Wed. 11.30 am update, mainly fixtures:
Club Meeting Thurs. @ 8.30.
Sat. March 31st. Connacht Minor League…Roscommon v Sligo in Boyle @ 5pm. We have a number of players involved in this. Tadhg McKenna, Brian Furey and Evan McGrath. (Stewards required for same)
The minor game v Strokestown has been postponed. This is just as well as a number of these boys seem to be playing a lot.
Sunday April 1st. Boyle Intermediates v Kilglass in Boyle @ 2.00
U 16 girls Quarter Final v Pearses in Boyle @ 3.30.
[Boyle Celtic are going well in their League and have 4 important games to go, against top of the league opposition, including Carbury, on Sunday, in Boyle @ 11am and again on Good Friday against Yeats Utd.)

My friend Pat Duignan has his production of the play 'Lovely Leitrim' taking place this coming week end in Dumkeeran, Friday/Sat./Sun.

Of course on Saturday April 7th Roscommon play Sligo in the Connacht U 21 Final in Roscommon while Roscommon seniors play their final League game v Sligo in Sligo. I am told that Roscommon has a mathematical chance of promotion. I’m not so sure.
If you can digest that, ‘then fair play to u’, as they say down the country.
Tues. 11am.
While this event clashes with the Ploughing C'shps at Boyle there are some people who may be interested. Indeed if the weather stays like it is today it would be a beautiful scenic Walk. T.C.

To all club secetary's.
On the 1st of April, which is Sunday week, our club is holding a 10k fun run/walk from Arigna to Ballyfarnon, the route being taken is a very scenic one taking in the views of the Arigna valley, then down into Ballyfarnon where there is fantastic views over all north Roscommon.There will be refreshment's served in Ballyfarnon hall after, where there will be a bus on stand by to bring the participant's back to Arigna.
The regestration on the day will start at 1.30pm, the run/walk will start at 2.00pm, registration fee is €10.
Some of the funds will be donated to Pieta house, the new suaciade preventation centre in the west.
We would greatly appreciate all the support we can get on the day to make this event a one to remember,
Would you please pass this information on to anyone that might be interested in attending.

Thanking you,
John O Connor.
Chairperson, St. Ronans.

Mon. 12.25 pm. Dia dhibh,
The Club had mixed fortunes on the playing fields during the past week. The U16s’ had a good win over St Brigid’s in the Abbey Park on Sunday evening in their first outing in this year's Division 1 League, winning by 1.15 to 1.8. This was an excellent performance with many players making their debuts at U16 level. See fixtures for their next outing.
The National Automation Limited minors lost to a strong Clan na Gael outfit in Johnstown on Thursday night in the Division 1 minor league. Their next outing is versus Strokestown-see fixtures for details.
The McGovern Directional Drilling team marked their first O'Gara Cup game of the season with a victory over St Barry's in Tarmonbarry on Sunday, winning by 2 11 to 0 10.They will have a home game against Kilglass Gaels in the Abbey Park on Sunday next at 2pm.
Congratulations are extended to Donie Smith on his ‘Man of the Match’ performance with Roscommon U21s’ in the Connacht Semi-Final in Kiltoom on Wednesday night last, and to our other panel member Tadhg Lowe as well as team trainer David Casey and the rest of the panel and management.
Well done to Brian Furey who made his first start for Roscommon minors in the Connacht League against Leitrim on Saturday evening and played well. Well done also to Tadhg McKenna who has played all three Connacht minor league games to date and has looked very composed in them and to Evan McGrath who has also performed with the team. It is great to see the club represented so strongly in all grades including senior with Seanie Purcell and Joe Sweeney on the coaching staff.
There will be an important meeting of the Club on this Thursday evening at 8.30pm. A full attendance is requested as there are a number of important matters on the agenda. These include the appointment of stewards and the making of arrangements for the the Connacht Minor League game between Roscommon and Sligo which will be played in the Abbey Park on Saturday evening at 5pm. Arrangements will also be made for the selling of tickets for the Club's upcoming fundraising draw which includes a massive trailer load of firewood and a supply of heating oil as well as a cash prize. The meeting will also nominate stewards to assist with the County Roscommon Ploughing Championships which are being held on the farm of Pat Clarke on the Carrick Road (Erris) on Sunday next.
Arrangements are at an advanced stage for the Minor Club Presentation evening which will be held in the Clubroom on the evening of Easter Monday. Medals will be presented to the County Championship and County League Division 1 minor panel of 2011.
The Club extends its sympathy to Canon Gerry Hanley and the Hanley Family on the death of their mother Mrs Angela Hanley, Smith Hill, Elphin, and to the Suffin Family, Boyle on the passing of Gerry Suffin, uncle of current Boyle player Jim Suffin.
Full time secondary students who are members of Boyle GAA Clubs are reminded that Roscommon County Board is inviting applications for Gaeltacht Scholarships. Details are available on the County Board website www.gaaroscommon.ie , from which the application form may be downloaded.The closing date for submission of applications is 19th April and it must be accompanied by an essay (300 words) as Gaeilge on the theme "Páirc an Chrócaigh-an sean is an núa".

