Al Eile Stud Open Day a Great Success
The sun was shining at the Open day at Al Eile Stud in Kilgobnet Dungarvan last Saturday Aug 7th. People came from far and wide to enjoy the BBQ and admire the wonderful facilities. Michael Ryan of Al Eile ensured all were well fed with 2 free- range pigs on spits. The smell of the roasting pork whetted the appetite for the feast to follow. Adults and children of all ages gathered bedecked in the county colours to get autographs and photographs with Big Dan and the lads.
The children will go back to school with tales of seeing horses swimming, of blacksmith’s skills and Munster cups, of the beauty and speed of the horses on the gallops and the fun they had riding ponies themselves. All proceeds will go to the preparation and training of the senior hurlers.
Photographs taken by members of Dungarvan Camera Club will be available for a small donation to the Hurler’s training fund at Murray’s Pharmacy later in the week. Thank you to Murrays for this sponsorship and a huge thanks to Michael Ryan and the staff at Al Eile, to the hurlers, to the members of Club Déise, to Comperes Brian Gleeson & Bob O’Brien, to Blacksmiths John Halpin & JJ and to Vet Gillian King, that all worked so hard to make the day a success and to everyone that joined us at Al Eile Stud.
Photographs in Club Déise Gallery courtesy of Richard Cutbill, John Pelham, Julie Anne French and Breda Curtain of The Dungarvan Camera Club.
Waterford Needs You!
Club Déise AGM The Park Hotel Friday 5th Feb 2010
Colm Bannon (Chairman), Donal Dempsey, Shane Aherne (Manager U21), Jim McGrath (Football), Anne Ryan (Dublin Supporter’s Club), Dan Shanahan (Superstar), Fiona McDonnell (PRO), Michael Hogan (Treasurer Wfd County Board),Jimmy Meaney (Manager Minors), Davy Fitzgerald (Manager Senior Hurlers),John Bosco Tobin, Tom Coffey, Tommy McCarthy & BredaKiely (Treasurer).
Our visitors on the night were Davy Fitzgerald, Senior Hurling Manager, Shane Ahern, U21 Manager, Jimmy Meaney, Minor Manager, Jim McGrath Football and Dan Shanahan Superstar.
Davy and the managers of the county teams spoke very well telling us of their hopes aspirations for the coming year. They expressed their appreciation of the work that we are doing and the difference we are making by rasing funds that are put toward extras that can make a big difference at the highest level.
Dan spoke from the heart and thanked us for our support he also asked for supporters to show respect to players even when they are not playing well. Players give up to 35 hours a week to the county and none of them go out with the intention of playing badly.
Club Déise member Aidan Daly won the draw on the night for a hurley signed by the 2010 Senior hurling panel.
July 30th
Citywest Hotel GAA Supporters
Special Offer
Why not make the most of your trip to Croke Park by staying at Citywest Hotel and enjoy the championship ambiance.
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We are offering:
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July 24th
The 5 Club Déise members that won a pair of stand tickets for the match against Galway on Sunday 26th are:
1. Aoife Kiely, Kilmacthomas.
2. Beatrice Beecher, Tallow.
3. Eileen Nolan, Portlaw.
4. Noreen Kiely, Cappoquin.
5. Ned Phelan, Ballyneety.
Enjoy!
