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Whitehall Bring Home 2010 PJ Troy

Well, after six months of hard training with the past three weeks more intensive this years U13 hurlers faced into the annual Club P.J.Troy Memorial Tournament in Ellenfield on Saturday 26th June 2010.  J. P., Beano & Danny had the lads in great shape and had concentrated on the ground hurling aspect of the tournament for months. The pressure was on this years crop of hurlers due to Conor and  the lads bringing home the Division 1 title last year.

Saturday was a beautiful warm day and a great crowd of supporters turned up to see the feast of hurling with our lads taking on local rivals Craobh Ciaran in the first match. 'The Craobh' were no match for our lads intensity with Whitehall taking an early lead in the ground hurling. Some Craobh players felt the pressure and managed to see red and the line for 'unruliness'. Our own captain Jack Darcy was very unfortunate to receive a red which gave him a rest for the second match. He came back into action in the afternoon all the better for his one match lay off. 

After seeing off 'the Craobh', the second match was to be a  tougher test for the lads with the opposition coming from Cuala, a renound hurling club. Once again Whitehalls superior ground hurling saw us go into an early lead and this was reinforced by some lovely hurling by the entire panel during the 'all in' sections.  After a great game the lads won and secured a position in the 'Gold' finals in the afternoon. 

Once the mornings work was done all headed for Thorndale and the hall for some lovely sambos , bicies and a cuppa. During the break talk started to filter through from St. Aidans of a tough Naomh Mearnog team who would also be in the Gold finals and of course the hurlers of Faughs. Plans were drawn up as to how to manage the physical Portmarnock outfit and then the tall and small individual hurlers who had been cleaning up for Faughs during the morning matches. 

Back to the Park and it was the turn of Naomh Mearnog to experience the shock and awe style ground hurling of this years PJ Troy team. Considering the fact that this Mearnog team usually beat our lads comfortably they could not believe the intense pressure they came under from the start. The pressure led to some quick Whitehall goals and Naomh Mearnog had no way back in the 'all in' section as the Whitehall lads just pushed on to a considerable lead and ultimate win.  

The now huge crowd of supporters were alive with anticipation but the final opponents were a classy Faughs outfit who had won all of their days matches well also. The match started with some tangible Whitehall nerves and woe of woes -  Faughs nearly went into an early lead with a well worked goal ( ref called square ball). Lesser teams would have lost faith and dropped heads but the call   'come on Whitehall'' was roared from among the players, no surrender. Slowly but surely the lads plugged away and racked up some points to get back level and then during the 'all in' section the Whitehall team hit the final quarter like Eamon Coughlin winning his world championshiop coming to the last corner and having a little look back at the flagging opposition.

Whitehall won the day and there were tears of joy and pride among all the assembled players, mentors, mammy's, daddy's, club officials and all spectators.

Paddy & Eileen Troy took to the field to congratulate the team and mentors in what must be a proud but sad day for them. 

So this years PJ Troy team bring home the Division 2 Owen Dempsey Memorial Cup to the club. A fitting tribute to the memory of a man who loved to fix hurls and never missed a hurling match in Ellenfield.

Whitehall Colmcille U13 P.J. Troy Panel 

Jack Darcy Captain, Colm Kane Vice Captain, Tony O'Sullivan , Gavin Boyle, Jamie Breen, Daniel Byrne, Mikey Cullen, Dylan Curtis, Ioan Craciun, Conor Cummins, Jack Darcy, Samuel Daly, Chris Drum, Daragh Grey, Conor Gallagher, Sean Hoey, Colm Kane, Ross Maher, Ronan Murray, Adam Murphy, Eoin McDonald, Matthew McGrath, Sean Power, Darren Swan. Injured Players: John O'Brien, Conor Farrell

Match 1  Whitehall 5 - 3   Croabh Ciaran 1 -1

Match 2  Whitehall 3 - 4   Cuala 0 - 3

Match 3  Whitehall 10 - 5 Naomh Mearnog 0 - 0

Match 4  Whitehall 2 - 4   Faughs 0 - 2