GAA U14 Girls heading for Féile weekend

The Kilcullen GAA U14 Girls team who won the Kildare Féile Championship 2017 travel north this weekend for the John West Féile Peil na nÓg 2017 in Cavan, Fermanagh and Monaghan, writes Brian Byrne.

They were wished well for the competition last night at a presentation of kit for the event, funded by more than 30 sponsors from the Kilcullen area and further afield.

Club chairman Des O'Brien said the squad had worked extremely hard to get to this stage and he also thanked them for the level of sponsorship they had raised to support the trip. He had an encouraging word for the Mentors for achieving a place in the finals for the second year in a row, and he commended the parents for children who are 'a credit to you all'. He hoped that he would see some continue in the club and become senior players.

On behalf of the fundraising committee, Orla O'Neill thanked everybody who had made a 'huge effort' in raising over €11,000 in a relatively short space of time. She noted that the average raised per sponsorship card by the team was €170, and that €7,000 had come in directly from sponsoring companies, organisations and individuals. Any surplus left after the weekend campaign will be put back into the Juvenile section for the Girls team needs.

Liam Cronin, chairman of the Juvenile Section, thanked the parents for introducing their children to GAA at an early age, and for their commitment every weekend in helping them get to matches. He also said the mentors were the life-blood of the Club, and those working with the U14 Girls team had done a fantastic job in helping them reach their potential. For the girls themselves, they have a great 'never give up' attitude, he said, and he encouraged them to enjoy the weekend and have fun. "Hopefully, with a bit of luck, we'll be in Clones on Sunday at 3 o'clock," he concluded.

The Kilcullen squad will be challenging teams from Tipperary, New York, Monaghan, Armagh, Kilkenny, Cavan, Laois, Down and Offaly. The group will be staying in the Belturbet area with host families. They are pictured above with their new kit, and their Mentors Aoife Sully, Nicholas Birchall, Pat Devanney and Ger Breen.

Sponsors who specifically supported the weekend campaign include K-Bowl Naas, O'Keefe Lynch Accountants, Keadeen Hotel, PLR Equipment Repairs, KWETB, The River Cafe, Laura's Flowers & Gifts, Saol Nua, VTV Vehicle Testing Network, SC Dunne & Co, MGS Manufacturing Group, KCCEC, Murphy Design & Build, Sean Hussey & Sons, Ngai's Restaurant, Sigcom Ltd, Toddlers & Wobblers, Nicholas Egan, USSR Ltd, A Little Massage, Cross & Passion College, Aunty Anne's Country Creche, The Curragh Racecourse, The Beauty Hub, Delaney Commercials, Bank of Ireland, Dennison Trailers, Berney's Chemist, Derry Bros Shipping, Bord na Mona, Ecokem, BT, G&N Fencing, Burns Nowlan Solicitors, Home Instead Senior Care, CMT Transport, H&H Motors, and International Trailers Ltd.