Exciting West Championship draws Made
At a well attended west board meeting on Monday night, the draws were made for the West Junior, Intermediate & Senior championships and leagues. No draws were made for minor and U21 championships pending some decisions that still need to be taken by the County Board. St Marys/Sean Finns have entered the West Intermediate Hurling & Football Championships and The West Junior-A Hurling & Football leagues. We are also entered in the U21 football & hurling championship and Minor Football. We have decided to enter a joint team with neighbours Croagh/Kilfiny in the West Minor Hurling championship.

West Intermediate Football Championship
This will be run in a straight knockout format with 8 teams entered giving 4 quarter finals as follows: Castlemahon V Fr Caseys, Mountcollins V St Marys/Sean Finns, Glin V Athea, Gerald Griffins V Cappagh. So an opening game against last years County Junior Champions will be an intriguing clash. Winners of this game will play winners of Castlemahon/Fr Caseys in the Semi-final

Junior-A Football Championship
Eight teams broken into two groups of four as follows:
Group 1: - Fr Caseys, Drom/Broadford, St Marys/Sean Finns, Cappagh.
Group 2: - Glin, Monagea, Feoghanagh, Knockaderry.
Each team plays other three in the group. Top team from each group qualifies for semi-final, 2nd & 3rd teams play against 2nd & 3rd from other group in 2 quarter finals. On paper Group 1 looks the tougher of the two as it contains Fr Caseys who dropped down from the intermediate Championship this year. It also contains Drom/Broadford, last years County Junior-B Champions

Junior-A Football League
The draws for this were not made last night. At the moment 7 teams entered and decision taken to make 2 groups with top 2 from each group making the semi-finals.

West Intermediate Hurling Championship
This will be run in a straight knockout format with 10 teams entered. In the two preliminary round games, Kileedy play Knockaderry and Croagh/Kilfinny play Askeaton. The winners of these 2 prelim games play each other in the first quarter final. Other Quarter finals draws as follows: St Marys/Sean Finns V Feenagh/Kilmeedy, Tournafulla V Newcastlewest, Feoghanagh V Monagea.

Junior-A Hurling Championship
Nine teams broken into two groups (five & four) as follows:
Group 1 - Askeaton, Templeglantine, Croagh/kilfinny, St Marys/Sean Finns, Adare.
Group 2 - Drom/Broadford, Feenagh/Kilmeedy, St Kierans, Feoghanagh
Each team plays all others in the group. Top team from each group qualifies for semi-final, 2nd & 3rd teams play against 2nd & 3rd from other group in 2 quarter finals. On paper Group 1 looks the easier of the 2 groups

Junior-A Hurling League
5 teams entered this league as follows: Drom/Broadford, Templeglantine, Croagh/Kilfinny, St Marys/Sean Finns, Adare. Amazingly this is almost identical to the 5 teams that were drawn in group 1 of the Championship. The only exception being the substitution of Drom/Broadford for Askeaton


Club DVD available for sale
To celebrate our recent Munster Junior-B Hurling Championship success, a highly entertaining, good-quality DVD of Club events has been launched at Davy Mann's Hotel on Saturday night 6th Feb. It includes a look at the preparations for the Munster Final, interviews with past & present players, a rambling house event, the game itself and the celebrations afterwards. This DVD is a wonderful record of events in the club and contains a few surprises. It will provide many hours of entertainment for both young and old. It is a bargain at €20 and may be purchased from Molly Frawley (069-64903 or 087-9718941) or Mary Sheahan (085-1693766). There is only a limited number of copies available so don't delay in contacting either Mary or Molly to get your order in.

Coaching Course
A Foundation Award Coaching Course will take place for Club coaches during Feburary. Noel Hartigan and the Limerick GAA Development Officers runs these courses and all new coaches are recommended to attend a course. Our club is in the Davin Cluster and consequently the venue for coaches from Rathkeale will be at Old Christians GAA Club. The details are as follows: Friday night 12th Feb from 7pm to 10pm and then Saturday 13th Feb from 9.30am to 1pm. Please contact Tom Keating immediately if interested, as places must be booked in advance.

