We are delighted to hear that Mc Meel’s Pharmacy in Skerries have agreed to sponsor First Aid Kits for the club. Many thanks to the management and staff for their support.

Venue: The Vineyard Pavilion

When: Saturday November 11th

Time: 7.30 PM for predinner drinks, 8.30 PM dinner served

Menu:

Slow cooked beef feather-blade with a red wine jus, served with scallion mash and seasonal vegetables

Or

Baked Salmon with White Wine and chive sauce, served with scallion mash and seasonal vegetables

Followed by;

Apple & Blueberry crumble with whipped cream

Or,

Black forest Pavlova

Coffee or tea

Cost: €40.00 per person payable at the door on the night, via card or cash

Booking: Please make your reservation by email to milvertonmail@gmail.com stating numbers and choice of main course. Latest date for bookings is Monday November the 6th

The numbers drawn in The Lotto last evening were;

11, 13, 30 & 32

There was no winner of The Jackpot.

Lucky Dip winners were  Willie Dwyer & Rhiannon Pope, €25.00 each.

The Jackpot next week will be €7,650.00

Many thanks tom Bambi’s Land, Montessori and ASD Play School for their continued support.

All members are reminded that the Hills Cricket Club Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday 6th November 2023 at 7.30pm in the Vineyard. Nominations in line with the Club Constitution are invited for the Club Committee. A number of Nominations have already been received as listed below. Nominations remain open until 6pm Saturday 28th October 2023. If you wish to make a nomination please advise Club Secretary Martin Kavanagh in writing or by email to;     

secretary.thehillscc@gmail.com.

The name of your nominee, the position to which the nomination refers, and the name of the seconder are required. All proposers, seconders, and nominees must be registered as full members of The Hills Cricket Club. Nominees are required to confirm that they are agreeable to their nomination. A final list of nominations will be issued in advance of the meeting together with the final agenda and reports from the various sub-committees.

Nominations already received are;

 President, Bobby Swarbrigg, deemed elected

President Elect, to be announced at AGM, deemed elected

 Chairperson, Kathleen Gavin. Proposed Bobby Swarbrigg, Seconded Michelle Everard

Hon Secretary, Martin Kavanagh Proposed Kathleen Gavin Seconded, Michael Dwyer

Honorary Treasurer Michelle Everard Proposed Martin Kavanagh, Seconded Andrew Russell

Chair Cricket committee, Barry Grimes Proposed Bobby Swarbrigg Seconded Kathleen Gavin

Women’s cricket Representative, Mark Maguire, Proposed Ladies Committee, Seconded Kathleen Gavin

 Chairperson Grounds Committee, Willie Dwyer, Proposed Conor Maguire, Seconded Bobby Swarbrigg

 Chairperson Youth Committee, Andrew Russell Proposed Youth Committee, Seconded Luke Clinton

Fundraising Committee Conor Maguire Proposed Michelle Everard, Seconded John Derham

Designated Liaison Person Gary Woodhouse Deemed elected (ex officio)

Safeguarding Officer, Luke Clinton Deemed Elected (Ex Officio)

Ordinary Members, Michael Dwyer, Proposed Bobby Swarbrigg, Seconded Kathleen Gavin

John Derham, Proposed Martin Kavanagh Seconded Andrew Kavanagh

It is with great sadness that we heard of the passing of our great friend Paul Reynolds. On behalf of the club we pass on our condolences and prayers to Paul’s family and his many friends.

As a top class umpire Paul “stood” at the Vineyard on many occasions and through his patient character and his knowledge of cricket endeared himself to the players and supporters alike. Paul was also responsible for many backroom and administrative projects that we take for granted today.

Rest in Peace Paul, you will be sadly missed here at The Hills.

The numbers drawn in The Lotto this evening were;

 8, 9, 19 & 25

There was no winner of The Jackpot.

Lucky Dip winners were John Scally & Rhiannon Pope, €25.00 each

The Jackpot next week will be €7,600.00.

Many thanks to Bambi’s Land, Montessori and ASD Play School for their continued support.

Contributed by Clíodhna O’Reardon

The Hills Women’s Section boasts a wealth of talent, a range of experience and an abundance of commitment and passion for the game. With teams in both the Cricket Leinster Division 1 and Division 2, the club provides plenty of opportunity for both high-level performance and development, as is evident from the experiences of a number of senior players.

Cricket is a family affair in The Hills Cricket Club, and that is no exception in the Women’s Section. As the proud home club of two Irish Women Senior Internationals, Jane and Aimee Maguire, it is easy to see why. Jane, the elder of the two, got into the game through her dad, Mark and her older sisters and it would be this example that Aimee would later follow, or rather, fall into; her first experience of playing, she explains, was a match when she was “suddenly thrown into the field when my sisters’ team were short players.” Both cite community, family and an overall love of sport as factors that contribute to their enjoyment of the game. Jane in particular captures the essence of the club; “I know that every time I go to the club there will be a familiar face.”

Now representing their club on the international stage, they not act not only as representatives of Fingal cricket, but also as role models to their younger peers. Jane cites the famous victory over South Africa in Sydney Parade in 2022 as her favourite experience in an Irish shirt, made all the more special by the presence of her family, friends and Hills teammates, cheering her on from the sidelines.

