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U11 and U12 Boys trip to Croke Park

There was no need for an alarm clock this morning; I was far too excited to sleep. Today Eastern Harps U11 & U12 Boys got to go to Croke Park to see the All Ireland Minor Semi Final between Kerry and Monaghan and the Senior Semi Final between Tyrone and Monaghan.

We got the coach at Keash Pitch at 9am. Everyone was on time. There was a great buzz between the players, coaches, parents & supporters who travelled. Most of the players sat towards the back of the bus while the parents and coaches sat up front. Everyone was looking forward to the day ahead.

There was good craic on the journey up and before we knew it we were at Applegreen. Some people had brought a snack with them while others eat in Applegreen. We waited there for about a half hour  before heading on to Croke Park.

We arrived beside Croke Park at around 12pm, it took the bus driver about 15mins to get parked. When we got off the bus the hats, flags and headbands were in full chorus. There was even people giving out free ice-cream. We then made the 10 minute walk to Croke Park. Here we got a group photo taken. We had plenty of time to spare so the coaches decided we'd go to the GAA Museum. We had great fun here. We got to take shots with a hurley & sliotar to see who had the most powerful shot and also some target practice with a football. All the old trophies and cups were on display along with pictures of former players. When we left The Museum we got our picture taken with The Sam Maguire Cup which was outside the Cusack Stand. There was a lot of activity around and we also got a talk on Water Safety from the RNLI. It was then just after 1.30pm & time to take our seats in the Davin Stand, where we had a great view of the pitch.

1st we watched the Minors, Kerry v Monaghan. It was a great match with Kerry winning 1.16 : 2.11. At the end of the match some of us were a bit peckish and curry chips seemed to be the favourite.

Then it was the Senior match, Tyrone v Monaghan. There was a brilliant atmosphere and rivalry between the two sets of fans. Most of the lads seemed to be shouting for Monaghan and this made for good banter during the game. The match was very close with Tyrone winning by a point, 1.13 : 0.15.

After the match, we stayed in our seats until most of the crowd had left and then made our way back to the coach.

At this this stage the worst of the traffic was gone. We then made our way to Ferrick's for a lovely meal. We were back on the road again before 8pm with everyone still in great form. We arrived in Keash  just after 9pm. What a 12 hours !!

Finally, the players would like to thank all the coaches, the people who sponsored the bus, match tickets and the meal in Ferricks. It was a great day.