Ladies Club;
Training continues as usual for the various Ladies Football age groups during the coming week. The big event of the wek will be the fundraising Fashion Show which will be held in St Joseph's Hall on this Friday night 30th March, commencing at 8.30pm.

Slan anois(I will include some more detail re. teams etc. later).
Boyle GAA P.R. Dept.

Mon. 11 pm.

I am just summarising, here, relevant (to Boyle) fixtures for the coming week.
Wed. U 21 Connacht C’Ships Roscommon v Mayo, I think it is in Kiltoom.
Thursday: Boyle minors v Clann away @ 8pm.
Saturday Connacht Minor League at Carrick on Shannon @ 5pm. (Ros. 2.6 Mayo 0.4 was a very good win last week).
Sunday U 16 League B. v St. Brigid’s @ Boyle @ 12.
Sunday, also at 12 (!), O’Gara Cup League, first game, v St. Barry’s away @ 12.
ALSO: Friday night keep in mind the ladies Fashion Show fundraiser. (For those interested in quizzes there is one in Daly’s, also on Friday night, in aid of Boyle Girl guides). Also on Friday it is Daffodil Day and a very attractive effort was made to promote it by Taylors Stores and they are hosting a Tea Day on Friday. So check that out.
Tickets will be on sale shortly for the Club’s spring fundraiser. You might have seen a part of the prizes in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade i.e. the load of timber.
It was a great win for Lougheil Shamrocks of Antrim on Saturday in the All-Ireland Club hurling final.
I just saw briefly the unveiling of a memorial to the great Nicky Rackard of Wexford. He scored if I remember rightly 6.6 in an All-Ireland Semi-Final v Antrim.

Ntdowgaa ..at all; I was reflecting on the St. Patrick’s Day Parade a little today. There was a number of disappointing no shows from groups/sections/areas that one might have expected which is a pity, as I believe this year was regarded as one of the best parades. It would be nice to have the Parade as a MUST rather than a maybe. This is because there were a number of very good floats from groups who obviously went to a lot of trouble. The young Cubs and their mentors with the Gulliver float were just great. Boyle Rambling Anglers put a lot of work into their Moone Fish filming representation. Boyle Ladies GAA had a vibrant, lively and good fun float and they seemed to be really enjoying it. Cloonloo School put their message, re. losing a teacher, really out there as did the Girl Guides. Lisbeg Pipe Band really added to the occasion and was clear and just very good. Keith Conroy did great with the sound as I knew he would. The Canon Dogs did their bit with gusto. As did C.T. I don’t know where the Police sent the traffic but they did the necessary also, fair play to them.
Next year, if I’m involved, I must do better myself as I missed making meaningful comments or ‘getting’ a number of floats as they cascaded into view like Trojan’s I.T. entry and also there was a very good colourful float from Croi na Nog titled Spring Garden. I also forgot to mention the Ploughing Championships on April 1^st. Now that was a group who might have had a float. There was a nice snippet of Boyle on the R.T.E. News round-up of the parades. Of course there is only a small committee of Maura Clarke, Alice Mattimoe, Dennis Dodd, Eddie Creaton and Sean O’Dowd. They were responsible for a good day and certainly a number of businesses did well that evening. There were also a number of Canadian and American visitors who happened on Boyle and had a great day because of their general reception plus a small but thoughtful, gesture by a business man, a friend of mine. I believe that 2012 will be a very good year for tourism. While Boyle has an obvious deficit, it has, nonetheless, a lot to offer and it is up to all of us to talk our place up and be positive about it. Please do not ask visitors ‘What are you doing in Boyle, sure there is nothing here?’ The primary attraction of this country to visitors is ‘THE PEOPLE’. I feel confident about this. Boyle can be conscious of this in their relationship with visitors. Small things, small courtesies, helpfulness (not overpowering of course), manners, good morning, thank you, you are welcome, smile, ….the basics. This can be done by all of us but especially by people in the service industries. You only get one chance to make a first impression.
(I did not mean to go on so !!!....sin e).

