Club Notes Archive - 2015

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MARCH

3 March

Open membership sessions
There will be open registration sessions in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh on Thursday 12th March from 6.30pm to 8pm and Saturday 14th March from 12 to 2pm. The deadline for 2015 club membership is approaching rapidly and all club members are asked to submit their registration form and fee at their earliest convenience. Some key points to bear in mind:-

Paid up members will receive preference for tickets to Donegal's championship matches, including All-Ireland final tickets.
In order to be entitled to the rights of a full member, a person must have their fees paid to the club on a date before March 31st and be registered by the club on the online system in order to have a vote in the upcoming membership year.
Only fully registered players on the GAA online registration system are allowed to take the field for the club. If your name is not in this system you are ineligible. That has repercussions in terms of insurance cover for injuries.
Registration is an important component in meeting the running costs of the club.
Only fully paid up members will be eligible for the annual draw for tickets to the football and hurling All Ireland finals.

Membership can be paid to Mary Matthews at Shannon's Corner. Players can also download registration forms from aodhruadh.org and submit this along with the relevant fee directly to their manager.

Football
The intermediate championship draw held in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh after the Donegal Cork game on Sunday saw Aodh Ruadh drawn in group one, along with Buncrana, Saint Naul's and Naomh Colmcille. We have sparred with all three regularly enough in the past few years and will look ahead to the group stages with a quiet confidence bolstered by the fact we got home draws against Buncrana and Saint Naul's.

The minors will take on Naomh Columba in Father Tierney Park on Sunday 8th March.

Training continues for the under 14s this Saturday 7th March from 10am-11am in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh.

Well done to the under 10s and 12s who gave a great display of football in the half time game during the Donegal v Cork match. Many thanks to the coaches who marshalled them through the day and our referees Niall McCready and Val Murray.

Indoor training continues this Friday 6th March for under 10s in the new hall at Coláiste Cholmcille from 6pm to 7pm followed by the under 12s from 7pm to 8pm, also in the new hall. Under 10s and 12s are asked to remember to bring in any outstanding registration forms and fees. PLEASE NOTE, THERE IS A CHARGE OF €2 PER HEAD TO COVER THE COST OF HALL HIRE. Please bring your own water and wear runners as no other footwear allowed. Parents/Guardians are asked to please collect children promptly after their session is finished.

With the Mercy Hall unavailable due to mock examinations, under 6 and under 8 indoor training are on a break. Training resumes in the Mercy Hall at the usual times for under 6s and under 8s on Friday 13th March.

The Bord na nÓg quiz takes place on Thursday 5th March in Owen Roe's. Managers are reminded that they are expected to bring along a team on the night.

Hurling
Many thanks to all who helped with our annual bag packing day in Supervalu, Bundoran on Saturday last, we had a very successful day. Special thanks to Des Cosgrove, Tara Gorman and all the staff in Supervalu for their help and continued support for our efforts.

Over the last week all our teams have begun training, we had a great crowd of under 8s, 10s and 12s on Sunday morning, over 40 in total. The most encouraging thing was the amount of new comers who showed up. Training is back to the usual time of 12 noon this Sunday, all welcome.

Coach the Coaches. We are having a coaching session for all involved in underage hurling coaching this Saturday in Creevy National School from 3pm to 5pm. This course is being facilitated by Pauric Dowdall Ulster GAA and should be very informative. There are some places still available if any parent would like to attend please contact John Rooney 0862587793.

Ladies
Training for under 16s, minors and seniors takes place on Tuesday 7pm and Saturday 11am.

Well done to Sarah Patton and the Donegal ladies on another emphatic win in tough conditions defeating Kildare 5-19 to 1-2.

Club shorts
We now have official club shorts available to order. They are O'Neill's, so top quality kit. Kids sizes (24 and 26) cost €18, while adult sizes (28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38) cost €22. We'll have samples available shortly, watch the Facebook page for images. Contact Chris Kelly on 0868813553 to place your order.

Donegal v Cork
Special thanks is extended to all the stewards and helpers who worked on Saturday and Sunday in preparation for the NFL game and who assisted during and after the game. The grounds have never looked better and the smooth running of the day was a great credit to all concerned. We have an extensive gallery of pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org featuring the talents Brian Drummond and Ronan Matthews.

Dinner Dance
The annual club dinner dance in Dorrian's took place on Saturday. On the night the individual awards were distributed as follows. Hall of Fame: Teddy Kane, Club person of the year: Conal Gallagher; Senior player of the year: Michael Dolan; Reserve player of the year: Ciaran Slevin; Hurler of the year: Jack Matthews; Ladies player of the year: Tanya O'Shea; Young footballer of the year: Pauric Patton; and Young hurler of the year: Oisín Rooney. Also recognised on the night were our representatives on the Ulster MFC winning side - Niall Harley and Colm Kelly, our reserve football league champions, and our representatives on Donegal's Division 3A league winning side. We would also like to acknowledge the generosity of these great local businesses for their generous support of the raffle at the dinner dance; Centra; Slevin's; Ballyshannon Shoe Company, Zuba, Nirvana, Essence Of Beauty; Erne Enterprise, Gerry Ferguson's Jewellers and Ballyshannon Musical Society. Once again Sean Perry did an assured job as master of ceremonies and we will have his quips on the night preserved for posterity for you later in the week. In the meantime, you can browse a gallery of pictures from the evening's craic in the Image Gallery on aodhruadh.org.