July 23rd
The Waterford Senior Hurling team to line out against Galway on Sunday 26th July:
1. Clinton Hennessy
2. Eoin Murphy
3. Declan Prendergast
4. Noel Connors
5. Tony Browne
6. Michael Walsh
7. Aidan Kearney
8. Kevin Moran
9. Shane O Sullivan
10. Seamus Prendergast
11. Stephen Molumphy
12. Jamie Nagle
13. John Mullane
14. Eoin Kelly
15. Shane Casey
May 26th
Guinness
PRESS RELEASE:Guinness(r) Get their Hurling Supporters Nights underway with a Deise date
Inside Hurling coming to Masons on 2nd JuneWaterford will kick off Guinness’s summer of celebration of all things hurling on Tuesday 2nd June at 7.30pm in Mason’s.Deise fans will be able to debate the issues and talk about the upcoming championship opener against Limerick in the company of former Waterford greats Fergal Heartly, Paul Flynn and Dave Bennett, as well as Manager Davy Fitz and members of the team.MC for the evening is Paul Collins, who despite being from Tipperary has a soft spot for the Deise following his stint with WLRFM back in his pre Today FM days.The night will run similar to a “championship” preview format, where the panel will analyse previous championship games, including the last championship meet of Limerick and Waterford in the 2007 semi-final, while Flynn and co. will look to pin point the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses.Supporters will also be able to engage in a Q&A session with the Davy Fitz and two players, and there will be plenty of prizes on offer on the night from match tickets to signed jerseys and special hurling t-shirts.Tickets for the supporter’s night are free, but strictly limited to 250 supporters, so to book your place, email guinnesshurling@ihurling.com.All supporters and their guests must be over 18, and I.D will be required on the night.Further information is available via the hurling channel at www.guinness.com
Enjoy Guinness Sensibly, Visit www.drinkaware.ieAdditional Notes:
* Guinness Hurling Supporters’ nights will take place in Dublin, Cork, Tipperary, Limerick, Clare, Waterford, Galway and Kilkenny during June and July.
* Entry is free, but supporters must register in advance to secure a place by emailing their name, date of birth, and contact details to guinnesshurling@ihurling.com. Everyone attending must be over 18.
* Light refreshments will be provided at each event.
* The events will run similar to a “championship” preview format, where a panel of experts, which will include former players and local experts, will analyse previous games and the upcoming opposition’s strengths and weaknesses. There will also be an opportunity for supporters to engage in a Q&A session with the current manager and two players. Fans will also be in with the chance of winning exclusive Guinness prizes including match tickets. Paul Collins from Today FM will act as MC at all events.* Supporters not at the event will be able to get involved and post their questions on the night through the Guinness Hurling Twitter @ http://twitter.com/
May 2009
Waterford Senior hurlers recently took time out of their hectic training schedule to lend support to Club Déise, the official Waterford GAA supporter’s club.
AGM: 6th March 2009
On March 6th the Club Déise AGM was attended by a large and enthusiastic crowd at the Park Hotel Dungarvan.
Ken McGrath, Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh, Seamus Prendergast and Gary Hurney paid a visit during the meeting and told the supporters about their ambitions for the coming season and how much they appreciate the work of the supporter’s club.
Waterford Senior Hurler, Eoin Kelly, pulls the winning ticket belonging to Tombo White from Dunhill in the confined draw to win flights and accommodation for two to New York. Tombo and a friend will fly to New York with the Waterford Senior Hurlers from the 5th to the 12th of January, staying at the Holiday Inn, Downtown.
Tombo’s ticket was one of 454 tickets sold in a confined draw run by the players in association with Club Déise to raise funds for the player’s holiday fund. The draw took place in The Granville Hotel on the 28th Dec. Thank you to everybody that supported this project and Bon Voyage to Tombo and the players.
21st Dec 2008
We had a raffle among Club Deise members for 10 copies of the Waterford Hurlers 2009 calendar and the following are the lucky winners that will receive them shortly:
1. DJ Lehane, Templeogue, Dublin.
2. Tom Leahy, Ballyharrahan, Dungarvan.
3. Jackie Murphy, Kilmacthomas.
4. John Kelly, Kinsalebeg.
5. Kay Farrell, Naas
6. James Tobin, Tallow
7. Ger Walsh, Kilmacthomas
8. Sinead Madigan, Waterford
9. Maureen Roche, Tallow
10. Gillian Murphy, Waterford
11th Nov 2008
Following a meeting of the Waterford County Board last night the managers & selectors for the County teams are as follows:
Senior Hurling
Manager: Davy Fitzgerald
Selectors: Maurice Geary & Peter Quealy
Intermediate Hurling
Manager Liam Óg Daniels
Selectors to be decided
U21
Manager: Shane Ahearne
Selectors: Tomas Kiely & S Roche
Minor Hurling
Manager: Ml Walsh
Selectors: Ray Sheridan & Fintan Murray
Senior Football
Manager: John Kiely
Selectors: Ger Power & Tom Condon
Coach: Paul McLoughlin
Physical Coach: Ml O’Loughlin
U21
Manager: Dave Robinson
Selectors: Liam Dalton & Tony Corcoron
Minor Football
Manager: Aidan Ahearne
Selectors: Billy O’Halloran & Pierce Whyte
Junior Football
Manager Mickey Joe Ryan
Selectors: Jim Maher, Declan Power, Maurice Lannon & L Daniels
Looking forward to the 2009 season.
