PATRICKSWELL GAA CLUB NOTES
INTER-COUNTY HURLING: The club were absolutely delighted with the magnificent All-Ireland victory for Limerick over Waterford. We were especially proud of Cian Lynch, Diarmaid Byrnes, Aaron Gillane, Josh Considine and Jason Gillane. The season delivered an All-Ireland championship, a Munster Championship and National Hurling League title. The future of Limerick hurling is bright.
Congratulations to Eoin Harmon and John Kirby for their role in Limerick’s Minor Championship semi-final victory over Cork. Commiserations to Calvin Carroll, Josh Considine, Jason Gillane and Patrick Kirby for being pipped by Cork in the U-20 Munster Championship semi-final.
CLUB ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: The Club AGM took place online this year in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines. The number of participants was high. The first order of business was to adopt the standing orders and approve the minutes of the 2019 AGM.
Immediately afterwards, Aedin Foley began her Secretary’s Report for the year. She acknowledged the hard work of club members and volunteers throughout the Covid-19 crisis. Ultimately, Patrickswell GAA Club had weathered the storm by sticking together and supporting each other. The Club Social was an excellent start to the year and extremely well organised. She thanked Marty Morrissey for presenting the event, Aidan Tierney for his impersonations and David Punch & his committee for organising the gala evening. Aedin also congratulated the medal winners and award recipients who were honoured during the ceremony.
While “in person” fundraising opportunities were rendered impossible, the club’s finances were bolstered by a number of sources. Membership numbers remained high, owing to the trojan work of Paddy Carrig and Chelsea McCarthy. Online membership is being rolled out in 2021. The Club Limerick Draw membership grew year-on-year and was administered efficiently by Bernard Hayes. While the club lotto was suspended during lockdown, Maurice Fitzgerald, Seamus O’Riordan and Tommy Reidy worked diligently to organise the lotto every week that it ran. The ticket sellers and subscribers were thanked for their ongoing support.
On the facilities development front, the Secretary hailed the removal of the boundary hedge at Pairc Antoin O’Briain as a major step forward. The two tracts of land are now joined together. She thanked Councillor Daniel McSweeney for his contribution to securing a €5,000 Community Enhancement Programme grant to upgrade the bathroom facilities. We have also been chosen as a site for free community broadband by Limerick City and County Council.
The Secretary then delivered a summary of the hurling season. The Senior hurlers defeated Adare and drew with Doon, which propelled them to a County Championship semi-final against Na Piarsaigh. The Caherdavin team were in ruthless mood and ended our interest in the competition. She expressed gratitude to the management team of Ciaran Carey, Natal O’Grady, Declan O’Grady, Damien Gillane, Pat Earls and the medical support of Dr. Dominic Harmon. The Junior hurlers’ season will continue into 2021 as they beat Castletown-Ballyagran in a County quarter-final before Covid-19 interrupted their run. The U-21 hurlers performed admirably and reached a County final, where they were pipped by Doon. The Minor hurlers bowed out in the group stages of the Premier Championship.
The Secretary congratulated Cian Lynch, Diarmaid Byrnes, Aaron Gillane, Josh Considine and Jason Gillane for securing National Hurling League and Munster Championship medals with Limerick. She wished all the players the very best of luck in the upcoming All-Ireland final. In addition, she hoped that the Limerick U-20s and Limerick Minors had favourable results in the Munster Championship over the weekend.
The Juvenile and Camogie clubs returned to action after the first lockdown. The Secretary thanked all the coaches and volunteers for restoring training sessions and organising Winter Training until December. The U-14 camogie girls won a County Championship against Monaleen, while the U-14 boys lost their own County final. The adult club has an excellent relationship with the Juvenile club, Camogie club and Patrickswell National School which has paid dividends. There was no Scor competition during the year as a result of Covid-19.
The Secretary offered her condolences to the families who suffered a bereavement during the year. The GAA community spirit has been remarkable. Credit must be given to Mary Gillane and her team of volunteers who assisted the elderly and vulnerable during the height of the pandemic. In closing her report, the Secretary thanked her fellow Executive Officers (John McDermott and Michael McDermott), the County Board and City Delegates (Michael Joyce and Martin Ryan), Central Council delegate (Paul Foley), Maureen O’Grady and club sponsors Duggan Systems Limited. She is looking forward to working with everyone in 2021.
The next segment was the Treasurer’s Report as outlined by Michael McDermott. He delivered a detailed analysis of the club’s performance and state of affairs for the year under review. While fundraising opportunities have been postponed, the club’s finances are in good health. The key drivers are the “bread and butter” activities like membership, the Club Limerick Draw and the club lotto. In addition, Michael thanked the sponsors at Duggan Systems Limited for their unwavering support and welcomed the grants and donations received. Despite Covid-19 curtailing activity, the usual costs of insurance, affiliations, medical treatment and facilities maintenance had to be met.
The Chairman’s address was given by John McDermott. The Chairman acknowledged the difficult year that Patrickswell and Ireland had suffered under Covid-19. It was a year not to be forgotten. Facilities had been shut down and matches were played behind closed doors. The level of community spirit displayed has been heart-warming and it showed the importance of the club within the community. Reaching another All-Ireland final has been a significant boost to Patrickswell and Limerick, both young & old. John paid tribute to members who had passed away during the year and commended the respect, loyalty, support & hope shown by everyone. He thanked all the players and coaches for the huge commitment they have invested during the season. There was recognition of the work performed by Juvenile and Camogie chairpersons, John Murphy and Shelagh Lynch, respectively. The Winter training sessions have been a great success.
The Chairman thanked Ciaran Carey and his management team for their endeavours over the past two seasons. Between them all, they have given decades of commitment to the club. The committee has big plans to guarantee the club’s future over the coming years, including the field development and significant fundraising to finance it. The sub-committees within the club have been extremely beneficial and share the workload among the membership. All the club’s plans will need support and be feasible. The Chairman wished good fortune to Patrickswell’s five players in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship, four players in the U-20 Munster Championship semi-final and the two players in the Minor Munster Championship semi-final. He finished by thanking John and Bernard Duggan as sponsors, the Secretary, Treasurer, President and committee members.
After the Chairman’s Address, PJ O’Grady briefly spoke in his role as Club President. PJ complimented the Executive officers for running the club so effectively. He was delighted that membership numbers were strong, that finances were under control and that the club was producing talent for Limerick. He observed that it had been a difficult year and offered his condolences to the families of the departed. His wish was to return to matches and stadiums in 2021.
Fr. Mike Cussen lauded the community spirit and wished Limerick every success in the All-Ireland final. Central Council delegate Paul Foley was delighted that Patrickswell had five players on the Limerick panel. It was a great honour for the club. He paid tribute to the three principal officers and thanked our sponsors at Duggan Systems Limited. There was gratitude to John Murphy and to PJ O’Grady for organising & marshalling so many events.