Football
Last Friday saw the appointment of Barry Ward and Philip O'Reilly as joint senior team managers. Both men have served the club with distinction down the years and come into the post with a wealth of experience. We wish them the very best of luck in the coming season.
National Club Draw tickets available, now with big local prizes
The club is asking all members, players, former players and supporters at home and abroad to help it maximise the sale of Club National GAA Draw tickets over the coming weeks. There is an array of wonderful prizes in the National Draw. This year they will be complimented by a fantastic array of prizes exclusively for those purchasing from Aodh Ruadh ticket sellers. Many sponsored, these include two overnight stays in a classic room and breakfast with one dinner in The Croke Park Hotel for two people; A trailer load of firewood; A pair of tickets for either 2019 hurling or football finals; Overnight and breakfast in Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast; Two tickets for the 2019 All-Ireland camogie final; A €250 his and hers hamper from Cara Pharmacy; Four tickets for the 2019 Rory Gallagher Festival; Two tickets for the 2019 All-Ireland Ladies Football Final; A White Hotel Group voucher for three nights B&B and two dinners for two people your choice of Lisdoonvarna or the Earl of Desmond, Tralee.
Tickets are €10 each with five in a book. We urgently need people to step forward and push the sale of this draw as ALL proceeds stay within the club. The funds raised will be retained to provide initial partnership funding to match the €100,000 grant aid negotiated for the provision of a new sand-based playing surface on Father Tierney Park, such a central part of GAA life in the northwest.
Calling Aodh Ruadh exiles
You can still support Aodh Ruadh Club Draw if you are away from Ballyshannon. Club supporters and people with Ballyshannon connections living away from Donegal can support our draw by e-mailing Secretary Lisa McTernan at [email protected] or Vice-Chairman Tom Daly at ftdaly@hotmail. com. You can set out your own proposal for payment and ticket counterfoils will be scanned and e-mailed to you.
Juvenile Hurling
The Juvenile Hurling Committee's annual Christmas Fun Quiz takes place this Thursday in Owen Roe's starting at 9.30pm. This is always a great night's craic with lots of raffle prizes such as vouchers, bottles of spirits, bags of coal, etc. So come along with a few friends for a great night of fun and laughter. If you can't make the quiz you can get your raffle tickets off any of the Juvenile Hurling committee.
We're delighted to announce the launch of our annual Last One Standing competition for the upcoming National Football League. Once again Liam Gallen has come on board as our sponsor and we are very grateful for his continued support. Test out your expertise as a pundit, get your entry in and you could win €250 and the bragging rights of being the Last One Standing. Forms are available now from any member of the Juvenile Hurling committee.
Ladies
Aodh Ruadh senior ladies will be fielding a team in 2019. The Ladies committee will be meeting shortly with any players interested in playing senior football in the coming year. Date, time and venue for the meeting remain to be confirmed, but keep an eye on club notes and the Aodh Ruadh CLG Facebook page for details.
Congratulations to the Coláiste Cholmcille u16.5 girls who captured the Ulster title last Wednesday. The side had to weather bitter conditions and a tough challenge from St Patrick's, Keady, to claim the provincial title at Garvaghey. The Ballyshannon college faced into a slight wind in the first half and much of the heavy-lifting for victory was done in this period. Coláiste Cholmcille needed an early goal from Orla Keon to help keep in the game as Keady opened with a real flurry. After that the Donegal girls settled and great defending from captain Tia McFarland, Lucy McGlynn, Caitlin McGarrigle and Síofra Hughes ensured the Donegal girls kept a clean sheet right up to the interval. Shortly before the break Katie O'Brien dropped a shot into the back of the net which gave Coláiste Cholmcille a great lift as the sides turned around with Coláiste leading their Orchard rivals 2-3 to 0-6. Coláiste Cholmcille had the benefit of the breeze in the second half, but St Patrick's continued to put up dogged resistance. However the pressure eventually told and Keady conceded a penalty which was expertly dispatched by Caitlin McGarrigle. With the Ernesiders continuing to pick off points from Aoibheann McGarrigle and Katie O'Brien, conviction started to ebb from St Pat's challenge. A goal in the last ten minutes from Ella Clancy put the seal on a marvellous victory for Coláiste Cholmcille. The final whistle unleashed great scenes of euphoria from the players and big Donegal support present at the Tyrone Centre of Excellence. Lucy McGlynn was selected as player of the match and shortly after Tia McFarland received the trophy shortly before being engulfed by her jubilant team-mates. The Coláiste Cholmcille team was almost entirely Aodh Ruadh players and was as follows, Bridín Maguire; Ciara Caldwell, Tia McFarland, Síofra Hughes, Lucy McGlynn, Caitlin McGarrigle, Eilish Gallagher, Caoimhe Hughes-O'Brien, Lorraine Oates; Sarah Jane Keon, Ella Clancy, Katie McMullin; Aoibheann McGarrigle, Katie O'Brien, Orla Keon. Subs used: Demi McFarland, Emer O'Brien, Ciara Gillespie.
