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Teconnaught and Clonduff to battle
it out this Sunday for Junior Honours
- 04/08/03 The
footballers of Teconnaught & Clonduff will battle it out this Sunday 10th August
at 5.30pm in Kilcoo for the honour of becoming Down Junior champions.
Teconnaught were runners-up last year in this competition so they will be hoping
to go one better this time round.
The Senior and intermediate championship
semi-finals are also up for decision this week with some cracking games on offer.
Fixtures:
Thursday 7th August 8pm, Senior semi-final
(Hilltown)
Castlewellan v Bryansford (J.A. Gribben)
Friday 8th August 7.30pm,
Intermediate semi-final
(Newcastle) Downpatrick v Ballymartin (Shane Lowey)
Saturday 9th August 7.30pm
Senior semi-final
(Downpatrick)
Bosco v Bredagh (Gavin Corrigan)
Intermediate Semi-final
(Dromara)
Bright v Tullylish (Ned Morgan)
Sunday 10th August
Junior
Final, 5.30pm
(Kilcoo) Teconnaught v Clonduff (Eugene O'Hare)
Teconnaught
- a little history:
Teconnaught came into existence in 2001 thanks to
the efforts of current manager Hugh Murnin. Their first training session was enough
to convince the Teconnaught stalwart that Ladies football was here to stay. The
girls gave the commitment and showed the enthusiasm that would eventually lead
to them becoming a team of well-rounded footballers. Teconnaught joined the Down
Junior League in 2002 and faired very well in their first season of competitive
football. 2002 also brought on board Tony Brennan, who has a wealth of experience
in both playing and training techniques, which has benefited the team as they
continue their development.
In 2002 Teconnaught reached the Junior championship
final losing at the final hurdle to Ballymartin. Although they were beaten finalists,
they found this match a great learning experience, one they can now draw upon
as they head into their 2nd final in two years. A fantastic achievement for the
east Down girls. Teconnaught are a young team that get better every time they
step out onto the field of play, very skilful with great maturity. They will feel
confident as Sunday's decider approaches and they will make Clonduff fight hard
if they are to take the Murray cup from their grasp in 2003.
Team captain
Odette Clarke, has high hopes for her team and we all look forward to a great
final.
Clonduff Ladies
Clonduff Ladies was founded at the
end of the 2001 season and they started training for the new season with a panel
of 25 girls. In the Junior League they finished joint third. In the Championship
they were beaten by four points by Ballymartin the eventual County winners. The
current season started with 34 girls in training and for any game or training
session 25 or 26 girls are in attendance. They are undefeated, as yet, in this
year's Junior League. However, their mentors have ensured that they do not take
anything for granted. The girls have trained hard since January, at least twice
a week, and the players are rotated to keep everyone on their toes.
The
mentors are John Anthony Gribben (who was a sideline official in the recent Wexford
v Antrim Hurling Quarter Final) and whose daughter Onagh was the prime mover in
the founding of the team; Johnny McAleavy (former Clonduff and Down goalkeeper);
Stephen Branagan (Clonduff Senior Player) and Austin Ward who lines out for the
Clonduff Thirds. The panellists' range in age from 13 to 26 and consist of multiple
family members and in many cases, names which are synonymous with Clonduff.
The complete panel for the Championship is:
Onagh, Karen, Paula and Andrea
Gribben (John Anthony's girls); Christine and Jolene Branagan (their five brothers
are currently involved in Clonduff football); Lisa Parr (brother is Senior Goalkeeper);
(Andrea and Lisa danced in All Ireland Scór Sinsear finals in 2003); Lorraine
Maginn (brother also plays for Clonduff), the McPolin sisters - Colleen, Angeline
and Olivia; cousins Colleen and Siobhan McShane; another set of cousins Bridget,
Rita and Maureen Kearney; Michelle McPolin (4 brothers play for Clonduff teams);
Janine Branagan (also an excellent Set Dancer); Fionnuala Walls, Jackie Gilmore,
Grainne Brogan, Sarah Devlin, Caroline McCumiskey (father on Championship winning
team with Clonduff in 1980 and is currently a Down selector); Sarah Grant (father
also on successful 1980 team); sisters Paula and Noleen Cairns; two other sets
of sisters Marina and Linda Gilmore and Marie and Leona McParlan; Louise Savage,
Lucia Morgan (brothers are former players), Sara-Louise Carr (a surname synonymous
with Clonduff football for the last two decades); Maria Wilson and Bridget Morgan.
Karen Gribben, Lorraine Maginn and Christine Branagan were selected to
train with the County Senior team while Karen, Louise Savage, Jolene Branagan
and Michelle McPolin played for the County Minors. Some of the girls have already
experienced a County final during the current season, Karen, Onagh, Fionnuala,
Lorraine and Christine played for Clonduff in the Senior Camogie Final last month.
Karen and Lorraine were also on the County Senior Camogie team whilst Jolene and
Michelle were on the Minor Camogie team. Sara-Louise Carr and Paula Gribben lined
out for the County U14 Camogs.
Clonduff Ladies are obviously a talented
bunch but they are keeping their feet firmly on the ground for next Sunday's final.
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