Gaeil Na Sionainne

Firstly I want to welcome you all here to the Club AGM this evening (13th January 2012) and thank you for taking the time to attend. I want to sincerely thank Rosaleen Wynne who acted as Club Secretary from August to November 2011. I don’t think anybody missed me at all while I was away as Rosaleen looked after everything very well.

It is very important to recognise the commitment of the players and management at all grades within the club and once again I want to record the appreciation of the Committee and the general membership of the Club for their efforts.

Senior Team

Our teams represented the club well at all levels during 2011. Although the senior team lost out in this year’s junior Championship semi final, they maintained their division 2 status which is an excellent achievement considering that promotion to division 2 was only achieved in 2010.

I thank Eugene Walsh and Anthony Murray, Ben Cassidy and Eugene McLoughlin for their work with the senior team throughout the year. It is the recommendation of the outgoing committee that they continue with this work and I wish them all the best for the upcoming season.

Ladies Teams

The Under 16 Girls team reached both the league final and championship semi-final but unfortunately they were unlucky on both occasions. Thank you to all those involved for their efforts in 2011 – in particular Anita Maguire, Cathal Maguire and Val McLoughlin.

It was also fantastic to see current players Nevin O’Donnell, Liam O’Reilly along with Ryan Lee assisting with coaching the ladies team. I hope that this work will continue where possible and that more current and past players might be able to give even a small amount of time to coaching within the club for 2012.

Underage

The future of our club depends on the development of our underage players. I wish to sincerely thank all our underage players, their managers, coaches and parents who have facilitated underage football at the club for 2011.

I wish to sincerely thank all the underage team managers.

• U12-John Cassidy and Paddy Nolan
• U14-Sean Flanagan and Stephen Quinn
• U16- Seamus Cullen and Stephen Quinn
• Minor Amalgamation–Eugene McLoughlin

During summer 2011 a VHI Cúl Camp was held in Blacklion. Approximately 40 Children attended the camp in 2011 compared to 70 children 2010, however Camps at other locations had to be cancelled due to lack of numbers and there were lower numbers at many of the other camps also. I thank all the Club members who assisted.

A Blitz for underage players with Cavan U21 and Minor players and the Ulster Cups in attendance took place in August and training was also organised for children on Saturday mornings during the summer months. If we are to keep these important underage training sessions going for 2012 I would encourage anybody in the club interested in coaching or helping out, in particular parents of the children involved and current or past players to please do so.

National & County Team Success

It was a successful year for the Cavan Under 21 team who were victorious in Ulster but lost out in the All Ireland Final. The Senior Ladies team also reached the All Ireland but unfortunately also lost out.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Nevin O’Donnell on his involvement with the Ulster Championship Winning Cavan Minor Team.

Congratulations also to Gemma McLoughlin and Aisling O’Hara for representing Cavan on the Ulster Final winning U14 team and Emer Flanagan and Natasha McLoughlin who represented Cavan on the Ulster Final Winning U16 team.

I apologise if I have left anybody out and we encourage and wish well all players with involvement at county level for 2012.

Our Facilities

Pairc Gael na Sionne continues to be of the highest standard. The training schedules and games of our own teams at all age levels continue to be given top priority, however we were also able to facilitate a number of requests from neighbouring Clubs to use our pitch during 2011. Thank you to Pete Maguire and Tommy McManus once again for ensuring behind the scenes the on-going general maintenance around the pitch and changing rooms.

Thanks also to the Pitch sub-committee for all their work to ensure the facility continues to be at its best and available for all our teams to use on an on-going basis and into the future. A reminder once again to all coaches and team managers of the importance of keeping me, (the secretary of the subcommittee) informed of all games, training sessions, events and any changes to the schedules. This worked well in 2010 and 2011 and hopefully we will again avoid double bookings, congestion and over use of the pitch in 2012 by continuing this process. Please remember if your training session, match, challenge game or any other event is not in the 2012 pitch calendar on the club website then it’s NOT ON.

Glangevlin Pitch

The launch of the Glangevlin pitch will be a priority for 2012. The main works including fencing have now been completed and once the final items such as goal posts, nets etc are in place we look forward to officially opening the facility in the spring and to seeing club teams and members using this facility on a regular basis. St Patrick’s Day

On 17th March 2011, despite efforts being made, the club was not represented in the Blacklion/Belcoo Cross Border St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This was disappointing and volunteers are asked to come forward with ideas and suggestions for 2012 to ensure the club is involved.

