I really enjoyed the experience of the Féile weekend

FOR me the Féile was a competition I was proud to be part of.

In the week leading up to the féile we were kitted out with new tops, nicks and gear bags. Thank you to all our sponsors and fundraisers.

We were also given lots of pep talks and advice from our mentors.

We set off from Tinahely at lunch time Friday after team photos and a farewell from family and friends.

The journey down on the bus was full of chat and laughter. We arrived in Tagoat at 4pm to play the first of our matches against St. Marys Rosslare and Wolfe Tone Óg Longford.

We later travelled to Kilmore to meet up with our host family.

We had refreshments and time to catch up with every- body before retiring home with our hosts.

I was paired Darragh Hayden and we stayed with Nicola, Ian and their kids Cian and Chloe.

I had a great weekend I was made very welcome and treated as one of their family.

Nicola took me out for fish and chips and a long walk by the quay.

I was staying in the same area as the Toomey brothers and we all played hurling on the green for ages, it was a fantastic night, No home sickness at all.

Nicola was the team photographer and had put together a framed collage of photos which was presented to our team captain during the parade at Kilmore pitch on Saturday before our first match.

We won our match Saturday evening in Bree, which put us through to the semi-final of the shield in Carlow, on Sunday morning.

Unfortunately we lost to an Armagh team.

Making new friends was a highlight of the Féile for me and I enjoyed making friends with people I would be playing against.

I was very well looked after by the the coaches and mentors, Kieran, Pete, Sean and John.

A big thank you to all. The Kilmore club organised a disco for the two hurling teams and the two camogie teams on Saturday night.

I enjoyed all the late nights and very early mornings, the ice-creams and drinks and the chat on the bus.

I really enjoyed the experience of the weekend and I am very happy that I had the opportunity to play in the Féile.