Page 75 - The Gonzaga Record 1989
P. 75
game to them and put them under reward, though: David Murray, re-
great pressure. However, a strong placing him at Board Two (and Board
passing movement inside their '25' was One on occasion) performed remark-
intercepted on the wing, by their fast ably, beating Eddie O'Connor, 2034,
l...einster three-quarter, who capitalised and John Buckley, 2118, in successive
on our commitment to attack, and ran games, with successive Knight sacri-
the length of the field for an oppor- fices! Since he spent the season
tunist try. Despite resolute defence, in playing roughly 350 points above his
tackling by the centres and back-row grading, we expect great things of the
(of whom No. 8 Kelly retired injured), 1989 Rating List!
and from the boot of Eoin Brophy, Our Heidenfeld team, despite suf-
Clongowes never lost the upper-hand fering a similar blow - the loss
and from then, adding a drop-goal of Tomas O'Conluain, seconded to
and a penalty, to win 12-0. Though Somalia for 2 years - held on grimly
generally disappointed, given the pre- under the outstanding captaincy of
season expectations, the team had Paul Greenan, to finish the season
good reason to feel proud about an comfortably clear of relegation.
enjoyable cup campaign. But the cele- Retrenchment is hardly the word in
brations certainly did not stop there, as the Schools' Leagues, however. Last
the S.C.T. became 'the Cheerleaders' year our Senior team retained their
and cheered our younger counterparts Leinster Senior Championship for the
onto better things. We are very grateful 3rd year in a row. This year they
to Mr McCarthy and Mr Whirdy for stretched it to a record 4-in-a-row, a
their dedication and skill in helping wonderful achievement. Emulating
the SCT reach the quarter-final in a their elders (if not betters!), our
season made difficult by so much Junior team took on a field of
injury. fearsome strength to become Leinster
Junior Champions: not to be outdone,
Aengus Kelly (S6) our Minors reached the Leinster Final
without conceding even a V2 point. A
slight hiccup at this stage saw them
finish runners-up to Dundalk, quali-
fying for the All-Ireland along with
CHESS 1988-89 the Senior and Junior teams.
The 1989 All-Ireland Champion-
The appearance of 48 graded chess- ships, held in Gonzaga (where else?)
players under the Gonzaga colours in on the 22nd/23rd April, will be long
the 1988 Annual Rating List is testi- remembered in the annals of Gonzaga
mony to the growing strength of the Chess. In Round One, the Minors
club, both at adult and schoolboy settled a small account with Dundalk,
level. defeating them 6-0; the Juniors, in a
For the Armstrong and Heidenfeld truly remarkable victory, crunched
teams, it was a year of retrenchment: their arch-rivals, Skerries by 5-1 and
having reached the pinnacle of the Seniors accounted for Moyle Park
Division One, the premier team was 5 \12- \12. The end of day 1: Gonzaga
unable to muster quite the strength to 16 V2, the rest 1 \12! Now it remained to
stay there, being relegated by just 2 V2 hold off the attacks from Ulster and
points. We were, however, deprived Munster. The Senior team were unable
of the services of our stalwart Board to withstand the might of reigning
Two, Denis Bergin, whose business champions, Antrim Grammar, and
commitments prevented him from finished joint 2nd, drawing 3-3 with
playing. His loss was not without Methodist College, Belfast.
73
great pressure. However, a strong placing him at Board Two (and Board
passing movement inside their '25' was One on occasion) performed remark-
intercepted on the wing, by their fast ably, beating Eddie O'Connor, 2034,
l...einster three-quarter, who capitalised and John Buckley, 2118, in successive
on our commitment to attack, and ran games, with successive Knight sacri-
the length of the field for an oppor- fices! Since he spent the season
tunist try. Despite resolute defence, in playing roughly 350 points above his
tackling by the centres and back-row grading, we expect great things of the
(of whom No. 8 Kelly retired injured), 1989 Rating List!
and from the boot of Eoin Brophy, Our Heidenfeld team, despite suf-
Clongowes never lost the upper-hand fering a similar blow - the loss
and from then, adding a drop-goal of Tomas O'Conluain, seconded to
and a penalty, to win 12-0. Though Somalia for 2 years - held on grimly
generally disappointed, given the pre- under the outstanding captaincy of
season expectations, the team had Paul Greenan, to finish the season
good reason to feel proud about an comfortably clear of relegation.
enjoyable cup campaign. But the cele- Retrenchment is hardly the word in
brations certainly did not stop there, as the Schools' Leagues, however. Last
the S.C.T. became 'the Cheerleaders' year our Senior team retained their
and cheered our younger counterparts Leinster Senior Championship for the
onto better things. We are very grateful 3rd year in a row. This year they
to Mr McCarthy and Mr Whirdy for stretched it to a record 4-in-a-row, a
their dedication and skill in helping wonderful achievement. Emulating
the SCT reach the quarter-final in a their elders (if not betters!), our
season made difficult by so much Junior team took on a field of
injury. fearsome strength to become Leinster
Junior Champions: not to be outdone,
Aengus Kelly (S6) our Minors reached the Leinster Final
without conceding even a V2 point. A
slight hiccup at this stage saw them
finish runners-up to Dundalk, quali-
fying for the All-Ireland along with
CHESS 1988-89 the Senior and Junior teams.
The 1989 All-Ireland Champion-
The appearance of 48 graded chess- ships, held in Gonzaga (where else?)
players under the Gonzaga colours in on the 22nd/23rd April, will be long
the 1988 Annual Rating List is testi- remembered in the annals of Gonzaga
mony to the growing strength of the Chess. In Round One, the Minors
club, both at adult and schoolboy settled a small account with Dundalk,
level. defeating them 6-0; the Juniors, in a
For the Armstrong and Heidenfeld truly remarkable victory, crunched
teams, it was a year of retrenchment: their arch-rivals, Skerries by 5-1 and
having reached the pinnacle of the Seniors accounted for Moyle Park
Division One, the premier team was 5 \12- \12. The end of day 1: Gonzaga
unable to muster quite the strength to 16 V2, the rest 1 \12! Now it remained to
stay there, being relegated by just 2 V2 hold off the attacks from Ulster and
points. We were, however, deprived Munster. The Senior team were unable
of the services of our stalwart Board to withstand the might of reigning
Two, Denis Bergin, whose business champions, Antrim Grammar, and
commitments prevented him from finished joint 2nd, drawing 3-3 with
playing. His loss was not without Methodist College, Belfast.
73
