Gaels; 14. Ronan Creaven with 14. G. Geraghty, Ballintubber; 15. Micheal Shivnan St. Michael's; 16. Tony Whyte, Clann na Gael; 17. John Stafford Kelly, Elphin; 18. Seamus Keane, Creggs; 19/20 Don and Des Feely, St. Brigid's; 21.Tony Kenny and 22. Peter Watson, Clann na Gael; 23. Cyril Mahon, Roscommon Gaels; 24. Brian Mitchell, St. Aidans; 25. Tom Turley and 26. Eamon Curley, Pearses. There was also a Tom Flanagan 27. That is 27 so I have two or so to add. The Supporters Club Roscommon Player of the Year went to Ml. Finneran of St. Dominick's.While Ballinameen won the Ml. Cox Award for best under-age club this year. I presume there will be coverage of the evening in the Roscommon Herald this week. those present from Boyle were Tom Mullaney and the Clifford family. While the President of the Club in Dublin is Bill Corcoran.
On Friday night I attended John Scally's 'Best of the West' awards, faciltated in the County Council Chamber in Roscommon Courthouse. This is the establishemnt of a 'Hall of Fame' in Roscommon. Those honoured this year were John Joe Nerney, Liam Gilmartin, Danny Murray,Donie Shine senior and Gay Sheeran. The 'Guest of Honour' was Donie Shine Jnr. Also present were Mary and Dermot Earley jnr., Charlie Finneran of Derryglad Museum, John Boyle of Goal whose annual fundraiser is the St. Stephen's Dy Walk in Ballintubber.
On Sunday I missed the U 21 draw in Strokestown and the 'seniors' win over St. Ronan's but saw Boyle U 16s' leave the League title behind them in Elphin. I went to Athleague for the County Senior hurling Final in which Four Roads easily overcame Athleague in the second half in a very disappointing show from Athleague whose hurling was of poor quality. (I was sorry to miss Damien Regan's, Walk/Roll/ Run).
(The 'Big Issue' in Roscommon at the moment is the search for a seniror manager also U 21 and minor managers).
So that was a pretty full GAA week end, for the end of season. From November I intend to take a good break from all this apart from special occasions like the Boyle GAA Christmas Quiz which is pencilled in for Wednesday December the 28th in the Hall !