Our U-14 players have given the club plenty to cheer about in recent weeks. They captured the Division 4 Féile title in football, and the club came close to making it a double, just losing out in extra time in the semi-final of the Division 3 Hurling Féile.
The Féile Peil no nÓg (Football) and Féile na nGael (Hurling) provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for U-14 players to excel in Gaelic games against the very best of other teams. Many of the players point to the experience of playing in the Féile competition as one of the most enjoyable of their careers, and those who hold a Féile winning medal are few in number.
Little wonder then that the footballers have been the toast of the club after successfully coming through a series of five tough championship-style games over a weekend to capture the title in early May. Along the way they recorded victories over such powerhouses of football as Ballyboden St Endas and Kilmacud Crokes. Congratulations to the boys and all concerned. Every one of the 24-member squad played his part in this most memorable of achievements; it’s been some years since the club enjoyed a Féile success. They played as a cohesive team throughout, sometimes quite brilliantly, and fully deserved their tremendous success. The celebrations back in the clubhouse were fitting for the occasion.
A few weeks later it was the turn of our U-14 hurlers in the Division 3 Hurling Féile and the club was also proud to be the venue for the qualifying round of matches. Teams from Crumlin, Skerries Harps and Craobh Chiaráin, as well as from Clanns, all played each other to claim a semi-final place. Our lads played with great skill and determination to advance to the semi-final to face St Sylvesters, a higher-ranking Division 2 team, who came through from another qualifying group. This game provided skill and drama all the way, with a late Clanns goal in normal time forcing the game into extra time, only for the host team to lose out narrowly in the end.
Féile Hurling squad: Evan Caulfield, Louis Clarke, Scott Collopy, Ruarí Corrigan, Brian Barron, Des Duggan (captain), Ciarán Hendrick, Conor Hennessy, Aaron Lynch, Niall Madill, Seamus McCann, Cillian McCarthy, Kevin McGrath, Patrick MacNamara, Cian Morgan, Karl Morgan, Colm O’Briain, Colm O’Keeffe, Cian O’Regan, Conor Rimmer, Patrick Whelan, Conor Pugh, James Crowley and Stephen Deering.
Clanna Gael Fontenoy is generously sponsored by Dublin Port Company.
Pictured: Clanns U-14 Football Féile Champions Squad: Shane Gallagher, Des Duggan, Conor Power, Cian O’Regan, Kevin McGrath, Ruairí Corrigan, Donal Byrne, Colm O’Briain, Conor Rimmer, Riain McDonald, Rory O’Kennedy and Evan Downey, Harry Murless, Karl Morgan, Conor Pugh, Cillian McCarthy, Conor Hennessy, Josh Tilson, Evan Caulfield (captain), Rohan Van den Akker, Ciaran Hendrick, Joe Thornton, Patrick McNamara and Patrick Whelan.
By Felix O’Regan