10th Nov 2008
Paul Flynn retires
After months of speculation Paul Flynn has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling.
Flynn won three Munster titles, a National League and an All Star during his 16 years with the Déise.
“It’s just time, I’ve given what I can and it’s time to move on now,” he said.
Waterford Sunset by Kieran Shannon of Tribune Sport
‘Paul Flynn has called time on his inter-county career at the age of 34. His devotion to practice marked him out as one of the best freetakers of his, or any, generation.
A couple of days after this year’s All Ireland final, Eoin Kelly confided to a couple of teammates and backroom members that a greater disaster awaited Waterford hurling. Paul Flynn had probably played his last game for the county. Kelly couldn’t imagine a Waterford dressing room without him. It wasn’t so much because he had that knack of coming up with a goal just when you needed one; it was the quiet word he’d have with you when your nerves were getting the better of you. Even though he’d started in only one of the team’s past three championship campaigns, they could always draw on the threat of Flynn, the comfort of Flynn. Soon that would be gone.
It’s gone now. In recent days Flynn confirmed to a few close friends that his inter-county playing days were over. Last month Ruth gave birth to Matthew. Rachel is 21 months old. Flynn himself is 34. “It’s just time,” he says. “I think I’ve given what I can and it’s time now to move on.”
To some he was the worst trainer in hurling; to others, he was one of its greatest practice players ever. They say he let Waterford down on the big occasion; the record shows he was probably the best-first championship forward of his generation and man of the match in the greatest Munster final ever known. He was the game’s greatest goalscoring freetaker since Ring and Rackard, one of the greatest goalscorers of the last 20 years, won and achieved more than any Waterford player of the past 40 years yet some will say he underachieved. Whatever your viewpoint, he can live with it. What was it Ring said? It was never his ambition to play the game for the sake of winning All Irelands or breaking records but to perfect the art as well as possible? That’s pretty much how Flynn felt about it. No (senior) All Irelands maybe, but no regrets either.
“I never played for medals or awards or glory,” he says. “I played because the game challenged me and I kept finding challenges in it. People say I didn’t train hard but I’d say I trained sensibly and I practised hard.”
It’s where the brilliance at freetaking came from. The love of it came from his time as a kid “when Dad and the boys would go off for the day and I’d be thrown in the back”. Cork were kings of Munster and John Fenton king of Flynn’s dreams. “In 1992 I played every challenge game for the county minors at midfield,” says Flynn. “Then come championship I was named corner forward. I’ve struggled to get out of there ever since.”
The year he studied up in Dublin he must have been out in Bushy Park in Terenure four times a week with a bag of 14 balls. He’d start at one goalpost and drive each ball as far as he could off either side down towards the other posts. Then, wherever each ball had landed, that was the spot to take his free. Any time he’d miss he’d drive it back up the field and try to complete the clean sweep up there.
The field in Ballygunner hosted the same drill day in, day out, year in, year out. It was there where the immortal goaled free in the 2004 Munster final was born. Often he’d tie a tire to the crossbar and fire balls through it. It was all having fun and being creative. In training himself and Kelly would try to hit balls off the upright while on their knees. Dare him and…
Ben O’Connor tried to towards the end of last year’s All Ireland quarter-final replay. Waterford were two up when Flynn had a free out by the sideline. “Put this over and I might as well go home!”
“Well, you might as well go f**kin’ home so,” came the reply seconds before the Waterford lead stretched from two to three.
Looking back, the first four or five years with the county were “a waste”. Then Gerald came along. “He called a meeting for October and we were all ‘What?’ Up to then you’d meet a month before the Munster championship. Gerald was the start of proper training. Whether that’s not good enough 12 years on, I don’t know. It surprises me to hear that it isn’t but then it doesn’t surprise me whose rebelling against him. We’d all know the Cork lads want to manage themselves; he obviously wasn’t allowing them to do what they were use to doing. Whether he’s right or wrong I don’t know but he was right for us.”