Club na nOg "Kits for Kids" -Tokens to collect
Just short a small number of "Kits for kids" tokens from the "Daily Mail" newspaper but we have received a guarantee of receiving a full kit in our club colours if we reach the target. Please drop in any tokens you have collected to any of the collection points at Hourigan's Convenience Store, White's Shop & Petrol Station, Wilmott's Newsagents and Hough's Eurospar immediately or give to Karen Fahy or Mike Sheahan. We thank the shops for their support and co-operation and the general public for collecting to date.

Irish Language & Culture Officer for each GAA Club
Each club is now required to elect an "Oifigeach Gaeilge", whose role is to promote Irish Language and Culture within the Club. This function stems from the original aims of the GAA in strengthening of our national identity not only through our games and pastimes, but also by actively supporting the Irish Language, traditional song and dance and indeed all aspects of Irish culture. If any member of the GAA membership is interested in this position, please contact our Secretary , Pat Sheahan immediately as the position needs to be filled without delay. There are GAA Gaeltacht Scholarships available for 2nd level students who intent to spend some time in Irish College this Summer. Please contact Tom Keating, Secretary of Bord na nOg for further details.

Date for your diary
This year's Bord na nOg Awards night will take place on Friday 26th February at Rathkeale House Hotel. Further details later.

Important Club Meeting
A meeting to select and ratify all team managers and coaches from Under 8's to Under 16's for the 2010 season will be held on this Thursday 11th Feb. at 8pm in Rathkeale House Hotel. It is essential that all persons interested and willing to act as managers and coaches should attend this meeting. If for unavoidable reasons you are unable to attend, please inform an officer of Bord na nOg in advance of your willingness to act as manager/ coach. All officers and committee members are also requested to attend this meeting.

Limerick GAA Development Draw
Our club members are currently traversing the hi-ways & by-ways of the parish to recruit new and existing members for the Limerick GAA Development Draw. Expect a knock on your door over the next week or so. Cost of entry to the non-stop draw is just €100 per year. That is just €10 per draw for 10 draws, 23 fantastic prizes are on offer ranging from €18,000 to €250 for each of 10 draws. The club get 50% commission for each member. This money goes towards the running of the club and further development of the Bog-Garden. We have plans to erect a stand there in the near future and need to put a fund together to do this. Your support would be appreciated.

Sympathy
Deepest sympathy is extended to the Hogan and O'Connor Families on the untimely death of Carmel O'Connor, RIP last week. Her husband Brendan, her parents, brothers and extended family, sadly miss her. We extend sincere sympathy also to the Mulcaire family of Ballywilliam on the death of their beloved nephew in Tralee. Ar dheis De go raibh said go leir.

Special Olympics Ireland need 3,500 Volunteers
The 2010 Special Olympics Ireland Games will take place in Limerick form the 9th - 13th June. In what will be one of the largest and most prestigious sporting events to take place in Ireland this year, 1,900 Special Olympics athletes from throughout the island of Ireland will spend 4 days in Limerick, participating in competition in 13 sports. Special Olympics Ireland needs to recruit 3,500 volunteers to help run these Games. Volunteering at the Games promises to very rewarding and lots of fun! Volunteers will be involved in running every aspect of the Games and will play an important role in welcoming and assisting the 1,900 athletes, their 650 coaches and official delegates as well as over 4,000 family members and friends to Limerick.
St Marys/Sean Finns GAA club are asking any of our members/supporters to make themselves available as volunteers for this event if possible. Please go along to any of the upcoming volunteer information sessions which will take place on the following dates:
Saturday, February 13th - 10.30am, The Strand Hotel, Limerick
Monday, February 15th - 7pm, The Strand Hotel, Limerick
Wednesday, February 17th - 7pm, Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick
Saturday, February 20th - 10.30am & 1pm, Jean Monnet theatre, University of Limerick
Wednesday, February 24th - 19.00pm, West County Hotel, Ennis
All are more than welcome to attend! Further details are also available on: www.specialolympics.ie Tweet

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