Lismore Camogie AGM 2017

Lismore Camogie Club AGM Secretaries Report 2017
A Chairde,
 
Ba mhaith liom failte a chur roimh gach duine anseo anocht go dti an cruinniu
bliantuil. Ba mhaith liom failte speisialta a chur roimh na daoine nua.
 
I would like to welcome everyone here tonight to our 2017 Annual General Meeting,
especially those who are joining the Club as members, mentors, committee members
or managers for the first time in 2018. It can seem a bit daunting when tasked with
new responsibilities. However, in my own case at least, I can vouch that the rewards
surpass the work involved.
I apologise if I unintentionally omitted anyone or failed to acknowledge their contribution to Lismore Camogie Club.
I would like to congratulate any of our members that have got married or had children over the past 12 months, I wish you all a happy and healthy future. I would also like to extend my condolences to anyone who has lost a family member or friend in the last 12 months.
 
 ‘Success is where preparation and opportunity meet’. It’s a good
motto for Lismore Camogie Club. We have great coaches who are dedicated and
passionate. We enter as many competitions as we are eligible for and we perform to a
high standard consistently, while working on our weaknesses.
 
As can be seen from the reports below, albeit, all our underage teams may not have won many trophies, a steady rise in the right direction is evident across the board. We see all teams from u14 to u18 reach at least, a county semi-final. Most
importantly, they gained so much experience and each squad improved immensely
through hard work and determination. It was the enthusiasm and positive attitude of
the girls that so impressed the coaching teams. With our Senior Team spear heading this momentum.  Never to be kept down, the teams rose to the occasion time and time again.
 
To follow is my summary of each team throughout the year;
 
U6 – Shauna Prendergast, Noreen Power, Abbie Roche, Chloe Landers indoor
Our u6 girls are the future of this club. Starting indoor training in September, they have played no matches yet as it is all in skill development stages. Number are promising with an average of 24 girls on any given training night.
 
U8 – Nicola Morrissey, Izabela Markiewicz, Linda O Keeffe, Olivia Flynn indoor
Our u8 girls have started to attend some blitz’ and attendance for this age group is bright too. Attendance on average of 26 per training session. The girls have attended a blitz in Ballylooby and they also had the chance to play at half time of the Senior County Final which is so important in the development of the girls and to be able to aspire to their Senior Stars achievements.  They have also been to a blitz in Modeligo and neighbours Ballyduff have travelled over for a game.
 
U10 – Emily Heneghan,
Our u10 girls played blitzes against Modeligo, Cappoquin and St Annes throughout the summer months along with some challenge games. Attendance from January to May was around 13 or 14 girls. Attendance after May dropped significantly but this is probably due to the time of year and holidays.
3rd/4th class indoor– Emma Barry (Shauna O Keeffe helper at time of absence)
3rd/4th class have commenced training since September with a total of around 16 players per session. These girls took part in a very enjoyable blitz in Ballylooby at the end of September. Numbers are since increasing at this age group since the summer months which is a big plus.
 
U12 –JoJo Tobin
These girls played blitzes in Clonea, Lismore and Tallow and practice games with Youghal and Ballybacon before starting into championship where they played away to Tramore, Clonea and Tallow and home to Ballyduff. With varying results they qualified for the B Semi Final but were beaten by Tramore after a great game.
5th/6th class indoor– Shauna Kiernan (helper Alice Russell at times of absence)
 During the late months of the year numbers are low for this age group. With a lot of these girls having played u12 in the first half of the year, perhaps a rethink of structure towards the winter months for this age group.
 
U14 – Trainers Shauna Prendergast and Marie Russell
The u14 squad this year proved to be an extremely young group of girls with many of the girls involved still competing at u12 status. These girls competed in the B grade of Championship for the 2017 season. Training 2 nights a week, there was always a significant turn out even though the panel as a whole was small, at around 18 girls. These girls were very determined and the match that I would note as one of the most successful throughout the playing year was that against local rivals Cappoquin where Lismore battled with sheer determination to hold off the home side and beat them on the day. Both positive attitude and determination and work rate, as spoken of in the opening of my report, was evident in this game. The girls went on to compete in the County Semi Final against Portlaw but fell short on the day to book a place in a County Final. As the panel were so young this season there is a very promising 2018 ahead as the girls will be a year older, with another year experience under their belts.
 
