Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Club Notes - 13th March


Tony Mansfield
On Sunday night last, the sad news that our esteemed and much loved Club Chairman Tony Mansfield, had passed to his eternal reward, left all in our club with a deep sense of loss, as for the vast majority in our club we have never known the club without Tony. For many in our club he was the first coach they had in the club, the only chairman they knew or can remember having but for us all he was a constant presence in our club and one that will be sorely missed. However our sense of loss can only pale into insignificance when compared to the loss being felt by his wife and great friend Moira, daughter Caroline and sons Michael and Brendan. To them and all of Tony’s extended family we send not alone our deepest sympathy but also our thanks for the help and support they gave Tony, which no doubt enabled him to devote so much of his time to the service of our club, something for which we will be eternally grateful.
To say that Tony was a passionate GAA man would be an understatement, and to say that he was passionate about his beloved Abbeyside/Ballinacourty GAA Club would be even more of an understatement. He served our Club and County as player, administrator, coach, manager and mentor, whilst he also took up refereeing when he retired from playing. Throughout this time Tony built up a reputation as an excellent reporter and commentator on the GAA through his column in The Dungarvan Observer.
It is for his work with our Club, that all of us in Abbeyside/Ballinacourty will remember him most fondly for. To describe him as a great servant to our club does not even come near doing justice to his contribution to our club. From when he played in the Minor Hurling County Final in 1955 as an Under 16, Tony went on to bring unparalleled success to our club on the playing fields. No matter what title you think of, you can be practically guaranteed that the first time the name of Abbeyside or Ballinacourty was inscribed on the Cup, Tony Mansfield had an input into the victory. Due to time constraints, I feel it was not possible to do the work of Tony justice in this week’s notes, so next week we will carry a full and fitting tribute to the lifetime of service he gave for the betterment of our club. One fact that is worth noting though, from when he guided our Minor Footballers to a County Title in 1959 he managed teams to County titles in no fewer than six decades. This remarkable achievement gives some small insight into the lifetime’s dedication he gave to our club.
To those who knew Tony well it is perhaps his calming influence, advice and counsel and most of all good friendship that we will miss the most. There are very few, if any of us who didn’t place a call to Sexton Street (where it was often answered by his unpaid secretary!!) seeking advice about opponents, the picking of a team, fixtures being changed or a myriad of other difficulties involving team management. Tony always made you feel at ease offering sound advice, normally with at least a story or two from his own extensive experience of dealing with a similar problem before going on to offer a solution that was usually the correct one. Without doubt we will never see his like again in our club and all we can seek to do is carry out our duties as club players, coaches, managers or administrators with the same pride and dedication he did to ensure that the marvelous legacy he left us is built on into the future. Ar dheis lámh Dé go raibh a hanam usail.

Jack The Joker
No. Drawn - 46
Our popular Jack the Joker Fundraiser will continue this Sunday night in Kennedy’s Live where the Jackpot will be €9,096 as on Sunday night Ann Kelleher was drawn out of the drum but did not find the Joker, however she did win €50, while Naimh Briggs and Mary Cliffe won €25. The following are the numbers that haven’t been turned yet 2, 3, 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 23, 26, 30, 32, 34, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53. It was great to see Niamh Briggs continue her winning ways in The Joker as unless you were living under a rock for the past few weeks then you would no doubt be aware that Niamh has been in fantastic form for the Ireland Ladies Rugby Team who secured the Six Nations Championship with a win over France on Friday night with Niamh scoring a try. They now go in search of a grand slam against Italy this weekend and we wish Niamh and all her team mates the very best of luck with this.

Under 21 Football
This Friday night we take on St. Oliver’s in Fraher Field at 8pm in the Western Final where all support would be greatly appreciated.

Club Bingo
Our Bingo continues this Sunday night in the CBS Hall where we will host a bonus night with a top prize of €500 on the night.

Membership
Membership fees are now due and can be paid to Jonathan O’Donovan or Kevin Tobin or indeed any member of the club committee. We would ask that all players make an effort to pay their membership as soon as possible as training has now resumed with a number of Championships beginning in the next number of weeks.

Deise Development Draw
Over the next number of weeks members of our club will once again be calling to the people of our parish seeking your support for the Deise Development Draw which will begin at the end of March. The format of the draw is similar to previous years with nine monthly draws costing €10 a month. Each month there will be a prize fund of €15,600 so as well as supporting our club you will be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes.
Club History
Abbeyside / Ballinacourty GAA Club was formed in 1967 as a result of the amalgamation of Abbeyside Hurling and Football Clubs and Ballinacourty Football Club. It is situated within the Parish of Abbeyside, Ballinroad and Garranbane. Located on the eastern side of the River Colligan, it forms the northern and eastern shorelines of Dungarvan Harbour from Abbeyside Church to Ballinacourty Lighthouse
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Development Fund
Abbeyside/Ballinacourty GAA Club has been growing at a dramatic pace over the past 10 years with the population of our parish increasing rapidly. We must ensure that we have the best facilities for all our players. We want to ensure that the next generation have the facilities that they need and deserve. We are asking supporters and friends to support this project over the next five years.
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Strategic Plan
Past generations have had their visions for the future of our club. These are our current aims and with these achieved we hope to hand on the club to future generations in the same healthy state it was passed onto us.
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Abbeyside/Ballinacourty GAA Club, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland.
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