Offaly Community Games, What’s new?
So, whats new? A new executive committee! Watch closely and see what new things they get up to this season. READ to see their latest committee meeting notes. And learn ‘who’s who’ in the Offaly Community Games Executive!
Offaly Community Games Sees Revamped County Executive after 2010 AGM
Offaly Community Games held their AGM on Tuesday 19th October last at The Bridge House Hotel Tullamore. All areas were represented on the night and the meeting was also attended by National Games Director Mr. Conal Duffy, National Youth Officer and Offaly native Kevin Doyle and HSE Community Games Development Officer Paul Friel, who will be playing a vital role in the development of Community Games and the re-establishment of areas within the county during the coming year.
Chairperson Kieran D’Arcy opened the meeting and began by welcoming everyone in attendance. In his report addressing the performance of Offaly Community Games during the past year, Kieran paid tribute to the fantastic performances from all our representatives at provincial and national level. In addressing the meeting he acknowledged the children that took part at area and county level, he outlined that these children are the grass roots of the organisation and that the more children we have involved at this level the better games will be into the future.
National Games director Conal Duffy spoke briefly and reiterated the chairpersons sentiments in relation to getting children involved at area and county level. He also outlined that the structure of community games is currently being reviewed and encouraged everyone to embrace the change that lies ahead, which he hopes will help us to fully live up to the original ethos outlined by community games when it was set up all those years ago and to introduce children to sporting and cultural activities.
In his address to the meeting National Youth Director Kevin Doyle noted that having being absent from the county structure over the past year due to commitments at national level and work he was delighted to see such a large attendance at the meeting and particularly that of so many faces that he didn’t recognise. He said that this was evidence that a number of new people have come on board and these new volunteers working in partnership with some of the more seasoned personal would lead Offaly Community Games into a stronghold position on the Community Games Scene.
The formalities of the night then got underway and the outgoing committee were thanked for their hard work and commitment over the past year.
The newly elected executive for the year 2010/2011 is as follows:
Chairperson: Kieran D’Arcy, Ferbane Parish
Vice Chair: Breda Mann, Daingean
Secretary: Catherine Barry, Birr
Asst. Secretary: Nicola Lalor, Shinrone/Coolderry
Treasurer: Patricia Keegan, Gracefield/Walsh Island
PRO: Carmel Doyle, Ferbane Parish
Games Director: Anne Rawlinson Kilcormac/Killoughey
Games Committee: Mona O’Reilly
Robert Buckley, Rhode
Jude Feehan, Ferbane Parish
A.N.O.- Killeigh
Youth Officer: Louise Gorman, Kilcormac/Killoughey
Children’s Officer: Bridgee Murphy, Gracefield/Walsh Island
NEAC Delegate: Jude Feehan, Ferbane Parish
Development Committee: Nicoal Lalor. Shinrone/Coolderry
Ita Daly, Killeigh
Carmel Doyle, Ferbane Parish
Patricia Keegan, Gracefield/Walsh Island
Paul Friel- HSE Community Games Development Officer
Delegates to national AGM- Jude Feehan, Bridgee Murphy, Mona O’Reilly
Observers to National AGM- Kieran D’Arcy, Carmel Doyle
Delegates to Leinster- Dominic Sheehy, Kieran D’Arcy
This newly elected executive represents a mixture experience and enthusiasm. Through working together with the help of each area committee we can build on the fantastic foundations laid over the past year. We are asking that anyone who is interested in becoming involved in Community Games please feel free to contact us or visit our new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/OffalyCommunityGames
Offaly Community Games Youth attend National Training and Development Weekend
Youth members of Offaly Community Games attended a weekend of fun and training recently hosted by the national youth committee at Birr Outdoor Education Centre. With youth representatives from County’s Limerick, Wexford, Offaly, Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Cavan and Galway it saw a mixture of seasoned and new faces embrace on a weekend filled with challenge, excitement and team building. HSE Community Games Integration Officer Cathriona Reynolds had the youth volunteers up bright and early on the Saturday morning as she delivered an excellent course in relation to interculturalism with all in attendance participating fully.
The afternoon session saw Eammon Murray deliver a hugely beneficial course in relation to safety and fire safety something which all volunteers need to be fully aware of and each county represented at the weekend can feel much safer as a result of one of their volunteers having taken part in this course.
With the intense course work completed the “youth” then participated in activities including a blindfolded night trail and dawned their wet suits early on Sunday morning before abseiling off the side of a cliff at Cadamstown before gorge walking their way back to dry land.
This is only a brief outline of some of the activities engaged in but it is safe to say that all in attendance had a lot of fun and learned a lot that can be taken back to area and county level.
If you or any person you know are interested in becoming involved in Community Games youth please contact any member of Offaly Community Games or drop us a comment on our Facebook page.
Offaly Community Games Website
Offaly Comminty Games are currently in the progress of creating a brand new web page. If you have any expertise in this area or are interested in helping out please contact the County PRO on 086 8643745, your help would be greatly appreciated.
