•      Adoption of Standing Orders

•      Minutes of 42nd A.G.M.

•      Secretary’s Report

•      Treasurer’s Report

•      Chairman’s Address

•      Election of Officers

•      Motions

•      A.O.B

Good evening Ballinteer St. Johns Members, I would like to thank everyone present for coming to the AGM this year please take a seat.

Before we start I want to notify all mentors, I asked every one of you to send me your results on how you teams performed over the year with your team. You did. We had a demo run of presenting the data at the ARAS the other night, and I think there were 127 slides. So we'd be here till midnight if we went through all of them.

There are some paper copies available and the results can be found on ClubsZapp for those with access to the App.

I’ll start first with the adoption of Standing Orders followed by a synopsis of last years AGM minutes followed by the secretary's report you can follow it on the slides or the full version is on ClubZapp or the paper copy if anyone wants a paper copy at the end of the AGM.

 

Standing Orders

•         The proposer of a motion or an amendment thereof may speak for 3 minutes

•         A member speaking on a motion or an amendment may not exceed 3 minutes

•         The proposer of a motion or an amendment may speak for a second time for 5 minutes, before a vote is taken. No other member may speak a second time.

•         The Chairman decides on when to call on a proposer to reply, after which a vote must be taken

•         A member may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that a motion be now put, after which, when the proposer has spoken, a vote must be taken

 

 

•      Mr Chairman 2024 has been a very positive year on and off the pitch, With nearly four thousand members we have 165 teams in four codes and have added the G4MO’s, All Scars Hurling and BSJ Social Camogie teams to our ranks seeing the average participation age in the club rise. With the rise in participation comes the demand for pitches and training facilities.

•      Pitch 2 in Marlay is a treasured asset which we must protect, it will be out of action in May 2025 as DLRCC plan aeration maintenance of the pitch.

Our pitch committee are working well keeping the pitches lined and repaired, they do their best to facilitate every team’s requests, I’d ask for all mentors to be patient when dealing with our volunteers.

We have a pitch lining rota which sees volunteers from each group line their pitch once a month on rotation, if you’re a mentor please ensure you lend a hand.

Our shop continues to trade successfully thanks to Barbara, Sinead, Roisin and Sandra.

The bar is open every night with Monday night bingo and Thursday night lotto being popular and necessary money earners for the club. The Executive met with Maurice O’ Connell & Eamonn Naughton in October both gave a very interesting insight into how fund raising is progressing and how the club can do more to help with supporting The Lotto and Bingo, both Eamonn and Maurice’s teams deserve special recognition for the work they do, the club couldn’t function without these volunteers, I request that you all support the lotto as without it we cannot function.

Anthony O’Connor’s vision was to create a meeting room in Áras Na nÓg, this was completed in

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September with the executive holding its first meeting on 15    October. Credit must go to McCabe

Construction for completing the project and JJ Duffy as Foreman assisted by Noel Corcoran, Kieran Brennan, Gerry O’Donnell, Brian Goggins and Gerry Watchorn as volunteers upgrading the exterior of the Áras, it’s a great sight to see lights on in the Áras in mid-winter as meetings are held regularly now. The Marlay Concerts were very well supported by club members this year, volunteers also scanned tickets at several venues around the country bringing in much needed funds to help run the club.

I thank all volunteers who gave their time to help direct concert goers in and out of our parish.

The one message I must impress upon all is the need for volunteers throughout the club and at all levels and on all committees.

We can provide training where necessary, but we need people to volunteer throughout the club. We need referees, the referee situation is at crisis level in the county and clubs have been asked to provide one referee for every two teams. Training now takes place on the southside of Dublin, so anyone wishing to pick up a whistle will be supported by the club.

As 2024 draws to a close I want to thank all members for putting up with my constant demands, emails and requests for action, if you lifted a hand to help out this year, I commend you, without you this club would not function.

I’d like to thank a special bunch of lads and ladies the pitch lining crew, especially Darren Hedden, Tony Scanlon, Kieran Duffy, Stephen Ryan, Dermot Stephenson, Barry Farrelly, Derek Oman, Gary Ronagan, Richard McGrath, Michael Nyland, Pat Kennedy, Derek Pouch, Diarmaid Murray, Fran Carroll, Donal Minnock. If I’ve left you out I apologise.

Without you the pitches don’t get lined or repaired, and training will be given for the new pitch layouts

with the new rules being implemented next year.

Thanks to all of my colleagues on the Club Executive, in particular those members of the Executive that are stepping away this year.

Rose Murphy, Peter Byrne and Brian Sutton deserve great credit for running the clubhouse.

Motions

Mr Chairman the club membership voted to implement several motions at last year’s AGM.

One of the motions was the creation of a Club Finance Committee,

The membership of the Finance Committee and its Terms of Reference were agreed by the outgoing Executive.

The primary functions of the Finance Committee are:

1.  To establish a purchase order process for club expenditure including obtaining quotes from 3 different sources where applicable to ensure the club gets value for money.

2.  To maintain the club books and records for the external accountant.

3.  To assist with budgeting processes and sit on various club committees to provide professional guidance to said committees.

4.  To assist the club Chairperson in any other way they see fit.

5.  To oversee the Team Finance funds on behalf of teams who fundraise.

The finance committee is now known by most people involved in the club at committee and mentor levels.

2024 has seen huge buy in from club members as to its function and the purchase order process now runs smoothly.

The second motion was the addition of full members to serve on the executive in accordance with the club constitution rule 7.2,

The executive welcomed Ciaran Mc Cabe and Frank Ward as members this now brings the executive to nineteen members.

 

Mr. Chairman this was considered worthwhile recommendation; we first spoke to the DLRCC park crew informing them BSJGAA were not after their jobs but would take the grass cuttings off the

pitches as we had several ACL injuries reported and were keen to remove and grass cuttings that may cause tripping or slipping to our players. The club purchased a refurbished ride on mower for use in Marlay Park where we cut the grass as close to match time as possible without interfering with

DLRCC’s weekly grass cutting, we also reached out to our colleagues in Leicester Celtic based in Loreto Park, we gave them access to the Loreto Pitch for their mini world cups in exchange for

supplemental grass cutting in Loreto this will continue next year.

Mr Chairman on your recommendation and with your guidance the club undertook to develop a new

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Strategic Plan to take us to our 50  anniversary.

A Strategic Committee has been formed

A strategic review process for the Club commenced during the year. The purpose of the review is to plan the medium/long term direction for the Club.

The review is titled 'Forward to 50' and reflecting that the Club will reach its fiftieth anniversary in 2032.

A committee was appointed consisting of Gerry Quinn (Chair), Muireann O'Keeffe, Mairead Scanlon, Conor Dolan, Peadar O'Shea, Shauna Garvin, Enda Nolan, Ben Hanlon

The committee adopted the GAA Club Planning Programme in undertaking the work and has undertaken significant analysis

including local area demographics, local schools' participation, player retention rates and infrastructure inventory. This information was presented to a successful 'Have your Say' club membership evening held on 14 November as was the results of the Have your Say survey conducted in late October.

The feedback received from members will be used to inform the next stage of the process where key focus areas will be worked on leading to the development of the strategy. The strategy will then be communicated to members hopefully by mid 2025.

Particular thanks to all those who completed the survey and also those who attended on the night. Forward to 50!

The Executive received a third recommendation

Mr. Chairman over the last year a team of club members have come together to help with the upkeep and maintenance of the clubhouse and other club facilities.

The works that have been carried out include:

General maintenance of bar and function room

Áras na nÓg changing room converted to a meeting room Áras na nÓg external painting and maintenance.

Maintenance work carried out at the new Glenamuck training facility in preparation for teams training there.

Works completed throughout the clubhouse and grounds Service connections for the coffee pod.

Painting of the changing rooms, toilets, corridors and fire exit stairs. Installation of a state-of-the-art CCTV system in the clubhouse.

New lights in the clubhouse carpark & Gymnasium

A pedestrian friendly access to Marlay Park with boot cleaning facility. Repair to goalmouths in Loreto

Removal of weather damaged goalposts from the Mini all-weather pitch.

Special thanks goes to Aidan Burke, Sarah Davis, Brian Sutton, Shamy Lane, Ciaran Mc Cabe, Darren Hedden and Keogan Electrical.

 

Coffee Dock

Whilst mentioning the maintenance and upgrade of club facilities, the May Bank Holiday saw the

opening of a bespoke coffee pod at the club which has quickly become a vibrant community success.