So was Justin. In the last two years of their relationship, Flynn and McCarthy were barely talking for some reason still unknown to Flynn but up to that they shared a mutual respect and he’d like to think, they still do. “In fairness to Justin he tried to be three things all in one – manager, coach, motivator-psychologist. You look at other set-ups and three different people play those roles. [Brian] Cody can rotate the players every few years and it’s new to a lot of them but in Waterford we had pretty much the same bunch of players. Maybe we were over-exposed to the same voice and same ideas but most of us will have good memories of our time with Justin.”
As for this year’s All Ireland final? “Our form came home. The reality is we got a lucky draw and were lucky to get to the final. Eoin Kelly dragged us through a lot of games. We weren’t steeled for Kilkenny. In the three weeks leading up to the final, we had only an hour and a half of match-time in training. Kilkenny would have had six or seven hours playing among themselves. I was brought on with about 20 minutes to go when we were about 20 down and it was the most surreal feeling in my life. One of the selectors said to me, ‘Every ball you get now, go for the goal.’ I said ‘I hope I get seven of them then.’”
In recent days he’s found himself thinking a lot about the great players he battled with. Steve McDonagh, Wayne Sherlock, Wexford’s Colm Kehoe, and of course, the Rock. “I’d have good craic with Diarmuid. When things were going well for Cork he’d be very funny and sarcastic; then if things were going well for us, you’d get a bang in the back of the head. I said to him one day, ‘We’re coming back at you; I’m expecting a dig any second now.’”
Then there were the goalkeepers. One of the subthemes of Christy O’Connor’s Last Man Standing is the fear the nation’s netminders had of Flynn and his shots but for Flynn one of them stood heads and shoulders above the rest.
“You’d nearly have to physically stick the ball behind Damien Fitzhenry’s neck to get it past him. We played a league game in New Ross and I pulled on a ball from the edge of the square, a drop volley if you like. The ball would have travelled 80 yards if it had been allowed. Next thing it was five yards out on the left side of the goal and your man was getting up. I didn’t even see the save, I just heard it hitting his hurley.”
Then there was Frampton, Hartley, Ken, Kelly, Dan, Mullane. He’ll miss them, not just the great days in Cork and Thurles together but the trips on the bus and the train. This year Mullane had them all in hysterics as he held a five-minute conversation with a furniture store sales rep, wondering if they had a bed for his Labrador. What will he do without Mullane? What will he do without them?
Some day he might return as a selector. He was one to his late and great pal, Greg Fives, with the county under-21s in recent years and found he had something to offer.
“I hate the beat-the-table attitude, especially with young fellas. I’d rather just let them enjoy it and give a word in their ear. I hated this false shouting, this idea fellas had that they needed to shout. No one has to do anything but perform. If a person wants to hit their hurley off the wall, leave them do it but don’t ask me to do it.
“But in no way am I regretful. I enjoyed most of it and I hope in a couple of years’ time that everyone I played against I’ll be able to have an old pint with.”
The privilege will be as much theirs as his.’
If you’d like to re-live the 2004 goal against Cork in the Munster Final click on the following utube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCCrhNgpAFM
A detailed profile of Paul Flynn’s hurling career is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Flynn_(hurler)
Thank you Paul, it was a privilege to watch you.
Waterford GAA mourns loss of much admired Greg Fives
Munster Express Friday, October 24th, 2008
It was with widespread sadness and sympathy that Waterford Galeton and the wider GAA community learned of the death of Mr Greg Fives of Abbeyside, Dungarvan, a man whose life time of dedicated service to the Association in the Decies had few equals.
As a young man he excelled on the playing fields of his beloved Decies and beyond and was considered an accomplished hurler and footballer.
He played the games at all evels for both club and county, and was quite actively associated with the administrative side of things over a span of many years.
As a player, then aged 17 years, was a member of the Ballinacourty team, the winners of the first ever Under-21 Football championship played in the county.
He had the distinction of captaining the same team when they collected their second title in 1970, accounting for John Mitchells at the second attempt.
