Training - Summer 2021
Details of training over the summer period including a two week break in mid-July.
Seniors and juniors will take a two week break in July. Normally we break for longer (term time for juniors) but given the lack of time in the pool this year we are continuing sessions over the summer.
Juniors
The final session before the break is Thursday 8 July (Falls). First session back is Thursday 29 July (Falls).
Seniors
The final session before the break is Tuesday 6 July (Lisnasharragh). The first session back is Tuesday 27 July (Lisnasharragh).
When training resumes, the coaches will hold a meeting with all senior players to determine availability for the coming season. This is open to any player who has or would like to play senior water polo.
Update to members - May 2020
Cú Chulainn AGM; Return to Water Roadmap; National Water Polo Conference; 2019/20 season
Cú Chulainn Annual General Meeting
The 2020 Cú Chulainn Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 9 June at 7.00pm.
The AGM will be conducted via zoom. All members will receive an invite via email with the relevant documentation attached on Tuesday 19 May.
If you do not receive an email invite, please contact a club officer or contact the secretary directly.
Return to Water Roadmap
Swim Ireland have published a ‘Return to Water Roadmap’. This document takes account of the ‘roadmaps’ published by the governments in Ireland.
The Swim Ireland Roadmap aims to support clubs and members to return to the water in a safe and timely manner and includes details of what may happen for each aquatic discipline at each phase. It will be supported by framework documents, which will provide greater detail and clarity, when possible.
The club will use the Swim Ireland Roadmap and any relevant framework documents as planning tools, but we are mindful that Swim Ireland describe the document as a “first draft” and draw attention to the “fluid and continuously evolving situation”. Significantly, while the Swim Ireland Roadmap provides dates, no dates have been provided in the roadmap published by the NI Executive.
We will update members with any changes to the Swim Ireland Roadmap when they occur.
National Water Polo Conference
The National Water Polo Conference took place on Saturday 16 May via webinar. The National Water Polo Committee proposed a range of motions relating to league structure, tournament rules, player eligibility, discipline, and complaints. 2 delegates participated on behalf of Cú Chulainn and voted on each of motions.
All the motions secured the required number of votes and were passed. A summary of the motions relating to leagues and cup competitions is below. We will share a link to the updated rulebook when it is published.
League Competitions
A new League structure is proposed for all levels which restructures the men’s leagues as two Divisions with 8 teams/clubs in Division 1, with each team naming 11 players. The named 11 players can only play in Division 1.
The remaining entries will form Division 2 in two groups. There will be 2 rounds with the top 3 in each group plus the u17 national squad playing off round 2 Tier 1 and the remainder play off Tier 2. National squad players will play for their respective clubs in matches against the national squad team.
Division 2 players may play Division 1 games but if they play 5 or more games in one season then they are classed as Division 1 players and can no longer compete in Division 2.
There will be NO under 19 leagues.
There will be an underage league 16/17, year of birth in line with international commitments.
Under 17 players who play Division 1 in men or women cannot play in the underage leagues but can play in underage cups.
The NWPC may establish an U14 league in line with international age group YOB.
Cup Competitions
The draw for the Irish Senior Cup Competitions is addressed to eliminate seeding of previous year league top four teams into designated groups but retains seeding in two draw pots with pot 1 being the pre-qualified top 4 league teams and pot 2 the qualifier teams.
New under 13 single gender cups are introduced in June, using a size 4 ball. The mixed under 13 cup remains and will be a Development Cup using a size 3 ball.
Completion of the 2019/20 National Leagues and Irish Cups
At the end of March, Swim Ireland and the National Water Polo Committee announced the closure of the 2019/2020 season until September 2020. The announcement was part of a broader statement that sees all aquatic activities suspended until the end of August 2020.
Arrangements are being put in place to complete the outstanding matches and tournaments at the beginning of the 2020/2021 season. These plans remain in place at present but are subject to the restrictions that inform the Swim Ireland Roadmap document.