Situated conveniently on club grounds, the pod offers high-quality McCabes coffee, a selection of

snacks, including fresh baked goods from another local business, Yummilicious, and a welcoming space for members and visitors alike.

This new addition has enhanced the match-day experience, giving supporters a spot to gather, socialize, and enjoy refreshments. Not only does the pod serve as a hub for community connection, but it also

creates a new revenue stream, supporting our activities and contributing to future developments.

Sincere thanks to Keogan Electrical and McCabe Construction & Shane McCann for organising power and water connections.

Danny at Milanos Coffee for providing and maintaining the machines. A huge thank you to the great team running our coffee pod, Anne Keane, Dermot Nutty and Sarah Davis Your hard work and

dedication have made it a warm and welcoming spot for everyone.

 

A Joint application with DLR to build a hurling wall in Marlay Park. This secured just short of €70,000. The facility will be floodlit, and it will be located at the College Road entrance to the park.

A Joint application with Ballinteer Community School was submitted for a grant for the refurbishment of the All-Weather Pitch.

This secured €124,000 on appeal, we will be working closely with the BCS board of management going forward.

An application for the provision and installation of two electric car chargers at the clubhouse secured a grant of approximately €9,000.

Facilities

In June 2024, Ballinteer St Johns secured a multi-year lease on a grass training facility on the

Glenamuck Road, working with Bective Rangers RFC. In September, this was operational after investment on the grass, lighting and clubhouse.

It has been trialled by adult players over the past few months, and usage will be extended in 2025.

I would like to thank Mairead Scanlon, Sinead Clair, Michael Nyland, Enda Nolan and Dermot Nutty for managing this project.

Thanks also goes to Keogan Electrical for the floodlights, SAP for grass cutting and hedge management, GMC & BAM for the civils work they put into this project.

Ballinteer St Johns are engaging with three local primary schools to develop skills walls.

The intention is to develop three skill walls over the next three years which will complement the larger skills wall training facility in Marlay Park.

As proposals and planning permissions are worked and finalised, more details will be shared.

 

Pitches

Mr. Chairman in 2024, great strides were made both on and off the Pitch, I’d like to mention Pitches and Training.

Facilities, With the addition of Glenamuck, we have added additional capacity to facilitate teams training across both winter and summer. In addition, we look forward to furthering the relationship with St Columba’s College in 2025. Their grass pitches provided an excellent overflow for late spring and summer training, and with the upgrade to their AWP (including the installation of floodlights), we see great opportunities for additional winter training space come October 2025.

The net room keypad has removed many headaches, and the lights on both the AWP, JAWP and even Glenamuck are now App controlled, helping us to not only streamline costs by allowing us to programme them and avoid the need for late night trips

However, with the implementation of a Pitch booking and monitoring system by DLR (akin to the one we use) it is going to be

critical that we protect our assets.

The theme for 2025 will very much be one of “Use it, or we will lose it” so all teams will need to support the cause and use all pitches. I ask everyone to listen to Darren Hedden and Tony Scanlon if your group is told to go to Pitch 6 in Marlay or the upper pitch in Broadford please do so.

 

Health Screening

The executive approved a health screening project for young adults which was based on a recommendation from Derbhla Nolan and Rachel Dolan.

A team was put together comprising Derbhla and Rachel along with Sean Lane (Chairman), Louise Hayes and Peadar O’Shea. The team liaised with the Dillon Foundation and set a date in the Diary to

complete the screening. The team chose the minor grade on research done by both Derbhla and Rachel for boys and girls.

The foundation was set up after the sudden death of the famous Tipperary club player. The foundation came to the club on the day with their medical team and ran tests for all of our participants from 9.00 till

5.30. The club sponsored the initiative as part of our wellbeing policy. We as a club received excellent feedback for the initiative from both the participants and their parents.

We would strongly recommend that a Wellbeing Initiative be continued at our minor level across all 4 codes annually.

 

Club Communications

2024 was another busy year for club communication and promotional activities across several areas where the team look to support communication requests across all the teams along with any other day to day requests related to the club operation in addition to specific projects requested by committees and the executive.

In 2024 there was also a transition from Trish McGrath who did a great job in the PRO role to the new PRO John Gillick. Special thanks to Trish for all her support on the transition and also for her ongoing support in the role. The team was joined by club player Josh Bell Curran who is a valuable addition to the team and uses his commercial experience in the role. We are actively looking to expand the team and have another member coming onboard soon.

The key focus in 2024 was the transition and supporting club day to day requests around team activity along with supporting key club projects across areas such as fundraising, concerts club shop, coffee pod and strategic planning and related communications. We have more demand for video related content and have just invested in new audio equipment to support club demand and higher quality content and outputs. We look forward to 2025, no doubt another busy year as the club continues to grow and look to take the club communications forward with a bigger team to support all the activity across the club.

A key project for 2025 will be to upgrade the update the club website.

 

A word from our Players Representative

Ballinteer St. John's provides a service across the board for many people, but central to the club are the players.

It is important our voice is heard on the Executive.

As Players Representative I tried to ensure that playing facilities were up to a standard that gives us the best opportunity to perform on the pitch. From training facilities and pitch maintenance, to schedule

restructures, there is a constant need for improvement and the players voice is vital to this. This year we have also decided to have the Player's Awards Night on January 25th 2025. With

December being a busy time of year for all, it is my hope that this would gather a larger crowd of

players, friends and family to celebrate the year gone by. I hope teams would also use it a social outing for the new season to come.

I would like to thank Colm Fitzpatrick and Belen Swords for helping in the organisation of the night in my absence.

 

Culture and Irish Language

The Irish Committee had a busy year in the club! We were taking part in Fondúireacht Sheosamh Mhic Dhonncha.

This is a support scheme by Glór na nGael and the Gaelic Athletic Association for clubs that want to promote the Irish language. Of course, we already have lots of Gaeilge in the club and Ballinteer area, with the club achieving a bronze medal in 2022.

We wanted to develop that while building on the good work which had already been done.

Amongst other events and initiatives, members of the committee and the club were busy supporting Glór Cheantar Naithí and schools events, including the Scott Scinéir blitz and Pop Up Gaeltacht. We appointed an Irish Youth Officer, Aisling Mac Donncha.

There is Irish language signage hung in the Clubhouse in our famous black and tangerine.

The highlight of the year for us was Culture Night, when the great young band Na Tonnta played as Gaeilge to a huge crowd of members, young and old alike, in the clubhouse!

Although we did not achieve the silver medal from the Foundation this year, we will be adding to the good work that has been done this year to promote the Irish language among our members in the future.

 

Our All Star team continues to grow and develop with over 12 players with special needs participating in the team now. We've had a number of Transition Year students volunteer at each of the training

sessions throughout the year, which has provided a fantastic opportunity for the All Stars to play with their peers as well as learn new skills from them. In June of this year, some of our All Stars represented Ballinteer St Johns for the first time at the 'Féile le Chéile' in Raheny GAA club, where they played a number of matches on the day and even got a photo opportunity with Brian Fenton and Brian Howard! Another key milestone in this year's D,E&I calendar was the Training Takeover initiative that took place on International Women's Day. 13 of our adult camogie and ladies football players were guest mentors at training sessions for some of our underage teams. They led the training sessions, giving our young

players an opportunity to get to know some of our adult players and overall, a great celebration of our female teams.

The focus for 2025, will be setting up a broader DE&I committee to continue to focus our efforts on being an inclusive club and reflecting the diverse community we are based in.

 

A word from our GPRO - Paraic Mc Donald

I am delighted to present my report on Coaching & Games Development in Ballinteer St. Johns to the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the club. The heartbeat of sustained success lies in the hands of our dedicated volunteer coaches, who commit their time and passion to shaping the skills and character of our underage players. Beyond merely running sessions and imparting skills, our coaches serve as mentors, role models and motivators for our budding talent. Their efforts create positive and welcoming environments, fostering the development, learning, growth, and enjoyment of Gaelic Games.

Coach Development, Player Development, and Camps/Games Development Events. Coach Development

Coaches learn through a mixture of Formal Coach Education, Informal opportunities (workshops/seminars/conferences/guest coaches/books /articles), Mentoring, Experiential learning (Reflection) and Communities of Practice.

Formal Courses

Foundation/ICGG courses x 3—approximately 50 coaches have completed the courses, and another 10- 15 have 1-2 modules to complete (76 coaches completed the courses in 2023).