The Maguires are not the only one’s aiming high. Rebecca Gough and Lara McBride, up and coming youngsters in the team, also speak to their ambitions. Both got into the game through local summer camps, and both experienced representative cricket this year, with Rebecca appearing for Ireland in the U19 Women’s World Cup in South Africa in January, and Lara playing for both Leinster and Ireland U17s in Belfast and Scotland respectively this summer. Not only that, they both play for the Typhoons in the Super Series, often against their clubmates and friends Jane and Aimee Maguire, who represent the Scorchers. Lara hopes to play at the highest level she can but, “most importantly, with a smile on her face”. Rebeccca has similar hopes, and is going the distance to try and make it possible. Quite literally, she is spending the winter months in Sydney this year, playing for Bankstown Cricket Club. She hopes that while there she will further develop her game and “learn in a different environment, in different conditions.”

Someone who knows this all too well is Women’s 1st XI stalwart, Aisling Byrne. Aisling started playing when she was 4, like Aimee, because her Dad and older sister did. In September 2022, she went on a working holiday visa to Sydney, playing for Penrith Cricket Club, alongside former Hills overseas player, Alana Ryan. For Aisling “It was an amazing experience and opportunity and she really enjoyed playing with and against some of the best.” Following in her footsteps, and joining Rebecca in Sydney this winter, Jane is keeping the Penrith/Hills connection alive, joining Penrith this season as well. Aisling too acknowledges the community and friendship in the club; “Getting to go up to the cricket club on a Thursday night or at the weekend, you always know you’ll see a friendly face and have lovely company.”

The Penrith/Bankstown fixture will be one to watch as the season kicks off Down Under, not just for the presence of two Hills players on the opposing teams, but also the appearance of an adopted daughter of the club, Tahlia Dunne. A Sydney native who took up cricket in school, she sought the same experience of both Rebecca and Jane, wanting to play in “different environment and gaining the expertise of others to improve her game.” For Tahila, the club was welcoming, and the challenge of playing with and against International players in Division 1, an intriguing prospect that didn’t disappoint.

Tahlia is not the only overseas player to have made the journey to Skerries for the 2023 season. Mary-Anne Musonda, captain of the Zimbabwean Women’s team, had a stellar season for the club. She knows all about the benefits that playing in new environments and conditions can have for one’s game, coming fresh off the back of the FairBreak tournament, a “global cricket initiative and tournament that brings together women who play cricket in Associate countries as well as Full Member ICC nations. Originally a hockey player, she took up the game when she was 14. Not content with just a trip to Hong Kong for FairBreak this year, Mary-Anne was seeking to “experience different conditions to those back at home, and this pushed her to search for a club overseas.” The stars aligned when she came across a poster advertising an opportunity at The Hills, and the rest was history. For Mary-Anne, the small nature of the Women’s section allowed her to take on more responsibility and to share her knowledge and experience of the game. Skerries, she says, was a great place to live, and the people in the club were “always keen to assist and easy to work with.”

While a small section, it is evident through the experiences of its players that for what they lack in size, they make up for in passion. All of the senior players expressed a desire to strive to be better, so that they can fulfil their potential in the sport and represent their club and families with pride. Demonstrated by the continued connections with Australia that now work in both directions, The Hills Cricket Club’s women section is one where friendship and community facilitate a welcoming and supportive environment, bursting with role models for the younger girls who one day will step in to fill their shoes.

There was sad news last weekend with the death of Brian O’Sullivan following a short illness.

The former President of The Hills and of Cricket Leinster, Jim Bennett, paid tribute to Brian, who did so much for the game at his club, Clontarf, in Leinster, and also in Ireland.

“My association with Brian O’Sullivan goes back to when he was Youth Co-ordinator with Clontarf CC during which he presided over a period of great success for the club

“In his involvement with Cricket Leinster, he fulfilled the role of Competitions Administrator with enthusiasm, dedication, and fairness. He brought these same characteristics to bear when he combined that role with Competitions Co-Ordinator at Youth Level for Cricket Ireland.

“His innate sense of decency ensured that all youth cricketers were given a fair chance, and the competitions were organised with great care and commitment. His role was fundamental in ensuring that all Youth Competitions under his aegis were models of administrative efficiency, and also became great sporting and social occasions.

“Above all, Brian O’Sullivan was a gentleman whose company I was proud to enjoy over many years of attending games and travelling around Ireland.

“To his wife, his family, his friends, and Clontarf CC, I extend my deepest sympathies and condolences. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”

We are saddened to relate the passing of Lillian McCleery, wife of our long-term supporter Gerry.

Rest In Peace Lillian.

We send our condolences to Gerry and all their family and friends at this sad time.

Funeral arrangements can be viewed at the following link;

https://rip.ie/death-notice/lillian-mccleery-dublin-balbriggan-531801

The Annual General Meeting of the club will take place on;

Date: Monday the 6th of November 2023

Venue: The Vineyard clubhouse

Start Time is: 7.30 pm

Agenda

Welcome and remembrances

Minutes of previous AGM, 17th of October 2022

Adoption of Accounts

Sub Committees Reports

Election of Executive Committee

Any other business

Correspondences to : secretary.thehillscc@gmail.com