For this honour, I felt there was only one real club in the running. Monkstown have produced some great youth teams again this year and their supporter’s club were fantastic but for developing the game while receiving results, Glenanne stood head and shoulder above everybody else.
In simple terms, the club won European, All-Ireland and Leinster honours. But the major success of the Tallaght club comes from the community and development initiatives the club puts in place. Given that the club has no direct feeder schools, unlike any of the major clubs, to keep producing top players down the club has been down to the club’s efforts to get players. This season, club members worked extensively to promote the game in Tallaght schools, bringing in outside internationals to help out.
Their European adventure showed what club’s can do with positive thinking with enough funds being raised to see over 100 fans make the trip to France and outsinging the locals.
Furthermore, the club was always prominent at putting forward candidates to take part in Youth Leadership programmes as well as producing some of the countries best umpires, all of which benefits not just the local club but Irish hockey in general.
Winner: Glenanne
Interpro heroics mask structural deficiencies
6 years ago
8 comments:
Congratulations Glenanne for your success on many levels this season.
But just to set the record straight: St. Mark's Community School is the direct feeder for Glenanne, their home pitch is within school grounds on Fortunestown Lane!
While I accept school hockey is going through a difficult time there recently and Glenanne are to be commended for widening their net within the locality, many top players have come through the school and continue to do so.
It would be doing the players, teachers and coaches within St. Marks a dis-service not to acknowledge this fact.
Queso, normally you talk sense. Well, sort of. In this case I have to disagree with you. Although Glenanne are based in St Marks it's well known that the school itself does not play hockey. It's a big jump then to call it a feeder school when you compare it to the Andrew's, Wesleys, Columbuseseses of this world all of which are strongly linked to various clubs.
Glenanne do a lot to promote the sport in their area, primarily because they have to or they won't get the youngsters into the club. So credit where credit is due. I think that Steve is just recognising that the Glens deserve some credit for a lot of extra work in the community that they do above other clubs.
Aknowledge it and move on, your club will get it's turn, in fact it already has and I don't see anyone disagreeing with the call.
st marks was a feeder for glenanne from about 1986 to 2002 - most of the players in the club have come tru over the past ten years.
But i believe since some teachers retired Hockey has dropped down in importance at the school (it being a GAA school)and there is no longer a stream of 16 new players a year coming tru to glenanne.
Now glenannes underage teams are full of children of members and this is why the will struggle to compete in a few years time. they just are not getting the numbers they were used too.
Some figures for Queso. Of the 18 that went to Paris, 8 went to St Marks, a sizeable number
However only one of them players, John Kane has come through from St Marks in the last 10 years, the rest being older players that came through when the succes began around 15 years ago
7 are sons of former memebers that didn't go to St Marks. (Shaws O'Malley, Brenann and Butler)
3 are players that have joined from other team, Stephen Doran (Pembroke), Brenden Parsons (Railway) and Enda Tucker (Weston)
Just shows that Glenanne can no longer rely on a group of players coming through from the school anymore.
I think the key number your looking for there is 15, which is the number of players who grew up playing with glenanne. Didnt come from another club. Teams dont need schools to survive, just a community around them, and that is what glenanne have, so what if its just the children of the members?? Glenanne have alot of members. I think we are also forgetting that they also made it to the u-21 final this year. Where as clubs with schools failed!! What feeder school to pembroke have by the way?? (not having a go, genuinely curious!!) is it andrews??
It's not correct to say that St. Mark's don't play any hockey.... so I really don't know where this well known fact comes from!!
Yes, they mightened be entering a team at every level in Leinster Schools competitions but they were represented at Junior and Minor competitions this season!!
It just goes to show how important having a "hockey" person in the school is.
Newpark were a powerhouse under Mark Cookman, King's Hospital invincible under Peter O'Boyle. Likewise St. Marks had success with Gerry Mac!!!
The influence of these people and associated success of their schools can be easily contrasted against the demise that occurred when they moved on.
Just contrast that with the recent success of Kilkenny College through Richard Willis and Sutton Park through Colin Stewart.
You need a strong driving force and with Anna Lamb in St. Marks, Mark Cullen in Newpark and Enda Tucker in Kings Hos. it won't be long before these schools return to the halcyon days!!!
Hey, I'm an optimist :-)
Tucker had nothing to do with Kings...he played in Lucan CC!!!
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