Christmas Bumper Bingo
The Abbey Centre Christmas Bumper Bingo will take place this Friday in the Abbey Centre. There will be a mighty €2,550 prize fund including the €500 jackpot game and €600 snowball. All house prizes will be €100. We also have heaps of great spot prizes on offer after every house and line, including the turkey, food, fuel, shopping and dinner vouchers, drinks and sweet treats. A huge thank you goes to all our local sponsors for their generosity. Come along for a great giveaway night. Books are priced just €10. Christmas jumpers and hats welcome. First game at 9pm.
Abbey Centre Bingo
Last week's €400 jackpot was won by Margaret Meehan of Belleek. The stand-up game prize of €140 was won by Patricia Kirley. The €575 snowball had no winner so rolls up to €600 for the Christmas big bingo this week. Winners of the €70 houses included Bernie Price and Gerry Quigley, whilst Patsy Dowd, Mary Gallagher, Barney Cullen and Karen Gallagher were amongst the €100 house winners.
Aodh Ruadh gear
We have a few items of Aodh Ruadh gear available to purchase at the minute. Aodh Ruadh hats in adult or kids sizes are now available to order and you can see samples on the Aodh Ruadh CLG Facebook page. These are €20 each or five €90. Orders for these can be placed with Lisa McTernan, Kerry Ryan or Alan Sweeny or on Facebook. Order now for Christmas delivery. Profit from sales of hats will go to Bord na nÓg. Coláiste Cholmcille company Tharr an mbarr Sports are also offering Aodh Ruadh socks. Kids sizes from 1-5 are priced €10 while adult sizes from 6-12 are priced €12. Place your order on the Tharr an mbarr Sports page on Facebook.
Social diary
The Millstone Reunion looks like being one of the highlights of the festive period. Dodgy music! Questionable fashion! Relive the memories in Dicey Reilly's on Saturday 29th December at 9pm. That extravaganza is followed by annual Aodh Ruadh dinner dance on January 19th in Dorrian's Hotel.
Nollaig shona
Aodh Ruadh wishes all associated with the club and everyone in the wider Ballyshannon community a happy, peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Aodh Ruadh Lotto
There was no winner of last week's Aodh Ruadh Lotto jackpot of €4,200. The winning numbers drawn were 2, 3, 7, 8, 10 and 12. In the lucky dip €20 went to Max Roper, Corker; Winny Hannigan, Tirconaill Street; Caroline Finnerty, Parkhill; John Patton, Dunmuckrim; and Aidan McGuinness, Portnason. Next draw is in McGinley's Bar with a jackpot of €4,300 on Sunday at 8.30pm. Tickets are now available in the following outlets: Seán Óg's, O'Donnell's, Dicey Reilly's, The Limit, Pat's Bar, The Bridgend, Owen Roe's, Fin McCool's, The Lantern, McGinley's, Pearse O'Neill's, McCosker's Centra and Kernan's Spar and at the weekly bingo in the Abbey Centre. You have to be in it to win it!
The lotto team for McCosker’s Centra on Saturday is: SENIOR FOOTBALLERS.
You can receive the club notes by e-mail every Tuesday morning. To subscribe, enter your details on the website, www.aodhruadh.org, or e-mail your request to [email protected].
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