Club Notes Archive - 2016
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MARCH
- 1 March
-
1 March 2016
Membership
We are in the crucial month for club registration with GAA membership deadline of March 31st looming. The club are hosting an open registration session in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh on Saturday 5th March between 2pm and 4pm. Players can also download registration forms from aodhruadh.org and submit this along with the relevant fee directly to their manager. We are now able to take registrations in Gerry Ferguson's Jewellers, so if the scheduling of registration sessions doesn't happen to suit you, remember you can register in Ferguson's Jewellers at any time. Please bear in mind that all players MUST register with the club. You must be a club member to be in consideration for All-Ireland final tickets should Donegal reach that stage. Also, only club members have a say in club decisions and a vote at the AGM.Ballyshannon hosts Ladies NFL game
Donegal play Clare in Ladies NFL Division 1 this Sunday at 2pm in Father Tierney Park. The usual key stewards are asked to be at the grounds for 12 noon and other helpers at 12.30pm. Please report to Park / Development Committee Secretary Conal Gallagher who will assign duties.Rice Cup semi-final
This Saturday at 2pm the club hosts the All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Rice Cup semi-final between St Joseph's, Charlestown and St Mary's Limavady. All key stewards report to grounds at 12 noon and other helpers at 12.30pm. See Conal Gallagher, who will assign duties.Football
This weekend sees the under 14s and minors getting Aodh Ruadh's competitive season underway. Martin McGlynn's under 14s are first out, travelling to Ardara on Saturday, 5th March to take on the hosts in a division 1 clash at 12 noon. Then on Sunday, 6th March, Peter McKenna's minors are also on their travels, with a long jaunt to Glencolumbcille to take on Naomh Columba, a 12 noon throw in for that Division 1B opener.A change of location to indoor training this week for the under 6s and under 8s as we move to the Mercy Hall at Coláiste Cholmcille for the remainder of our indoor programme. The under 6s are on from 6pm to 7pm followed by the under 8s from 7pm to 8pm. The under 10s are training in the new hall at Coláiste Cholmcille from 6pm to 7pm and that session is followed by the under 12s from 7pm to 8pm, also in the new hall. There is a charge of €2 per head. 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.
Ladies
Girls under 14 training commences this Tuesday, 1st March in the Mercy Hall. Training runs from 6pm to 7pm with a charge of €2.Hurling
Underage hurling makes a welcome return this Sunday 6th March 12 noon in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. All are welcome from five years to 12 as we are fielding teams at under 8, under 10 and under 12. Beginners are especially welcome, hurls and helmets will be provided for training. The emphasis will be on learning the basic skills of our ancient game in a fun-filled environment. So camán and give it a try and you'll be surprised how much fun you'll have. For any information please contact John Rooney on 086-2587793.Under 16 and minor hurling starts this Tuesday 1st March at 7pm sharp in the School Field.
Ulster under 17 and minor football league games
Donegal will play Fermanagh in the Ulster Minor League in the Father Tierney Park on Saturday March 12th with a 12 noon throw-in. The same day the Donegal under 17 team will play Fermanagh in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh with a 2.30pm throw-in. We will require the usual key stewards present in good time. The under 17 inter-county game will be preceded by the Aodh Ruadh v Dungloe under 14 game in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh.Development works
The new hurling rebound wall at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh is now well advanced and will be completed in the coming weeks. Works will then commence on Aras Aoidh Ruaidh improvements. Security fencing is being used to close-off those site areas where our work force are operating. With activity at our grounds increasing rapidly those in charge of teams are asked to ensure that these construction areas are not entered at any time.Scheduling of training
Park / Development Committee officers have finalised training arrangements with all team managers. Any schedule change can affect another team and this must be borne in mind. Peter Conlon must be contacted in relation to all changes and deferrals and matters relating to official Aodh Ruadh fixtures. All fixtures external to the club, including challenge games, go via Park / Development Committee Chairman first.Recreational football
There were great numbers for the first week back of recreational football, We go again this Saturday at 6.30pm under the lights at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. If you haven't pulled on the boots in a while, it's a great opportunity to get out and active. It's excellent value at just €3 for the session. Text or call Alan on 0868052816 if you need any further information.Tráth na gCeist
This Friday the Aodh Ruadh Tráth na gCeist travels to take part in the Ulster finals in Armagh after progressing from Donegal following a sudden death tie-breaker last Friday. Best of luck to the lads as the bid to bring home provincial honours.Celebrating our language
With the anniversary of 1916 and Seachtain na Gaeilge fast approaching, there are some events of note coming up in relation to our native language. Following on the recent agreement between the GAA and Glór na nGael to work together to increase the use of Irish language in GAA clubs, a representative of Glór na nGael will be present to assist clubs in setting up Irish language related activities such as Ciorcal Comhrá and Oíche Ghaelach. This workshop is open to anyone in the locality to attend and is a bilingual workshop. It would be of interest to anyone who wishes to promote the Irish language in any way and Glór na nGael will provide ongoing assistance in this regard. Anyone looking any further information, please contact Sean O'Mahoney on 0868553245Abbey Centre Bingo
Last week's €400 jackpot was won by Mary Cleary of Ballyshannon. This Friday we return to the Abbey Centre for our February Big Bingo with the super €2,700 prize fund including the €1,000 big jackpot game. This week also sees the return of the game seven snowball, starting on €200. See you there!