U16 – Declan Landers, Jim Russell, Alice Russell and Pete Kiernan
I would rate the u16 panel the most notable and improved underage team of 2017 as the year progressed. This bunch of girls set out at the beginning of the year losing their first game comprehensively to Modeligo. The girls pushed on and did not let this affect their strategy for the year ahead. Games stopped for over the exam period and commenced once exams were over. The girls gained momentum and began to win games and got stronger with every game going forward. Our girls reached the u16 B County Final where their opponents on the day were Modeligo. This was an absolute exhibition of a game and the girls were only narrowly defeated by a single point on the day. It was a pure testament to the girls and their mentors to come so far from the early stages of the year to County Final day.
I would like to take note of one thing in particular that stood out for me in this group. Mentors invited in Senior Club players to take training sessions at random intervals of the year. This is invaluable to the girls progression and I would hope it will encourage this venerable age group to continue their camogie careers on to Minor and Senior levels. Drop out is at its highest level at this age group so it is important to encourage the girls to drive on and introduce them to the girls they will ultimately be playing side by side with in the future years. This might be a good initiative to take into 2018 and beyond as a driving force and get the Senior girls more actively involved in introducing this age group into the adult ranks of the game. As can be seen in the report, many of our adult players are already taking an active role in the beginner groups of the club which is fantastic.
 
 U18 - Declan Landers, Kate Heneghan, Jim Russell, Alice Russell and Pete Kiernan
Our Minor panel may not have any medals to note success for 2017 but I would rate their success in another way. In the season of 2016, Lismore could not field a Minor team to complete the Championship season. This was noted as a matter of urgency and discussed at year beginning 2017. Lismore could field a panel of players in the season of 2017 and this I would note as a forward step in the right direction. Although obstacles such as clashing fixtures and postponed games proved difficult in 2017 we have begun to address the ongoing difficulties in lining out a Minor team for competition. However, this venture is a work in progress and we as a club, and a future committee, must ensure to provide the correct guidance for our young members of today and make sure we are on an upward spiral for the season of 2018.
 
Junior – JoJo Tobin
Fielding 2 adult club teams for competition is a great achievement held only by 2 clubs in the Waterford Camogie Scene, Lismore Camogie being 1 of these. Many club members choose not to play at Senior level and it is tremendous that we can accommodate these girls with our junior team. This team is also a great stepping stone for players that want to make the transformation to Senior status and provides players with the opportunity to gain more game time. The girls may not have reached knockout stages of the competition but they got to compete and play the game.
 
Senior -  Manger Brendan Landers, Selectors; Geraldine Barry, Kate Heneghan, Physical Trainer; Mark Mc Connell
As you all know, the 2017 season is not yet over for our Senior team as they enter the final stages of preparation for the All Ireland Semi Final on the 28th of January.
This group of players and management team have an impressive 3 out of 3 cups so far this year as they pursue the All-Ireland Club Championship cup. They have the Denny Buckley League Cup, the Senior County Championship cup and the Trixie Twomey Munster intermediate Club Championship cup. It has to be noted that the girls have showed a selection of highly sought after attributes on the road to their success. Having bowed out of Championship in the County Final in 2016, remarks were made throughout the world of Camogie that this team had come to an end of their unbelievable reign of success in the years previous. But this was not the case. Both management and the panel got together and left no stone unturned in the feat to gain back the County Championship and bring it back to the club where it belongs. Huge congratulations must be given to both management, background team and the panel itself and we wish you all every success on the 28th of January in the quest to book a spot in the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Final in Croke Park in March.
 