Award 1 Child course (Oct/Nov) – 25 coaches attending.

Transition Year Coaching Course – TY students complete a Theory session on coaching and gain valuable experience in coaching and working with children by assisting with the Sat am Nursery, the BSJ All Stars and the Camps programme.

September 24 group – 26 Coaches, January 25 group – 27 coaches

Dublin County Board programme includes various themed workshops, Award 2 courses, and the DCB Coaching conference. The GAA National Coaching conference also takes place this November in Croke Park. BSJ Coach Development Resource.

This year, I launched the BSJ Coaching “Padlet” an online noticeboard to collate and share all matters of coaching. In time, I hope to build up a rich and varied reservoir of Coaching material both from inside the club and outside. In tandem with the Padlet, I set up a BSJ Coaching WhatsApp, with over 220 coaches joining up to date.

Communities of Practice

CoPs refer to coaches passionate about improving their practice and knowledge. These groups engage in collaborative learning by exchanging ideas, discussing experiences, solving problems, and reflecting on practices.

We have split the underage into five initial groups for these get-togethers: nursery groups, CCC1 Boys, CCC1 Girls, CCC2 Boys, and CCC2 Girls. End-of-year handover meetings and pre-season planning meetings are also included.

 

 

2.  Player Development Nursery programme

The Nursery is the first introduction that many of our players and parents get to BSJ and Gaelic Games. The aim is to give these children and their parents an enjoyable, fun, and learning-rich environment and a positive introduction to Gaelic Games and BSJ. The organisational aim is to set up each year’s group as self-sustaining with a leadership” team recruited from within. By spreading the workload among a group of parents, we hope to encourage more people to help and guard against burnout by taking too much on at the start. New parent coaches are provided with all the support they might need, including planning meetings, sharing resources and templates, and giving coach development opportunities, including workshops and formal offerings. Transition Year students provide weekly coaching assistance; on average, 10-18 TY coaches attend each week. Recruitment of players for the nursery is strongly linked to the primary school’s coaching programme.

Primary Schools Coaching programme

This year, the club invested significantly in supporting our local primary school by appointing a part-time school coach, Jack Morris. In a short time, Jack has made an impressive impact on the regional promotion of Gaelic Games and BSJ. In total, Jack has 10 Primary Schools included in his timetable, and in the main, he concentrates on coaching the junior classes up to 3rd class by introducing FMS (Fundamental Movement Skills) and the skills of Gaelic Games. On a typical week, Jack engages with nearly 700 children (350 boys/350 girls) and approximately 25 teachers. We successfully launched the programme in the club last February, and all the school principals and GAA-involved teachers were invited. I want to

acknowledge the support from the Principals and Teachers in all our schools for Jack and the programme. I want to congratulate Eimear Ní Neachtain and Eimear Máirtín for running the very successful Comórtas Scott Scinéir last June.

Club S&C lead Eoin Moran

Another significant appointment was Eoin Moran as the BSJ part-time S& C lead. At the start of Eoin’s appointment, it was decided to concentrate on the 4 Senior Teams. Eoin designed and ran 2 x weekly Gym sessions for each Senior team and designed periodised pitch conditioning programmes. Teambuilder software was utilised to monitor and help with the programming. Individual programmes were also given to injured and selected development players.

Towards the 2nd half of the year, Eoin also tried to get to some underage teams, including the Minors and ran an Athletic Development camp for U13-U15 players. With better buy-in, this initiative can only help our teams and players compete consistently at the highest level.

3.  Camps & Events

Mini All Irelands 2024 – With a new sponsor on board (Sherry Fitzgerald, thanks to Darren Chambers), the MAI were held again on either side of the June Bank Holiday weekend.

Thanks to the wider MAI organising group, which comprised coaches and mentors from the U6 to U14 groups, for all the work and effort over the weeks leading into the event. Overall we played the following numbers in each code (U6-U12):

Hurling – 326, Camogie – 293                               Boys Football – 395, Girls LF – 321. We had 1,335 entries (+76 from 2023, +6%).

These teams were managed/coached by players from our U12/U13/U14 teams and refereed by a mixture of mentors, Summer Camp coaches and TY students. All players who entered received a t-shirt in their county colours, a Sliothar on the Hurling/Camogie week, and a Football on the Football/Ladies Football week. The Piper led the players out for their last matches last evening, and we had guest appearances by some of our senior players who helped give out the prizes in the previous few days.

 

Camps Programme

The Camp programme is an essential part of any underage development programme. It is a great way to introduce new players to the club, keep our young players active during their school holidays, and give our 16-20-year-old players opportunities to earn some money and develop their coaching skills.

Easter Camp – 210 attendees, 34 coaches Cúl Camp - 205 attended, 33 coaches

2 x BSJ Club Camps – July Camp 189 attended, 30 coaches; August Camp 185 attended, 29 coaches.

I would like to thank Conor Dolan (Cathaoirleach), Enda Nolan (Secretary), and the club’s officers, members, coaches, players, and clubhouse staff for all their help and support during the year. I look forward to working with the incoming committee and developing our coaching aims and objectives in the coming year.

Minor A Ladies

The 2024 season for Minor ladies started in November 2023, with an internal game in Marley with 80+ ladies in attendance…. That set the scene for the season with BSJ entering 4 teams in the league at Minor level for the 1st time!!

The Minor A team competed in a very competitive league Division 2 with the 2006 ladies in particular determined to go one step better than the previous year when a narrow 1 point defeat in the

championship semi final brought an end to their season. The league campaign as expected was hard fought but the team rolled up their sleeves and played some wonderful football to finish 3rd and really boost their confidence for the championship.

Come Autumn, there was no stopping them. A memorable narrow win in Clontarf on a wet and windy

night with Coldplay in Croke park as the backdrop was the catalyst and with the round robin complete it was on to a semi final v TSS. The AWP was packed, the large crowd were treated to a fantastic display from both teams and delighted to see BSJ come out 3-11 to 2-7 winners.

The final was played in Marley with a large crowd in attendance against Lucan who we had already played twice with a 1 point win for either side.

 

The momentum and confidence built up was the driving force behind a whirlwind and dominant display by the ladies on the day, holding Lucan to 1-1 only and playing some wonderful football at the other end to run out 2-13 to 1-1 winners. The “Great Entertainers” as someone had tagged them during the year certainly lived up to their reputation in winning the Div2 Championship which was hugely deserved. A

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1    Minor title for the club since 2012 and only the 2nd time in our history… Roll on senior football!!

 

As always, the Minor B team was a mix of exiting minors, 2006’s and new additions, 2007’s. The team integrated really well. Attendance at training and at games was high. There was high level of intensity at training and maximum effort at games. This was definitely not a social team.

We started off well in the league, beating Bray Emmets and St. Peregrines but were beaten in the remainder of our games.

A one-team club, St. Margeret’s won all their games by a significant margin, and took the league title as a result.

We also had a tough championship. We lost one of our strongest players, 5 minutes into the first game, to injury, which impacted our team for the campaign. We were beaten by Kilmacud Crokes by 2 points in the “fairest” of the games, 5-9 to 4-10, that could have gone either way. The other two teams were one- team clubs Naomh Mearnog and St. Mary’s Saggart and they were too strong for us.

The team was strong going forward and managed to record some strong scores, but found it difficult to cope with the quality of the opponents. Interestingly, we were challenged to a friendly fixture by Cuala B during this time. Cuala B came second in the division below us and wanted to test themselves at the higher level. We beat them comprehensively, which showed we had a strong team, too strong for the division below, yet not strong enough for the division we were in.

 

Camogie

We are very pleased again this year to see the large numbers coming through our Juvenile section and, also with the retention of these players feeding into the Minor and Adult section. The retention of our Juvenile players is especially encouraging in the current climate of emigration that exists for our young adult players, coupled also with the sizeable numbers studying away and BSJ is now one of the largest

camogie clubs in the County with a membership of 838 in the section. The usual issues arose from the congested fixtures schedule issued by the Camogie Board and Ladies Football Boards and while we welcome the introduction of alternate weeks at Juvenile level, an onerous workload continues to be placed on our dual Minor and Adult ladies players.

The feedback from our Juvenile coaches and players to week on/week off has been overwhelmingly positive and we hope to see this implemented by both minor and adult ladies’ codes soon.