GAA national draw results
The draw was made at last Thursday's executive committee meeting for the Aodh Ruadh element of the GAA National Draw. The winners were as follows: €100 Mick Melly; €50 Donal Buggy; €50 John Feely; €20 Johnny Gallagher; €20 Michael Ward; €20 John McGuinness; €20 Simon Gillespie; amnd €20 Paula Keon. Unfortunately Aodh Ruadh club members drew a blank in both the the national draw at last weekend's GAA congress in the Slieve Russell and in the Donegal county draw. We thank everyone who put their hands in their pockets and supported the draw and provided greatly appreciated funds for Aodh Ruadh at a time of year when there are many outgoings pressing on club finances.

Coaching workshops and courses
Below are coaching courses in March. If you would like to attend any of these please e-mail Emma Gaughan on secretary.aodhruadh.donegal@gaa.ie or text 0863039610.

Foundation Award for hurling
All-county - MacCumhaill Park
Friday/Saturday, 13-14th March

National Go Games Activity Day
Sat/Sun 17-18th August, Croke Park.

Abbey Centre Bingo
James Gettins was the winner of last week's big bingo jackpot of €800. Bingo this week is in Coláiste Cholmcille due to the musical, Hello Dolly, being staged in the Abbey Centre. The winter snowball is still waiting to be won, now standing at €625 on 52 numbers or less. Books available priced €10/€5.

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10 March

Paid up members will receive preference for tickets to Donegal's championship matches, including All-Ireland final tickets.
In order to be entitled to the rights of a full member, a person must have their fees paid to the club on a date before March 31st and be registered by the club on the online system in order to have a vote in the upcoming membership year.
Only fully registered players on the GAA online registration system are allowed to take the field for the club. If your name is not in this system you are ineligible. That has repercussions in terms of insurance cover for injuries.
Registration is an important component in meeting the running costs of the club.
Only fully paid up members will be eligible for the annual draw for tickets to the football and hurling All Ireland finals.

Membership can be paid to Mary Matthews at Shannon's Corner. Players can also download registration forms from aodhruadh.org and submit this along with the relevant fee directly to their manager.

Football
The draw for the under 21 championship has seen Aodh Ruadh drawn in the preliminary round where they will have a home tie against Glenswilly. The winners of that will play Buncrana in the first round proper, with the winners of that facing the winners of Saint Eunan's and Gaoth Dobhair.

It was a game of two halves for the minors on Sunday as they took on Naomh Columba in the Park on Sunday. The Ernesiders were shorn of the talents of Philip Patton, Cookie O'Halloran and Oisín Roper for this one and faced a brisk breeze in the first half. They duly delivered an outstanding half of football to go in leading by three points at the break. The second half was a different matter. Glen ground their way back into the game, Ballyshannon's conversion rate dropped and come the final whistle the visitors had amassed a three point winning margin. A tough defeat to take, but there were still many positives in the game. Jason Granaghan and Colm Doyle, both at corner back, had exceptionally good games, while in the middle of the field Shane McGrath produced an outstanding performance. Conall Sweeny, one of the youngest members of the panel, really stepped up to the mark, dominating at centre back. Nathan Boyle was having a super game until forced off with ligament injury and we send him the club's best wishes for a speedy recovery. Despite that defeat Aodh Ruadh are through to the quarter-finals. However the minor programme is in flux at the moment as a few more games remain to be played before the final quarter-final composition is determined, so as yet we have no indication as to when that game will take place or who will provide the opposition. We have some pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org.

Training continues for the under 14s this Saturday 14th March from 10am-11am in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh.

Indoor training finally returns for the under 6s and under 8s this Friday in the Mercy Hall at the usual times, under 6s: 6-7pm; under 8s: 7-8pm. Indoor training continues for under 10s in the new hall at Coláiste Cholmcille from 6pm to 7pm followed by the under 12s from 7pm to 8pm, also in the new hall. PLEASE NOTE, THERE IS A CHARGE OF €2 PER HEAD TO COVER THE COST OF HALL HIRE. Please bring your own water and wear runners as no other footwear allowed. Parents/Guardians are asked to please collect children promptly after their session is finished.

Many thanks to everyone who attended the Bord na nÓg quiz in Owen Roe's last week as we raised €300 for the club.

It is getting near the end of the time to collect Lucozade codes. We have 166 collected so if anyone if collecting them for the club please send them on to me here. If anyone drinks Lucozade please keep collecting the codes until the 31st March.

Hurling
Many thanks to Pauric Dowdall of Ulster GAA who conducted an interesting and enjoyable Coach The Coaches workshop in Creevy National School on Saturday last. Coaches from Ederney, Erne Gaels and Four Masters also took part in this workshop. The following Aodh Ruadh underage hurling coaches took part in this session: Mike Lynch, Peter Horan, Pauric Keenaghan, John Larkin, Paul O'Sullivan and John Rooney. Many thanks to principal of Creevy NS Aoibhinn Kelly and her staff for the use of their fine sports hall.