The Joe Maguire Memorial Cup

The Joe Maguire Memorial Cup game took place on St. Stephen’s day and was a successful event and well attended. Belcoo were the winners of the game and a cheque for €780 was presented to the Mark McGovern Fund.

Annual Dinner Dance

The Dinner Dance took place on the 5th March 2011 in the Hotel Kilmore in Cavan. The Presentation of medals to the Senior Ladies 2010 Division 3 Shield Winners took place on the night. While it was an enjoyable night for the 60 people who attended it’s not feasible for the future to hold an event such as a dinner dance which such small numbers in attendance. For 2012 it is unlikely a dinner dance will take place given lack of interest. This is disappointing given that its one of the main social events in the Club Calendar. The possibility of a social or other event will need to be discussed by the new committee in due course.

Fundraising

We are all very aware that the on-going operation of every Club requires significant fundraising. It is not a nice job to go out and ask people to financially support the club, particularly in the current economic climate, but if we don’t have funds there can be no club. It is vital that everybody involved with the club play their part, in whatever way they can, to assist with on-going fundraising. Fundraising is going to require a massive effort for 2012 and the club really needs more members to come forward and assist with this work. The Club Treasurer Pauline Murray will give a full financial report. The ongoing support of the club by members and local business is very much appreciated.

The fortnightly lotto continues to be the core of our funding and it is still run by a handful of people who need more assistance in carrying out this work. In particular once again Tommy McManus, Ownie & Philomena McKiernan and Philip Feeley deserve much credit and praise for their on-going efforts. The Annual Lotto Tickets and the All-Ireland Ticket Draw were reasonably successful for 2011 but we have to do better for 2012.

A very enjoyable Night at the Races also took place in November in the Glan Bar. A big thank you to all those who sponsored races, purchased horses, assisted and attended on the night.

Club Membership and Registration

The numbers of people who paid their membership and registered with the club was significantly lower in 2011. (The club had 240 members in 2010 and only 140 in 2011). For 2012 the GAA require that all players are registered by 10th February 2012. If players and coaches are not registered as club members then they are not covered by Insurance. General Membership must also be completed by the end of March. The message that membership is not just for players needs to get out there. Anybody who wants to be a club member or a member of the GAA needs to register. Copies of the membership forms are available here tonight and from the website. A registration evening will also take place on Wednesday 25th at 8.45pm in the Club House. All players in particular are asked to complete their forms and return them along with the membership fee as soon as possible. Membership for juvenile members is €10 and for adults its €30. This amount does not cover the full cost of registration for players but contributes towards the overall cost.

Communication

The new club website www.shannongaels.ie was launched in March 2011 and developments and improvements are ongoing. Thank you to Ronan McManus for his ongoing work on the site. During 2011 there were 3000 visitors to the site with 21,500 page views. One of the most popular pages is the Photo Gallery so I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tony Griffin for providing the photos during the year. The club also now has a Twitter and Facebook presence which is also seeing increased activity. Also during 2011 we trialled live score updates appearing on the site for those unable to attend games (this is possible via the Twitter account) and hopefully we can continue this for 2012 and increase the number of games this services is available for.

The aim of the website is to keep all club members up to date on the latest club news and events and keep people in contact with the club, no matter where they are in the world. We can see that people are accessing the site from the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and Germany. Unfortunately with so many people from the area leaving to find work abroad we are likely to see an increase in the number of people accessing the site from outside Ireland in 2012. By keeping the site up to date and interesting we can hopefully ensure that those who wish to keep in touch with the club and how our teams are progressing can do so easily.

The Club also continues to ensure notices are placed in parish newsletters and local papers and notices are also posted on the County Board website and Hoganstand Website.

ASAP

In line with the County and National requirements the Club Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy is in place. In 2012 the ASAP Committee will be looking at the roll out of education and other developments in relation to this policy. The policy can be viewed on the club website. The Club was represented at a number of meetings in relation to the ASAP initiative during the year.

Social Initiative

A number of Club Members participated in events as part of the GAA Social Initiative during 2011. The initiative is aimed at men living alone in rural areas. One of the events included a visit to President Mary McAlese and her husband Martin at the Aras. Martin McAlese is one of the key leaders of this initiative. We thank all those club members who participated and look forward to more becoming involved in 2012.

