A weekly insight into the GAA in Inishowen, our peninsula's beating heart.
Burt takes nothing for granted!
By Gaelscéalai
The walls of the CLG Beart clubhouse are replete with black and white photographs of its sporting legends, hurlers and footballers.
Outside, the grandchildren of these heroes of yesteryear stand on the Hibernian Park touchlines, cheering on their own grandchildren, week in, week out.
CLG Beart is thriving and club coaching officer, Rory Grant, attributes this success to its dedicated, 50-strong coaching staff.
With evident pride, the senior footballer said: "It is unheard of for a club the size of Burt to field 19 under-age teams, across four codes, but we do! We offer hurling, camogie, football, ladies football and handball, all thanks to the great band of volunteers who give so much of their free time to the club and to the young people of the parish.
"And this weekend things are going to get even busier. CLG Beart is gearing up for Féile na nGael, an international festival of under-age hurling, camogie and handball, which runs from June 19 to 21. Féile na nGael is being held in Ulster for the second year running and we were delighted when CLG Beart was chosen as one of its host clubs.
"We are very much looking forward to welcoming the boys of Bruff GAA, from County Limerick and the girls of Borris-Ileigh GAA, from County Tipperary, to Burt, where they will stay with the families of our own under-age players," added Rory.
On Friday afternoon, the Burt boys will play St Dominic's of Roscommon at 4.00 pm and Na Magha of Derry at 5.00 pm in Hibernian Park. On Saturday they play Bruff at 11.00 am, before travelling to Letterkenny for the quarterfinals and semi finals. The final will be held at the Garvaghy Centre in County Tyrone on Sunday.
The Burt girls will play their group matches at Garvaghy on Saturday and their remaining matches at Loup in County Derry on Sunday.
According to Rory, Burt's young Gaels have been training hard since January for Féile na nGael.
"This is a very exciting time to be part of CLG Beart," grinned the Tooban National School teacher. "Over the June Bank Holiday weekend, we threw the doors open to an estimated 15, 000 visitors who travelled to the Grianan Estate for the club-organised International Sheep Shearing Championships.
"The phenomenal success of this event was testament to the absolute drive and commitment of CLG Beart's club officers, players, ex-players and the members of the surrounding community. There were 18 to 20 people cleaning out sheds every night, not to mention organising stalls, car parking, sheep, entertainment, health and safety and traffic management. We were at it full tilt for months. So much so we had to put our clubhouse extension on hold for a wee while."
Already up to first floor level, the extension will incorporate two new dressing rooms, a large store, a first aid room and a referee's room.
However the pièce de résistance will be the upper storey, multi-purpose function room, complete with a large viewing-window allowing a whole-pitch panorama.
"The extension should be ready by spring 2016," revealed Rory. "I am fierce proud to play for Burt and to have been coaching here for the last eight years. We are now reaping the rewards of the unrelenting hard work put into the club's under-age structures over the past 10 years, as well as in finance and administration.
"CLG Beart is one of the oldest clubs in Ulster. We have built on the excellent foundations laid down by families like the Dowd's and McLaughlin's. James McLaughlin was as good a hurler as Donegal ever produced and now his grand nephew, Éanna is playing for the club.
"We are powered by our volunteers, our players and our coaches. However, what will sustain CLG Beart into the future is the nice blend of traditional and new GAA families in Fahan, Inch and Burt," concluded Rory.
 

 

 

A weekly insight into the GAA in Inishowen, our peninsula's beating heart.
Malin is a hive of youthful activity!
By Gaelscéalai

