Donation should help good work continue

WICKLOW GAA presented Jim O’Riordan, Cathaorleach of Cumann na mBunscol Chill Mhantáin, with a donation of €1,000 to their coffers at last Monday night’s County Convention in Aughrim.

Jim addressed the Convention and informed the meeting of the superb initiative undertaken by Cumann na mBunscol whereby hurls and helmets were purchased and made available to every school in the county.

“I’d like to thank the County Board for this kind donation of €1,000. A few years ago, in Cumann na mBunscol we had a few thousand in the bank and this was largely through the national awards where we had quite a bit of success thanks to the RROs we’ve had over the last few years. Ciaran Byrne, who is very familiar with all of you, and following on from that we have Pamela McDermott who is our present PRO.

“Along with the success we’ve had there are serious financial rewards. So, we decided to put that money towards buying helmets and hurls so that any school in the county that couldn’t afford helmets and hurls would not be deprived.

“These helmets and hurls are now being used by the GDAs in every part of Wicklow so that any child who wants to play hurling can do so and we can see that hurling is very successful in this county at the moment.

“This €1,000 will go to a good purpose. We are delighted that in the last month a serious branch of Cumann na mBunscol has been set up in south Wicklow. We have struggled to set up a branch in the last couple of years but through Darren Hayden and Jonathan Tallon – I met them recently in Aughrim – they have set up a branch and they have great plans for the future in south Wicklow and they have already put plans in place and they are up and running.

“Once again, we thank you for this donation and Cumann na mBunscol will certainly be doing our best in the future to help promote our Gaelic games in our schools,” he said.