- 8 March
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Donegal v Roscommon tickets
The NFL game between Donegal and Roscommon in O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny on Sunday, 13th March, will be an all ticket game. Tickets can be purchased from the usual outlets. Those ordering tickets through the club will need to have their orders with Lisa McTernan on 0862338636 by Tuesday 8pm. Ticket prices are €10 for adults, €5 for under 16s. There are no concessions for OAPs or students. There will be no tickets available on the day of the match at the ground. Season ticket holder will be notified of their arrangements by Croke Park.Membership
We are in the crucial month for club registration with GAA membership deadline of March 31st looming. Players can also download registration forms from aodhruadh.org and submit this along with the relevant fee directly to their manager. We are now able to take registrations in Gerry Ferguson's Jewellers. Please bear in mind that all players MUST register with the club. You must be a club member to be in consideration for All-Ireland final tickets should Donegal reach that stage. Also, only club members have a say in club decisions and a vote at the AGM.Football
Unfortunately, much to the disappointment of the 50 odd players, management teams and supporters concerned, last weekend's programme of under 14 and under 18 fixtures were postponed last Thursday. We await word on fixtures for the coming weekend, which is expected after the county Youth Board meeting on Tuesday evening. The minors were grateful to Ardara who made themselves available to play a challenge instead of the slated league fixture. The under 16s were also in challenge action recently and we have pictures of their clash with Mayo outfit, Parke Keelogues Crimlin, up in the aodhruadh.org image gallery.Indoor training continues this week for the under 6s and under 8s in the Mercy Hall at Coláiste Cholmcille. The under 6s are on from 6pm to 7pm followed by the under 8s from 7pm to 8pm. The under 10s are training in the new hall at Coláiste Cholmcille from 6pm to 7pm and that session is followed by the under 12s from 7pm to 8pm, also in the new hall. There is a charge of €2 per head. 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.
Ladies
The under 14 girls have a challenge match this Saturday at 10am in Ballyshannon against Glencar / Manorhamilton, throw-in is at 10am, all players at the park for 9.20am. The first under 14 league game will be on Saturday, 2nd April. Under 14 training continues this Tuesday, 8th March in the Mercy Hall and runs from 6pm to 7pm with a charge of €2, remember to bring your own water.Hurling
Donegal under 17 hurlers lost their opening game in the Celtic Challenge 2016 to Down on Saturday last 4-10 to 1-4. We were represented on this team by Stephen Anderson, Brian McHenry and Conal Sweeny. They play Tyrone this Saturday and it's hoped the team puts up a better performance.Underage hurling made a welcome return on Sunday morning. There was a good crowd in attendance, particularly pleasing was the amount of under 8s and under 10s present. Training continues next Sunday at 12 noon for under 8s, under 10s and under 12s. All welcome especially beginners. Hurls and helmets are provided for training.
Well done David
Congratulations to our Club Man of the Year David McLoone who was elected Donegal Development Officer on Monday evening. He succeeds our own Terence McShea who served in the post with distinction for a number of years.Inter-county action in Ballyshannon
Thanks to those who helped with the arrangements for the All Ireland Colleges semi-final and the ladies senior inter-county games at the weekend. We have pictures from the Donegal ladies 4-11 to 2-7 victory over Clare in NFL division 2 up in the aodhruadh.org image gallery. This Wednesday at 3pm the Donegal Gardai play their Sligo/Leitrim counterparts in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. On Saturday at 12 noon in Father Tierney Park we have the Ulster Minor League game between Donegal and Fermanagh. At 1.30pm, also on Saturday, in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh the same counties compete in the Ulster u-17 football league. We need the usual key stewards present from 10.45am.Pitch bookings
As we are going into the busiest few months for games activity we need good advance notice of challenge games. Otherwise it will be difficult to accommodate them. It is also important that club team managers contact Peter Conlon in good time where there are changes to arrangements for official fixtures.School Field
Our workforce has done a tidy-up at the school field and some additional floodlighting will be installed and operational this week. Team managers should continue to be use this facility to relieve pressure on our floodlit playing field at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh.Recreational football
Recreational football goes again this Saturday at 6.30pm under the lights at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. If you haven't pulled on the boots in a while, it's a great opportunity to get out and active. It's excellent value at just €3 for the session. Text or call Alan on 0868052816 if you need any further information.Tráth na gCeist
Congratulations to the Aodh Ruadh Tráth na gCeist team who came fifth in the Ulster finals in Armagh last Friday in a high standard competition.Abbey Centre Bingo
The February big bingo jackpot of €800 was won by Regina Dolan of Ballyshannon. There was no winner of the spring snowball so next week's snowball prize will be €225. Bingo starts at 9pm Friday at the Abbey Centre. Books priced at just €10.Mother's Day
We hope that all the mammies who consistently do the club proud upstairs in the Aras after the countless blitzes over the course of the year were all well spoiled on Sunday past. Your work is greatly appreciated by the club.
