PowerBoys

June 2009

THE Power Boys raised the Le Cheile Cup in the final of a festival of football, sunshine and community spirit in a thrilling and closely contended tie against The All Stars.

The Le Cheile festival has been growing in popularity since the first Le Chelle Cup was held at St Fechin’s GFC in March 2007. Coordinated by Sharon Healy, a youth support worker for YWILouth and the then chairperson of Moneymore Football Club (MFC), it was instigated to celebrate intercultural Week, to promote, through community participation in sport, an awareness of cultural diversity and the importance of the need to combat racism.

And following the success of the first tournament, a repeat in 2008 at Moneymore playing fields saw an increase in participation. It attracted huge local interest and a senior event was planned.

For this reason it was decided to organise a separate Le Cheile Cup this year to be held alongside the children’s tournament over a weekend in August. MFC then applied to the Louth Local Sports Partnership for funding and received €800 towards a twoday soccer tournament. All teams play at least three games over the weekend.

The cup was presented to Power Boy, Declan Fitzpatrick by event organisers MFC Director of Football Michael O’ Rourke and MFC Chairperson, Frank Thornton.

Frank explained that MFC wants to develop the concept as a sustainable festival for the county to promote and celebrate ‘equality and anti discrimination’ and ‘sport for all’ and to demonstrate that it is a fundamental right for all Irish national and non nationals in Ireland to access sports facilities and events. Frank offered thanks to Michael O’ Rourke, Lorna Mooney and the under 9s boys for helping out along with the Louth Local Sports Partnership for their funding assistance and all those concerned in the success of this year’s ‘ bigger lads’ Le Cheile Cup.

Sharon commented: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to see the tournament in its third year now and this was only made possible by the relentless efforts of MFC volunteers to organise a great weekend of football and a breath of fresh air for the young people in the heart of a community. Well done to the sports leaders, volunteers, participants from the Welcome Youth Project, the Cable Project and MFC.