With the annual MBNA-sponsored All-Ireland Kick Fada, Bray Emmets GAA Club in Wicklow is certainly onto a winner. The Long Kick competition has raised the profile of this pro-active seaside club and also provides a welcome cash injection, which is being used wisely to boost juvenile activities. The positive knock-on effect is already being felt. The seventh staging of the All-Ireland Kick Fada competition takes place at the well-appointed Bray Emmets GAA Club grounds on Saturday September 9 2006. The novel competition has grown in popularity since its inception and this year's final promises to be the best yet, with a host of prominent gaelic footballers due to do battle for the coveted crown. The reigning Long Kick King of Ireland is Offaly goalkeeper Padraig Kelly, who has earned the accolade twice. Mark Herbert from Kildare is the only other winner to date, having claimed national long-kick honours on four occasions already. However, the pair's duopoly is under severe threat as the prestige of the event soars and a strong field of intercounty stars prepares to descend on the scenic coastal town this autumn with one thing on their minds - national glory. Depending on which counties have qualified for the All-Ireland final, the competition is set to attract some seriously big hitters both in terms of their kicking ability and drawing power! In the past, the likes of Anthony Tohill (Derry), Keith Barr (Dublin), Ciaran Whelan (Dublin), Oisin McConville (Armagh), Declan Browne (Tipperary), Mattie Forde (Wexford), Liam McBarron (Fermanagh), Mickey McVeigh (Down), Ciaran McManus (Offaly), Joe Sheridan (Meath), Trevor Giles (Meath), Liam Hassett (Kerry) and Mark Vaughan (Dublin) have all taken part. As well as a great day's craic, there is also a keen competitive element to proceedings. The competition has always been fierce as all entrants strive to gain All-Ireland recognition. (A substantial holiday voucher is also presented to the winner.) Mark Herbert's winning kick one year was in excess of 70 metres. Incredible when one considers that kicks are taken off the ground and must be accurate, i.e. the ball must go over the crossbar for a 'point'! (The posts are twice as far apart as in conventional goals, but the ball must sail directly over the bar.) Like long jump athletes, players get three attempts at each distance, with the distance increasing all the time until there is only one contestant left. Essentially, it's a gaelic football version of Poc Fada or golf's longest drive concept. Bray Emmets came up with the idea many years ago and the event became a reality once MBNA agreed to get on board as sponsor. The Kick Fada competition has become very popular in a relatively short space of time. As an All-Ireland competition, it enjoys a prestigious placing on the Association calendar, and Bray's convenient location is central to the resounding success thus far. "The proceeds are investing into football and hurling coaching," explains Kick Fada committee member PJ Cunningham. "We have won three minor hurling championships in a row, which is unprecedented, and we've also contested the last two minor football finals, winning the 2005 decider. The club completed a clean sweep in hurling last year, winning U12, U14, U16 and minor titles. This success is largely down to the coaching that we've been able to introduce as a direct result of the MBNA Kick Fada." An U14 All-Ireland Feile football title was also gleaned two years ago, again thanks to the money filtering through from the club's ingenious All-Ireland long-kick concept. Michael O'Muircheartaigh commentates on the event each year and is known to be a huge fan of the competition. The inimitable broadcaster is on record as saying that it should be incorporated into the All-Ireland final weekend, a move which would add even further to an already-blooming profile. Bray Emmets have incorporated a number of other events into the day's entertainment, including a ladies Kick Fada competition (won by Meath's Irene Munnelly last year), a mini All-Ireland with clubs taking part from all corners of the country and a Hall of Fame (Dermot Earley was inducted last year), all of which adds to the colour and excitement. Then GAA President Sean McCague showed up to lend his support the first year, while Sean Kelly was in attendance in an official capacity in 2005. This year's event will be launched at Croke Park on August 8, with the Hall of Fame announcement taking place on August 21 and the MBNA Kick Fada competition itself due to take place on the second Saturday of September. PJ concludes: "There aren't too many clubs who can say they're hosting a national competition, so Bray Emmets are delighted to be associated with the Kick Fada. The players are very supportive and the local youngsters show up in force to see these players and to witness the day's events. The new club development has now been finished so we can cater for the event even better than ever." The MBNA Kick Fada has massive scope. One gets the distinct impression that there are many chapters yet to be written n this resounding success story… Tweet

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