The sheer explosion of under-age participation in CLG Malainn over the last few years has resulted in a fantastic buzz about the club.
Ireland's most northerly Gaels, who sport the black and amber, have fostered excellent relations with Malin's national schools and it shows!
The secretary of Malin's minor board, Danny Lafferty, traced this fruitful initiative back to his own school days.
He recollected: "Like many other young fellas in Malin, I got involved in the GAA thanks to an inspirational national school teacher, Mr Louis Walsh. Mr Walsh was a great advocate of sport in general and Gaelic football in particular. He used to pile us into his car twice a week and take us to training sessions in Malin. He has since retired from teaching but he is still coaching away for Malin.
"So every October I visit all of the national schools in the Parish and talk to the junior infants, boys and girls. I tell them all about CLG Malainn and I invite them into Connolly Park for a wee training session. Our efforts have definitely paid off. We are now fielding an u-6, u-8, u-10, u-12, u-13, u-14, u-16 and u-18 boy's teams and an u-6, u-8, u-10, u-12, u-14 and u-16 girl's teams. Girl's football is relatively new in CLG Malainn but it is proving very popular indeed.
"As well as playing against Inishowen teams, we organise matches against teams in Bellaghy, Maghera and Derry City. Our u-14 boy's team also takes part in a tournament in Leeds every summer. We fundraise all year and usually take 25 kids across to England. We also try to bring the under-age teams to all of the Donegal matches," added the enthusiastic u-6 and u-8 coach.
Paying tribute to CLG Malainn's dedicated army of coaches, Danny said they treat all of the youngsters as if they were their own.
He added: "We have enjoyed phenomenal success with our Easter camps this past two years. We had about 110 kids here in April. It is a great way to get young people involved in football. Our Cúl Camp, which is organised by inimitable Maria McLaughlin, has been the biggest in Donegal for the past five years. Now that's some going!
"Another thing which visitors to Malin often comment upon is the number of people, kids and adults alike, who are wearing CLG Malainn gear and wearing it with such pride. This is due in no small measure to the entrepreneurial prowess of Susan Byrne, who runs a shop in the clubhouse, which stocks everything Malin, hoodies, jerseys and track suits!
"However, it also due to the fact that a CLG Malainn possess players of the calibre of Declan Walsh and Stephen McLaughlin, Donegal players idolised by the young people in Malin and fantastic ambassadors for Gaelic football," acknowledged Danny.
CLG Malainn's redoubtable new manager, Liam Bradley and being the only division one team in Inishowen also explains the club's obvious community popularity.
Its fine pitches, stand and clubhouse, complete with new state-of-the-art gym, are tangible indications of Malin putting its hand in its collective pocket.
However, as Danny explained, CLG Malainn has also raised an amazing 35,000 euro for charity over the past 3 years!
He said: "CLG Malainn is embedded in this community, so we organise fundraisers for the charities which are dear to the hearts of our members. These include: St Luke's, Letterkenny General Hospital's Oncology Ward, Crumlin Hospital, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and the Letterkenny cancer bus.
"We recently held an incredibly successful Malin Does Strictly Come Dancing event as an under-age fundraiser. The Plaza was the only venue in Inishowen capable of accommodating all of those who wanted to attend! We also run an extremely hotly contested, annual Know Your Parish quiz.
"CLG Malainn is on the up and up. It would not surprise me if our current under-age players won a senior championship in the next 15 years. As a wise Malin coach once said, 'Whether you are an under-age player or a senior player, aim high. If you don't make it, it's not the end of the world but at least you'll have no regrets'" smiled Danny.
 

 

A weekly insight into the GAA in Inishowen, our peninsula's beating heart.

The footballers of the Parish
By Gaelscéalai Inis Eoghain

The name of one very special Gael will live long in the memory of CLG Bhun an Phobail - that of Joe McGeady.
Gerard Faulkner, manager of Moville's senior men's team and u-16 boy's team, paid tribute to the late national school teacher before Sunday's Memorial Cup final.
He reflected: "You could say, for example, that the long years of hard work, which Joe McGeady put into under-age coaching in Moville GAA really paid off last year. Two of our young players, Tony McClenaghan and Ciaran Diver were selected for the Donegal minor football team, which reached the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final. Unfortunately Donegal lost to Kerry in the hotly contested match but we were very proud of the boys.
"Our former chairperson, Con O'Donnell knew Joe better than any of us and speaks very warmly of his tremendous contribution to both club and Parish. A teacher in Scoil Iosef here in Moville, Joe was involved in many sporting groups and organisations, including Community Games, badminton, golf, the Church folk choir, Céilí dancing and the GAA.
"He taught Céilí dancing classes in Muff, Moville, Carrowmena and Bocan for many years and as a founding member of Cumann Rinceoirí Céilí Inish Eoghain, Joe ensured that some one of the seven GAA clubs in Inishowen now hosts a Céilí every Friday night," added Gerard.
When the Muff Youth Accordion Band leads Burt and Urris out onto Carrick Field on Sunday, Falcarragh native, Joe McGeady will be fondly recalled.
Gerard Faulkner added: "We are also playing a B final on Sunday. That will be between Moville or Muff and Carndonagh or Malin. Hopefully the spectators will enjoy the whole occasion!
"I have to say as well, that the Moville GAA ladies are currently doing our club very proud. Paul McDermott coached our senior ladies to the 13-a-side senior county title last year and our minor and u-16 girls' teams both scooped county titles too.
"Anthony Duggan has now taken over from Paul and hopefully our success will continue. Ladies football has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. In fact Moville GAA can boast of having five young women in the under-14 Donegal team, who will play Tipperary in the All-Ireland B final, in Longford on July 4," Gerard revealed.
The players concerned are sisters, Clodagh and Niamh Skelly, Kate McClenaghan, Niamh McDonald and Captain, Aoibhe Faulkner, who is in fact Gerard's daughter.
Gerard is also the team's physiotherapist and they are mentored by another Moville GAA father, Liam Skelly.
"The sky and navy blues are definitely making their mark on Donegal in GAA terms," laughed the North West Regional College sports science lecturer. "One of the reasons for this is the hard work which Moville GAA is putting into developing our club at under-age level.
"Every Saturday morning, for instance, club stalwarts, Aoife and Sean O'Hare oversee our latest initiative, the only one of its kind in Inishowen, which is called, Gaga for GAA.
"Approximately 60 to 70 children, from different age groups, come along to the club to learn basic football skills. Their parents have a cup of tea, socialise together and even join in the coaching. Everyone has a lot of fun and gets a fantastic introduction to the game," added Gerard.
Adamant that it is the dedication of the coaches and parents involved in CLG Bhun an Phobail which will drive the club forward, Gerard said: "We are fielding boy's and girl's teams in every age group, we are fundraising for club and community, including the Mark Farren Fund and there is every chance that our senior men will be promoted to Division 3, which is intermediate football, next season. It's all to play for in Moville GAA."
A weekly insight into the GAA in Inishowen, our peninsula's beating heart.