- 15 March
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Membership
We are half way through the crucial month for club registration with GAA membership deadline of March 31st looming. Players can also download registration forms from aodhruadh.org and submit this along with the relevant fee directly to their manager. We are now able to take registrations in Gerry Ferguson's Jewellers. Please bear in mind that all players MUST register with the club. You must be a club member to be in consideration for All-Ireland final tickets should Donegal reach that stage. Also, only club members have a say in club decisions and a vote at the AGM.Inaugural Easter camp
Aodh Ruadh are delighted to announce their first ever Easter Camp. The camp will run from Wednesday 30th March to Friday 1st April. Under 6s and under 8s will be catered for from 10am to 12.30pm. Then the under 10s and under 12s come in from 1pm to 3.30pm. It's excellent value at just €25 for the three days. Brian Roper is organising the camp and you can contact him on 087-6139065 to book a place or get further information.Football
Our seniors continue their pre-season build up with a challenge this Sunday at the park against Erne Gaels. Throw in is at 11am. The seniors are also hosting a fund-raiser this Friday at 9pm in Melly's Bar. It is a Texas Hold 'Em poker competition and your support would be much appreciated.It was a busy Saturday afternoon on the Rock with Donegal hosting Fermanagh in two Ulster League games. The minor sides faced off in Father Tierney Park with Donegal emerging victorious in that encounter with the help of a brilliant Shane McGrath goal. Nathan Boyle also looked every bit the county player at wing back. Following that game over in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh the under 17 sides locked horns. Again Donegal emerged with the spoils and our own Sean Taylor impressed between the sticks. Isn't it funny, for all the comment in some quarters about Ballyshannon hosting county games, just how regularly Donegal wins here? We have pictures of both the Ulster minor league game and the Ulster under 17 league clash up on aodhruadh.org.
Aodh Ruadh finally opened their minor campaign on Sunday with the visit of Kilcar to Father Tierney Park. It proved to be a well-drilled Towney outfit with Ryan and Eoin McHugh in the bainisteoir bibs, and the first half was a rollicking contest with the hosts needing and excellent Shane McGrath goal to get to the break with the scores at 0-5 to 1-2. The Ernesiders upped their work rate significantly in the second half and a goal opportunity created by the sweat of Oisin Rooney was coolly dispatched by Shane McGrath to give the hosts some daylight. Another goal shortly after from Rooney helped Aodh Ruadh on their way to a 3-5 to 0-9 win, but it couldn't be described as comfortable, with Kilcar battling every inch of the way. Best for Ballyshannon was Shane McGrath, while he was run close by the magnificent Sean Taylor who saved a second half penalty as well as delivering an array of precision kick outs. Oisin Rooney really put his shoulder to the wheel in the second half with Nathan Boyle mopping up a lot of ball, Cian McGloin going well at half back and Dylan Gallagher in the front three. We have pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org. Next up for the minors is a trip to Naomh Ultan on Tuesday week, 22nd March with a 6.30pm throw in.
The under 14s are scheduled to get their campaign off the ground this weekend. Management will have full fixture details nearer the time.
Indoor training wraps up this Friday for all grades from under 8 to under 12. We will be taking a break for Good Friday, before going outside for training, further details on times in due course. Training as normal this Friday for the under 6s and under 8s in the Mercy Hall at Coláiste Cholmcille. The under 6s are on from 6pm to 7pm followed by the under 8s from 7pm to 8pm. Training as usual also for under 10s in the new hall at Coláiste Cholmcille from 6pm to 7pm and that session is followed by the under 12s from 7pm to 8pm, also in the new hall.
Under 8, under 10 and under 12 players are invited to take part in the St Patrick's Day parade this Thursday. Players to assemble at Gaelscoil Éirne at 1.40pm. Jerseys will be provided. Parents/guardians can collect players at the Market Yard after the parade.