Donegal minors lost out to Tyrone in a challenge game in Garvaghey on Saturday 3-14 to 3-10, Brendan Gillespie and Oisín Rooney started for Donegal while Stephen Connolly and Adam Brennan came off the bench in the second half, with Brennan grabbing a goal. Donegal play Derry this Saturday in Letterkenny in their opening game of Division 1 of the Ulster Minor League.

We had great numbers at our training on Sunday morning, with numbers increasing in all age groups, training again this Sunday at 12 noon all welcome especially beginners, hurls and helmets are provided for training. Membership forms available at all training sessions very important that all players be registered by the 31st March 2015 for insurance purposes.

There is a foundation award for hurling course in MacCumhaill Park this Friday/Saturday, 13-14th March. If you would like to attend please e-mail Emma Gaughan on secretary.aodhruadh.donegal@gaa.ie or text 0863039610.

Ladies
The seniors lost their first game of season at home to Naomh Conaill on Sunday. You can check out some images from the game in the aodhruadh.org image gallery. There is a home game this Sunday against Four Masters. Training for under 16s, minors and seniors takes place on Tuesday 7pm and Saturday 11am.

There is training for under 12 girls (Born 2003 or 2004) on Mondays in the Mercy Hall from 6-7pm. There is a €2 charge to help cover the cost of the hall.

Remember Garda vetting forms to be filled in and returned to Teddy Kane as soon as possible.

Twitter
We are making a concerted effort to boost usage of our Twitter account, @aodhruadh. Already our committed volunteers have been hard at work over the past weekend in putting up updates from around and about the club and it looks like it could turn into a great resource for breaking club news. Get following @aodhruadh for the very latest news from the club.

Club kit
We now have official club shorts available to order. They are O'Neill's, so top quality kit. Kids sizes (24 and 26) cost €18, while adult sizes (28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38) cost €22. We'll have samples available shortly, watch the Facebook page for images. Contact Chris Kelly on 0868813553 to place your order. Our navy blue soft shell jackets are also back on salw. We now have three youth sizes available. Ages 7-8 priced €40; ages 9-10 priced €40; and ages 11-12 priced €45. All jackets will have the Aodh Ruadh and GAA crests, plus the child's initials on the sleeve. We are also able to order Ladies soft shell jackets with pink Aodh Ruadh crest and GAA logo. We are also selling adult jackets. You can check out samples of the jacket on aodhruadh.org. For further details call Chris on 0868813553.

Abbey Centre Bingo
Ann Mulhern of Donegal Town was the winner of last week's big bingo jackpot of €400. Bingo returns to the Abbey Centre this Friday at 9pm. The winter snowball is still waiting to be won, now standing at €650 on 52 numbers or less. Books available priced €10/€5.

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17 March

Registration 2015
The deadline for 2015 club membership is approaching rapidly and all club members are asked to submit their registration form and fee at their earliest convenience. Some key points to bear in mind:-

Paid up members will receive preference for tickets to Donegal's championship matches, including All-Ireland final tickets.
In order to be entitled to the rights of a full member, a person must have their fees paid to the club on a date before March 31st and be registered by the club on the online system in order to have a vote in the upcoming membership year.
Only fully registered players on the GAA online registration system are allowed to take the field for the club. If your name is not in this system you are ineligible. That has repercussions in terms of insurance cover for injuries.
Registration is an important component in meeting the running costs of the club.
Only fully paid up members will be eligible for the annual draw for tickets to the football and hurling All Ireland finals.

Membership can be paid to Mary Matthews at Shannon's Corner. Players can also download registration forms from aodhruadh.org and submit this along with the relevant fee directly to their manager.

Aodh Ruadh @ Ballyshannon St Patrick's Day Parade 2015
Once again Aodh Ruadh are taking part in the annual St Patrick's day parade. Under 8, 10 and 12 hurlers and boys footballers to assemble at the Gaelscoil for 1.40pm. Girls footballers can also join in with the boys. All players will be supplied with jerseys, but by all means wear something festive too! Marchers to be collected immediately after the parade in the Market Yard. Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!

Football
Packie McGrath's seniors start their season this Saturday in Father Tierney Park when they host Buncrana at 4pm. That game will be preceded by the reserve game at 2.30pm. Michael McShane is down to ref both fixtures.

The under 16 management and team send their best wishes for a speedy recovery to Pauric Keenaghan who sustained a nasty jaw injury in a challenge on Sunday which is likely to see him miss the remainder of the season.

John Hughes is stepping in as under 14 manager. The first challenge of the season will take place this Saturday, time and opposition will be notified via text and the Aodh Ruadh CLG Facebook page

Indoor training continues for the under 6s and under 8s this Friday in the Mercy Hall at the usual times, under 6s: 6-7pm; under 8s: 7-8pm. Indoor training continues for under 10s in the new hall at Coláiste Cholmcille from 6pm to 7pm followed by the under 12s from 7pm to 8pm, also in the new hall. PLEASE NOTE, THERE IS A CHARGE OF €2 PER HEAD TO COVER THE COST OF HALL HIRE. Please bring your own water and wear runners as no other footwear allowed. Parents/Guardians are asked to please collect children promptly after their session is finished.

