A decade of MBNA Kick Fada was marked at a special launch event in Dublin when Kildare's star player Dermot Earley was joined by members MBNA and Bray Emmets to celebrate the long standing relationship between MBNA and Gaelic Games. For the past decade, MBNA have nurtured Gaelic Games most promising talent with their NUI Scholarship programme, paid tribute to the GAA's rich history with their Hall of Fame Award and stimulated friendly competition between inter-county stars at the hotly contested annual MBNA Kick Fada event. Since 1998 MBNA have aided Football and Hurling's brightest prospect's professional development through their NUI Maynooth Scholarship programme. Over 80 scholars have gone on to play at senior inter-couty level, 18 have won All-Ireland medals and 6 have been honoured with All Star awards. Scholarship recipients include; Dublin's Alan and Bernard Brogan, Kerry's Marc O'Sé, Mayo's Alan Dillon and Donegal's Rory Kavanagh to name a few. Paying tribute to former legends of Gaelic Football by recognising their achievements and contributions to the sport is a hugely important aspect to MBNA's Kick Fada programme. 2009 will see another former Gaelic Football super star take their place in the MBNA Kick Fada Hall of Fame joining the likes of Kerry's Mick O'Dwyer and Donnie O'Sullivan, Dublin's Jimmy Keaveny, Offaly's Peter Nolan and Roscommon's Dermot Earley Snr at a glance. Over 20 inter-county Gaelic Football stars are set to compete for the prestigious All-Ireland Title at the 2009 MBNA Kick Fada final, which will take place in September at Bray Emmets GAA Club, Bray, Co. Wicklow. Reigning champion from Armagh, Paul Hearty, will be back to defend his title and will have to better his winning kick of 70 metres in order to break the current All Ireland & World record of 72 metres, achieved by four time MBNA Kick Fada champion Mark Herbert from Kildare. Football's equivalent to the Poc Fada, the MBNA Kick Fada competition, tests the abilities of the countries best footballers to kick for distance and accuracy. The inter-county players and former greats will shoot it out in two divisions - Senior men and Senior ladies. Will Curley, President, MBNA Ireland said at the launch: "We are extremely proud of our decade long association with Gaelic Games which is something we aim to continue for another decade. What makes Kick Fada so special is that it gives members of the public the chance to see some of Gaelic Football's elite players testing their skills in the art of accurate kicking from distance. We've maintained a fantastic partnership with Bray Emmets GAA Club for a decade now and I have no doubt that they'll put on another great day of Kick Fada action and family entertainment come September." For more information contact: James Wynne Tel: 086 818 6418 [email protected] Rob Pearson Tel: 087 292 4484 [email protected] Tweet

Most Read Stories