Peg O’Grady at 90 years
Elaine O’Keeffe, first woman home in the recent Parish Festival 5k run being presented with her prize by Derek Curtin
Donal Leahy, first man home in the recent Parish Festival 5k run being presented with his prize by Derek Curtin
Athea GAA “Gone To The Dogs”
Tralee Greyhound stadium is the place to be this Saturday night as we are “Gone To The Dogs” to raise much needed funds for our proposed pitch developments later this year. Athea Ladies will also be celebrating their 25th Anniversary on the night. This will be a great night out for all the family including face painting, bouncing castle, best dressed lady, best dressed man, spot prizes, etc. Tickets are on sale at a cost of just €10 euro each and this includes entry into the races and entry into the Buster draw for €500. Children are free. All support would be greatly appreciated.
Bus to Tralee
If you want to book a seat on the bus to the greyhound stadium please contact Jacqueline O’Connor on 086-0670091, adults are €5 and children accompanied by an adult are free.
“Punching Above our Weight”
What a fantastic time for sport in Ireland. The Special Olympics team covered themselves in glory bringing home over 80 medals. It was wonderful to see the joy on the faces of the team as they arrived to a well deserved reception at Dublin Airport. They are very special indeed and gave us all something to feel proud of. Congratulations to all concerned, particularly those who took the time to train and encourage the athletes to overcome their disabilities and prove to the world that they are the best.
The Irish rugby team did a job on Wales at the weekend with a team that did not include many of the first team regulars. It shows the depth of talent that is available to Joe Schmidt approaching the World Cup. Once upon a time we would be going to this competition hoping to win a game or two and hold our heads high but with no great expectations. Things have changed. We now enter the fray with a realistic hope of winning the coveted trophy. How can a small country like Ireland produce a team capable of challenging the biggest nations in the world? Realistically we have no right to be there when one thinks of the small pool of players in the country but we are and on merit. They can do us proud.
Shane Lowry entered the top 20 in the world when he won the Bridgestone Invitation, one of the richest in the world, in America over the weekend. He has been consistently good since he came to prominence by winning the Irish open as an amateur. It couldn’t happen to a nicer fellow. He is a down to earth son of Offaly whose family is steeped in G.A.A. and is one of the most popular on the circuit. He joins a number of elite players from Ireland who have made their mark on the world golf stage with Rory McElroy, the world number 1 at the top. I remember back to the days when Christy O’Connor Snr. and Harry Bradshaw were representing us in style. The game has changed a lot since those days with much better equipment available to players who now regularly hit the ball over 300 yards. Most of them also spend many hours in the gym keeping themselves super fit. With Shane Lowry, Rory McElroy, Padraig Harrington, Grahame McDewell etc. we can look forward to exciting times ahead.
Our boxers too have excelled themselves and are now regular finalists at European and World events and what about Katie Taylor; surely, pound for pound, the best boxer in the world. We now take for granted that she is going to win at the highest level. Long may it continue.
Our cyclists Stephen Roche and Sean Kelly brought great honour and glory to the country in the past. Stephen won the Tour de France and the world championship in the one year but Sean Kelly, while never winning the big race, was world number 1 for many years. Stephen’s son Nicholas is now showing great promise as is his cousin Dan Larkin. Another pair to look out for.
I could go on about Show Jumping after we easily won the Aga Khan Trophy at Ballsbridge and the great horses that are bred in this island. And what about horse racing. The names of our jockeys and trainers are famous throughout the world and we have dominated the sport for many years.
How do we do this? We are definitely punching above our weight but there is something about the Irish spirit that drives us on to achieve greater and greater success. It’s good to be Irish!
Domhnall de Barra