Ladies
Training for minor and under 16 ladies takes place on Tuesdays at 7pm and Saturdays at 6pm.Aodh Ruadh under 14 girls welcomed Glencar Manorhamilton to Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh as they played their first challenge of the new season. While the visitors emerged victorious it proved a good test for the Shamettes against high quality opposition. Caoimhe Keon was excellent in midfield throughout, with sister Orla also shining at corner back. Second half sub Evelyn Gallagher put in a great display with captain Sorcha McGonigle also giving a great account of herself in defence. Bridín Maguire worked hard in midfield and showed great bravery getting down for a 50 50 ball in the second half. Up front Laoise Kelly took some great scores while reluctant goalkeeper Leah Travers was a good contender for player of the match. We have pictures from the game up on aodhruadh.org. Under 14 training goes outside from this Tuesday, 15th March, at Páirc Aoidh Ruadh [Munday's] at 5.45pm. The first under 14 league game will be on Saturday, 2nd April.
The first training session of the season for under 12 girls [2004 + 2005] takes place this Wednesday in the Mercy Hall between 6pm and 7pm. €2 for hall, bring water. All welcome. Spread the word.
Indoor training for under 8s [2008s and 2009s] and under 10s [2006s and 2007s] will commence on Wednesday 30 March from 7pm to 8pm at the Mercy Hall. The cost is €2 and remember to bring a bottle of water. Please ensure that your child's registration is paid before training starts though, as the deadline for that is March 31st. We will train indoors for the month of April and go out doors on Mondays from 6pm to 7pm. If you have further enquires please contact Gabby on 087-2902245 or Louise on 087-6388562.
We would like to remind all who intend to play this year that they must ensure they are registered with the club by March 31st. Players not registered with the club are not insured and as illegal players they endanger any potential success their team might enjoy.
Hurling
Hard luck to the Donegal under 17s who lost out to Tyrone in round two of the Celtic Challenge Cup on Saturday last in Garvaghey on a 4-12 to 2-16 scoreline. Stephen Anderson and Brian McHenry were both on the starting 15 with both lads played well. They play Derry this Saturday in round three of this new inter-county tournament.Our under 8, under 10 and under 12 hurlers are taking part in the St Patrick's Day Parade on Thursday. We will meet up at Gaelscoil Éirne at 1.40pm and children can be collected straight after the parade in the Market Yard.
This Sunday we are hosting the county B Féile with Four Masters, Setanta, Letterkenny Gaels and Aodh Ruadh the teams taking part. The prize for the winners is a place at the National Féile na nGael finals being hosted by Waterford and Tipperary in June.
Under 8 training will take place on Saturday evening at 5pm this week, all other age groups will train at 12 noon on Sunday.
Recreational football
Recreational football goes again this Saturday at 6.30pm under the lights at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. If you haven't pulled on the boots in a while, it's a great opportunity to get out and active. It's excellent value at just €3 for the session. Text or call Alan on 0868052816 if you need any further information.Remembering the Rising
The GAA are organising a production on 24th April commemorating the 1916 rising. This will involve children aged 10-17 reading the proclamation in Croke Park on the day of the National League finals. If you would like your child to be part of this event and can be in Dublin on 23rd April and 24th April please let Lisa McTernan know ASAP.Abbey Centre Bingo
Last week's €400 bingo jackpot was won by Charlie Hersey, Donegal Road. There was no winner of the snowball so it rises to €250 on 45 numbers or less. With the Drama Festival being held at the Abbey Centre, this week's bingo will be held at Coláiste Cholmcille, at the usual time of 9pm on Friday night. See you there!
- 22 March
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Membership
We are nearing the end of the crucial month for club registration with GAA membership deadline of March 31st looming. Presently we have only 200 of the usual 550 or so members registered. This means there is a huge volume of people out there who haven't taken care of registration for 2016. To facilitate registration we are running a number of open registration sessions this week in the club rooms in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh at the park. The first is from 7.30pm to 8.30pm on Wednesday. The second is on Good Friday from 1pm to 2.30pm. Registrations can be dropped in at Betty McIntyre's house on the Mall or Gerry Ferguson's Jewellers also facilitates registrations. Players can also download registration forms from aodhruadh.org and submit this along with the relevant fee directly to their manager. Please bear in mind that all players MUST register with the club. You must be a club member to be in consideration for All-Ireland final tickets should Donegal reach that stage. Also, only club members have a say in club decisions and a vote at the AGM.Inaugural Easter camp
Aodh Ruadh are delighted to announce their first ever Easter Camp. The camp will run from Wednesday 30th March to Friday 1st April. Under 6s and under 8s will be catered for from 10am to 12.30pm. Then the under 10s and under 12s come in from 1pm to 3.30pm. It's excellent value at just €25 for the three days. Brian Roper is organising the camp and you can contact him on 087-6139065 to book a place or get further information.Football
We were remiss last week in not saluting our representative on the senior county panel, Peter Boyle, on his sterling performances between the posts against Roscommon and Kerry in recent matches.Our minors travel to Dunkineely tomorrow, Tuesday, to take on Naomh Ultan. throw in is at 6.30pm for that league encounter.