The draft under 8 schedule has been released. The first named side are hosts.
Friday 8th May @ 6.00pm: Bundoran (hosts), Aodh Ruadh and Saint Naul's.
Friday 22nd May @ 6.00pm: Aodh Ruadh(hosts), Naomh Conaill, Four Masters and Naomh Bríd.
Friday 12th June @ 6.00pm: Four Masters (hosts), Aodh Ruadh and Dungloe.
Friday 26th June @ 6.00pm: Aodh Ruadh (hosts), Bundoran, Naomh Bríd and Four Masters.
Friday 10th July @ 6.00pm: Bundoran (hosts), Aodh Ruadh, Killybegs and Naomh Bríd.
Friday 21st August @ 6.00pm: Finals day.

Hurling
Hard luck to the Donegal minors who lost to Derry in their first round game in Division 1 of the Ulster League on Saturday in Letterkenny. In a close fought game the Oak Leaf men ran out narrow winners 2-12 to 1-11. Brendan Gillespie and Oisín Rooney (0-1) made the starting 15, Stephen Connolly and Adam Brennan are also on the panel, they play Down in Downpatrick this Saturday.

Well done to Orlaith Gillespie who completed her Foundation Level Hurling Course on Saturday last, hopefully she will put what she learned into practise in her role as a selector with the under 12s.

The underage hurling leagues begin next week with the minors at home to Setanta on Thursday 26th March. The under 14s are away to Setanta, with the date for this game to be confirmed.

Our neighbours Erne Gaels are having a hurling revival day this Saturday and as part of the festivities our under 8s and under 10s will be taking part in a number of exhibition games in Belleek. Details will be circulated during the week.

This Friday we are hosting a fun blitz for the following National Schools, Creevy National School, Gaelscoil Éirne and St Catherine's National School. These schools have been receiving hurling coaching for the last few months as part of Aodh Ruadh Park Committee's Coaching Initiative and all schools are looking forward to putting into practise what they've learned. Pauric Dowdall of Ulster GAA will be attending this blitz.

The ninth Annual Hurl-a-thon takes place on Saturday 11th April. This is always a great day's fun and craic so please support this event.

Best wishes to Pauric Keenaghan, who suffered a serious injury on Sunday, hopefully he will make a full recovery and be back in action soon again.

Ladies
Under 12 (born 2003 and 2004) girls training on Mondays 6-7pm in the Mercy Hall. €2 per child to cover cost of hall.

Under 14 Girls training on Mondays 7-8pm in the Mercy Hall also €2 to cover cost of hall.

The senior game was called off this weekend but big congratulations to Tanya O'Shea and Tara Khan on taking part in and completing the Cara Run. Senior training continues Tuesdays and Saturdays.

A date for your diaries. The 2015 Annual Duck Race will be coming up soon. Keep your eyes peeled for more details.

A big double congratulations for Donegal's under 16 and senior ladies teams on winning their matches at the weekend. The under 16s beat Down on a scoreline of 5-7 to 0-2 while the seniors beat Meath 6-17 to 2-6. Goal central. Maybe they can teach the men a thing or six!

Remember Garda vetting forms to be filled in and returned to Teddy Kane as soon as possible.

Question of sport
Sports quiz in aid of Aodh Ruadh sky dive, hosted by sky jumper Christopher Kelly, in Seán Óg's Ballyshannon, Friday 27th March 9pm. Lots of team prizes and raffle prizes. Do you know your sport?

Twitter
We are making a concerted effort to boost usage of our Twitter account, @aodhruadh. Start following @aodhruadh for the very latest news from the club.

Abbey Centre Bingo
Ann McAndrews of Pettigo was the winner of last week's big bingo jackpot of €400. Bingo this Friday will be in Coláiste Cholmcille at 9pm due to the Drama Festival. The winter snowball is still waiting to be won, now standing at €675 on 52 numbers or less. Books available priced €10/€5.

Back to the top

24 March

Final open registration sessions
There will be open registration sessions in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh on Wednesday 25th March from 6pm to 8pm and Thursday 26th March from 6.30pm to 8pm. The deadline for 2015 club membership is approaching rapidly and all club members are asked to submit their registration form and fee at their earliest convenience. Some key points to bear in mind:-

Paid up members will receive preference for tickets to Donegal's championship matches, including All-Ireland final tickets.
In order to be entitled to the rights of a full member, a person must have their fees paid to the club on a date before March 31st and be registered by the club on the online system in order to have a vote in the upcoming membership year.
Only fully registered players on the GAA online registration system are allowed to take the field for the club. If your name is not in this system you are ineligible. That has repercussions in terms of insurance cover for injuries.
Registration is an important component in meeting the running costs of the club.
Only fully paid up members will be eligible for the annual draw for tickets to the football and hurling All Ireland finals.

