Peil na mBan All-Ireland Club 7’s 2019
Peil na mBan All-Ireland Club 7?s 2019
September 21, 2019
Peil na mBan All-Ireland Club 7’s 2019
The Naas players were delighted to receive an invitation to participate in the ALL-Ireland Club 7’s on Saturday 14th September, on the eve of the TG4 All- Ireland Finals . It proved to be a most enjoyable and exciting occasion and the Naas players were the first ever team to represent the club at this prestigious event. The event was co- hosted by Naomh Mearnóg GAA Club in Portmarnock and St Sylvester’s GAA Club in Malahide. The organisation, hospitality and assistance provided - by the respective committees in both clubs should be commended and greatly contributed to the success and enjoyment of the event by players and supporters alike.
The Naas players enjoyed their first taste of the All-Ireland Club 7’s and they thoroughly enjoyed this experience. A sun-drenched Naomh Mearnóg was the ideal setting for this event. Their first group match was against Templemore, representing the Premier County , and this proved to be a very competitive game . This young team Naas team played very well but an early goal for Templemore proved to be the difference in the end. Their next challenge was provided by the Henry Joy Mc Cracken club from Derry. This was another entertaining match played at a hectic pace with the Derry team leading at half time but the Naas players gained the upper hand in the second half but just failed to overcome them. This did not detract from the Naas squad as they continued to exert pressure on the Meath representatives; Summerhill. This game was nip and tuck and Naas were very unlucky to be defeated by a single point which proved costly in the end, depriving them of an opportunity to compete in a three way points shoot out to decide which team would participate in the semi- final. The Naas squad , only numbering nine players on the day , performed very well as playing 7’s demands a phenomenal amount of constant running which was even more exacting in the high temperatures and glorious sunshine on the day. Naas were rewarded for all their immense efforts and saved the best wine till last in their final group match as they won a very important match defeating the group leaders; The Kerry Kingdom Gaels from London . This allowed Templemore to qualify for the semi- final while the other teams had to battle for the second semi-final slot in a points penalty competition. Templemore in turn reached the final of the Intermediate competition which reflected the competitiveness of their group.
The All-Ireland Club 7’s is a unique event which gave the Naas players an opportunity to hone their skills against other clubs from many counties and enjoy the camaraderie and sporting spirit which was very evident on the day .It is also an ideal occasion for the mentors to interact with other management teams and forge new friendships between clubs which allow them to organise challenge matches and bonding team weekends. Naas was the only Kildare club who participated in this event last weekend and the Naas players were truly great ambassadors for their native county. All the players look forward to another opportunity to partake in the competition next year and their experience in 2019 will stand them in good stead .The legs and bodies were tired after the rigors of the day but great memories truly compensated !
Naas : Caitlín Hayes ,Niamh Bergin, Roisín Gallagher, Rachael Corrigan, Aisling Dempsey, Aoife Mc Carthy, Bríona Hoban, Ellen Lynch and Lisa Shaw.