Conclusion

Finally I would also like to thank all those who represented the club as stewards in Kingspan Breffni Park. All clubs are required to provide stewards for matches so anybody interested should please let the committee know. We offer our condolences to club members who have suffered bereavements during 2011. I want to thank Club members who have made themselves available for Guards of Honour.

In conclusion wish all teams and their management the very best of luck for 2012. We need and look forward to many more club members becoming actively involved with coaching and fundraising. We also look forward to the launch of the pitch in Glangevlin.

Thank you to everybody who has been involved in any way with club activities in 2011 and we look forward to a successful 2012.

I would like to propose that this annual report be published on the club website.

Fiona NicMhánais
Runai
13-1- 2012

2010 was another busy year for Shannon Gaels. Our teams at all levels represented this Club well over the past year and while not all teams were as successful as we may have wished our senior team gained promotion from Division 3 to Division 2 for 2011 and this is a significant step for the club.   It’s also been a busy and interesting first year for me as secretary and for the clubs new chairman as well as the entire committee.
Facilities

Pairc Gael na Sionne continues to be one of the best facilities not only in County Cavan but in Ulster and indeed the rest of Ireland.  This is clear from the requests we receive on an on-going basis to use the pitch. While the training schedules and games of our own teams at all age levels are given top priority, in 2010 it was possible to facilitate an All-Ireland Vocational Schools Semi-Final in March, Junior Inter-County Matches in April and June and a Senior All Ireland Ladies Championship match in July.

The main development in 2010 at Pairc Gael na Sionne was the lighting of the car park. This is of great benefit to all those utilising the pitch facilities after dark and thank you to Seamus Dolan and all those who assisted in ensuring this work was carried out. Thank you also to Pete Maguire and Tommy McManus for ensuring the on-going general maintenance around the pitch and changing rooms. This is unseen work yet it is vitally important and is much appreciated.

A big thank you must also go to the members of Pitch sub-committee for all their work. In 2010 they monitored the usage of the pitch to ensure the facility continues to be at its best and available for all our teams to use on an on-going basis and into the future.  This work will of course continue in 2011.  It is vitally important that all coaches and team managers keep me, (as secretary of the subcommittee) informed of all games, training sessions, events and any changes to the schedules.  This will allow us to ensure the pitch is not over used or double booked. So team coaches please note if your training session, match, challenge game or any other event is not in the 2011 pitch calendar on the club website then it’s NOT ON. 
Glangevlin Pitch

Prunty Contracts have brought the development of the juvenile pitch in Glangevlin near to completion. Work on fencing by Eamonn Scullion is also nearing completion. The finalisation of this development was delayed due to the inclement weather in 2010 but we look forward to launching the facility during 2011. This will be a very useful and accessible development for the Club and Community. We must acknowledge the work of FÁS the cooperation and support of Fr. John O’Donnell, P.P., and the Parish Council in this project.

Fundraising
The on-going operation of every Club requires significant fundraising.   I am not sure that club members or players realise the costs associated with running the club. For example there are registration fees and insurance costs for each player and club membership fees paid annually to the County Board and GAA. Footballs, jerseys, equipment, diesel to run the generator, paint to line the pitch, electricity in the Clubhouse and even the water used all cost the club money. There are also on-going costs in maintaining the playing surfaces on the main and training pitch. It is therefore vitally important that everybody involved with the club play their part, in whatever way they can, to assist with on-going fundraising.  It will be necessary to hold a number of additional fundraising events in 2011 and we hope that as many club members as possible can assist with and support these events.
The Club Treasurer Pauline Murray will give a full financial report. The ongoing support of the club by members and local business is very much appreciated.

The fortnightly lotto continues to be the core of our funding and it is run by a handful of people who certainly could do with a little help. In particular Tommy McManus, Philomena McKiernan and Philip Feeley deserve much credit and praise for their on-going efforts.
The Annual Lotto Tickets were a success again this year but we certainly need to do better. The All-Ireland Ticket Draw was also a success. €10 tickets are not difficult to sell even in the current economic climate and this could be the source of more funds in the future. Other Clubs are also using this type of fundraising so for 2011 we need to be ready as early as possible to take the best advantage of selling opportunities.
A Night at the Races also took place in July in the Bush Bar. Again this was a successful event and thank you to all those who sponsored races, purchased horses, assisted and attended on the night.