Membership can be paid to Mary Matthews at Shannon's Corner. Players can also download registration forms from aodhruadh.org and submit this along with the relevant fee directly to their manager.

Club meeting
The monthly Aodh Ruadh Club Executive committee meeting takes place this Thursday in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh at 8.30pm. All committee members are asked to attend.

Football
Aodh Ruadh began their season with a convincing double scores victory over Buncrana in Father Tierney Park on Saturday afternoon. Aodh Ruadh have had a gruelling pre-season, and that work was shown to good effect in the first half as the hosts dominated proceedings for much of the game. They ran in two first half goals, the first came from the boot of 2014 Ulster minor winning captain Niall Harley. The second was a great strike by current county minor panellist Philip Patton. Those majors and a slew of points helped the Ernesiders to a 2-8 to 0-6 lead at half-time. Michael 'Sticky' Ward marked his return to the senior team after a year's absence with 1-3, a haul which included a coup de grace goal in the last minutes of the game. Over the 60 the spine of this Aodh Ruadh team showed well. Peter Boyle produced some super saves and landed a long range free, and in front of him Damian Cleary continued his impressive form last year with another dynamic display. The whole half back line of Boyle, Patton and Harley got through a mountain of work and played a significant role in confining Buncrana to ten scores. Up front Diarmaid McInerney and Sticky Ward provided great outlets and finished effectively, grabbing 1-6 between them. One note of bad news for Ballyshannon was a nasty nose injury to corner back Michael Ward which will see him miss the next few weeks. The next assignment for the seniors is the trip to Urris on the Easter bank holiday weekend. We have an extended match report and pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org.

The Aodh Ruadh reserves set about defending their 2014 Division 3 league title with a well deserved win against the visiting Buncrana team. All in all, the lads will be glad to have got off to good start. The defensive unit were well in control throughout the match, with Ryan Patton and Patrick Meehan really solid through the centre. Waddle Coughlin can be happy with his start to his captaincy of the team, and nearly put the icing on the cake with a first half goal effort that came off the angle of the goal. Last year's captain Dermot Slevin also had a fine game covering every corner of the pitch and always available to receive the ball. Next up is the trip to Clonmany to face Urris. Again, we have an extended match report and pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org.

The under 16s played out an exciting league opener against Kilcar on Sunday morning. When the sides met at under 14 and under 15 in Óg Sport, Kilcar. On this occasion they had to be satisfied with a share of the points against this developing Aodh Ruadh team. The Ballyshannon defence allowed Kilcar few attacking chances opportunities and were particularly effective in the first half. Mark Gallagher in goals with a number of excellent saves and Sean Taylor at centre half back who turned over an amount of ball deserved to share any man of the match awards. Taylor also contributed three points from play. Goals from The three half forwards Dylan Gallagher, Matteo Rivenna and Shane Dorrian looked like being enough to win the game but Kilcar fought back to lead 3-8 to 3-7 with a minute to go. Aodh Ruadh finished strong and made a determined burst up the field and won a free 25 metres out which Conall Sweeny stuck over for the draw with the last kick of the game. The under 16s next match is against Dungloe at home on Good Friday. Once again the under 16 team and managers wish Pauric Keenaghan well as he begins his recovery from his injury.

The under 14s had a useful work out against a well drilled Grange outfit on Saturday afternoon. It was a case of exploring permutations and giving players game time, but there were some pleasing performances on the day. Aaron Duffy showed up well in the back line while Sean Brady was very tidy at wing back. Second half sub Shane Gillespie showed that he will be a major threat this season with his strong running and distribution, while Mark McGlynn and Harry Howarth also created trouble up front for the Sligo men. Many thanks to Shane Toolan who hightailed it from Strabane to make sure we had an official referee for this challenge. We will text players on Tuesday evening with details of training for coming week.

The indoor training programme for the under 6s and under 8s concludes this Friday in the Mercy Hall. Training at the usual times, under 6s: 6-7pm; under 8s: 7-8pm. Indoor training continues for under 10s in the new hall at Coláiste Cholmcille from 6pm to 7pm followed by the under 12s from 7pm to 8pm, also in the new hall. PLEASE NOTE, THERE IS A CHARGE OF €2 PER HEAD TO COVER THE COST OF HALL HIRE. Please bring your own water and wear runners as no other footwear allowed. Parents/Guardians are asked to please collect children promptly after their session is finished.

It is getting near the end of the time to collect Lucozade codes. If anyone drinks Lucozade please keep collecting the codes until the 31st March.

There will be a meeting of the Bord na nÓg executive committee on Tuesday, 24th March in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh at 8pm. All committee members are asked to attend.

Hurling
The senior hurlers travelled to Blacklion on Saturday for their first outing of the year and recorded an impressive victory beating the Cavan county team on a scoreline of 7-18 to 2-10. They will have their first Ulster Táin league division 2B fixture this Sunday in Father Tierney Park when they host Setanta at 1pm. Last time the Killygordon were up we were outnumbered on the terraces so it would be great to see an improved turnout from the home support as our senior hurlers bid to get their season off to a winning start.