An exciting under 14 game in Glenties last Saturday saw Aodh Ruadh emerging victorious for the first time in many years against a strong Naomh Conaill side. The Ernesiders took the early initiative and went in at the break leading on a scoreline of 2-6 to 0-4. The hosts rallied in the second half, but Ballyshannon matched them over the second 30 to win by 4-10 to 0-12. Goals win matches and thankfully Aodh Ruadh managed to get them on the day. Naomh Conaill tried hard and were unlucky not to find the net, with the Ballyshannon defence strong and Matt Gillespie saving a penalty. It was good all round team effort from Aodh Ruadh. The panel who played last Saturday were Calum Ayres, Calum Craig-Doherty, Cian Barden, Colm McGloin, Daire Gallagher, Daire Warren, Daniel Dolan, Eugene Doherty, Frankie McGinley, Harry Howarth, Jake Foley, Kyle McCafferty, Kyle Murray, Mark McGlynn, Marty McGarrigle, Matt Gillespie, Mitch McLaughlin, Nathan Owens-Kelly, Senan Rooney, Shane Brady and Shane Duffy. Under 14 training continues Mondays and Wednesdays at 4.15pm. There may also be a session on Friday, depending on fixtures. The under 14's next opponents are Saint Naul's away this weekend, but day and time remain to be nailed down, further details at training over the course of the week.
Under 12 training moves outdoors from now on. Training will last an hour and 15 minutes from 5.15pm to 6.30pm and will take place on Mondays and Fridays, but not Good Friday, in Páirc Aoidh Ruadh [Munday's].
The under 12s will travel to Croke Park on Saturday 26th for Donegal's match against Dublin. On the way we will have challenge games against Cavan Gaels, throwing in at 11am and Dublin outfit Erin's Isle, throwing in at 3pm. We will visit the Croke Park Museum before the match and hope to be home about 12 midnight. The bus will leave the Market Yard at 9.15am and all players should bring appropriate gear for the two matches, a Donegal jersey - if possible, a towel and a packed lunch. There will be a short meeting lasting about ten minutes in relation to the trip for players and parents in the club house, Aras Aoidh Ruaidh, on Monday at 6.30pm just after training. We request that all players who are going have a parent, guardian or adult family member attend this meeting.Under 10 training is on a break this week for good Friday. But we will be back training on Friday 1st April from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at Páirc Aoidh Ruadh [Munday's]. A preliminary fixture schedule has been released for the under 10 season and is outlined below. Although this should be fairly accurate, it remains subject to change.
Saturday 14th May
Saint Naul's - Hosts, Aodh Ruadh, Four Masters, Bundoran.
Saturday 11th June
Naomh Muire - Hosts, Aodh Ruadh, Ardara, Pettigo.
Saturday 2nd July
Bundoran - Hosts, Aodh Ruadh, Naomh Conaill, Naomh Ultan.
Saturday 20th August
Four Masters - Hosts, Aodh Ruadh, Dungloe, Bundoran.Under 8 and under 6 training is on a break this week for good Friday. But we will be back training on Friday 1st April from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at Páirc Aoidh Ruadh [Munday's]. The week after we hope to stage our first skills test of the year, with our first challenge match of the season the week following. A preliminary fixture schedule has been released for the under 8 season and is outlined below. Although this should be fairly accurate, it remains subject to change.
Saturday 7th May, 11am
Four Masters - Hosts, Aodh Ruadh, Bundoran, Saint Naul's.
Saturday 4th June, 11am
Ardara - Hosts, Aodh Ruadh, Naomh Muire, Pettigo.
Saturday 25th June, 11am
Naomh Conaill - Hosts, Aodh Ruadh, Bundoran, Dungloe.
Saturday 16th July, 11am
Aodh Ruadh - Hosts, Bundoran, Four Masters, Dungloe.There will be a Bord na nÓg meeting this Wednesday, 23rd March in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh at 8.30pm. All committee members are asked to attend.
Ladies
The monthly meeting of the Ladies committee takes place this Tuesday 22nd at 8.30pm in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh. All committee members are asked to attend.Under 14 training continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Páirc Aoidh Ruadh at 5.45pm. The first under 14 league game will be on Saturday, 2nd April.
Under 12 training will commence outdoors from this Thursday, 24th March at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh [Munday's] from 6pm to 7pm. Training again on Saturday from 10am to 11am. Under 12 training will continue at these times every Thursday and Saturday. Currently our programme of games looks like this, but this may be subject to change.
