Geraldines to host 50 boys and girls at Feile na nOg
Geraldines are to play hosts to some 50 boys and girls who are to take part in this year’s Feile na nOg festival, the annual All-Ireland juvenile boys and girls football festival.
This offers the club a great opportunity to showcase their facilities and shine a positive light on what they are doing for the community, as well as repay the hospitality they have received over the years competing in the tournament.
On the other hand there is quite a lot of work entailed and time put into the task over the past six months. This has involved the main club committee and a sub-committee comprised of representatives of the girls and boys team from the club who are taking part.
Contestants will stay in the homes of local families during the course of the tournament which runs over this weekend from June 29 to July 1, and is being hosted by clubs from Louth , Meath and Down.
Club vice-chairman Brian Cafferty said there was a ready willingness with families to put up visiting players. The club will also provide entertainment for their visitors ‘ With the hospitality the club had experienced of Feile people saw it as it an ideal opportunity to repay it.’
By the same token it has been a ‘huge’ undertaking to get ready, making sure the grounds are in ship shape condition, and with the like of food and shop facilities to be provided at the games in McGeough Park..
The local club has a strong and lengthy association with tournament, starting off with the boys and then in the last number of years their girls teams competing. It will be represented in both the girls and boys competitions this time.
The tournament is set-up for players under-14, and has been an important stepping stone for players and their clubs going on to achieve greater things at club and indeed All-Ireland level. There is a proven track record of participants renewing their rivalry at All-Ireland level, and generally forming the backbone of their clubs at senior level, ladies as well as men.
On a personal level the tournament has been a memorable and most enjoyable episode from adolescence into adulthood where treasured friendships are made.
The economic value of the tournament is very significant, especially the spin-off to the area that stages the tournament.
There will be 280 teams comprising 7,000 players, along with 1,1,00 mentors and coaches accompanying them plus, officials and family and supporters. Altogether the tournament will generate an estimated 80,000 visitors, with 25,000 attending the finals on the Sunday.
The benefits are spread, with the transport industry for instance being one sector to gain business, with some 175 coaches and buses being employed to ferry the teams.
The Geraldines will have teams from Cavan and Offaly staying as their guests.
Challenge
Feile presents another challenge for the Geraldines, one in which they have succeeded with flying colours. That is turning out their teams smartly, proving players with new kit.
They have achieved this objective through fund raising, the mainstay of which has been the now annual club Big Breakfast.
This year it was the culmination of a series of events, which included a Cycleton outside Centra and a clothes collection.
The Big Breakfast once again was a resounding success, surpassing previous years in that over 800 breakfasts were served in the club function room. The first year the figure was 612.
This was due to the hard work of the young players who took orders, served food, and the great support of parents and volunteers. Something like 40 adults helped out on the day, doing all sorts of tasks from preparing the hall, cooking the food to washing dishes.
The catering team worked through from 8.30am to 2.30pm on the day of the Raft Race, and the members of the Tidy Towns who run the latter event, were among the supporters who went for breakfast.
Death of former coach
The Geraldines club was saddened to learn of the passing of former coach and trainer, John Flood. John coached the club team in 1999 that reached the county intermediate final losing by a point to Hunterstown.
He also coached the club the following year.
Gers lotto
Players drew a blank in the Geraldines lottery with the numbers drawn: 1, 18, 22, and 23. The jackpot and match three prize were not won.
So €400 has been added to the jackpot, and it is worth €4,600 this week.
Awards presentation
Rock Celtic is to hold their Schoolboys awards day on Saturday June 30 at their Sandy Lane headquarters, starting at 2pm.
Presentations will be made to Players of the Year and Most Improved Players for the different age grades from Under 12 to Under 7 teams who competed in the Dundalk Schoolboys League. There will be burgers and cold drinks served followed by a wee surprise!
School county champs
Saint Oliver Plunkett’s NS won the County Louth Cumann na mBunscoile competition.
The school nearly made it a historic double, with the very talented girls team narrowly losing by two points in their final to Tullyallen N.S.
Raft Race
The wet and overcast conditions during the day kept perhaps spectators away for the annual raft race festival in the village. The fact it was father’s day and families might have had other plans to celebrate might have also had a bearing on the attendance, but the enjoyment for participants and onlookers was as good as ever.
The rain also stayed away for the main spectacle, and all the events on the programme were not affected.
The results of the various events were as follows:
Blackrock Raft Race 2018 sored by Glam Rock)
1st Arrowsmith Construction 2nd Fine Living
3rd Van Dijk Architects (Spon
Special Award : Mace Blackrock Sandcastle Competition (Sponsored by Tiernan’s Centra Blackrock) Parent & Child: Catastrophe Slide
Seahorse
Younger Children Anna Loua Sand Land
Mermaid
Older (Tweens/Teens) The Sandy’s Prison Castle
The Great Wall of Blackrock
Best use of Bellurgan Fort Beach Materials Turtle Eating the Ice Cream
Wallbats
Most Creative Alley and Hannah Jurassic Fans
Pacific James
Junior Poc Fáda (in association with Blackrock Hurling & Camogie) Under 10 Girls
1st Tara Reilly St Kevins
2nd Grace King St Kevins
3rd Meadhbh Thornton St Brides
Under 13 Girls
1st Sarah Cahill Blackrock 2nd Alanah Voigt Blackrock 3rd Lauren Carroll Blackrock
Under 10 Boys
1st Shane McGuinness Naomh Moninne
2nd Cathal Traynor Killeavey
Under 13 Boys
1st Conor White Naomh Moninne 2nd Alan Fitzpatrick Knockbridge 3rd Sam Phelan Naomh Moninne
Schools Talent Competition (In association with The Reynolds Academy of Performing Arts)
1st Bainca Mabona, Aoife and Julie Soraghan – St Fursey’s School
2nd Lily O’Callaghan – St Fursey’s School
Joint 3rd Alice McKeever – St Fursey’s School
Lincoln Smyth– St Fursey’s School
Raffle
1st Prize – 50” Smart TV sponsored by Lally’s Electrical: David Broe
2nd Prize – One Year’s Gym Membership sponsored by Felda: Emma Lynn
3rd Prize – A Night at the Races sponsored by Dundalk Stadium: Pat Mullen
Other prizes sponsored by McQuillan’s Pharmacy, Louth County Council, The Hair Shop, Cooley Distillery, Dr. Tom Hogan: Aileen Reidy, Evelyn Fallon, Sharon Johnson, Kate Smyth, Brian McElroy, Gearoid McMahon, Gene McKenna, Fr Padraig Keenan, Paula McKeown, Fergal Cassidy, Seamus Laverty, Anne McKenna.
Help save an important piece of Blackrock History
Save The General R Dudley Blake Lifeboat
This boat has had an amazing journey through history and is now located near Hook Head lighthouse in Wexford where it currently rests. Ownership of the boat has been passed to the Blackrock Tourism and Development Group who are now Crowdfunding to bring the boat back home to its resting place in Blackrock Village.
The Group have secured a location to store the boat while a restoration programme is undertaken – but need help to bring it home.
Please donate to the Dudley Blake Crowdfunding Campaign below to cover the costs of :
•Securing the boat ready for transport
•Transporting the boat from Wexford to Blackrock
•Insurance for transport