Donegal minors had a great win over Down in Downpatrick on Saturday in Division 1 of the Ulster League 1-15 to 0-7. Oisín Rooney started and hit a point, while Adam Brennan and Stephen Connolly came on during the game and did well. Brendan Gillespie was unavailable on Saturday. They are on the road again this Saturday when to travel to play Antrim.

The Donegal Hurling leagues begin this week. Our minors are at home to Setanta on Thursday evening, throw-in at 6pm and all support welcome. The under 14s travel to Killygordon on Sunday to play Setanta with a 4pm throw-in.

On Friday Aodh Ruadh juvenile hurling committee hosted a hurling and camogie blitz in Father Tierney Park for local national schools. It was a great success with Creevy, Scoil Catriona and Gaelscoil Éirne represented and 87 boys and girls taking part in the blitz. We held this blitz to give the children the opportunity to put into practise the hurling skills they learned in schools taking part in the Aodh Ruadh Coaching Initiative. All the children played their hearts out and really enjoyed the blitz. Pauric Dowdall of Ulster GAA attended the blitz and was very impressed with the amount of children taking part and the level of skill on display. He presented each of the schools with a box of sliotars. Many thanks to the staff of each of the schools who took part in the blitz. TY students and minor hurlers Oisín Rooney, Kieran Daly and Cáelán Drummond were the refs on the day and they did a great job. Thanks to Michael Doherty TY coordinator Coláiste Cholmcille who has fully supported the Coaching Initiative and provides students weekly to assist club coach Peter Horan. It was a great event and thanks to all involved with it.

On Saturday our under 8s and under 10s were delighted to take part in Erne Gaels Hurling Revival Day in Belleek. It was a great day and great credit to Erne Gaels for putting together such a fun-filled day. The day began with a coaching session led by Fabian Burns of Fermanagh GAA and Prionsías O'Kane of Ulster GAA assisted by local coaches. We then had challenge games with Erne Gaels where our boys and girls did very well and won both games. We were then treated to refreshments by the host club and some former Erne Gaels players spoke to all the young players. The day finished with a Legends game between Erne Gaels and Aodh Ruadh, the Aodh Ruadh team led by Club man of the Year Conal Gallagher ran out narrow winners. Thanks to all the parents who gave great support to our young hurlers and thanks again to Erne Gaels for all their hospitality.

Training for all ages continues at 12 noon on Sunday all welcome, membership needs to be paid as soon as possible and can be paid at Shannon's corner or to any of the managers.

Ladies
Under 12 (born 2003 and 2004) girls training on Mondays 6-7pm in the Mercy Hall. €2 per child to cover cost of hall.

Under 14 Girls training on Mondays 7-8pm in the Mercy Hall also €2 to cover cost of hall.

A date for your diaries. The 2015 Annual Duck Race will be coming up soon. Keep your eyes peeled for more details.

Come Dive For Aodh Ruadh
Come Dive With Me received it's official launch in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh last Monday. The brave volunteers were unveiled and the aims of the project were outlined. The jumpers will all be aiming to raise €1,000 each through their own fund-raising initiatives ahead of the jump on April 18th. The skydive will be professionally organised from Abbeyshrule Aerodrome in Longford. There will be a "Krazy" evening scheduled for Dorrian's Hotel that night to bring the event to a close. Sub-committees are asked to take note of that date and avoid any clashes by way of other organised club activities on that date. The purpose of this event is to generate funds for the completion of the current phase of player and team focused developments at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh including the new running track, hurling wall and toilet facilities. As the work at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh is central to how the club's teams perform in all grades and codes a good joined-up club effort is sought on this one. A quick visit to Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh any day will demonstrate the positive and progressive impact that these small initiatives can have in providing the best by way of facilities and amenities for our players and wider community. To get involved in the fund-raiser you can contact Conal Gallagher 0862112812; David McLoone 0877760177; Michael Daly 0869171949 or Tom Daly 0872390410. Ocean FM's Darragh Cox interviewed Aodh Ruadh's Tom Daly, David McLoone and Conal Gallagher prior the launch. You can listen to the piece on SoundCloud. You can also check out pictures from the launch on aodhruadh.org.

The ten brave club members/players/supporters who will take the plunge are:

Eugene Drummond (Youth Section)
Tanya O'Shea and Leanne Curran (Ladies)
Ciron Whoriskey (Adult football)
Chris Kilgannon (Adult hurling)
Peter McKenna (Bord na nÓg)
Accompanied by Rossa McCosker, David McLoone, Chris Kelly and Conal Gallagher.

