AGM
A healthy attendance assembled in the clubroom on last Friday night for a very productive Annual General Meeting. Prior to the meeting Fr. Pat Greed celebrated Mass for all deceased members of the Kilruane MacDonaghs club in Cloughjordan Church. We remembered Joe Burns, John Heenan, Jim Hensey, Kevin Gaynor, Sean Hyland, Sean McLoughney, Paddy ‘Scholar’ O’Meara and John Ryan who passed to their eternal reward during 2018. In their report, which was distributed to all present, secretary Mary McLoughney and assistant secretary Gilbert Williams gave a comprehensive review of a very successful season. Accountant Kevin O’Brien presented a detailed financial report on behalf of treasurer John Mulcahy and assistant treasurer Michael Cahill. The accounts showed that the 700 Club was an outstanding success, the number of County Draw subscribers had increased and that the Lotto was holding its own. Kay Cahalan was lauded for her handling of injury claims.
In a well-crafted address chairman Joe Whelan reflected on his first year in office. He welcomed Fr. Pat Greed to the club and sent best wishes to Presidents Tom Cleary and Tom McLoughney who were unable to be present. He congratulated all the successful school, juvenile and adult teams that won a total of six County and eight North titles. He added that it was a tremendous achievement to have three All-Ireland U21 medals and one Munster minor medal come to the parish. Joe thanked our main sponsor Mulcahy Car Sales, Ardcroney for their support and generosity. He expressed his gratitude to all who had helped make 2018 such a memorable year for the club and he urged everybody to put their shoulder to the wheel in 2019.
The nomination process worked very effectively and all positions were filled on the night. Presidents Tom Cleary, Tom McLoughney, Len Gaynor and Fr. Enda Burke; Vice-Presidents Martin O’Meara, Fr. Pat Greed PP, Carmel Daly and Joe McCarthy; Chairman Joe Whelan; Vice-Chairman Michael O’Meara; Secretary Mary McLoughney; Assistant Secretary/PRO Gilbert Williams; Treasurer John Mulcahy; Assistant Treasurer Michael Cahill; Registrar Carmel Daly; Child Welfare Officer Yvonne O’Looney; Injury Claims Officer Kay Cahalan; North & County Board Delegate Gilbert Williams. The adjourned AGM was fixed for Thursday, 10th January at 8.00pm.
Dinner Dance
Ashley Park House is the venue for the Dinner Dance which will be held on Friday, 18th January. Guest of Honour will be Sean Kelly MEP former GAA President (2003-2006). Special guests on the night will be the Kilruane MacDonaghs 1993 U21 hurling team that won the North and County ‘B’ titles. The Dinner Dance committee is finalising the arrangements this week and details will be in next week’s notes.
GAA Quiz
Congratulations to the Ardcroney N.S. Quiz team of Brian O’Meara, Billy O’Brien, Shane Cleary and Michael Cleary who secured third place in the County final of the GAA Primary Schools Quiz in Thurles.
Membership
Membership fees remain the same as 2018: U6, U8 and U10 €10; U12, U14, U16 and U18 €30; players over minor €50 and non-playing adults €30. Subscriptions will be due in January. Players should pay their respective managers and supporters can join with any committee member. Players can only participate in games when membership fee is paid. There is absolutely no exception to this. All paid-up subscribers will receive a specially designed club-membership card. Non-playing adults, who join the club, will be put on text list. Paid-up members can also apply for match tickets.
Antarctic Ice Marathon
Best wishes to Seamus Hennessy who is participating in the 14th Antarctic Ice Marathon at the Union Glacier, Antarctica on Thursday, 13th December. He is heading out to Chile this week to make his final preparations. To date his “Running for Josie Campaign” has raised over €170,000 for Pieta House and Living Links.
Book Launch
Cloughjordan Heritage Volume X will be launched on this Friday, 7th December in the MacDonagh Museum at 8.00pm by Fr. Sean Dwan, Kilruane. There are plenty of GAA related items featured in the book. There are profiles of Tom McLoughney and William Spain, Moanfin. William was the first player to win All-Ireland hurling and football medals. Photographs and match reports of the four county finals won by Ardcroney N.S. this year are also included in the book. The story of the three Dwan brothers from Kilruane who joined the Christian Brothers is also featured. The contribution of Brother Brendan Dwan to the promotion of hurling in Adare and the role he played in the winning of their first county senior title in 2002 is highlighted. Former Kilruane MacDonaghs under 21 hurler Stephen Starr, a journalist, who has reported from war-torn Syria and Turkey writes about his hurling days with MacDonaghs and his work as a journalist around the world.
Coiste na nÓg
The Kilruane MacDonaghs juvenile club would like to thank outgoing chairman Brendan Shanahan (Portroe) for his service to the North Tipperary Coiste na nÓg and congratulate the incoming chairman Joe McCarthy (Toomevara) on his election.