Fixtures just around the corner!
Information about the release of the 2019/20 fixture list, cup competitions and qualifying games.
Fixture list
The National Water Polo Committee has announced that the fixture list for the 2019/20 season will be announced on 1 September.
Key dates and venues
The following information has been announced regarding the Irish Cups, interprovincial games and invitational tournaments:
U15 Bridgestone Tournament - 28 and 29 September - Belfast (Falls and Grove)
Interprovincials - 2 and 3 November - Bangor (Aurora)
U19 Cup - 22 to 24 November - Limerick (University)
U17 Cup - 17 to 19 January - Belfast (Lisnasharragh)
Brother Philip Knockout Cup - 22 and 23 February, Limerick (University)
Irish Senior Cup - 23 to 25 April - Bangor (Aurora)
U15 Cup - 2 to 4 May - Galway
U13 Cup - 30 and 31 May - Dublin (NAC)
Irish Cup Competitions
Where there are more than 8 teams entered in a cup competition qualifier games will be played to select the final 8 teams. The four semi-finalists from last season will automatically qualify. This applies to U15, U17 and U19 Cups. There is no change to the qualifying process for the Irish Senior Cup.
Irish Senior Cup qualifying
Group A: Clonard, Drogheda, Half Moon
Group B: Cú Chulainn, Corrib
Boys U19 Cup qualifying
Group A: Cú Chulainn, Clontarf, Sandycove
Croup B: North Dublin, Cathal Brugha
Boys U17 Cup Qualifying*
Group A: Cú Chulainn, Cathal Brugha, Clontarf
Group B: Athlone, Drogheda
*Round Robin (single group of 5 round robin qualifying tournament)
Brother Philip Cup groups
Group A: Half Moon, Corrib, Cathal Brugha, Drogheda
Group B: Vincents, Sandycove, North Dublin
Division 1 Vs Sandycove
A week on from a hard defeat against North Dublin, the Cú Chulainn first team had a chance to get back on track against Sandycove in Lisburn.
The hard work put in on tactical errors the previous week really paid off in what would end up as a 11-10 win to ourselves.
At times it felt Cú Chulainn would open up a gap on Sandycove, but they kept coming back.
Decky McKerr put in a great performance, scoring 7 but it's fair to say the teamwork happening around the pool gave him the platform to score some fantastic goals. Tom Donnelly chipped in with 2 goals from distance (he's good at that!). Ronan McClean (another fine goal from distance) and Caoimhghin Campfield also got on the score sheet.
Special mention to Nessy for taking a head stagger in the 4th quarter and going for a wee swim with the ball. Some people just want to keep the crowd entertained.
*Fergus Carlin would also like to file an official apology for launching a misplaced pass to the referee during the interval at the scoreboard and the frightened table officials.
New Year - Newish Story
Yeah it was quiet, oh, how about yours?
Yeah quiet, family, the usual.
Then it was the new year and then it was the first weekend of water polo fixtures.
The first team headed to Dublin for a qualifier for the Irish Cup against Sandycove. Win this and a place would be secured. Lose it and it’s another trip to Dublin the next day for a final bite at the apple.
Nothing has been easy this season, so far, for either senior team and things were not about to change. Sandycove running out 15-8 winners. Details of how things went have been hard to come by but going 5 goals down in the first quarter probably tells it’s own story.
Meanwhile in division 3, a blend of youth and whiskey soaked experience took on Athlone; a bottom of the table super clash with both teams looking to register their first points on the season.
This went well, really well with the team coasting to a 18-5 win.
Impressive performances from the juniors who played, all getting on the score sheet.
If Man of the Match awards were handed out, that would go to Emmet Ewing; scored 4 goals. All from distance; all perfectly placed in the corners. But it wasn’t just the goals, he put in a strong performance defensively, putting in solid tackles and interceptions and getting the team moving up the pool.
Well done that manboy.