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Féile na nGael is set for Warrenpoint this weekend when Cumann Pheadair Naofa as part of their 125 celebrations will host the festival for the first time.
It takes place on Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th of May, the highlight being the Parade on Saturday morning from the Marina car park to the assembly point at St. Marks.
The colourful parade will start at 10.30 and will comprise young hurlers, camógs and handballers from all over the County Down, dressed in their various club colours marching behind their club banners and led by Mayobridge band. The parade is always the colourful centre piece of Féile na nGael and in the scenic setting of Warrenpoint it promises to be a spectacle not to be missed with over 600 taking part.
Féile na n Gael was the brainchild of Uachtarán Cumann Luthchleas Gael, Tipperary man Seamus Ryan who together with his County Secretary embarked on an ambitious plan to bring the U-14 Hurling Champions from every county in Ireland together for a festival of hurling and thus on Friday 16th July 1971 Féile na n Gael was born.
Since then it has expanded to embrace Camogie and Handball and includes teams from Birmingham, London and Warickshire to become the Greatest Festival of youth in Ireland and has seen the development of some of the greatest exponents in all three games. In 1993 a young lad travelled from Cavan to Galway to take part in Féile, just a few years later that young man became the world handball champion and today Paul Brady is acknowledged as the greatest handballer of all time. From such little acorns grow.
So then at the conclusion in Warrenpoint teams in Hurling, Camogie and handball and the skills winners in all 3 games will be bound for the All-Ireland Finals in July. But this is not the only function because Féile always was and hopefully always will be a joyful occasion for all our youth and at the same time showcase these three wonderful games.
At last year’s Féile the committee, in an effort to promote interest in the game of handball, erected a portable “one wall” and children were encouraged “to have a go.” Since then there has been an explosion of interest and while there were only two teams last year this year there will for the first time be girls handball as well as the usual boys.
That in turn means that there has to be two venues for the first time ever. Boys will as usual be in Saval where current champions will be joined by Downpatrick, Clonduff and 3 newcomers Ballyvarley, Mayobridge and Warrenpoint. The handball will be on Wed 8th May. The girls will also be on Wednesday night in Clonduff where the hosts will be joined by Downpatrick and Mayobridge. Incidentally it is hoped that the portable wall will be in place in St. Marks throughout Féile so why not come along and “have a go!”
On Friday evening at Pairc Liam O Ír the Primary Schools will play their semi finals and finals in hurling and camogie and there will also be the skills competitions. It should be noted that two years ago Pearce Óg McCrickard of Liatroim won the Down Skills at Castlewellan and went a few weeks later to become the All-Ireland champion with the highest score ever recorded. Friday evening’s programme starts at 5pm with the Primary School skills.
At the conclusion of the Parade on Saturday morning Div. 1 Hurling will take place at Pairc Liam O’ Ír and Div 11 Hurling at Milltown. Both these competitions will for the first time be played on a round robin basis. Meanwhile the Camogie Cup and Shield will be played at St. Marks.