Having then graduated to the club’s senior team, he quickly attracted the attention of the county senior selectors and of course previously to all this he played both minor hurling and football for the Deise as well.
When Abbeyside won their first ever County Under-21 Hurling title in 2004, the person in charge of operations was Greg Fives.
He later went on to be identified with every grade of hurling as well as football both as manager and selector with club and county, bringing considerable success to both.
As an administrator he served the Association well in a variety of capacities, and at the time of his passing was County Development Officer, having taken over from the present County Secretary John O’Leary at the 2008 Convention.
He represented the county on the Munster of Council for a number of years with considerable distinction. Greg was also very much identified with the re-development work carried out at Fraher Field and was a hard working member of the Committee in charge for many years.
His passing unquestionably leaves a huge void in our midst, not easily replaced, and he will be sadly missed.
How fitting it was that the members of the Abbeyside/Ballinacourty clubs should form a guard of honour on the occasion of the final obsequies.
To his wife Marie, his mother, brothers, sister, sons Michael, Mark and Declan and other relatives, sincere sympathy is extended.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
Club Déise News Sept 4th
Waterford V Kilkenny 07/09/08
<!–[if !supportEmptyParas]–> <!–[endif]–>
- C Hennessy
- E Murphy 3. D Prendergast 4. A Kearney
5. T Browne 6. K McGrath 7. K Moran
8. M Walsh 9. J Nagle
10. D Shanahan 11. S Prendergast 12. S Molumphy
13. E McGrath 14. E Kelly 15. J Mullane
<!–[if !supportEmptyParas]–> <!–[endif]–>
16. A Power
17. J Kennedy
18. P Flynn
19. S O Sullivan
20. G Hurney
21. D Bennett
22. R Foley
23. B Phelan
24. J Murray
25. T Feeney
26. W Hutchinson
27. S Walsh
28. P Fitzgerald
29. Pa Kearney
30. D Coffey
Club Déise News Sept 3rd
The Draw for The Club Deise Pair of All-Ireland stand tickets took place today. Kieran O’Connor of WLR FM drew the ticket at Dungarvan Shopping Centre and we are pleased to announce the winner is:
Elaine McDonald
Old Tramore Rd
Waterford
Well Done Elaine - Enjoy!
Club Déise News Aug 30th
PRE-ALL IRELAND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS IN DUBLIN SAT 6th:
o UP FOR THE MATCH - Waterford Supporter’s Function in Brady’s, The Rathmine’s Inn - 10 minute walk from the Burlington. Music and Bar Extension. Open 8 till Late. Tickets 10 Euro, Admission by ticket only, Tickets available from Tuesday at the Deise Shop (Beside The Granville) Waterford and The Stand in Dungarvan Shopping Centre. All Proceeds to the Waterford Training Fund.
o As in previous years, the Waterford GAA Supporters Club in Dublin will be organising a function for Dublin-based and travelling supporters in the Goat Bar & Grill, Goatstown, on Saturday September 6th from 9pm onwards. Music supplied. No cover charge. This will be a great opportunity to meet and mingle with other Deise fans and a great night is in store. To get to the Goat Bar & Grill from city centre, either go south through Ranelagh and continue on until you see Goat Bar on your right, or take the N11 through Donnybrook, pass Montrose Hotel [on left], turn right up Fosters Avenue at the next set of traffic lights [the Radisson Hotel is on the left at this junction]. Continue on to Goat Bar. From Naas Road, go south on M50 at Red Cow Roundabout (third exit) and continue to Interchange 13 (to ‘Sandyford/Dundrum’). Take 3rd exit off roundabout (to ‘Sandyford’) and first exit at next roundabout (to ‘Sandyford Industrial Estate’). Continue on (towards city centre). Goat Bar at fourth junction (on left). From N11 (coast road) take M50 to Inter change 14 (to ‘Sandyford/Dundrum’), follow signs to ‘Sandyford Industrial Estate’ and continue straight on towards city centre as above.
Club Déise News Aug 23rd
If you would like to soak up the atmosphere and get a chance to watch the Waterford Senior Hurling team training there are 2 sessions open to the public next week, the following week the sessions will be behind closed doors as the players will need to be focussed and undisturbed the week before the All Ireland final.
