Over 300 children from Clubs in Down, Armagh, Tyrone, Louth, Meath and Dublin converged on Clonduff Park on Saturday morning 1st June and Daniel was surely looking down on everybody as the rain, which threatened on several occasions didn’t really materialise.
What a festival of high-class football and brilliant skills belying the youthfulness of the players – all credit to their mentors. There were some ‘new’ clubs this year – Tir na nÓg (Portadown), Naomh Columcille (Bettystown, Co Meath) and Kilmacud Crokes Dublin. Following the group stages, in line with other Clonduff Tournaments, the two top teams in each of the four groups progressed to the Cup Knockout stages; teams finishing 3rd and 4th in their groups went into the Shield quarter finals and the remaining teams into the Plate quarter finals.
The three finals were played simultaneously on the main pitch and again the standard of football was spectacular. The Cup final was contested between Burren Gaels and Kilmacud A – so close and well-matched were these two teams that it went to extra time with the Burren side emerging narrow winners. RGU Downpatrick took the honours in the Shield Final v Ballyholland A (last year’s Cup winners). The Plate Final was another close, tight game also going to extra time where Shane O’Neill’s (Camlough) took the honours against Saul.
Young Kara Andre, assisted by her cousins presented the Plate and medals to Shane O’Neill’s and Saul; Donna Andre and her cousins presented the Shield and medals to Downpatrick and Ballyholland; Luigi and Kara presented the Cup and medals to Burren and Kilmacud.
A big thank you to the Andre Family for the day and particularly to Luigi (assisted by Collie Magee) for making the burgers and Donna who organised the teas upstairs. There were legions of Clonduff Club helpers – PJ and Sean who set up the pitches, Ben, Eddie, Mark, Paula the official referees a number of Senior Footballers and juvenile mentors who assisted with pitch co-ordination and relief referees; the U16 boys who acted as runners; Alistair and Jimmie for administration, Goretta, Noleen and Shane who ran the tuck shop; the parents and families who provided the sandwiches, buns, biscuits, etc and helped with teas and washing up and young and maybe not so young people who helped with the clearing up afterwards. Thanks also to Lorraine, Martin, Marie, Ross and Teresa for their help in organising the first Clonduff tournament of the year so successfully – without such volunteers this just couldn’t happen. The very favourable comments from the visitors spoke volumes!