Club members and sub-committees are asked to proactively support the sky-divers in their various fund raising ventures. Please come and get involved with one or more of the participants. Don't be sitting back and waiting to be asked. A full list of planned activities will be carried in the club notes each week. Activities include:

Collection and raffle for Ed Sheeran Concert tickets - Tanya O'Shea and Leanne Curran
Sports quiz in aid of Aodh Ruadh sky dive, hosted by sky jumper Christopher Kelly, in Seán Óg's Ballyshannon, Friday 27th March 9pm. Lots of team prizes and raffle prizes. Do you know your sport?
Thursday 2nd April. Quiz in Own Roe's - Eugene Drummond

After a very busy few months on the practical development front, activity will ease for the next few weeks. Please note that refurbishment works at Aras Aoidh Ruaidh and planned necessary pitch repairs including verti-draining of the playing fields at Pairc Aoidh Ruaidh must proceed shortly. There may be some disruption to access these facilities in short periods which will be notified in advance.

Any 2014 team manager or mentor who has not taken a team for 2015 should immediately pass their changing room key to their successor and notify the secretary of the relevant sub-committee that they have done this.

Coach education
The Donegal Sports Partnership (DSP) have just announced details of their Education and Training Workshops for April. The workshops will discuss topics such as injury prevention and management, and hydration and nutrition for sports performance. Some coaches may be interested in attending and participating in the workshops. Please see http://activedonegal.com/education-training-workshops-for-april/ for further information. The booking form is also available through their website. Call DSP directly on 074 9116078 for further information.

Aodh Ruadh @ Ballyshannon St Patrick's Day Parade 2015
Well done to our young footballers and hurlers who came out in even larger numbers than usual for the annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade last Tuesday. Thanks to all those who helped pull together a great display by the club. We have some pictures from the parade up on aodhruadh.org.

Twitter
Our Twitter account, @aodhruadh, has really taken wings this past few weeks. Club volunteers have been tweeting vigorously and it is now a great source for updates and assorted craic, so for the very latest news from the club and the odd laugh give @aodhruadh a follow.

Abbey Centre Bingo
This Friday is the March big bingo with a prize fund of over €3,000, including the €1,000 jackpot game. The winter snowball now stands at €725 on 52 numbers or less. Big bingo books priced at €15, €8 half book, or a book and half for €20.

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31 March

Last call on registration
There's just hours left now to the 2015 GAA registration deadline. Currently we have 204 adult members registered. Including youth members we have a total of 439 members registered. At this point the only way to guarantee getting registered on the system by the deadline is to pay in Shannon's Corner by the close of business Tuesday. Thanks again many to all those who have gone to the time, effort and expense of registering with Aodh Ruadh. It is much appreciated and goes some way to defraying the sizeable outgoings the club is faced with at the start of the year. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Although players can register after the March 31st registration deadline they will not be able to play for the club until five days have passed. They are not covered by the player injury scheme in that five day period. Players can download registration forms from aodhruadh.org and submit this along with the relevant fee directly to their manager.

Football
The seniors had a challenge against Glenelly in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh on Saturday afternoon. You can see some pictures from that game up on the aodhruadh.org image gallery. This Saturday, 4th April, they and the reserves return to division three league action, making the trip to Urris. The reserve game throws in at 4pm followed by the senior clash at 5.30pm. The fixtures schedule for the rest of the season has also been released.

Round 3: Saturday, 11th April
Aodh Ruadh v Burt
Round 4: Saturday, 18th April
Aodh Ruadh v Downings
Round 5: Saturday, 25th April
Aodh Ruadh v Red Hugh's
Round 6: Monday, 4th May
Milford v Aodh Ruadh
Round 7: Sunday, 10th May
Aodh Ruadh v Naomh Bríd
Round 8: Saturday, 30th May
Downings v Aodh Ruadh
Dates for rounds nine on are indicative only
Round 9: Sunday, 31st May
Aodh Ruadh v Letterkenny Gaels
Round 10: Saturday, 6th June
Aodh Ruadh v Naomh Colmcille
Round 11: Saturday, 13th June
Aodh Ruadh v Urris
Round 12: Saturday, 20th June
Buncrana v Aodh Ruadh
Round 13: Saturday, 27th June
Aodh Ruadh v Milford
Round 14: Wednesday, 8th July
Naomh Bríd v Aodh Ruadh
Round 15: Saturday, 11th July
Naomh Colmcille v Aodh Ruadh
Round 16: Saturday, 8th August
Red Hugh's v Aodh Ruadh
Round 17: Saturday, 29th August
Burt v Aodh Ruadh
Round 18: Saturday, 12th September
Letterkenny Gaels v Aodh Ruadh

The minor game between Aodh Ruadh and Naomh Conaill in Glenties was abandoned after a head injury to the Ballyshannon goalkeeper Sean Taylor. We wish Sean all the very best for a speedy recovery.

Under 16 training takes place this Wednesday at 5pm. There will be a game this Friday against Dungloe in Father Tierney Park. Time is awaiting confirmation.

Commencing from this Wednesday April 1st, the under 14 training schedule will be as follows; Wednesday from 6pm to 7pm and Saturday from 11am to 12 noon. The under 14s will also have a challenge match this Friday, 3rd April against Naomh Bríd at 6.30pm. All players to be at the park for 5.45pm. The Saturday training session on 4th April will be in Father Tierney Park. The team's first league fixture will be on Saturday, 25th April when they travel to take on Dungloe in the league.