Many thanks to our County Board Delegates, John Mercer who represented our Juvenile section, and to our Adult and Minor Mentors also who represented our Adult teams at County Board meetings. Huge thanks also to our Camogie Referee Co-Ordinator, Sighle O’Bric for her fantastic work in 2024.

Thanks also to our camogie section pitch representatives Eoin Walsh (CCC1), John Mercer (CCC2) and Kathy Cullen (Adult/Minor) for the continued work they do to keep our camogie teams on pitches throughout the year despite the many challenges they face.

Finally, thanks also to our Camogie Committee members, Niamh Minogue Jones (CCC1 Chair and Co- ordinator), Trish McGrath (CCC2 Chair) and John Mercer (CCC2 Co-ordinator), Kathy Cullen (Adult and Minor Co-ordinator) and Lorna Doran (Camogie Secretary) for the huge work they do keeping the Camogie section operating, the section couldn’t function without all the work that goes on in the background.

 

Adult Camogie had some challenging times in 2024 and struggled greatly with player numbers and, also with the considerable number of injuries accumulated by our players. Our 2024 Senior squad, who despite losing up to 10 of the starting 15 players from the previous year, greatly impressed with their determination and resilience considering the challenges they faced with numbers. We welcomed some wonderful young players to the team and look forward to following their playing careers next year and in the years that follow. Special thanks to our Captain, Amy Burke and the leadership team within our Senior squad for the tremendous work ethic, tenacity and ambition they showed both on and off the pitch and as a result of this, we will retain Division 1 status in the League in 2025.

We will play Division 2 in the Championship.

We'd also like to congratulate our Senior player, Grace O'Shea, on her success with the Dublin Senior

team this year. Grace continues to shine brightly at both club and county level and is an inspiration to all young players in our club.

Huge thanks also to our outgoing Senior Camogie Management team of Ashling Kennedy, Colm O’Callaghan, Peter O’Shea, Shane Adderley, Kathy Cullen and Lorna Doran for their hard work and commitment in 2024.

Ballinteer St John's Intermediate camogie team competed in the Inter 2 league and Junior 1 championship in 2024.

The club's second adult camogie team was made up of a panel of emerging young players and minors alongside some more experienced players.

The team competed well through a tough league campaign, fulfilling all fixtures and securing its place in the grade for 2025.

John's made it to the semi-final of the Junior 1 championship and in an epic struggle with Thomas Davis A team lost out in extra time by a single score.

The intermediate panel also effectively continued it's role as a testing ground and funnel to prepare players for the senior camogie team, with up to 10 members of this year's seniors having graduated through the intermediate ranks in the past couple of seasons.

The Junior Camogie team as BSJs third camogie team competed bravely in league and championship often facing first/second teams from other clubs. The team never give up and have a good social ethos also demonstrated by often organising their own training sessions ably managed by player Cora

McCarthy who was brilliant) and some nights out together. The team was supported by the minor panel when required for numbers. We were disappointed to lose the shield final having beaten Clann na Gael earlier in the championship. We expect to compete in the same divisions next year.

 

U21’s - Lorna Doran

Our U21s Championship is currently in progress. The squad is made up of our younger Senior,

Intermediate players and also some of our Minor players. A win in our third group stage game puts us in the Shield final against Cuala. We wish the team the very best of luck in the final stages of the

competition!

Special thanks to our Senior and Intermediate players Jenny Andrews, Rachel Dolan, Fiona Hayes and Derbhla Nolan who make up the U21 Management team and also to the ever-present Colm O’Callaghan and Neil Leslie for the continued support they provide to the team.

MINORS – A Year of Growth, Friendship, and Camogie: BSJ Minor A’s Camogie 2024 Season Recap -

Rachel Toher

The 2024 Minor Camogie campaign was a season of new beginnings and exciting challenges for the BSJ Minor A team. For many of the girls, it marked their first step into the Minor grade—a significant milestone as they transitioned from the juvenile section into the adult ranks. The 2024 panel brought

together players from the 2006 and 2007 age groups, creating an exciting mix of talent and

personalities. This blending of two years introduced many new friendships that helped build a strong team spirit throughout the season. Watching the camaraderie grow was as rewarding as any result,

proving that Camogie is about more than just the result. In the league, we experienced mixed fortunes, including some narrow one-point losses against Ballyboden and Lucan. However, a good result against St. Jude’s helped us secure crucial league points and maintain our Division 1 status. These league games also had the benefit of introducing the girls to each other and preparing us for the championship campaign ahead. We competed in the Division 2 Camogie Championship with high expectations. A

hard-fought draw against Fingallians on a wet night after a long trek up the M50 in rush hour traffic showed the girls’ never-say-die attitude. Meanwhile, a thrilling one-point victory over Faughs

demonstrated our composure in tight moments, and a convincing win over St. Brigid’s was a season

highlight, showcasing the team’s hard work and ability to shine when everything clicked. These results secured us a place in the semi-final, where we faced a strong Naomh Barrog side. Despite our best efforts, they proved too powerful on the day and went on to claim the Division 2 Championship title. While the loss was disappointing, reaching the semi-finals in such a competitive division was a fantastic achievement and something to be proud of. This season wouldn’t have been possible without the

dedication and effort of our management teams and FLOs, who supported the girls every step of the way. Their commitment ensured the smooth running of the campaign and helped foster a positive and

supportive environment for the players to thrive in. A heartfelt thank you goes out to each and every one of them for their invaluable contributions. We also wish the 2006 girls the best of luck next year as they move up to join the adult Camogie teams.

We look forward to seeing all they achieve in the future!

Senior Ladies Football

This season we entered three teams at adult level in ladies football. The senior adult team, with the

addition of a number of new players graduating from minor level, came joint third in the league (Div 2) and after a slow start in the championship due to disrupted preparations were unlucky to be beaten by a single point by O’Dwyers, the eventual winners, in the round robin games. They were again very unlucky to be beaten by a point in the shield semi-final. The Junior A team were hit by a number of

injuries early in the season and finished ninth in the league (Div 6) but were unlucky to be beaten by one point in the championship semi-final.

The junior B team with the support of minor players came sixth in the league (Div10) and were beaten in the in the semi-final of the shield.

 

Overall, it was a satisfactory season at adult level as we managed to field three teams and introduce a large number of players to adult football. In the coming season we home to consolidate the progress made and, hopefully, compete for trophies at all levels.

Finally, Ciarán Fitzpatrick and Eoin Tuomey are stepping down after coaching the Junior B team for a number of years. We would like to thank them for their commitment, hard work and cooperation. Gavan Ryle is also stepping down from managing the junior B team and we would, also, like to thank him for his contribution to ladies football in BSJ.

 

CCC1 & CCC2 Boys

Juvenile Boys Football and Hurling U8-U16 Review 2024 Mick Wren Juvenile Boys Chair BSJ2024 has been another busy year on the pitches around Ballinteer for our thriving Juvenile section with well over 800 boys partaking in Gaelic games each weekend.

Our nursery continues to thrive with over 250 boys and girls down in Broadford(2017) and the AWP (2018,2019,2020) each Saturday morning. This year we once again marked the start of the year with the planting of a commemoration tree in

Marlay Park, this year was the turn of our 2018 groups. The 2017 group graduated from our nursery with a special graduation event to mark the occasion in the clubhouse on 24th November.

A major effort has taken place this year in the nursery to help improve the organisational structures

within each group and to recruit and train more parents and coaches to help with the smooth running of things each weekend. We are also grateful to the continued support of many of our transition year

players who give much needed coaching help each weekend.

The Nursery and our juvenile sections are an essential part of our club, and it is vital that they are

continued to be supported by all sections of our club. They are the entry point for new members of our club and the special place where we can help nurture, develop and support each child’s love and interest in Gaelic games.

We once again hosted the now annual U11 Aindriu O hEithir Hurling Blitz in Marlay Park back in May, with visiting teams from Ballygarvan Cork, Cuala, Clonmel, Moycarkey-Borris (Tipperary) and

Commercials. It was a fantastic occasion and one that gets bigger and better every year with feedback from our over 250 visitors overwhelmingly positive. A special thanks to all the 2013 boys and parents who helped pull off a memorable day (and night). We had reason to celebrate in early summer when our U11 boys Hurlers were crowned the Dublin County Champions when representing Marlay Grange in

the Community Games. They went on to be very narrowly beaten in the Leinster Final in July.

