Gneeveguilla’s big weekend of festivities
IF you’ve ever wondered how a GAA club and a community presents a unified front, then just a couple of miles over the county bounds in Gneeveguilla was the perfect destination to find out, as the east Kerry village pulled off another cracking carnival weekend.
The annual ‘Carnival Weekend’ is now a major source of fundraising for the club as the community embraces a weekend packed full of fun and entertainment which couldn’t happen without the support of the people. Every GAA club faces the same dilemma of struggling to provide facilities for its members and Gneeveguilla is one place where club facilities are used for the wider community - not just those who play football.
The weekend’s action kicked off with the ‘Mayor of Gneeveguilla’ election, won by Padraig Doyle. This was followed by live music, while Club Chairman Pat Barry and former club and Kerry star Ambrose O’Donovan spoke online about the club’s past and present exploits.
Saturday’s matters had a decidedly more familiar feel as local teams took to the field to contest The Noel O Sullivan Cup, won by Gneeveguilla U14 ladies; while The Denis McCarthy Shield was won by the boys from Gneeveguilla. Music on the night was provided by the ever popular Crystal Swing.
Sunday’s fancy dress and carnival parade ensured everyone was in fine fettle as the final day’s fanfare progressed. Speaking to The Kerryman, chairman Pat Barry said the key aim of the club is to make it accessible to everyone.
“Any development in a club means you have to raise funds and this brings its own challenges. We’re constantly trying to open the club up and make it more diverse and welcoming to everyone in our community. Our new car park, club hall and walking track are good examples of this,” he said.