U10 TRIP TO DOUGLAS GAA CLUB, CORK - October 2007
42 U10 footballers accompanied by mentors and family that brought the travelling party to 85 flew down with Ryanair to Cork on Saturday to play a series of friendly fixtures with Douglas U10 footballers, who recently won the U10 Community Games in football. Stiff opposition then for the Clontraf youngsters. A bus picked up the party at 8am on headed for the airport. Flights into Cork were delayed by fog but we managed to arrive close to schedule at around 11.30pm. We were met by a fleet of Garda Community buses that transported us to Douglas GAA Club., with sirens blaring.
The excitement was tremendous so food was forgotten about and it was straight into matches. Both clubs fielded three 14-a-side teams that each played three 20 minutes games. All the matches were close contests and when the dust had settled, Clontarf and Douglas had four wins each with one match drawn. This was a very fine result for Clontarf given the strong opposition and the fact that our team plays under the Go Games format in Dublin, with 9-a-side teams. The matches were played in a great spirit; very competitive but to the highest standards of sportsmanship.
Douglas GAA club is a credit on and off the field. The put on a fantastic spread of food and drink after the games for all the Clontarf party. We certainly were made most welcome and we thanked them most sincerely for their efforts and hospitality. It must be noted that the behaviour of the Clontarf children was exemplary both on and off the field and this was noted by the Douglas club who remarked they would be welcome anytime. We extended an invite to Douglas to visit us in the 'second capital' and suggested we should build links between our two clubs.
We returned by air to Dublin at 7.30pm and all the children were in full voice on the bus on the way back to the club house. They really had a fantastic day, when they bonded even closer together. Our only request is for them to play as well against Dublin clubs as they did against Douglas! Many thanks to the large number of parents who came on the trip, thus making it an easy day for the mentors. Special thanks also to mentors Philip O'Quigley and Pat Davis and parent Howie Millar, whose efforts made it all happen.
Ollie Mangan (U10 mentor)
|