10.30am

The following were €20 winners in the most recent Club Lotto draw which was held in the Patrick's Well;- Owen Garvin, Michael Brennan, Joe Mahon, Joe Tormey, Colm Loftus, Seamus Supple, J.P.Molloy, Lewis Wilson, John McGuinn and Joanne Egan. The house prize was won by Kevin Ward. The jackpot wasn't won and it will stand at €5,600 for this week's draw which will be held on Saturday night in Kate Lavin’s. Team ‘B’ will be in charge.

The National Automation Limited minors will meet Clan na Gael in the Division 1 League in Johnstown on this Thursday night at 8pm.

The U16s’ will commence their Division 1 League campaign in the Abbey Park on Sunday next when they will entertain St Brigid’s.

The Minor Board presentation is fixed for Easter Monday evening in the Clubroom. Some novelty events are being prepared to coincide with the occasion. Well done to the Roscommon minors and especially our representatives Tadhg McKenna, Evan McGrath and Brian Furrey on their good win over Mayo on St Patrick's Day in Ballyhaunis.

The Cooney Motors/ Cooney's Centra Junior team had a five point win over Michael Glaveys in the Abbey Park on Sunday, thus giving them two wins out of two outings in this competition. They will have no game next weekend. The McGovern Directional Drilling team will commence their O'Gara Cup campaign when they travel to Tarmonbarry on Sunday next to take on St Barry's at 12 noon.

Well done to all involved in a most successful St Patrick's Day Parade in Boyle on  Saturday last. It was a bit disappointing that more members of the minor team were not present for the parade with the opportunity of showing off their achievements of last year. The Club had on display the trailer-load of firewood which will feature as first prize in the forthcoming Club fundraiser. Tickets will go on sale on 31st March and the draw will take place on 29th April.

Well done to the Ladies Club on their excellent and energetic prize winning turnout in the St.Patrick's Day Parade. All Club members are asked to support the Ladies Club in their forthcoming fashion show fundraiser on Friday night next.

Good luck to Roscommon U21s’ in their Connacht Championship Semi Final versus Mayo on Wednesday evening.

Boyle Ladies Club ;

Training continues for the various age groups at the usual times. The Ladies Club had a very colourful entry in Boyle's St Patrick's Day Parade. Thanks to the teams from the different age groups and their managers for their participation in the parade. The Ladies are making the final preparations for the fundraising fashion show which will be held in St Joseph's Hall on Friday 30th March. Tickets may be obtained from any of the Club officers.

Go raibh maith agaibh,

Martin Dolan/T.C./F.M./L.G

P.R.O. Dept. Boyle GAA Clubs

086 2413529       

Update Sun. 18th 3pm.

3pm. The minor game v Clann has been postponed from tomoorow Monday due to a bereavement in the Clann area. It has been refixed for Thursday night at 8 in Clann's ground.

To GAA players and followers at home and abroad
 

12.15am. There will be a meeting on Thursday the 15th at 8.30.
The Minor Presentation Night will take place on Easter Monday night April the 9th.
Congrats to Jim Suffin who has been nominated as junior team captain NOT manager. (A bit of a Chelsea syndrome creeping in there. Just got ahead of myself).
Boyle play Michael Glavey’s on Sunday the 18th in Boyle at 4pm in the Tansey Cup. (Roscommon play Wexford on Sunday in Wexford).
Boyle Minors play Clann na Gael away on Bank Holiday Monday the 19th at 1pm in the deferred first round game.
Round 3 of the Minor League is v Strokestown on Sunday April 1st in Boyle.
The under 14 Feile competition begins on Friday March 30th with Boyle v Strokestown away. The winners here play the winners of Castlerea/ St. Ciaran’s on April 5th in the quarter finals. Oddly, while Boyle did participate in the Feile in 2007, they have never won the county Feile and gone on from there to participate away in the competition.
Boyle’s first game in the O’Gara Cup League (the game v St. Dominick’s was deferred) is scheduled for Sunday March the 25th v St. Barry’s at 12.
The Intermediate Championship begins at the end of May with Boyle’s first game being against St. Barry’s in Boyle.
Well done to the U 16 girls who had a convincing win over Western Gaels on Sunday last.
I’d like to congratulate Hilary Beirne formerly of Kilbryan, Boyle; a student at St. Mary’s college and Boyle GAA player who is now central to the organisation and promotion of St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York. Press Contacts
Hilary Beirne
Executive Secretary
NYC St Patrick's Parade
PO Box 295 Woodlawn Station,
Woodlawn, NY 10470