Tuesday 3rd May:
Aodh Ruadh v Kilcar
Tuesday 10th May:
Saint Naul's v Aodh Ruadh
Tuesday 17th May:
Aodh Ruadh v Four Masters
Tuesday 24th May:
Naomh Columba v Aodh Ruadh
Tuesday 31st May:
Aodh Ruadh v KillybegsIndoor training for under 8s [2008s and 2009s] and under 10s [2006s and 2007s] will commence on Wednesday 30 March from 7pm to 8pm at the Mercy Hall. The cost is €2 and remember to bring a bottle of water. Please ensure that your child's registration is paid before training starts though, as the deadline for that is March 31st. We will train indoors for the month of April and go out doors on Mondays from 6pm to 7pm. If you have further enquires please contact Gabby on 0872902245 or Louise on 0876388562.
We would like to remind all who intend to play this year that they must ensure they are registered with the club by March 31st. Players not registered with the club are not insured and as illegal players they endanger any potential success their team might enjoy.
Hurling
Pride of place this week goes to our under 14 hurlers who won the Donegal B Féile competition on Sunday and as a result qualified for the National Finals of Féile na nGael which are being jointly hosted by Tipperary and Waterford in June.
We hosted the tournament with four teams taking part, Letterkenny Gaels, Setanta, Four Masters and ourselves. The blitz was played in a round robin format with the top two teams qualifying for the final.
In the opening round of games after a slow start Aodh Ruadh beat Setanta, while Letterkenny Gaels were too strong for Four Masters. Round two saw us remain in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh where we took on Letterkenny Gaels. Again we were slow to get going, but in the second half the lads were much improved and ran out convincing winners. Setanta at this stage were playing to stay in the competition and had a much improved performance and ran out easy winners against Four Masters. We were now through to the county final and the prospect of getting to the Féile na nGael National finals was getting closer for this young squad. Round three saw them claim an easy win over Four Masters in Father Tierney Park while over in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh Setanta had a good win over Gaels.
The stage was now set for the final between Aodh Ruadh and Setanta, the lads knew that a similar start to the one in their group game wouldn't do in the final. Thankfully, we saved our best performance of the day to last. From the ball was thrown in we were well on top and were not going to be denied our place at the National Féile Finals. This small squad of just 17 players have worked very hard for the last month and have done everything that was asked of them. They have become only the third Aodh Ruadh team to have qualified for the National Finals and all involved in underage hurling are very proud of them. After playing four games they were glad to get all the goodies their mothers had ready for them in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh. Thanks again to all the mothers who provided refreshments for all four clubs. Thanks to Brian Drummond for his excellent photography. Thanks to the Park Committee for the use of both pitches which were in excellent condition. Thanks to the senior football management who brought forward their game with Erne Gaels. Thanks to the referees James Connors and Peter Horan all who acted as lines men and umpires and finally thanks to the lads themselves who have restored great pride in underage hurling as we've been going through some difficult times over the last few seasons. We have pictures from the competition up on aodhruadh.org.On Saturday Donegal under 17s claimed their first points in the Celtic Challenge Cup with a draw against Derry in Letterkenny, they were denied victory by a last minute Derry goal which left the score Donegal 3-2 Derry 1-8. Stephen Anderson and Brian McHenry were on the starting 15 and Conal Sweeny came on in the second half. They have a difficult game this Saturday away to Antrim.
The Donegal Leagues begin this Thursday with the under 14s up against Dungloe in Father Tierney Park with a 6pm throw-in while the minors make the trip to Killygordon to take on Setanta.
This Saturday we are having a bucket collection in the town to help raise funds for Féile na nGael. Please support the collectors if you're out and about. If any business would like to get involved in sponsoring the team for this great festival of hurling to be held in June please contact John Rooney on 0862587793.
Underage hurling training continues as normal at 12 noon on Sunday. Numbers have been good over the opening two weeks, all welcome especially beginners. Hurls and helmets will be provided for training.
Aodh Ruadh Park/Development Committee
The Quiz in Owen Roes on Thursday 24th is our first fund-raiser to generate funds to refurbish Aras Aoidh Ruaidh. This is one of our main projects for 2016 and the outcome will benefit everyone in the club and community. We need a good turnout of teams. This is a quiz for everyone and will be an enjoyable night. Please let David McLoone, Tom Daly or Conal Gallagher know in advance if you can bring a team of four. The starting time will be 9.15pm. On the night certificates will also be presented to all those who took part in the Skydive fundraiser last year.Saint Patrick's Day
Well done to our young footballers and hurlers who came out in larger numbers than ever for the annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade last Thursday. Thanks to all those who helped pull together a great display by the club. We have pictures of the club taking part in the parade up on aodhruadh.org.Recreational football
With Donegal playing Dublin during our usual slot and a number of the regulars away to the capital, there will be no recreational football this week.Abbey Centre Bingo
Last week's €400 bingo jackpot was won by Eileen Maguire of Donegal town. There was no winner of the snowball prize, so it now stands at €275 on 45 numbers or less. It's Big Bingo time again with the March big bingo this Friday at 9pm at the Abbey Centre, with a massive €2,900 prize fund including the €1,000 jackpot game. Books priced at €15/€8, or get the book and a half deal for €20.
