A wonderful night in London
A large crowd attended the Wicklow Garden County GAA London Gala Dinner fundraiser held at the Clayton Crown Hotel in London on the eve of the Wicklow v London national league clash in Ruislip last weekend.
Up to 150 people attended on the night which has been in the planning for several months now by the Garden County GAA committee. The inspiration for the event was two-fold: the first to raise funds for the Garden County underage academies, and the second to reconnect with the diaspora in London and the surrounding areas and committee member Philip Healy says the event was a great success.
“It was a great success,” he said. “We had about 150 people there on the night, some were supporters over for the match and others were Wicklow people living in the London are and the wide surrounds. The night was very well received and we’re looking to establish the event on an annual basis regardless of whether Wicklow are fixed to play London or not,” he added.
Philip Healy says that there were many connections on the night between people at the event and he said that people in London were very keen to keep the Wicklow/London association alive and well through more events like this one.
Healy credits Dunlavin’s Jimmy Whittle as being the driving force behind the event which seen a lively question and answer session between the guests and current Wicklow football manager John Evans, Wicklow selector Leighton Glynn and former Wicklow legend Kevin O’Brien.
Wicklow GAA’s development officer Billy Byrne played the role of auctioneer on the night as he tried to sell off some items that were generously donated by Arthur French, Quinn’s of Baltinglass, and the Clayton Crown Hotel as well.
The Garden County GAA committee is made up of Jimmy Whittle, Philip McGillicuddy, Philip Healy, Paddy Dalton, Ann-Marie Dalton, Larry Byrne, Patrick Murphy, Jim Coogan, Tony Hannon and Alan Smullen.
With this fundraising event now behind them they will focus their attention on raising the profile of the academies where the best young footballers in the county are provided with training and preparation.
Philip Healy says the committee have just launched their sponsorship plans, corporate and supporter, which can be seen and purchased through the Garden County GAA website.
There are also plans for another golf classic in late summer to follow on from the successful one last year, while plans to revisit the gala night in London next year are very much to the forefront of the committee’s minds and the possibility of a race day is also on the horizon.