2pm. Sorry for being a bit late with this.
The competitive season got underway with mixed fortunes at the weekend for Boyle's junior and minor footballers.
The National Automation Limited minors lost to Roscommon Gaels in Lisnamult on Friday night on a scoreline of 2.8 to 2.6 in the Division 1 League. It was a very competitive game between two good sides. They are scheduled to play Clan na Gael in Johnstown on Monday 19th January 1pm in their next outing in this competition.
The Cooney Motors/Cooney's Centra juniors commenced their Tansey Cup campaign with a comprehensive win over St Joseph's, Kilteevan, in the Abbey Park on Sunday morning. Their next outing is against Michael Glaveys on Sunday next in the Abbey Park at 4pm. Thanks to our ground staff of Martin, Michael and the two Johns for having pitch in readiness for Sunday's game.
Under 8 training commences in the Sports Complex on Monday at 6pm and it will continue on each Monday thereafter at this time.

There will be a meeting of the Club on Thursday at 8.30 pm to make further arrangements for our rorthcoming fundraising draw. The prizes for the draw will include a bumper trailer-load of top class firewood, a supply of heating oil and a cash prize of €100. Thanks to all the volunteers who collected and cut and split the timber and filled the trailer with the firewood on Saturday last. The trailer will be on display at the St Patrick's Day Parade in Boyle. My promptings here for someone to take on the task of having the club meaningfully represented in the St. Patrick’s Day parade does not seem to have been taken up. C’est la vie.
Roscommon got back on track yesterday at Hyde Park with a comprehensive win over a poor Antrim side. Indeed Roscommon should have doubled their score and left result ‘done and dusted’ long before the end. Seanie Purcell did very well again though I got afraid for him after him taking a good rattle near the end of the first half. My ‘Man of the Match’ was Michael Finneran who is showing considerable gym work strength in breaking through tackles. Niall Kilroy from Tremane/ Fuerty had a very impressive debut though goalie Claffey is not showing the assurance of former years, this season. Next up is the long tough trip to Wexford on Sunday the 18th.
The Club extends its sympathy to the Jackson family, Abbey Heights on the death of Mr. Mark Jackson..
Go raibh maith agaibh,
Martin Dolan/T.C./F.M./ L.G.
P.R.O.Dept. Boyle GAA Club
086 2413529

Friday 1.10 pm.
People are becoming aware that we have now set up a facebook page. Mark O’D. is at the forefront of this, with me fein in a learning role. So short/late club messages will be posted there with the main body of material going to the blog here Sunday night/Monday morning. They will be linked of course. I hope that is ok. Hopefully it will become interactive and a decent service especially for the growing ‘Diaspora’. Actually I got a nice note from a former Boyle GAA person now abroad who thanked the Blog and realboyle for re-connecting him with Boyle and Boyle GAA after a good few years being disconnected. That is the positive objective.
Good luck to Roscommon on Sunday. It's a make or break game now after the disappointing second half performance in Longford.
Has the O'Gara Cup/Intermediate League Fixture list become available? I am not an investigative journalist as such!
I am aware that a number of young people are laving for Oz shortly so good luck to them and keep safe. I am aware of a good response to the Blood Transfusion request. The bit of late publicity helps. Tomorrow night, Sat., the John B. Keane play ‘The Field’ is being staged in St. Joseph’s Hall. I am on LOTTO duty as a sub. So have sympathy and understanding for the team if you bump into them on tour. There are great prizes for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Overall €500; runner-up €300; in 3rd place €200; 4th place traditional and heritage €200; 5th prize junior (under 16) €200; 6th place runner-up €100; 7th prize best shop window €150. So that is a total of €1650 which is a very respectable sum.
Oh yeah, I’m unavailable for callers whose number is ‘unavailable’.

10.00 pm.
Boyle GAA now on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BoyleGAAClub#!/BoyleGAAClub?sk=wall

*** See Ladies Club note below.

I have had a request for a programme from a good while ago……1973 in fact. Boyle lost out to St. Dominick’s in that year’s Intermediate Final. I have one from 1974 v Oran. I remember Freddie Daly having someone collecting material of his so if someone lets Freddie know maybe he’d have one. The 1974 team listed on that programme was: Gerry O’Dowd; Pat Clarke; Anthony Keenehan; Freddie Daly; John McDermott, Christy Dolan (Capt.); Gerry Carty; Sean Young; Seamie O’Dowd; Leo Doherty; Timmy O’Dowd; Jnr. Dooley; John Joe Carty; John Martin. Also on the panel were: Rory Ahern; John Keenehan; Sean Daly; James Dodd; Noel sheerin; Harry Casserly. That list is as per 1974 prog.
What I assume is the pic. of the 1973 team also has S. Purcell; Billy Hanmore, Noel McCole, National Irish Bank; Joe Tormey; Jimmy Dwyer, P.J. Henry, J.P.Hever. there were also two forestry workers Joe Lynch and ?Roche.
So if there is a programme surviving from 1973 I’d be very interested in hearing of it.
Boyle lost three County Finals in a row then. In 1972 v St. Patrick’s, Knockcroghery in Junior. In 1973 v St. Dominick’s (a combination of St. Patrick’s and Rahara), Intermediate despite being beaten in Junior in ’72! and also v Oran in 1974 Intermediate

