Hello Cuala Patrons,
Well we are back in business and ready for another year. While you all have been finishing of the remains of the Christmas pudding others have been active.

  • Cuala under 10 footballers reached the final of the John Humphrey’s Memorial Cup for the 3rd year in a row. The Cuala boys started with a bang by getting to the semi-finals following victories over St Annes, Castleknock and the host club St James Gaels while narrowly loosing by two points to Whitehall in the qualifier. Last year’s champion St Vincents stepped up to Cuala the following day for the semi-final and Pat Gilroy’s son led their relentless attack on the Cuala goal but to little avail as Patrick Craddock was again on fire between the posts. Cuala came out the winners by a single point. The final saw Cuala line up a second time in the weekend against Whitehall who put up a very impressive display that was too strong for Cuala. Whitehall were deserved winners and were duly presented with the memorial cup by Dublin’s football manager Pat Gilroy and a fellow by the name of Kevin Heffernan. The annual tournament was hosted and played in an exemplary manner fitting this memorial to the Gaels under 10 player who lost his life 11 years ago. His mother, who has sold flowers at the gate of Deansgrange cemetery for a generation, was with the family to present the trophies to the Cuala players who represented their club so well. Cuala left the parish of Crumlin and headed for the M50 with trophies in hand, memories in the bag and questions of, but what if.
  • Cuala’s juvenile girls were very well represented in 3 of the recent Cummann na mBunscoil finals in Croke Park. Two Cuala girls captained their schools to victory in finals played on adjoining pitches at the same time – surely an historic moment. Hannah O Dea (1998s) captained a Scoil Lorcan team backboned by Cuala 98s, 99s, 00s and 01s in a great victory over Loreto Rathfarnham. At the same time, Sinead Murphy (also 1998s) was raising the trophy for her Guardian Angels team after their victory over St Brigids Glasnevin. On Wednesday, Johnstown Girls, with a number of Cuala representatives, found the girls of Scoil San Treasa just a little too strong. So, all in all, a great 2 days for the juvenile girls section and well done to each and every one of the Cuala girls involved across the 3 schools
  • Cuala’s Sile Keogh is quite the music maker. The Johnstown NS Speech and Drama teacher will be well-known to her current and former Cuala pupils. And it was Sile who was instrumental in producing the Cuala Classics CD inspired by her Nea family’s long association with Cuala over the years. Now Sheila is facing another musical challenge – as a contestant in RTEs All-Ireland Talent Show this Sunday. This is where you come in – she’s got the talent – you have the votes. So why not tune-in, put your thumbs in gear and give real Cuala talent your support this Sunday. See Sile on Facebook http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Sile-Keogh-on-The-All-Ireland-Talent-Show/153966444654319?v=wall
  • The Adult Hurling Forum wishes to announce the following managers for the coming year.
    • Senior Hurling :Harry Roberts, 1st Junior Team:Shay Hayes, 2nd Junior Team:Scott Crangle.
    • The new management teams have organised physical training in Dalkey on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 7.30pm and hurling in Shankill on Saturday mornings.The management teams expect a large attendance at these sessions as they will set the tone for a successful year.The senior Hurlers have unfinished business from 2010 with an important league game against Na Fianna to be played either the 5th or 6th of February. The hurling forum wishes all our club hurling teams a successful year and also best of luck to our representatives on the various Dublin County teams.
  • Patrons are reminded once again not to traverse the Hall to reach the Gym or Bar while sessions are running.

All for this week.

Tadhg Murphy
Cuala Club Communications