Commencing from this Wednesday April 1st, the under 10 and under 12 training schedule will be as follows; Wednesday from 6pm to 7pm and Monday from 6pm to 7pm.

The under 8 and under 6 winter indoor training programme has concluded. There will take a break for Good Friday before outdoor training commences on Friday, 10th April, running from 6.30pm to 7.30pm in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh (Munday's Field).

It is getting near the end of the time to collect Lucozade codes. If anyone drinks Lucozade please keep collecting the codes until the 31st March.

Hurling
The senior hurlers played their first competitive game of the season in the Ulster Táin League Division 2B against Setanta last Sunday in Páirc Aoidh Ruadh. Conditions were less than favourable with both sides having to contend with a stiff crosswind which favoured neither side. Kevin Loughlin made a welcome return to the playing field after a long spell in the managerial hot seat for the Ernesiders. The match was evenly contested throughout with Paul Teague, a transfer from Lisnaskea Emmet's, scoring all of Aodh Ruadh's scores in the first half from placed ball. Indeed Paul finished with a personal tally of 1-6 for the afternoon. Setanta's indiscipline provided the Ballyshannon men with most of their scoring chances as both teams found it difficult to convert from play given the inclement conditions. The score at half time was 1-5 to 1-4 in favour of Setanta. The second half continued in much the same vein as the first with both sides struggling to score. There were some good individual performances from Chris Kilgannon and Steven Sheerin but in the end the Ballyshannon came out on the wrong side of a 1-11 to 1-8 score line.. Aodh Ruadh take to the field again on Easter Monday against Saint Eunan's in O'Donnell Park.

The senior hurling team would like to extend their thanks to Diarmuid Whorisky and Rathmore Mechanical Services Ltd for their continued support and sponsorship for the current year.

Coláiste Cholmcille claimed its first ever hurling silverware last Tuesday when they won the shield at the inaugural first and second years school's hurling competition held at the Centre of Excellence in Convoy. Six schools took part in the competition and Coláiste Cholmcille defeated Abbey Vocational School in the shield final. Aodh Ruadh were well represented in the squad along with players from Grange, Naomh Bríd and Pettigo. Thanks to Coláiste Cholmcille for entering this tournament and for supporting our efforts.

The minors started their league campaign with a win at home against Setanta on Thursday, it was a very rusty performance, but the lads stuck with it and ground out the win on a 1-9 to 1-2 scoreline. We have pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org. They play Burt away this Thursday throw in 7pm.

Unfortunately the under 14s game against Setanta on Sunday fell victim to the weather as the pitch was unplayable. They open their campaign this Thursday with a home game against a strong Burt team.

The county minors suffered a heavy defeat away to Antrim on Saturday in the Ulster League, playing against a gale force wind in the first half they trailed at half time 4-12 to 0-2. They gave a very spirited performance in the second half and held the Glens men to a point, final score 4-13 to 1-6. Brendan Gillespie and Oisin Rooney (1-0) started while Adam Brennan came off the bench, and all the lads did very well. Stephen Connolly was unable to travel due to illness. They finish their league campaign this Saturday with a home game against Armagh.

Training for all ages continues on Sunday at 12 noon.

Ladies
The under 12 girls are now training outdoors on Monday nights 6-7pm, starting 6th April. There will also be a session this Wednesday at 6.30pm ahead of a challenges against Glencar / Manorhamilton on Saturday at 11am in Páirc Aoidh Ruadh.

We have decided to hold the Annual Duck Race at a later date as Easter was early this year and clashed with club registration, which we hope everyone has sorted. As soon as we have a date for the Duck Race we will let everyone know as it always is a great Family Event and the children love it.

Come Dive with Me
The quiz in Owen Roe's this Thursday is in aid of Aodh Ruadh Skydive team member Eugene Drummond, who is the team's youngest member and is representing Bord na nÓg and hurlers. The proceeds of the sky dive will go towards to completion of the fitness trail, rebound wall and amenities at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh which will be of enormous benefit to the whole community. Quiz starts at 9.30pm sharp, team registration from 9pm onwards.

Club kit
We now have official club shorts available to order. They are O'Neill's, so top quality kit. Kids sizes (24 and 26) cost €18, while adult sizes (28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38) cost €22. We'll have samples available shortly, watch the Facebook page for images. Contact Chris Kelly on 0868813553 to place your order. Our navy blue soft shell jackets are also back on sale. We now have three youth sizes available. Ages 7-8 priced €40; ages 9-10 priced €40; and ages 11-12 priced €45. All jackets will have the Aodh Ruadh and GAA crests, plus the child's initials on the sleeve. We are also able to order Ladies soft shell jackets with pink Aodh Ruadh crest and GAA logo. We are also selling adult jackets. You can check out samples of the jacket on aodhruadh.org. For further details call Chris on 0868813553.

Abbey Centre Bingo
Maura Cox of Pettigo won the March Big Bingo jackpot of €800, continuing the recent run of good luck for Pettigo players! Bingo as usual in the Abbey Centre on Good Friday at 9pm. The winter snowball is still waiting to be won and now stands at €725 on 53 numbers or less. Books priced at €10, or half books for €5.

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