La na gClub 2010
La na gClub took place on 6th June. Juvenile Club Members participated in a very successful sponsored walk which was followed by blitz games and races at Pairc Gael na Sionne.  This was a successful day and we hope that the event will go ahead again in 2011.

Events During 2010

The first Cross Border St. Patrick’s Day Parade took place in Blacklion and Belcoo on 17th March 2010. The Club was represented very well in the parade by the members of the ladies team, a number of minor players and members of the committee. A very big thank you to John and Veronica O’Donnell for provision and decoration of the float.  It is hoped that for 2011 more club members will assist in advance to ensure the club is well represented in the parade. It was unfortunate that we were not in a position to participate in the Dowra parade in 2010 and this is something that will need to be addressed for 2011.

On 6th August 2010 Dr Donal McAnalen gave a presentation on the history of the GAA in Cavan. A number of club members attended this interesting event.

The Breffni Vintage Club Vintage Car Run took place on Sunday 3rd October starting from our Club Grounds in Blacklion. This was the first vintage run of its kind in this area and gave a great opportunity for all to see these vintage cars. The club provided the use of the car parking facilities, club house and also stewards on the day which was a great success and we thank the Breffni Vintage Club for the donation that was given to the club following the event.

The Joe Maguire Memorial Cup game took place at Easter in 2010 due to the adverse weather on St. Stephens Day. Shannon Gaels won the game against Glencar Manorhamilton. The proceeds from the day were divided between the Club and the Haiti Appeal and a cheque was presented to Agnes McManus to go to the Our Little Brothers and Sisters orphanage in Haiti.

Annual Dinner Dance
A very successful Dinner Dance took place on the 19 February 2010 in the Hotel Carlton in Belleek with a large crowd in attendance. On the night medals were presented to both the Ladies and Minor Team by Paul Brady. Presentations were also made to Tom O’ Reilly to mark his election as Chairman of the Cavan County Board and to John Cassidy on his appointment as Secretary of the County Youth Board. Patrick McCorry was conferred with honorary membership to mark his long association with and sponsorship of the Club.  The 2011 Dinner Dance will take place in the Hotel Kilmore in Cavan on 5th March 2011. The Presentation of medals to the Senior Ladies Division 3 Shield Winners will take place on the night. Tickets priced at €30 will be available shortly from Committee Members.  It is hoped that as many club members, and in particular players, will be able to attend this important event in the club calendar.

Underage Football
Presentation of medals to the U14 Girls & U16 boy’s teams took place on 12th March. The presentations were made by Cavan player Ronan Flanagan.
I thank all the club members and parents who assisted in any way with facilitating underage football in the club. Without singling anyone out Eugene McLoughlin, our Coaching Officer, again put in a huge effort in this regard.
Training was organised for children on Saturday mornings starting in May. Everyone recognises that this Coaching forms the basis for the future of the Club. It is vital that we again get a full programme in place in 2011.  The participation of regular and knowledgeable coaches is vital but it is by no means confined to ‘experts.’  I again thank all those parents who helped with underage coaching in 2010 and would encourage anybody in the club interested in coaching or helping out, in particular parent of the children involved, to please do so. 
A number of club members participated in the Foundation Coaching/Code of Ethics Training in 2010 and it is hoped that more will do so in 2011.  All club coaches and those involved in any way with underage teams must now also complete Garda Vetting forms. This process is underway within the Club and I ask anybody who has not done so already to complete and submit their forms as soon as possible.
During summer 2010 a VHI Cúl Camp was held in Blacklion. The Camp was a success with over 70 children in attendance. Camps at other locations had to be cancelled due to lack of numbers. I thank all the Club members who assisted. Again, Eugene McLoughlin, our Coaching Officer again made a huge effort in organising this week long event.

Teams
It is very important to recognise the commitment of the management and players at all grades within the club and I want to record the appreciation of the Committee and the general membership of the Club for their efforts.
Underage
While unfortunately there was no major success at underage level this year for the club I wish to sincerely thank all the teams and their Management.
• U12-John Cassidy and Paddy Nolan
• U14-Sean Flanagan and Stephen Quinn
• U16-Seamus Cullen
• Minor – James Gallagher and Eugene McLoughlin

The underage level is crucial to the continued success of the club and I look forward to continued development and a successful 2011 for all our underage teams.  I would also just like to mention that in 2010 we have a number of new coaches involved at underage level, as well as a returning coach. This is fantastic for the club and it is a source of great encouragement. I thank you all for your time and work.