This year saw Christy Merriman step down from the role of our Juvenile Boys Referee Coordinator

after 8 long years of service. Diarmaid Murray has taken over in this role. For our CCC2 youth players

playing league hurling and football, we continued to have success on the field. Our U16s won the U16B championship final and Football with our B and C teams performing v well also and reaching their

respective championship finals. Our U15s have had an excellent year with the A Hurlers winning out Division 2 Féile in Dublin before narrowly losing out in the regional finals in Clare. They finished the year staying in Division 1

 

For our CCC2 youth players playing league hurling and football, we continued to have success on the field. Our U16s B’s won the Championship double

both Hurling and Football with our B and C teams performing v well also and reaching their respective championship finals.

Our U15A Footballers won Division 3 and have been promoted to Division 2 for next year.

The U13s have begun life in CCC2 with a good end to season seeing the A teams stay in Division 1 in both Hurling and Football, while U14s competed well in Hurling Division 1 and were unlucky to miss out in Football and got relegated down to Division 2.

June bank holiday saw the U13 Boys host the annual Norry Reynolds Hurling cup in Marlay. The

competition saw visiting teams from Faughs, Greystones, Ratoath, Ballyboden, Cuala, Bray Emmets, St Cocas, Portlaoise and Na Fianna with our A team victorious in the final in front of home support.

We have had strong representation on county development panels for both hurling and football which is a great reflection of the work we are doing in the development of our players for the future.

Our club’s growth year after year is truly remarkable, and I’m continually amazed by the dedication and time that so many of you selflessly give to your teams and committees. Without your commitment as

volunteers, our club would not be able to operate, and I’m in awe of your unwavering dedication.

 

Minor Football A

The Minor A team in division 2 had a slow start to their league campaign as the players adjusted to

coming together. However, after a few games, the team began to gel and developed a winning mindset.

The return of a couple of players from county duties provided a significant boost, increasing

competition for places and driving performance. The team finished the league in 5th place, which is a fair reflection of the season.

In the A Championship group stage, the campaign began with an impressive comeback to secure a draw in the opening game. Unfortunately, the following two matches saw the team miss out on progression, with the top two teams in the group ultimately reaching the final.

Best of luck to all the 2006 players as they move on to their adult football careers!

Minor Football B

The Minor B football team had a really successful league campaign. The team were entered in Div 5

rd

south and finished 3  overall winning 5 of 7 games in the league. There was some strong performances

and great teamwork between the 2006’s and 2007’s. The team came up against an extremely strong Boden team and fought right to the end with Boden winning the game and the league overall. In Championship, the team were drawn in a strong group and unfortunately losing to O’Dwyers by 2 points in their first game who eventually lost in the Championship final to a div 4 team. Very small margins in all 3 games meant the team didn’t progress past the group stage but with both group

qualifying teams losing to the overall Championship group winner.

 

It was great to see the bond created at minor level between the two years and best of luck to the 06’s in adult football and to the 07’s who go at minor again in 2025.

 

Minor Hurling

Playing in Div 1 our first round of the league got off to a great start with a win over Na Fianna. We struggled in our next games against Vincents, Crokes, Boden and Lucan primarily due to player unavailability however this gave others an opportunity to test themselves against top teams which we hoped would stand to them come Championship. As our panel strengthened, we had very competitive games against Raheny and Judes (Championship Finalists) but just came up short on the day. Even though the league was challenging the lads kept their enthusiasm and continued to work on all aspects of their game. Preparation for Championship commenced in early August with challenge game wins over Cuala and Clontarf (who went on to win the Championship). Our group consisted of Na Fianna, Commercials and last year winners Lucan. Our preparation continued to go well however a 2pt defeat to Na Fianna in the 1 st round was very disappointing as we were the better team and luck didn’t go our way on the day. However, this is a very resilient group and bounced back with a very comprehensive win over Commercials who just came up short against Lucan the first day. Our final game was away to Lucan who defeated us badly in the league however the players rose to the challenge and put in by far the best performance of the year. We got off to a great start and led for most of the game but were dealt a hammer blow midway through the 2 nd half by conceding two quick goals to trail by 4pts however the heads didn’t drop and the lads raised their game to another level to win by 2pts in a highly entertaining, skilful and physical match. The result meant that Na Fianna, Lucan and BSJ all finished with 4pts each. As only 2 teams from the group qualified for the quarter finals the scoring difference between the 3 teams came into play and as each team lost/beat each other by 2pts they still couldn’t be separated. The total points scored in each of the games between the 3 then came into play with the result being Lucan – 33pts, Na Fianna – 32pts and BSJ – 31pts. To say the players, mentors, coaches, parents were devasted is an understatement however that’s sport. As many of team that played against Lucan are available next year and on the back of the U16’s winning the B Championship we are looking forward seeing what the group can achieve in 2025.

A special congratulations to Ben O’Mahony, Conor Quinn and Tommy Cullen who were part of the Dublin Minor panel this year and made significant contributions for the Dubs in many of the Championship games. There were many moments for the lads but ones that standout are Ben’s monster point against Kilkenny in Nolan Park to seal the win similarly Tommy’s outrages point when the team badly needed it against Wexford in Parnell Park and Conor the ever-consistent reliable competitive warrior that played all games and never game his opponent an inch.

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who helped out with the group during the year it is much appreciated and a special thanks to senior players Iain O’Heithir and Tom Ahearn who came on board as coaches and contributed enormously.

 

Senior Hurling

Senior Hurling

After a long season which started with a challenge match on February 3 rd at home to Ballyboden St Endas, the curtain came down out in Pairc Mearnog on September 28 th with a 2-point loss against

Naomh Mearnog in the provisional relegation playoff in the Senior 2 Hurling championship. Although it was a disappointing result, the lads put in a huge effort and we had terrific support. Since then, the

format for next year’s Senior Hurling 1 and 2 Championship has been changed to 12-team groups and we will remain in the Senior 2

Championship in 2025.

We had a good start in the AHL2 league with 2 wins and 2 draws which left us in a comfortable position to maintain our AHL2 status for next year. The championship proved to be very competitive and we won 1 match and came out on the wrong side in 3 tight matches with an overall -3 points difference.

In a year of development, we had some former stars back in a squad of predominantly young players and we look forward to the lads bouncing back next year challenging for league and championship honours.

We would like to thank Tom and all the players for their efforts and commitment during the year, our Manager Emmet Carroll, our coaches/selectors John Kelly and Karl O Keefe, our Physio Brian O Rourke, our S&C coach Eoin Moran, our stats team of Ronan Kelly, Jim Lynch & Eric

Graham, Paraic Kennedy for the Video Analysis, Enda O Dwyer and the executive for all their support during the year.

We would also like to thank the Minor management team for their support during the year.

After 2 years with the team Emmet Carroll has stepped down as team manager and we would like to thank Emmet for his leadership, commitment and enthusiasm and wish him all the best for the future.

 

Senior Football

As a management team we have taken time to reflect and it goes without saying that we are taking effective action - it won’t change the fact that we are just so proud of our lads efforts and results in 2024 albeit – it’s bittersweet given what might have been this year but that doesn’t change the reality of what we achieved and only encourages us to go harder.

A 2nd place finish in Division 1 which otherwise would have been a celebration point in itself was severely tempered by a farcical set of tactical postponements which denied us the opportunity to win the league by beating Na Fianna in our home patch. Given we lost just 1 game in the past 2 seasons in Marlay Park it’s fair to say we would have fancied our chances of lifting the title had we gotten the opportunity to - regardless of such disappointment it was an incredible league season and one which we are incredibly satisfied with and had so many special days for the group. We are devastated we didn’t get the chance to win in a league in front of our own supporters but alas it was not to be - there will be another day I assure you and we will use the hurt to fuel our response and do the club proud.

Championship was a little bit deja vu. After the early win against a tricky Sylvesters side who had beaten us deservedly in the league, it was hard to take not to be able to knock out one of the 2 powerhouses of Ballymun and Ballyboden who now have thwarted us twice on the bounce - we would like to think there won’t be a third time but we aren’t naive enough to forget that we are a developing side mixing it with the finest Dublin has to offer.

When you consider Skerries made the drop to Senior B Championship, and we had a very disjointed prep given the unavailability of players for a variety of reasons I think we will consider that while the feeling is somewhere closer to regret than relief. Truthfully though it still fails to change the narrative that we feel we had the tools to do better - that possibly hurts more than not being good enough. Beyond a doubt the biggest challenge we have going into 2025 is whether we can match ambition with that’s steely

determination to put all other distractions to the side - if we can there is no genuinely no limit to where we can take this.