Gently does it for Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin
By Gaelscéalai

CLG Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin is fortunate in its coaching officer, Michael McMenamin.
The retired customs officer is a raconteur and social historian, with an obvious love of his club. He appreciates the unique contribution Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin makes to the social fabric of east Inishowen and to the wider Donegal GAA.
Tracing the genesis of CLG Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin back to 1966, Michael recalled the silver lining in that year's cloud.
He said: "Sean Lynch, a colleague of mine in the customs, was transferred to Muff from Valentia during the foot and mouth outbreak. Sean was a brother of the renowned Kerry footballer Ger Lynch.
"Well, as luck would have it, Sean met his future wife Maranna one day when the passengers on the Derry bus disembarked to disinfect their feet. The couple settled in Muff and, in 1988, Sean was instrumental in setting up CLG Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin.
"At that time we had no pitch, nothing. We actually had to borrow a set of jerseys from the soccer people. Sean and I used to transport the team to games in two Volkswagen Beetles. There was no health and safety in those days! Remarkably, in that first year Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin reached the Under-12 Donegal final, only to be beaten by Four Masters," added Michael.
The following year Kevin Diver became the club's first secretary, a position he held for the next 25 years.
Local Headmaster, Tommy Byrne also had a great influence on the development of Gaelic games in Muff. Remembering the many training sessions on the school's pitch, Michael said: "When Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin outgrew Tommy's generously given facilities, we moved to the field which now houses the Wheatfield estate. After a year, we moved over to a field near the Rock Bar, which was provided by Mrs Nicholas. She was very good to us, as was Muriel Wylie, who used to let us change in the Rock's storeroom.
"Thankfully, in 1997, a local businessman, Jim McLaughlin, sold Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin 12 acres of land in Ture and our nomadic existence came to an end. Through a combination of our savings and a loan, we were able to develop two pitches.
"At that time our treasurer was Pat Keaveney, a Garda stationed in Muff.  Pat's wife was from Glenties, where she would have been familiar with the idea of a club lotto. Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin subsequently became the first GAA club in Inishowen to introduce the club lotto as a means of fundraising," added Michael.
With a fine clubhouse now in situ, Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin holds regular Céilís and Irish nights, thanks to Joe and Mary McColgan.
"We have also raised significant amounts of money for charity, thanks to the junior talent shows organised by Joe and Eileen McLaughlin. We have donated money to Crumlin Hospital, Letterkenny General Hospital's Children's Ward, and Inishowen's Special Olympics.
"With a membership of 250 kids, fielding teams in all age groups, Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin, has now embraced ladies football and camogie. Our parish extends from Birdstown to Moville and thanks to our club many people have got to know one another.
"As CLG Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin prepares for Sunday's Maurice McMenamin Memorial Competition and bids farewell to our sterling caretaker of 11 and a half years, Kevin Robb, who is retiring, I have to say, we would be nowhere without the support of our community and our volunteers," reflected Michael.
 

 

 

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