- 29 March
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Membership
Right now we have 370 Aodh Ruadh members registered for 2016, that's 180 short on our usual tally. The deadline for registration is this coming Thursday. There will be one further open registration session on Wednesday 30th March in the club rooms in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh at the park from 7.30pm to 8.30pm. Gerry Ferguson's Jewellers can also facilitate registrations, while Betty McIntyre's can also take registration at her house on the Mall. It is particularly pressing that players ensure they have their form and fee in by Wednesday at the latest. After that players can still register, but they will not be eligible to play for five days. We regularly have the situation where players have to sit out important early season games because they are not registered. It is unfair to put managers in the position where they have to tell players they can't allow them to play. Make sure your manager is not put in that position. Players can download registration forms from aodhruadh.org and submit this along with the relevant fee directly to their manager. Please bear in mind you must be a club member to be in consideration for All-Ireland final tickets should Donegal reach that stage. Also, only club members have a say in club decisions and a vote at the AGM.Inaugural Easter camp
Aodh Ruadh are preparing their first ever Easter Camp. The camp will run from Wednesday 30th March to Friday 1st April. Under 6s and under 8s will be catered for from 10am to 12.30pm. Then the under 10s and under 12s come in from 1pm to 3.30pm. It's excellent value at just €25 for the three days. Brian Roper is organising the camp and you can contact him on 0876139065 to book a place or get further information.Football
Aodh Ruadh opened the sixth attempt in their ongoing quest for promotion from division three with an encouraging away win in Portsalon. They did it the hard way though, coming from a point behind at half time to emerge nine point victors over Fanad Gaels on a scoreline of 3-14 to 1-11. They dominated the first 20 minutes of the second half to roar out into a 14 point lead, before easing off the gas coming down the home straight. David McGurrin was instrumental, bagging 2-2 while Philip Patton hit 1-2 and David Dolan registered 0-2 as the full forward lined chalked up 3-6 between them. We have a full match report and team sheet from the game up on aodhruadh.org.The reserves didn't fare quite so well on the peninsula, coming out on the wrong side of the odd score in 11 against Fanad Gaels, 0-6 to 0-5 the final scoreline.
The next fixtures for the adult footballers is set to be the visit of Letterkenny Gaels on Saturday, 10th April.
The minors travelled to Glencolumbcille on Sunday and came away with a 5-9 to 7-19 win over Naomh Columba. That victory takes the Ernesiders level on four points with Bundoran and Saint Naul's at the top of Division 1B. The picture at the top of the division should become a little clearer when Aodh Ruadh travel to Bundoran for the local derby this Wednesday.
Under 14 boys training on Wednesday at 4.15pm sharp. We expect to have an away game this weekend. We should have further details at Wednesday training. Players are asked to ensure they have club membership paid as they cannot play if they are not registered.
Some 29 members of the under 12 squad accompanied by parents and family members had a great day out on Easter Saturday. Our first two games against Cavan Gaels were battles as much as matches and both teams showed that fire in the belly makes for great games in any conditions. Ciaran Fitzpatrick and the Cavan Gaels put on welcome refreshments after which we were back on the road to Dublin heading for Erin's Isle club in Finglas. Donegal man, Cara Mac Aodhan looks after the under 12s for Erin's Isle. We played two games against the Dubs, recording one win and one loss. Although it rained here too the conditions were better than they had been in Cavan and the standard of football from Aodh Ruadh stepped up a notch too. A great feature of both our challenge matches was the warmth and hospitality we received in Cavan and Dublin. Soup, sandwiches, tea, buns, etc all laid on with more to take with us if we wanted. Not only this but also how happy these clubs were that we came to play them and got such quality performances out of both sets of players.
We spent an hour touring the Croke Park museum and although the main event on Saturday wasn't one of Donegal's greatest matches it was a night that will probably stay with us when better games have been long forgotten. Another Donegal man, John Cassidy, greased the wheels to open up the backstage areas of Croker and some of Donegal's greatest ever servants, Rory Kavanagh, Michael Murphy, Eamonn McGee, Colm McFadden, Leo McLoone, Ryan McHugh, Marty Reilly, Frank McGlynn and our own Peter Boyle chatted to the kids, signed autographs and took pictures. This, all the more commendable from them because it was not at a time when they were riding high on the joys of victory. Kevin Byrne kept us on schedule all day and was readily agreeable to late night stops for toilet breaks and refreshments even when we should all have been long in bed. Special thanks must go to Conall Sweeny for refereeing and team management duties. Thanks also to Gabby McGloin, Mary McGinley, Paul Gillespie, Alan Sweeny, Barry Sweeny, Stephen Gallagher, John Meehan, Michael Daly, Paddy Campbell and Kevin Gallagher who carefully steered them around the crowded areas of Croke Park without one lost sheep. A big shout out too to Rory Kavanagh, Ciaran Kelly, John Cassidy, Seamus Meade, Ciaran Fitzpatrick and Cara Mac Aodhan.