 

Detailed plans are already in train for 2025 - Yes there will be change, progression and plenty of mistakes no doubt but that won’t stop the wave of positivity continuing to force us forward. We will get there we firmly believe - it’s only a case of when.

In the meantime, know we will do our very best to do you proud and advance both the club and it’s players of all ages and codes wherever we can. Thank you so much for your support, kind words and we look forward to seeing you on a sideline or around Ballinteer soon.

“The senior management and players would also like to take this opportunity to offer our sincere thanks and appreciation to all the volunteers that have helped out behind the scenes over the last number of years but no more so than this year when everyone put their shoulder to the wheel to ensure we had mobile flood lights in Loreto for winter training up three times per week until March. The efforts by several club stalwarts including Tom McCabe, Enda Nolan, Kieran Duffy, Gerry O’Donnell, Derek Oman, Dermot Nutty, Darren Hedden and indeed Senior and Intermediate and county players on rotation did not go unnoticed and played a significant part in setting us up for a strong start to the league, which stood to us throughout the rest of the campaign. We would also thank our logistics team including Philip Fitzpatrick, Frank Sweeney and Kevin Carey who were always on hand to help us out on match day. And lastly, we would like to thank a number of people including Kevin Clair, Alan Garvin, Conor Dolan for their selfless support in travelling to opposition games on our behalf.

No senior team can survive without the unwavering support and commitment of many club volunteers behind the scenes”, so thank you.

 

Junior Football

Ballinteer St. John’s Intermediate Footballers: 2024 Season Review The 2024 season was an excellent

one for Ballinteer St. John’s intermediate footballers, who delivered strong performances across both the league and championship campaigns.

Competing in the Dublin GAA Division 4 League, the team played consistently well throughout and came agonisingly close to securing promotion in what proved to be an exceptionally competitive

division. Their league form provided a solid foundation for a championship journey that will be long remembered. In the Junior

A Championship, the team demonstrated their skill, determination, and resilience at every stage.

A highlight of the group stages was the dramatic away victory over Kilmacud Crokes, sealed with a last- minute goal, which demonstrated the team’s ability to thrive under pressure.

This result proved pivotal in building momentum as the championship progressed.

In the final, Ballinteer faced Fingallians and produced a composed and confident performance to claim the Junior A Championship title. The blend of youthful energy and experienced leadership was evident

throughout the season, but particularly in the final, where 8 of the starting 15 were under 20 years of age testament to the club’s strong pipeline of talent. The team’s success was built on unity, hard work, and a shared commitment to the cause. Their defensive organisation, combined with the work rate and

creativity of the midfield and forward lines, were key factors in their success. The experienced players

provided steady leadership throughout the campaign, while younger players stepped up to deliver on the biggest stage, highlighting the depth and promise within the squad.

Credit must also go to the management team of Colm O’Donnell, Aidan Field, Brian Monaghan, Peter O’Curry, and Darren Chambers, who are stepping away after two years in charge. Their dedication and

expertise were instrumental in the team’s development and success. They cultivated a winning mentality while fostering the growth of young players, ensuring the squad is well-positioned to build on this

year’s achievements in the seasons ahead.

 

The BSJ g4mo team came into existence on the 10th June 2022 and it currently has 70 registered players, one coordinator Niamh Minogue Jones and two coaches, Barry Judge & Justin Brennan.

To date we have played numerous matches with teams like BBSE, Foxrock Cabinteely, Ranelagh Gaels and St Jude’s to name a few. Each one of these games has been an inclusive & successful experience for women staying in sport. It should be noted that we are also one of only a few teams that can field 2

teams at any one time.

This year saw our team involved in two major events at this level. We were invited to take part in the National Blitz in September where we had 20 players play 4 matches against other g4mo teams across Ireland. This was a great opportunity to highlight our team and the club on a national front.

In October of this year we were also invited to play in the New York Festival of Football and took 21

players, 3 supporters and two coaches for this transatlantic experience. Of the 35 Irish teams invited we were the only Dublin team in attendance. We played 5 matches and flew the flag for BSJ abroad. We

represented the club well and made connections with both teams here and abroad.

Our next initiative is to establish our own blitz and to make this an annual event to enhance our club community & continue to support women in sport.

 

BSJ Hurling All-Scars 2024

The BSJ Hurling 'All-Scars' group started back in late 2023 with a small group of hurling and camogie mentors who came together on Friday evenings for a casual puck around and a bit of craic. What began as a fun way to blow off steam soon grew into something much bigger.

With a successful recruitment drive earlier this year, we now have a WhatsApp group of over 60 members. Our team is made up of lads from all over the globe, including Australia, England,Spain, and China, with players who’ve never picked up a hurley before, others who stopped playing at a young age, and those who’ve played the game all their lives. This mix creates a vibrant atmosphere of experience, enthusiasm, and fresh energy.

We meet most Friday evenings in Marlay Park or the AWP, continuing to enjoy both the game and the social side of things. Over the year, we’ve had the chance to play challenge games against St. Jude’s, St. Olaf’s, and Kilmacud Crokes. One of the year’s highlights was participating in the St. Jude’s Social Hurling Blitz in June, where we proudly represented the parish. Though our bodies might be slowing down, and the knees about to give up, the competitive streak in the 'All-Scars' was alive and well in many of those games.

Whether it's a laid-back puck around or a spirited challenge, the team thrives on the joy, camaraderie, and competitive spirit of hurling. The team's inclusive atmosphere means new members are always welcome, and whether you're a seasoned player or new to the game, it’s all about enjoying hurling and the connections we make.

In the 'All-Scars,' it's not just about the game—it’s about keeping the spirit of hurling alive, no matter our age!

 

Social Camogie

Social Camogie is an initiative that was started by the Camogie Association which encourages GAA clubs to start up camogie teams aimed at women who wish to participate in sport at a non-competitive level. Similarly to the BSJ Bobcats and the BSJ All Scars, Social Camogie aims to get people

exercising, having fun and making friends all while learning a few skills along the way!

Emma Conlon and Niamh Minogue Jones spearheaded the initiative to start a social camogie team.

The first members to join the social camogie team were members of G4MO along with some friends who were recruited by word of mouth.

Now, coming up to the 2-month mark, the team has an outstanding 43 wonderful and welcoming ladies involved. Although 43 may seem like a lot of people for 1 team, our Social Camogie group is always

looking for new members and are delighted to welcome anyone who wants to have a puc about and a bit of craic!

Going forward, we hope to continue to grow in numbers and keep learning new skills! We hope to see

the Social Camogie initiative take off in more clubs around the country and hopefully, we will be able to organise a few friendly games in the future!

 

We lost some family members over the last year Seamus Hynan father of Jim Hynan, Seamus Devine a Bingo Club mentor, Jenny Carton Sinead Kennedy’s Mother, Niall Mc Dermott a former youth player - Ar Dheis De go raimh a n-anamacha.

Ladies and Gentlemen fellow Ballinteer St Johns club members I would like to thank last year’s executive for working through some difficult times,

I would also like to thank members that have served this club with pride and who will stand down this year these include Trish Mc Grath, Sean Lane, Fearghal Duffy,

Mr Chairman I would like to thank you and the executive members for achieving so much in the short time we have been together; the future will present challenges but if this club works as one, we can

overcome anything.

The Club Treasurer was invited to present the Clubs Accounts and the Treasurers Report. Copies of the accounts were distributed to the AGM Attendees and retrieved at the end of the Treasurer’s report. Th following items were presented

•      Income Breakdown

•      Playing Expenses Breakdown

•      Membership Income vs Playing Expenses

•      Bar Performance Slides

 

 

Chairman’s Address

First of all I would like to thank Anthony O Connor for his advice and assistance in my transition to the Chair of Ballinteer St Johns to see out his remaining term.

But after March, the warm welcome and support that I received from so many of the previous chairs and other officer holders over the years, I can only say it is very much personally appreciative and

humbling.

No more than on the playing pitch, the club is so lucky to have such excellent, talented club Executive. I personally was delighted that Peadar O Shea, agreed to come on board as vice Chair, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to steer the club on safe ground.

My working belief on the executive is summed up best:

Perfection is often the enemy of actions (stolen from Peadar) . Moving forward with imperfections often beats waiting for a flawless solution.

