Duagh/Lyre Olympic handballers first up in national finals
WE were informed at the NEAC meeting on Saturday that the schedule of events for Weekends 2 and 3 of the National Finals in Athlone will be as published on the website. Quite a number of events will be held outside the AIT campus. The playing pitches at the college are well grassed but it's too early to use them.
On the first of the two August weekends we have only one team in action. This is the Olympic Handball team of girls from Duagh/Lyre. They will be competing in the Marist College. The Swimming will be at the Regional Sports Centre again while the Multi-Purpose Hall on the campus will again be used for Gymnastics and Judo.
The Judo is set to commence at 1pm on Sunday despite representations from Kerry. The only good point about that is that they can, if they so wish, travel up on the Sunday morning on quiet roads.
The one good piece of news about this weekend is that the opening ceremony as we knew it will be replaced by a music jamboree with competitors sitting or standing as they please. It will be completely informal, with speeches at a minimum.
The closing ceremony on the final Sunday has also been dispensed with.
Kerry will have five Basketball teams in action on the third weekend. The Castleisland U-11s and the U-13 girls' team from Rathmore/Gneeveguilla are set to participate in the Bower College.
The U-16 girls from Duagh/Lyre, Castleisland's U-13 boys and the U-16 Boys' team from Currow/Currans will all do battle in the Multi-Purpose Hall which is a fine spacious venue.
If you wish to see the schedule of events just Google community games.ie and in the 'download' section the programmes for both weekends along with the schedule for Athletics and Swimming are available.
Over the past few months these meetings have focussed on what events should be struck from the calendar. Every grouping has come up with various lists but some events are in more danger than others. Everyone in the organisation appreciated that we can't stagger on with the number of disciplines that we have at present.
Personally I'm in favour of hard pruning as we are duplicating quite a lot of work done by other organisations. Is it time to concentrate on lesser known events or those who don't have a national governing body?
Last Saturday we were asked what new vents we might add to the calendar. The consensus was that we cut first and then see what might fit in. Best Wishes The best wishes of Community Games folk in the county are extended to Darragh O'Connell, the Abbeydorney hurler, for a speedy recovery from the injury he suffered last Saturday. Condolences The condolences of Kerry Community Games are extended to Tom McCarthy of Duagh/Lyre Community Games and his family on the recent death of his mother.
Ar dheis lamh De go rabh a hanam dilis.
- Jimmy Turner