The 2 sessions are as follows:
Tue Night 26th Aug 7pm in Walsh Park, Waterford.
&
Fri Night 29th Aug 7pm in Fraher Field, Dungarvan, Co Waterford.
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Club Déise News Aug 19th
It has come to our attention that an extremely limited supply of tickets will be allocated directly to the county for the All Ireland Hurling Final on Sept. 7th.
We have been informed approximately 7000 stand and 3000 terrace tickets.
For an All Ireland Final every Club in every County receives an allocation regardless of whether they are participants in the Final or not (even New York gets an allocation).
I would urge anybody hoping to attend the All Ireland to make use of any contacts they have in Clubs in other Counties to get tickets as they will be extremely scarce.
Club Déise News Aug 14th
Waterford V Tipperary Sun 17th Aug 3.30pm Croke Park
1. C Hennessy
2. E Murphy 3. K McGrath 4. A Kearney
5. D Prendergast 6. T Browne 7. K Moran
8. Ml Walsh 9. J Nagle
10. D Shanahan 11. S Prendergast 12. S Molumphy
13. E McGrath 14. E Kelly 15. J Mullane
16. A Power
17. J Kennedy
18. P Flynn
19. S O’Sullivan
20. G Hurney
21. D Bennett
22. R Foley
23. B Phelan
24. Jas Murray
25. T Feeney
26. W Hutchinson
27. S Walsh
28. P Fitzgerald
29. Pa Kearney
30. D Coffey
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Club Déise News Aug 12th
The Winners of the 5 pairs of tickets for the Waterford v Tipperary match are:
Raymond Bannon, Dungarvan
Sarah White, Lauradell, Waterford.
Bernie Keane, Ballycoe.
Claire Dalton, Tourneena.
Thomas Phelan, Ballinroad.
Well Done and Enjoy!
Club Déise News Aug 4th
The Winner of the Waterford Jersey signed by Davy Fitzgerald and the Waterford Panel is:
Pat Kiely of Ballinamult Co Waterford.
Well Wear Pat, wear it with Pride!
Following a request from the Waterford Senior Hurling Management Team for earpieces, Club Deise has provided 845 Euro for the purchase of these.
The earpieces will be used by the management team to keep in communication during matches.
Small things can make a big difference at this level, by joining Club Deise you are helping make a difference.
Club Déise News July 28th
Davy Fitzgerald supports Club Déise the Official Waterford GAA Supporter’s Club.
Club Déise is for the Waterford GAA Supporter that wants to make a difference to Waterford GAA now and in the future.
Pictured with Davy Fitzgerald, at a recent training session in Walsh Park is Pat Flynn (Waterford County Board Chairman) and some members of Club Déise: Tom Murphy, Tommy McCarthy, Justin Spratt, Tom Coffey, Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh (Captain Waterford Senior Hurlers), Donal Dempsey, Davy Fitzgerald, Liam Cusack, Eoin McGrath, Michael Harney, Colm Bannon (Chairman Club Déise), Maurice Power, Tom O’Donovan, Seán Power, Betty Forristal & Niamh Dempsey.
Club Déise News July 23rd
Winners of this month’s draw for tickets
Club Deise News June 14th
Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt shows his support for Waterford, signing up for Club Déise, the Official Waterford GAA Supporter’s Club.
Stephen is often seen at matches supporting the County teams and was a talented hurler before he left Clonea Power to go to England to start his career as a trainee with Crystal Palace. Stephen represented Waterford in the Tony Forrestal Cup and at U16 level.
Stephen now plays with Reading and was voted by Reading supporters as the official Player of the Year for the 2007/2008 season. A bid of 5 million pounds from Roy Keane’s Sunderland was recently rejected by Reading for Hunt.
Membership application forms for Club Déise, the official Waterford GAA Supporter’s Club, are now available at Ken McGrath’s Sport, Harvey Travel, Ger Wyley’s Sport, David Walsh’s Office Supplies and Albert McGrath’s Newsagents. You may also apply on-line at clubdeise.com. All applications received on or before 30th July will be eligible for a draw for the first Waterford jersey signed by Davy Fitzgerald and the whole Waterford panel, a collector’s item.
Click photos below to view larger versions:
