Coach Education
A 20 hour Coaching course for teachers at primary level concluded last Friday at the West Cork Education Centre, Dunmanway. The Role of Gaelic Games in the Curriculum: a cross-curricular approach incorporated the standard foundation level coaching course in both football and hurling as well as presentations on: inclusion (Yvonne Bennett, Cork Sports Partnership); games (William Harmon Ladies football coaching officer); Ceim ar Aghaidh schools’ coaching resource (Liam Weir) camogie skills; (Tom Pierce, Camogie tutor); and handball (Ashley Prenderville, coaching officer). A corresponding course also ran in Glantane (Kilshannig GAA) under Martin Coleman and Kevin O'Callaghan, for the remainder of the county.
 
The following attended Hilary Wilson, Presentation Primary School, Bandon; Breda Herlihy, Marie Crowley, St. Mary's Infants, Dunmanway; Mairéad Twohig, St. Marys N.S., Enniskeane; Anne Marie Fleming, Ahiohill N.S. Carol Fleming Barryroe N.S.; Joan Corkery, Our Lady of Mercy, Bantry; Elaine Brookes, St. Andrew's N.S. Lucan; Alice O'Connor, Castletownshend N.S.; Patrick O'Meara, St. Finbarr's BNS Bantry; Tony O'Farrell Sunday’s Well BNS, Cork; Niamh O’Leary, St. Patrick’s BNS, Wicklow; Michael Mennis, Reenascreena.
 
Thanks to the West Cork Education Centre, Dohenys GAA Club and Randal Og GAA Club for the use of their magnificent facilities.
 
This brings to 740 the number of Foundation Level coaches qualified in West Cork over the past two years. After a significant delay, certificates for all courses will soon follow. Our coach education programme will recommence next autumn with Award 1 courses for youth and adult coaches. It is planned to now coordinate all future coach education with local education institutions at second level. Meanwhile, Foundation Level courses will follow in the new year after club agms and the recruitment of new coaches at club level.
 
This spring has seen the number of West Cork coaching tutors expand, with the addition of Gavin Kelly (Newcestown and Clonakilty CC) and David Burns (Castlehaven and Bantry CC) to our team. They will join James McCarthy (Castlehaven) and John McCarthy (Clonakilty) in providing future courses at Foundation and Award 1 Level. Meanwhile, Martin Coleman and Kevin O’Donovan will soon join Brian Lotty as qualified tutor trainers. This will allow the roll out of further tutor training courses locally. If you wish to become a GAA tutor and assist in the roll-out of coach education programmes please do not hesitate to contact us.
 
Meanwhile, James McCarthy has joined the panel of Code of Ethics tutors and continues to be available for courses in this area also.
 
Cork West U15 football
On Saturday, 25 players assembled in CIT as part of the Cork West U15 football selection for two games against two Dublin U15 selections. A comprehensive win in the first game saw good performances from Michael Hurley (1-5), Damien O'Gorman (1-1) and Mike Dineen, amongst others.  In the second game the Carbery/Muskerry/Beara lads again emerged as clear victors. Once more, the above players shone along with Murt Kennelly and Sean O’Leary. All 25 players got game time between the two games before receiving dinner in the CIT canteen. It was a good work-out, a week before the Humphery Kelleher Munster U15 tournament in Millstreet, with players gaining experience on playing 2 x 40 minute games back to back and also for the mentors on how best to rotate the panel. The management would like to thank the Dublin teams for travelling, the physio, referees and the county board for their support.
 
Panel: Murt Kennelly, Cian O’Donovan, Alex Hassett, John Mullins, Denis Murphy, Sean O’Leary, Greg Long, Euan Tobin, Darragh Casey, Chris Moynihan, Diarmuid O’Callaghan, Kevin Whooley, Conor Nolan, Michael Hurley, Damien O’Gorman JP Maughan, Cian Healy, Barry O’Leary, Jack O’Driscoll, Mike Dineen, Conor Lowney, Cathal Nyhan, Aaron Raw, Colm O’Driscoll, Michael Desmond.
 
At the same time in Rossmore, the Carbery & Beara U15 footballers were joined by a number of their Muskerry counterparts for a coaching session. Players ran through a series of drills on key skills and game situations focussing on each of the skills categories namely: contesting, gaining, maintaining and releasing possession. Great enthusiasm from all players was on view throughout.
 
Finally, best of luck to all Cork teams, at U14, U15 and U16 level, that are involved in inter-county football tournaments at various venues on next Saturday, July 16th. Reports will follow next week.
 
West Cork Primary Schools Programme
A highly constructive meeting took place on last Thursday night with the officers of the South West Junior Board in relation to introducing a comprehensive schools’ coaching in West Cork for the forthcoming academic year. With 89 primary schools situated in the Carbery and Beara divisions, the proposed scheme will aim to offer a GAA coaching programme to all schools, with the local club, the South West board and the regional GDA coordinating a clearly defined and mutually agreed programme. A tie-in with transition year students and club coaching programmes is also being considered. Discussions are still at an early stage so if any clubs or schools wish to put forward any ideas, please do not hesitate to contact us.
 
U12 Provincial Activity Days
Over the next month, a number of West Cork clubs will take part in U12 blitzes at a number of county grounds in Munster. Panel of up to 20 will assemble and play 10 a side games against teams from all over Munster. The schedule is as follows:
U12 Football @Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney; July 20th Clann na nGael;
U12 Football @Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork; July 27th - Kilmeen & Carbery Rangers;
U12 Hurling @Gaelic Grounds, Limerick; August 4th - Ballinascarthy;
U12 hurling @Semple Stadium, Thurles; August 10th - Kilbrittain
 
U10 Munster Inter Towns Blitzes
A number of clubs have made queries regarding this programme. On September 24th next three hurling clubs and three football clubs from Carbery and Beara will send a panel of 22 players to venues across Munster. At each venue four clubs will field two teams of eleven each. Each team will play 3x20 minute games. Some clubs will be drawn at home, while others will be allocated to a venue in south Munster. A number of places have already been filled, so please let us know if your club would like to participate.