Many of the Club executive I knew and others I did not, but I have to say as a team there was excellent work ethic in our short period. The energy, commitment but overall the love for their, yours and my Club was self-evident and desire to improve Ballinteer St Johns on and off the pitch.

In saying that I know few Club executive members were surprised at when we held meetings Saturday\Sunday Mornings, Friday evenings. But we achieved a lot in short space of time.

At the recent Strategic Review night , where we presented the data garnered to prepare for develop the Strategic Review. Eoin Fitzpatrick, raised the question where is our sporting Ambition, referenced Cuala and the effect positive affect within the community.

Eoin is quite correct to raise the question. But the strategic review undertaken under the direction of the Club Executive, chaired by Gerry Quinn, Mairead Scanlon , Enda Nolan, Muireann O Keefe, Shauna Garvin and Peadar O Shea. Assisted by Pat Coleman and Cliodhna Purdue. We are only at the data gathering stage. We will now be focusing on Key Focus Areas, we need club members to come forward to discuss and develop overall strategic plan that will incorporate Sporting success.

But a recent report by GAA on Economic and Social Value of GAA Games highlights the uniqueness of the GAA, that it promotes not only Sport Objectives but Social and Cultural Objectives.

As we go through the Strategic Review process I believe we will able to address the sporting, social and cultural objectives. But how we organise and are structured as a club going forward will need serious consideration if we are to achieve our objectives and ambitions. We will need experienced and wise people to come forward during the next stage of the Key Focus area.

Key to how we organise is the Volunteers in the club. We awarded Mary Devereux Club person of the

Year, it’s the hidden work that is the gel that unites us all.

 

Michael Hand spoke about Mary Deveraux and the “No Pay No Play” process Mary put in place, he thank her as an unsung hero of the club and thanked her for all her hard work as well as her husband Jim Deveraux.

Darren Chambers thanked Mary Deveraux for her support and knowledge of the rule book during his tenure as chairman and the running of the concerts, she has spent months running the hard tasks of getting volunteers.

 

Peadar O’ Shea thanked Mary for her years of support during his three years as Chairperson. He thanked her for her good nature stating it could have gone to her any year over the last 10.

 

I remember last year the moving of the portable lights down to Loreto for midweek training. Ipswich Town may have Fermanagh`s Kieran McKenna, BBC have Fermanagh`s Adrian Dunbar, but our own Fermanagh man Tom McCabe rode in with his trailer ensured the safe passage of the lights and ensured winter grass training in Loreto.

Those few volunteer hours make a difference. I won`t mention the Cleaning of gutters at the clubhouse from H & S aspect

Also the unseen work done by Brian Sutton, especially when Briam and Seamus Lane brought light into the Gym recently. Brian`s work in relation to the concerts is invaluable to the club and we owe you a great depth of gratitude.

We talk about the Nursery and that its location is window for young children to join our great club. It was great to see JJ and many other who have given selfless service continuing and all down making the Aras an Og looking good and fit for purpose, many of those that were down doing the work were involved in the construction of the Aras in 1994.

It is important that we have looking presentable and usage, will endeavour to keep going in 2025. We must maximise the usage of all our facilities, especially our playing facilities, as we come under increased pressure from DLR with there new booking system. No more so than the back pitch in Marlay.

Equally there is cohort of volunteers who line the pitches, marshalled by the one and only Darren Hedden. What can I say about Darren, but he puts a smile on your face and always been positive, we are lucky to have him. But he assisted by so many, that I won`t list them in fear that I will leave some one out.

As club we do tournaments very well from my observations and also listening to visitors, from having piper for the parade and to the total organisation. Ther three I attended this year, we can be so proud of as a club and especially to the Parents, mentors and players. The Norry Reynolds, Adriu O Heithir and Bernie .

GAA report on Economic and Social Value of GAA, indicated that on average volunteers provided 4.5 hours of their time. Obviously some provide more and some less, each contribution makes a difference. I know the report tried to monetise the value. But I look at it another way and I don`t want to get all deep and fluffy:

 

Adult games between all 4 codes it was mixed bag for the year, from my observations . I first have to commend Colm O Donnell and the Inters winning the Junior A championship Liam O Bhaghaille on winning the Ladies minor football Championship . Junior B under the Gillick Brothers Tony and Johnny in their promotion.

nd          st

Senior Footballers to me had good season 2    on 1 Division, Championship status maintained, there

was belief that could have gone further in the championship. I note of the 16 teams in Division 1 only 8 have won Dublin Championship, that includes Cuala.

Club Executive believe in Kevin Murphy at the helm, I think we have passionate, intelligent coach who will steer our seniors through the new challenges of the new rules.

I believe our leading Referee Seamus Farrell can be our key asset in this regards, it is still disappointing that we have not added number referees, without them can`t have games.

But, I do have open question? Cuala with no owned facilities winning Dublin , Leinster and All Ireland club Championships,

compare it with it Naomh Mearnog great facilities in terms of Clubhouse, Pitches, but are on average well below most of our

senior teams through the 4 codes. What Model works?

Adult Hurling section had challenging year, . I must complement Paraic O Heithir , Breenn McGeary

nd

and Rory Merriman on being player \managers with the 2     Adult team, struggled early in the season

but finished strongly. We met with Ken Sheehan and the Adult Hurling committee, I believe they have excellent plan and personnel in place which will be fruitful 2025.

I know Club Sectary report covers the great work done at underage, I want to note two underage teams.

 

Especially u.16 winning Div 2 in Hurling and Football, Also notable Tony Dillon \Will Lawless maintaining Div 1 status at the expense of Kilmacud. Quick Mention to Eoin Walsh and Sean Lane, working really hard , providing lot of challenge games against quality teams down the country, great foresight and I know will pay dividends.

Ladies Football again had good year in terms of progress and looks like will be playing Division 1 league next year, due to the expansion of the league. I do hope Orlagh Nolan, makes a speedy recovery. But, the flow of players from a successful minor teams and team below, will mean challenges to keep players playing by providing adult teams, for that we need volunteers.

Camogie had challenging year, losing up to 8\9 players off there successful senior 2 championship winning team. Bolstered by strong 2nd team, they maintained there Div 1 status and but drop back to Div 2 Championship in 2025. The 2nd team under the colourful (really its just red\white) Colm O’ Callaghan and Neil Leslie, were unlucky to be beaten in the semi final of the championship. I must mention the Minor Camogie team under the tutelage of Dermot Nutty, not only the guardian of our finances but also master of the hurl. They were beaten by Naomh Barrog team that went on to win the Div 2 Minor Championship.

During the autumn , Trish McGrath who served on the Club Executive and is now stepping way after many years of service, which

I wish to thank you for, brough to our attention the number of underage female players playing multiple games and playing up in adult games. This combined with the number of knee injuries that players who play football and camogie within the club is at unprecedent level. In addition the planned increase in league games approved by Dublin LGFA.

The Club Executive felt a need to act on player welfare, largely due to lack co- operation between LGFA and Camogie in relation to fixtures unlike how the Dublin County Board operate.

I have asked Anthony O Connor, Derbhla Nolan, Belen Swords and Alanah Doran: Derbhla, Belen and Alanah are all players, both Belen and Derbhla know demands on dual players. But importantly, all of them are coming from medical or Science background. They will produce recommendations that I will

hope will advise on best practice in the absence of cooperation between the governing bodies both at county and national. This will ensure that we can advise parent and players of best practice.

Player Welfare is essential not just Children but Adults too. We are fortunate that we have excellent Child Welfare Officer in Cliondhra Purdue. Its essential that all mentors undertake all child welfare courses, ensured that you also take any refresher courses.

Just finally on playing front, I know that Enda has covered much of the success. We cannot sit on our laurels we need to do more work in the schools and Nursery. Competition for young sporting minds is grown and well organised, between soccer, rugby , hockey, basketball. The other sporting bodies are competing with us for talent both in the primary schools and at weekends, camps.

Next year Niamh Minogue Jones and Mick Wren, both are respective voices for CCC1 &2 for girls and boys on the executive,

will be reaching out for more volunteers to support, please give the few hours. They will be assisted by Frankie Ward, who will assist as coaching officer role, especially in football and the new rules.

Speaking of Niamh, I can`t go by without mentioning the Gaelic Mothers and Others, Between Niamh and Muireann on the Executive we get regular updates on games, training trip to New York, I can only say one thing Barry Judge your sainthood is secured!! Now there is social Camogie too, well done Fiona O Donoghue to instigate that .

