CLUB LOTTO

This week’s draw is for a massive €19,000 and a huge ‘thank you’ for your continued support. As always, you can enter online at www.delasallegaa.ie

COUNTY DUTY

Well Done to Shaun O’ Brien, Shane McNulty, Jake Dillon, Kevin Moran and Jack Fagan who were on County duty against Galway with all acquitting themselves well in a super game that unfortunately didn’t go our way.

REFRESHMENTS

Complimentary ‘take away’ refreshments in form of teas & coffees will be available at Wednesday night training, courtesy of Community Committee. Eddie Barrett & Under The Clock Coffee will serve ‘Take Away’ coffee & refreshments on Saturday mornings with hot chocolate & marshmallows for a €2 coin for the kids. You can pay by card for Lattes, Cappuccinos, tea, treats, etc with Sausage Blaas etc on the way as restrictions ease.

COMMUNITY COMMITTEE

Our Community Committee met physically outdoors for the first time since formation with projects completed & underway discussed including; #ShakeUrSalle Lockdown fun activities, New Benches & Locations, Preparing Club House for Reopening, Wednesday night Refreshments, A new Saturday morning Coffee Offering, Tales of De La Salle, Improved direction signage amongst others & a new DLS Babies initiative recently launched with full details soon. Committee members; Ricky Grogan, Trevor Clooney (V/Chair) Fran O’ Callaghan, Suzanne Wymberry (Chair), Beth Carton, Deirdre Byrne, Jake Dillon, Lisa Mullally & Eddie Mulligan

CONDOLENCES

All here at De La Salle would like to extend deepest sympathies to Martin Barrett on the recent death of his brother Paddy, Uncle of Eddie Barrett. Sincerest condolences to all the Barrett family at this sad challenging time. Ar Dheis De go raibh a anam.

RUNNING HILL & CAR PARK

This week saw the ‘carpet’ rolled out on our 300 sq/m artificial grass training hill as it comes to completion. The essential works on the Entrance & Car Park should be completed shortly and we’d like to thank everyone for their patience and cooperation as we stagger arrivals at training to alleviate traffic congestion. Please continue to arrive promptly, drop and collect if you can and where possible yield to traffic exiting grounds. Please continue to obey the instructions of our volunteers directing traffic.

TALES FROM DLS

U13 hurling in 1981/82 – Declan Murray 

My earliest memory of De La Salle GAA is the U13 hurling league that we played in 1981/82 when juvenile hurling was re-started with the leadership of Sonny Walsh, Davy Duggan, Tom O’Leary, Noel Dalton, Joey Carton, Bro Patrick and a few parents as we got juvenile hurling up and running after a few barren years. We played in the city U13B league and made it to the final against Ferrybank (Lenny Doyle and the late Oisin Ryan being two of their star players). The final was due to be the curtain raiser to a National Hurling League game in Walsh Park where Waterford played Offaly. Offaly were All Ireland champions in 1981 they were a big attraction to have in town in February 1982. For 13 year old hurlers, it was a big occasion to play before them as the curtain raiser. 

We won our first title with Ferrybank allowing home advantage. We then went down to Walsh Park and watched the Déise  beat the All-Ireland champions from the side line seats which was our “premium seat” access that day.  

That group had plenty good days (and some not so good) after that start at U13. Little did we know that day when we won our final that within a few years Sonny would be taken from us and not too many years later Brother Patrick as well. Our team included Paschal Maher, Jim Dalton, Micheál Cassidy, Padraic Deegan, Derek Duggan, Ernie Brenner, Kevin Dempsey, Kieran Wymberry and Trevor Clooney to name a few (apologies for those I left out…). 

Some of that team played for many years with the club, some of us left too early and probably didn’t appreciate at the time what the club had done for us and the friendships we developed that have lasted until the present day.  

I’ve lived away from Waterford for the past 30 years and I am now actively involved with the St Jude’s GAA club in Dublin where my daughters play camogie and football. I always keep a close watch on the progress of De La Salle, with those 1982 U13 mentors still involved or remembered by the club. I like to think my strong interest in Gaelic games can be traced back to my younger days when I was with De La Salle and that first U13 league we played in which still lives in the memory.