*****Training for Boyle Ladies panel continues as usual on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 7pm. There was a very entertaining “A versus B challenge on Sunday at which in excess of thirty players participated. This bodes well for the upcoming season. The U16 girls get their season underway on Sunday when they play Western Gaels in Frenchpark at 3.30pm. All panel members are asked to assemble at the Abbey Park at 2.15 to travel to Frenchpark. Parents are asked to make themselves available to provide transport and support as usual****

12.30 am
The following were €20 winners at the most recent Club Lotto draw which was held in the Abbey Bar recently;- Gerry McCormack, Gerry McLoughlin, Sandra McCrann, Kevin and Maria Lavin, Sharon Conroy, Oliver O'Reilly, Sinead Cummins, Paula Kearns, Sean Kearns,and Anne Marie McHugh. The house prize was won by Jonathan Lyons. The jackpot wasn't won and it will be at €5,500 for this week's draw which will be held in the Patrick's Well. Team A- Aidan Lavin's team will be in charge.
All Club activity was postponed at the weekend, including our O'Gara Cup and U16 League games versus St Dominics, as a mark of respect to the Smith Family, on the death of Mrs Rita Smith, Carrick Road. The sympathy of the Club is extended to the family on Rita's passing.
Those postponed games will be re-scheduled. All Club members are asked to attend an important meeting of the Club on this Wednesday night in the Clubroom at 8.30pm. The meeting will discuss proposals for this year's fundraising projects.
Details of the Minor Club's presentation night [for 2011] will be announced shortly. The National Automation Limited minors will commence the defence of the Division 1 Minor League title when they take on Roscommon Gaels in Lisnamult on Friday night at 8pm.
The Cooney Motors/Cooney Centra Junior team will play St Joseph's in the Tansey Cup on Sunday next in The Abbey Park at 11.30am.[Is the schedule for the Intermediate O’Gara Cup available? T.C.]
[Roscommon put in a very poor second half performance to go down to a disappointing loss to Longford on Sunday. If it were not for the cushion of two early ‘caught them cold’ goals it could have been a bad finishing score- line. I don’t get the idea of holding play up to put in substitutes in the last two minutes or so of a game when the side is behind. While Roscommon got a four point (or was it five point lead?) there were only a handful of good performances from Roscommon and lot of erratic/untidy/ragged performances. Might I suggest that the height of the crossbar in Gaelic football is 2.5 m and the need to kick balls, for points, in such a fashion that they are a hazard to low flying aircraft just ‘does my head in’.

Tomorrow I hope to meet a former Boyle star who is paying a flying visit to Boyle i.e. Paddy Conlon.
I did meet Christine O’Callaghan in Boyle recently and she follows us here and I send my regards to her son John Tierney who is making waves in Sydney.
It was good to meet another former Boyle and Galway star, Joe Tormey, out and about in Boyle. Joe has been ill recently.
Well done to all involved in a major fundraiser in Kilronan Castle on Saturday night last. It was great night with a tremendous response.
I haven’t heard anything regarding a GAA entry for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade as yet.
Fair play to Rory McIlroy for becoming golf’s world number one on Sunday. His Danish girl friend, Caroline Wozniacki, was the number one tennis player until recently. So two number ones come together and they say opposites attract!
I will wind up here as I am getting, ‘ink needed’ alerts and it is too late to ring Aengus. T.C.]
The Club is putting the final touches to the establishment of facebook link, thanks to the efforts of Mark O'Donohoe. [While I (T.C.) am very weak at all these modern communications systems perhaps if you click on this link: link http://en-gb.facebook.com/BoyleGAAClub this should do the trick.
Go raibh maith agaibh
Martin Dolan/T.C./F.M.
P.R. Dept., Boyle GAA Club
086 2413529

1.30 am.

All in Boyle GAA Club sympathise with Michael (Jnr.) Smith and the Smith family on the death of Rita Smith, Carrick Road, Junior’s mother.

The Boyle GAA games, scheduled for this week end, Intermediate and U 16, both against St. Dominick’s, have been postponed