Mentors and trainers, background team
A would like to extend a sincere thank you to all those who trained teams the past year. I would like to thank you all from the people washing the jerseys to the people to the fore front of activities. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed and it is the trainers that create an environment that leaves an ever-lasting impression on our Camogie players young and the more experienced, as we like to call it!
I would like to give a special word of thanks to Mark Mc Connell for the use of his gym for the Senior Panel this year. Mark is an extremely sought after physical trainer and came on board this year to offer his services. I would also like to congratulate Mark on his appointment of Waterford Senior Camogie Team physical trainer for 2018. This is a testament to all the great work he does.
 
Executive committee and Committee
On behalf of myself I would like to thank everyone on the outgoing committee for all their help and efforts throughout the year. As I have afore mentioned, the club could not run without a committee so thank you all.
 
County board representation
I would like to thank JoJo Tobin and Anne Marie O’ Gorman for their hard work and dedication through all the work they do as Munster delegates. I would like to thank anyone who went to county board meetings throughout the year also.
 
Sponsors
I would like to reach out to all our sponsor in the past 12 months and further back. Thank you so much for all your support we really appreciate everything that you may offer. A special thank you to Mike O Leary of the Red House as our Main sponsor. We appreciate everything you do for us Mike.
I would like to thank Caitriona Ormond for sponsoring any poster and advertising work done throughout the year. Caithriona has offered her services for the coming 2018 season to sponsor any posters required for print.
I would like to also thank Foleys on the Mall for their sponsorship of post-match meals after the Munster final and also to Rose O Dowd for the use of her premises for our annual BBQ. I would also like to thank Laura and Willie Roche for the use of their premises  for raffle ticket selling.
 
Lismore GAA, Tourin GAA, Ballyduff GAA
Thank you to Lismore GAA club, Tourin GAA club and Ballyduff GAA club for the use of their facilities throughout the year. Without the fields, we could not train our girls.
 
Achievements
I would like give a special mention to a few achievements outside of our normal day to day teams.
Firstly, I would like to give mention to all those who represented our club at County level in 2017 and to those that are going on to represent Lismore in 2018 on County Panels.
I would like to congratulate Caithriona Mc Glone on her Grandville Hotel October nomination for sports person of the month. Caithriona was nominated for this award through her courageous performances throughout the County and Munster club championship. I wish Caithriona the very best on the 20th of January in the overall sports person of the year 2017 banquet that will take place in The Grandville Hotel.
I would also like to congratulate Shauna Kiernan who has been granted the honour of captaining the Waterford Senior Camogie Team for the coming season. This is a tremendous achievement and I wish Shauna all the best in her role.
 
The above two players are two of the most outstanding in the country with effortless talent and we here in Lismore Camogie Club are proud to be able to say these girls are the fruit of the hard work, good mentoring and fine commitment that this club have offered in the past years. May it long continue developing our young girls in to fine talent while making lifelong friends in the process.
Thanks to the parents and guardians of all club players that bring the girls to and from training and matches.
Finally, I would like to thank each and every player in the club from u6 to Senior. This is what it is all about and I hope you continue to grow and enjoy participating within the club.
 
As 2017 draws to a close, another chapter opens. I would like to thank everyone that helped promote the game of Camogie in any way over the past 12 months and I wish the incoming committee the very best for 2018.
Le meas
 
Marie Russell
Runai
Lios Mor

The Election of Officers
President Liam Kirby, Frances Whelan and Helen Barry
Vice President Fr. Cullinane
Chairperson Jim Russell
Vice Chair Eilish McGlone
Secretary Marie Russell
Asst. Secretary Ciara Prendergast
Treasurer Olivia Flynn
Asst. Treasurer Una Walsh
Registrar Emily Heneghan
PRO Mary Russell
Child Welfare Officer Sarah Russell
Delegates To County Board Member of Committee on rotation
Liasion to GAA Eddie Nugent
Primary School Liasion Officer Shauna Prendergast
Secondary School Liasion Officer Shauna Kiernan
Committee All of the above plus Sophie Landeres, Kelly Ryan, Izabella Markiezch, Sally Ann O Grady, Pete Kiernan, Breda Geoghegan, Jojo Tobin, Alice Russell, Nicola Morrissey

Registration for 2018
Student/Juvenile €35
Adult €45
Family €60
Social €15