I will also mention the All Scars, its fair to say none of them are AL Pacino look alikes!!

But to all Mentors, managers , people who puts nets and flags , parents , referees thank you for your contribution.

 

I like to thank Cian Duffy on securing another year down in Good Sheperd and also Enda Nolan on securing or the return of De La Salle School for training. Its welcome addition.

During the year Dermot Nuttty, Darren Chambers assisted in the negotiations with Bective Rangers Rugby Club in securing Glenamuck, its will be welcome addition. Once the adjacent road works are completed, we can possible open it up to the wider membership.

To get Glenamuck in order, as it had not be used for 5 years, Mairead Scanlon, Michael Nyland , Sinead Clare and Enda Nolan undertook this project and I would like to thank you.

To Peadar, Mairead, Sarah and Enda is securing the support of BCS and also getting appeal of grant over the line.

The coffee dock is welcome addition to club, its great to see most of the senior teams training on Saturday morning and hanging around and chatting\mingling. The coffee dock works because of the unseen work of Sarah Davies, Anne Keane and Dermot Nutty. Thank Ciaran McCabe and Shane McCann ensuring the opening of the coffee dock in the spring.

Clubhouse there was some excellent work carried out by the Clubhouse committee chaired by Sarah Davies in 2023\24,

I commend Brian Sutton and Sheamus lane on bring lighting back to the gym.

Clubhouse Bar\Function room. As Dermot and the finance team have outlined the difficulties that Bar is going through.

But it must be put into context, the licenced trade is struggling and our hope is that we are the bottom of the downward cycle, but our target is to minimise lost build to breakeven. If we are still showing significant deficit, we must as a club make hard decisions. We have new bar committee as of September, Anthony Walsh, Fiona Dorgan, Peter O Curry, Ciaran McCabe and PJ Dolan. Hope to improve operations and embark promotion of our facilities. But with club membership in excess of 3000

members and over 150 teams, we showed have ability to trade at least at breakeven. Encourage everyone to show support to your club social facilities. If you have thoughts or idea, please let PJ Dolan know.

I like to thank Cian Duffy on securing another year down in Good Sheperd and also Enda Nolan on securing or the return of De La Salle School for training. Its welcome addition.

During the year Dermot Nuttty, Darren Chambers assisted in the negotiations with Bective Rangers Rugby Club in securing Glenamuck, its will be welcome addition. Once the adjacent road works are completed, we can possible open it up to the wider membership.

To get Glenamuck in order, as it had not be used for 5 years, Mairead Scanlon, Michael Nyland , Sinead Clare and Enda Nolan undertook this project and I would like to thank you.

To Peadar, Mairead, Sarah and Enda is securing the support of BCS and also getting appeal of grant over the line.

The coffee dock is welcome addition to club, its great to see most of the senior teams training on Saturday morning and hanging around and chatting\mingling. The coffee dock works because of the unseen work of Sarah Davies, Anne Keane and Dermot Nutty. Thank Ciaran McCabe and Shane McCann ensuring the opening of the coffee dock in the spring.

Clubhouse there was some excellent work carried out by the Clubhouse committee chaired by Sarah Davies in 2023\24,

I commend Brian Sutton and Sheamus lane on bring lighting back to the gym.

Clubhouse Bar\Function room. As Dermot and the finance team have outlined the difficulties that Bar is going through.

But it must be put into context, the licenced trade is struggling and our hope is that we are the bottom of the downward cycle, but our target is to minmise lost build to breakeven. If we are still showing significant deficit, we must as a club make hard decisions. We have new bar committee as of September, Anthony Walsh, Fiona Dorgan, Peter O Curry, Ciaran McCabe and PJ Dolan. Hope to improve operations and embark promotion of our facilities. But with club membership in excess of 3000 members and over 150 teams, we showed have ability to trade at least at breakeven. Encourage everyone to show support to your club social facilities. If you have thoughts or idea, please let PJ Dolan know.

As mentioned before all large financial and contractual commitments will be brought before for EGM for the members to decide on what course the club wish to travel. At this stage we are so early stage in either negotiations or determining next steps.

Brings me to one area that we need to address both Sponsorship and Fundraising. We need to be better in our relationship with sponsors. Too often we take and neglect the sponsors, albeit some sponsors want to quietly contribute. To Breda Cahill of Centra,

I want to say yes we will do better in 2025, not just Centra but to all our sponsors.

Fundraising we need to start fundraising in earnest and this is not about for what? We need to get the culture of fundraising back into this club. Early in January 2025, the Club Executive will be establishing Fundraising committee. We need participants, with experience and knowledge. If we do nothing else this year but establish this team, it will be serious 1st step.

We are in the 10th year of the Concerts, this has proved vital income stream, the preparation and

organisation is a testament of our “can do attitude”. I particularly want o thank Darren Chambers and he

hope he will pass on our appreciation to the whole team involved. Equally, I like to thank Brian Sutton

who originally opened the door for us to be involved in the concerts and has opened up a 2nd front of revenue generation. Brian, I know you can`t be here tonight, but thank you.

 

I would like to thank Fergal Duffy, who was our player representative, who has gone travelling across the globe and we look forward to your return for the championship. Like to thank Trish McGrath who served not only on this Executive, but for a number of years. She has being immense assistance to Johnny Gillick and continues to play important volunteering role within the club.

Thank you to Lorna Doran, who is stepping down as Camogie Secretary, I know its really a time out and we will soon see you back in the wider club in some role.

Sean Lane is stepping down as Leas Runai and being replaced by Sarah Davies. Sean contribution to the Club Executive, Club and player development has being invaluable over the years\decades. Sean is back assisting Eoin Walsh`s U14, having recently

brought through a highly talented crop of hurlers. You will also see Sean out practicing with his Emma, who captained the 2nd Camogie team to semi – Final. This combined with Saturday morning radio slot on Sunshine Radio. When I see and talk to Sean, I am reminded of the saying

Election of Officers

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Motion 1 – Read By Dermot Nutty

The Executive proposes the following membership increases for 2025: Youth 1: €180 to €210

Youth 2: €120 to €130 Youth 3: €70 no increase Youth 4: €50 no increase All Adult: increase of €30

Student/unwaged: increase of €30 G4MO: increase of €30

Long-term playing: increase of €10 Mentor: increase of €10

Social: increase of €10

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Proposer: Dermot Nutty

A Show of hands from the members present deemed the motion passed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AOB – Questions

Kieran Duffy increasing revenue streams is important but contensious at the moment, are we losing the credibility with them members, He’d prefer to get €190 rather than lose a

permanent member, should we focus more on fund raising. I know what St Judes are getting from Sponsorship it’s a lot more that we are getting. Should we increase the funds for social members and we have 3000 members , more people should be asked to support the lotto. The number contributing to the lotto is low.

Elaine Dolan Spoke about her recent conversations with other club chairpersons all other clubs are faced with the same problems we have and we are not unique, as most club

representatives she has spoken to state they will be increasing fees.

A Club member Paul stated the value his kids get out of coming to the club is priceless an increase of €30 is not going tom hurt him and its money well spent.

Kieran Duffy Spoke again requesting we spend more time and effort applying for grants, by comparison to his home club we are in the half penny place.He’s delighted a fundraising

committee is being set up.

Anthony O’ Connor spoke about fund raising over the last few years and the fact Mary

Deveraux had been recognised for all her had work fund raising over the years, the concert is a hugh fundraiser and does not hit the members for money. , there are also members in

business who provide funds and jerseys for their individual teams. That is a hugh revenue

input with almost €500,000 coming into the club Darren and Mary put in a effort every year to secure these fund. Anthony agrees more funds are always needed but acknowledges that a lot of hard work is being done by people in the club.

Kieran Duffy states we need to broaden our revenue streams. Tom Murphy requested we do something with the Gents toilets

A question from the floor – do we have enough coaches attending the formal courses, Paraic Mc Donald answered this suggesting we could always do with more, We have a strategy with the nursery parents coming in and encouraging them put on the bib and become a mentor, we have 44 coaches who have attended an Award 1 course childs course, Paraic issued a request

for CCC1 & CCC2 mentors to attend an award 1 course 60 mentors stated they would like to attend. An 18 hour course there is a lot involved, we are in a strong position with the numbers coming forward.

 

 

The Chairman closed the Meeting.