Ferbane club notes

The 2009 AGM of Ferbane GAA club took place in the Heritage Centre on Friday the 18th of January. Aidan Doyle was elected as Chairman of the club and takes over from Jimmy Lowry in that position. Aidanís first act was to thank outgoing chairman Jimmy Lowry for his years of service to the club in several roles, a sentiment which would be shared by all club members who have benefited from Jimmyís Trojan work. Jimmy in turn wished Aidan well for the coming year.

The full committee for 2010 is as follows:

Chairman: Aidan Doyle
Assistant Chairman: Liam Flaherty
Secretary: Barney Flynn
Treasurer: Kathleen Foley
Assistant Treasurer: Peg Flynn
Safety Officer: George Digan
PRO: Kevin Egan
Committee: Pat Browne, Conor Wynne, Lisa Doyle, Mel Keenaghan, Brendan Clarke, Brendan Wynne, Niall Fitzgerald.
Life Presidents: Martin Guinan and Kieran Feeney

At the AGM, the outgoing management teams of all four adult teams were congratulated for their excellent work in 2009, with particular praise given to Brian Lowry and Mel Keenaghan, who between them masterminded the Junior C championship success while overseeing a gruelling training regime. Kevin Gavin (Senior), George Digan (Junior A and U-21) and Brian Lowry (Junior B) all agreed to continue in their positions in 2010 and carry with them the best wishes of the whole parish as they look to harvest more silverware over the coming season.

A club motion was also passed unanimously, opposing the GAAís recent deal where they agreed to finance and endorse the GPA, and asking that the GPA agree to publish fully audited accounts and make them available to clubs. The motion will be brought to the Offaly county board in the near future.

UNDER 21 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
This Saturday in Mucklagh, the first championship action of the year throws in at 2pm when Wheery take on Shamrocks in the first round of the under 21 championship. The Ferbane/Birr amalgamation is once again being looked after by George Digan, John Keena, John Kelly and John Ryan, and after several near misses in recent seasons, Wheery are long overdue a little bit of luck in this competition. Anybody available to come along and support the lads this weekend is urged to do so and hopefully the year can be got off to the best possible start.

SOCIAL NIGHT
Ferbane GAA club social night is taking place on Friday the 19th of February in the Grand Hotel in Moate. A great evening looks to be on the cards with dinner, the presentation of the Junior C championship medals, and music until late from the Crackerjacks. Tickets, costing eu25, are available from Brian Lowry (087) 9289677 or any member of the committee.

SENIOR FOOTBALL TRAINING
Football training resumes on Friday the 12th of February at 8pm at the pitch and players of every level are urged to attend. The new championship structure means that all three teams will be playing a lot earlier this year and it is vital that everyone makes an effort to get down to the field and starts doing their best to be as good as they can be for 2010.

LOTTO JACKPOT WON!
The numbers drawn in this week's (February 2nd) lotto draw were 5, 17, 20, 21. The bonus number was 7. The jackpot was won by† Johnny Mulvey, who collects eu13,800. Tom Hamilton and Bridie Spollen each matched three numbers and won eu100 each. eu50 Lotto tickets, which guarantee entry for 26 draws, are available from any of the usual sources and ensure that you don't miss out in case your numbers come up! The lotto can also be played online at www.locallotto.ie/ferbanegaa or via the link on www.fbgaamc.com ñ so be sure to get your ticket no matter where you are!

FIXTURE
Under 21 Football Championship: Wheery (Ferbane/Birr) vs Shamrocks, Saturday in Mucklagh at 2pm.
VODAFONE SUPPORT YOUR CLUB PROGRAMME
Ferbane GAA is now part of the Vodafone support your club programme, which means that if you are a vodafone customer, you can sign up to ensure that 5% of your bill or your pay-as-you-go top up goes to the club in the form of a donation. Signing up costs absolutely nothing to the user and will be very useful to the club, so please take the couple of minutes to sign up at www.supportyourgaaclub.ie. There is also a bonus for users switching to Vodafone, so if you know of anyone moving networks, please be sure to tell them about this in advance.

MEMBERSHIP NOW DUE
Club membership for 2010 is now due and all members are asked to submit their membership as soon as possible if they have not already done so. Playing membership is eu20, non-playing membership is eu15 and playing membership with gym access is eu50. Club registration fees are now due so players are asked to bear in mind that payment of membership dues earlier rather than later, if possible, is a great help.

FERBANE GYM
Open Monday 10.30am-12.30pm & 6-10pm. Tuesday & Thursday nights are Ladies only circuit training from 7-9pm. Open Wednesday 10.30am-12.30pm & 6-10pm and Friday 10.30am-12.30pm & 7-9pm. Youth Circuit training on Friday evenings from 6pm-7pm. Women's Circuit training on Saturday 10-11am. Yearly membership is eu50 plus eu5 per visit. Contact Joe on 087 6852095 for further details.