Ladies Teams
2010 was yet another successful year for the Shannon Gaels Ladies as they won the Division 3 Shield Final. Thank you to Val McLoughlin, Anita Maguire, Cathal Maguire and all those involved for their efforts in 2010 and we look forward to continued success in 2011.

Senior Teams
In the 2010 League there was success as the team gained promotion to Division 2.  This is a great achievement.  Playing in Division 2 will be a huge challenge for 2011 and I am sure all players and management will relish the challenge.  It was unfortunate that we lost out in the Division 3 League Semi-Final.  The Junior Championship campaign was disappointing losing out also in the semi-final but again we look forward to the 2011 campaign with high hopes.

The Division 6 team also lost out in the League Semi-Final but did reach the Junior D Championship Final.  Following some controversy and a replay unfortunately this cup is now at home in another part of the County but again I thank the team and management for their efforts. 
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of all club members and the Committee to thank Hugh Cormack who is stepping down as a member of the management team for his years of hard work and commitment to the club and I am sure that he will continue to be involved with the club in other ways in the coming years.  I also thank Eugene Walsh and Anthony Murray for their work to date and wish them and their new Management Team member Ben Cassidy the best for the upcoming season.

National & County Team Success
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Gemma McLoughlin and Aisling Mcloughlin for representing Cavan on the County U14 team
Congratulations also to Nevin O’Donnell and Jason McLoughlin on their key involvement with the Cavan Minor Team.  It should also be noted that in March Jason McLoughlin also captained the Leitrim Vocational Schools Team which won the All Ireland Vocational Schools Championship earlier this year.

Congratulations also to all the Shannon Gaels players involved with the St Clare’s Manorhamilton Team who won the Connaught Final.
PP O’Hara is also involved with the County under 21 team and there are a number of minor players involved with trails at county level so I wish all concerned the very best for 2011.

Communication
The club website is currently undergoing redevelopment.  The site has a new name www.shannongaels.ie and the new site will go live in April 2011. We hope to launch the new homepage at the Dinner Dance in March. In the meantime a temporary site is available with all the latest club news and information.  Since its launch in November 2007 the existing site has had 22,500 hits, this is excellent for a small club.  The aim of the website is to keep all club members up to date on the latest club news and events and keep people in contact with the club, no matter where they are in the world.  It is envisaged that all paid up members of the Club will have access to enhanced facilities on the new site such as a member’s only discussion forum.  The site will also facilitate automated Twitter and Facebook updates and will allow the administrator to update via mobile phone. This can allow for example live score updates from games appearing on the site for those unable to attend.  Thank you again to Tony Griffin for providing all the photographs during 2010.

ASAP 2011
In line with the County and National requirements the Club Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy is in place. In 2011 the ASAP Committee will be looking at the roll out of education and other developments in relation to this policy. The policy can be viewed on the club website.

Scór and Scór na nOg
I would like to thank all those who represented the club at Scór and Scór na nOg during 2010

Conclusion
Before concluding I would like to congratulate John Cassidy on winning the top prize of the car in The Club Bréifne draw. I would also like to thank all those who represented the club as stewards in Kingspan Breffni Park on match days in particular Francie McManus, Philip Feeley, Rosaleen Wynne (and I also attended a number of matches myself).  All clubs are required to provide stewards on match days so anybody interested should let me know.
Throughout the year we see many happy occasions. Unfortunately many Club members have suffered bereavements during the course of 2010. We again remember them this evening and offer our condolences. I want to thank Club members who have made themselves available for Guards of Honour.

In conclusion can I just say that the club has a very busy 2011 ahead of us. We wish all teams and their management the very best of luck and look forward to many more club members becoming actively involved with fundraising and therefore ensuring the Club continues to grow.  We look forward to the launch of the pitch in Glangevlin as well as putting in place of a Strategic Plan for the development of the club over the next 5 years and involvement in initiatives such as the Ulster Council’s Club Maith and the GAA Social Initiative
As this is my first annual report I hope I have not excluded anybody or anything so once again can I just thank everybody who has been involved in any way with club activities in 2010 and we look forward to a successful 2011.

I would like to propose that this annual report along with a report on club finances be published on the club website.

Fiona NicMhánais
Runai
14ú Eanáir 2011