ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC
The 2nd annual Friends of Dublin Hurling Club golf classic took place at Castlewarden Golf and Country Club on a beautiful sunny day on Thursday last. Thirty eight teams participated and we were delighted with the big turnout.
Dublin senior manager, Tommy Naughton, and his selectors Mick O’Riordan, Andy Cunningham and Damien Byrne played. Seven players from the Dublin senior hurling panel also took part- Johnny McCaffrey, John Kelly, David Curtin, Padraig O’Driscoll, John Kelly, Kevin Flynn, Oisin Gough and Stephen Hiney.
The main sponsors of the event were Empire Homes, The Foley Family and Olhausen and we are grateful for their support. Thanks to the clubs that did enter teams and sponsored tees. Some clubs were conspicuous by their absence. A special thanks to Sean Power of Commercials, who succeeded in getting his hurling friends to make up three teams.
The winners on the day were as follows:
- 1st Blackhorse Construction/Colm O’Meara Painting
- 2nd Johnny McCaffrey’s team.
- 3rd Don O’Mahoney’s team
- 4th Dublin Co.Board team.
- 5th Donal Rheinish’s team
Congratulations to all our winners and thanks to all for making it a great day. A special thanks to the Humphrey Kelleher and Tom O’Donnell for manning the desk all day and to Eugene Davey for checking the score cards. Everybody was delighted with the facilities at Castlewarden and we will return there again next year. We signed up thirty new members and Paul McMahon won the 3-volume history of Dublin GAA.
Paul Kelly of Empire Homes, main sponsor of the FODH Golf Classic pictured with Dublin senior hurling captain, Stephen Hiney
Paul Kelly of Empire Homes, main sponsor of the FODH Golf Classic, presenting sponsorship cheque to Michael O Grady, Cathaoirleach Cairde Iomána Átha Cliath
Patron of FODH, Sean Óg Ó Ceallacháin, addressing those present at the presentation of prizes at the recent Golf Classic
- Dublin senior hurling management team at the Golf Classic
- Johnny McCaffrey’s team of Padraig O’Driscoll, David Curtin and John Kelly
- FODH secretary, Humphrey Kelleher with Dubs hurlers Oisín Gough, Stephen Hiney and Kevin Flynn
- WINNERS 2008: The Blackhorse Construction/Colm O’Meara Painting team Maurice Mc Cabe, Mick Phillips, Colm O’Meara, Fergie Boland
A BIG WEEK FOR DUBLIN HURLING TEAMS
Saturday,14th June is a big day for Dublin hurling. The senior team travels to Nowlan Park to take on Wexford in the Leinster semi-final. This is a repeat of last year when the Dubs were unlucky to lose by one point. Dublin had the experience of drawing with Wexford earlier in the league in Wexford Park. The Leinster victory over Westmeath was encouraging. However, Wexford are at their most dangerous when they are written off. The Dublin team will need to play to its full potential to qualify for the Leinster final. What a great day it would be to see Dublin playing Kilkenny in the Leinster final.
Dublin u-21’s had a good win over Laois in the quarter final. Now the team faces a mouth watering clash with Kilkenny in Parnell Park on Wednesday June 18th. This will bring back happy memories of last year’s u-21 final when Dublin defeated Offaly in a classic. Kilkenny are thirsting for revenge and will be very difficult to beat. However, our young team does not fear Kilkenny and it should be a great battle.
Finally, on Sunday June 22nd Dublin minors take on Wexford in the Leinster minor semi-final. This game will probably be at Croke Park. Dublin are the current Leinster minor champions so it would be nice to achieve back to back wins. Wexford believe this is their best minor team in years and will push the Dubs to the limit.
BEST OF LUCK TO THE THREE DUBLIN HURLING TEAMS
SUPPORTERS’ ROLE
Munster rugby team always gives credit to their 16th man for their successes. Hurling supporters in the capital need to get behind our teams in the coming weeks. Hopefully supporters will travel in big numbers to cheer on the Dubs. It would be nice if clubs organised busses for juvenile teams. The players deserve our support. Play your part.
SUPPORTERS BUS TO NOWLAN PARK
Friends of Dublin Hurling are offering your club the opportunity to win €500 towards the cost of running a bus/ buses of juvenile supporters to cheer on the Dubs hurlers in Nowlan Park next Saturday evening. For you chance to avail of this opportunity, just forward details of your arrangements to bring supporters to Kilkenny by e-mail to Michael O’Grady at ogradym@indigo.ie
HURLING CLUB OF THE YEAR
A cheque for €1000 will be presented to the “Hurling Club of the Year” at the second annual Friends of Dublin Hurling Awards ‘Night that will take place in November. Criteria for the selection of the winning will be published shortly.
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MEMBERS DRAW
Sean Kavanagh is the winner of our members draw. He will receive a copy of the History of Dublin GAA.
LEINSTER SUCCESS FOR DUBLIN SCHOOLS TEAMS
The Dublin North juvenile hurling team recently emulated the success of the Dublin senior college’s team when winning the Leinster juvenile “A” hurling title. In the final, the team overcame the might of St Kieran’s College Kilkenny on a score line of 4-12 to 2-9. The Dubs accounted for another Kilkenny stronghold in the semi-final when overcoming Kilkenny CBS. St Kieran’s had reached the final by virtue of a narrow victory over Dublin South in the semi-final.
This success follows on from that of the senior team that won its second Leinster title in March when defeating Kilkenny CBS in the final, only to lose out by the narrowest of margins in the All Ireland semi-final against Thurles CBS. Dublin will enter two combined colleges’ teams into the Leinster “A” competition in 2008/9. Two out of three Leinster “A” hurling titles for Dublin schools’ teams augers well for the future of Dublin hurling.
Well done also to Col Eoin who won the Leinster “B” juvenile hurling title when defeating Col Mhuire Johnstown in the final