Finally the day out was really all about the young club members of Aodh Ruadh who represented the club proudly on and off the field. They looked out for each other, played, sang and got over their own wee hassles. They saw how the GAA reaches out into our wider community and hopefully the answer he got wasn't lost on him when one of our young players asked Peter Boyle there in Croke Park in the middle of his Donegal team mates if he was ever going to play for Aodh Ruadh again. "I'll always play for Aodh Ruadh," says Peter.
Under 12 training moves outdoors from now on. Training will last an hour and 15 minutes from 5.15pm to 6.30pm and will take place on Mondays and Fridays, in Páirc Aoidh Ruadh [Munday's]. Check out the Aodh Ruadh CLG Facebook page for pictures from the trip, with thanks to Mary McGinley for photography.Under 10 training is back this Friday 1st April from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at Páirc Aoidh Ruadh [Munday's].
Under 8 and under 6 training is also back this Friday 1st April from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at Páirc Aoidh Ruadh.
Ladies
Under 14 training continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Páirc Aoidh Ruadh at 5.45pm. The first under 14 league game will be at 12 noon this Saturday, 2nd April, against Four Masters in Father Tierney Park.Under 12 training continues Thursday from 6pm to 7pm and again on Saturday from 10am to 11am.
Indoor training for under 8s [2008s and 2009s] and under 10s [2006s and 2007s] will commence this Wednesday 30 March from 7pm to 8pm at the Mercy Hall. The cost is €2 and remember to bring a bottle of water. Please ensure that your child's registration is paid before training starts though, as the deadline for that is March 31st. We will train indoors for the month of April and go out doors on Mondays from 6pm to 7pm. If you have further enquires please contact Gabby on 0872902245 or Louise on 0876388562.
We would like to remind all who intend to play this year that they must ensure they are registered with the club by March 31st. Players not registered with the club are not insured and as illegal players they endanger any potential success their team might enjoy.
Hurling
The senior opened their Ulster Táin League campaign against Saint Eunan's in Father Tierney Park on Bank Holiday Easter Monday. Unfortunately, despite a battling Aodh Ruadh display, the spoils went the way of the visitors on a scoreline of 1-10 to 2-14. We have pictures from that game up on aodhruadh.org.The underage hurling leagues began last Thursday, and Aodh Ruadh got off to a great start with both the under 14s and minors winning.
The under 14s fresh from their Féile success were worthy winners at home to Dungloe / Gaoth Dobhair. Their ability to take their points was the difference as they put up a score line of 7-11 to to 5-1. They conceded a number of soft goals in the second half, which they will have to work on in training. But overall it was a good start to their campaign winning by 16 points.
The minors had just the bare 15 as they made the trip to the Setanta. A number of players have made themselves unavailable this season leaving us with a very young team and seven of the starting 15 were under 16. Setanta opened the scoring with a goal, as the Aodh Ruadh lads showed a lot of rustiness earlier on. But gradually the lads clawed their way back into the game and ran out convincing winners 4-14 to 1-6. These lads have a very difficult campaign ahead of them with such a small panel, but knowing their commitment we can be assured they'll give it their all for the season ahead.
The under 14s have a bye this week while the minors are at home to a strong Carndonagh team this Thursday.
On Saturday last we had a bucket collection in the town to raise funds for the under 14's upcoming trip to Féile na nGael. Despite the awful weather, we got a great response to this fund-raiser. Thanks to all the parents who played their part on the day. Many thanks to all who contributed on the day your support is much appreciated.
Training for all age groups as normal this Sunday 12 noon.
In other hurling news, Father Tierney Park hosted the NHL Division 3A final with Roscommon running out 4-15 to 0-7 victors over Monaghan in an entertaining game. We have a gallery of images from the final up on aodhruadh.org.
Recreational football
Recreational football returns to Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh this Saturday at 6.30pm for the warm with the game getting going at 7pm. If you haven't pulled on the boots in a while, it's a great opportunity to get out and active. It's excellent value at just €3 for the session. The main rule is no touching of the hair or face, but if you need further information text or call Alan on 0868052816.Abbey Centre Bingo
The March big bingo jackpot of €800 was won by Eileen Maguire of Donegal. There was no winner of the spring snowball so next week's snowball prize will be €300 on 46 numbers or less. Bingo as usual at 9pm this Friday at the Abbey Centre. Books priced at just €10.