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Organised locally by John Feehan and delivered by Newry Sports Partnership CIC and funded by the Sport NI Awards 4 Sport programme, Women, Get Set, Go! is a personal development programme that has been specifically designed by Sports Leaders UK for women and girls (14 years and over)
It encourages females to enter into community leisure leadership positions, and to develop their involvement both for their own benefit and for the benefit of the community in general.
The course encourages women and girls to communicate with confidence, value their own skills, understand how the world of sport and leadership works, and to develop a personal action plan for their future. In addition, there are plenty of activities and coaching sessions to increase participation in sport.
Lead Tutor, Sinead Nolan was thrilled to deliver the first Women Get Set Go! Session here in Northern Ireland and was impressed with the attitude of the group.
She commented, “This course is perfect for girls and women who want to get more involved in organising activities in their Club or community group”.
As part of the course the group will be volunteering in schools and community groups to encourage greater participation in sport especially those aged 9-17.
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In the weekend of the second round of the Allianz National Football League Armagh's resounding win against Kerry in their own back yard will keep their fans in upbeat form for a good bit to come.
Every one of the Armagh team excelled in a game which Kerry never looked like winning and their two goals by Brian Mallon in the first half and John Kingham at the beginning of the second half led them to a 2:8 to 0:10 win.
Down unfortunately were the victims of a blistering first half performance from Cork who led by 3:5 to 0:5 at half time and there was just no going back for Down. Final score Cork 4:11 Down 0:10
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Both Armagh and Down failed to add to their Allianz National Football League points tally when the lost to Mayo and Kerry respectively at games over the weekend.
Arrmagh's game on Saturday night in the Morgan Athletic Grounds just slipped too quickly from their grasp with an unanswered Mayo going ahead by 1 goal and 4 point in the opening ten minutes. Armagh worked their way back in to the game but it was all just too late and Mayo took the six point win with a final score of Armagh 0:11 Mayo 1:14
In Pairc Esler on Sunday it was the same story for Down losing again by six points to Kerry despite an early second half rally with a point form Mark Poland just leaving a point in it but then Kerry came back with four points in quick succession and that was it. Final Score was Down 0:8 Kerry 0:14
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Down came away happy from Castlebar today after beating Mayo to help keep their hopes alive in Division One with a finishing score of Down 1:13 Mayo 0:11 while Armagh who journeyed to Croke Park to take on All Ireland Champions Dublin has to suffer the humiliation of being beaten by 16 points with a final score of Dublin 4:17 Armagh 1:10
This leaves Down in 5th Position with Armagh in 6th in Division 1.
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In an exciting derby clash Armagh took on Down last night in the Morgan Athletic Grounds in the second last round of the Allianz National Football League. A game that was fought right to the end with either side looking like it could take the spoils ended in a One Point win for Armagh. Armagh 1: 14 Down 0:16
Armagh's Peter Carragher was replaced half way through the first half when a serious leg injury halted his game.
Thanks to a Penalty awarded to Armagh in the second half Brian Mallon put the ball to the back of the net and probably secured the victory even though Down went in to the lead with around Seven minutes remaining, but a point from Ciaran McKeever and in the end a free from young Michael Stevenson sealed the victory for Armagh.
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Saint Paul's High School senior football team blasted their way to victory in the All Ireland Colleges B Football Final on Saturday winning by a massive 14 Points against Dublin's Ardscoil Rís.
Going in at half time two points down, whatever was said in the changing rooms at half time by the management team of John Rafferty and Martin O'Rourke obviously worked as the Dubliners remained scoreless in the second half while Saint Paul's clocked up an amazing 16 points to come out the winners by 0:20 to 1:3.
Despite a goal in the first ten minutes from the Dublin side Saint Paul's never looked in danger at any stage of the game. A succession of points from Saint Paul's players including Conor Sloan, Ciaran O'Hanlon and Conor Mackin meant there was only one result.
Captain, Michael Murphy lifted the Noonan Cup to rapturous applause and all that was left to do was for Crossmaglen Rangers to produce the double for Armagh, which they dutifully did winning convincingly in their replay against Garrycastle by 2:19 to 1:7.
No doubt the well deserved celebrations will continue for days to come.
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Despite a good start to the Allianz National Football League with a home draw against Cork and a good win against Kerry in Tralee it was goodbye to Division One on Easter Sunday when they were beaten by a Donegal who showed much more hunger and drive for the prize when it mattered in the last 10 minutes of the game.
At one stage a draw looked a distinct possibility but then Donegal got in control and the result was never in doubt. Final Score was Armagh 0:10 Donegal 0:13
Armagh can look forward to playing Laois, Galway, Louth, Westmeath, Derry, Longford and Wexford in 2013.
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All certainly ended well for Down in Portlaoise on Easter Sunday when they took their fourth win in the campaign to beat Laois resoundingly by 2:11 to 0:10
Not only did this ensure their Division One Status for 2013 but it has also placed them in an Allianz National Football League Semi Final against Cork next Sunday 15th of April in Croke Park.
It's an all ticket affair so Clubs should get their requests in as soon as possible. Tickets will be €20 for Stand Tickets with under 16's paying €5
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Feile na nGael An Dún takes place this weekend 20th and 21st of April in the wonderful setting of Castlewellan. Féile starts Friday evening when the finals of the Primary Schools competitions in hurling and camogie take place and those finals are sandwiched between the individual skills competitions.
The evening opens with the Primary Schools skills and closes with the always exciting U-14 club skillstar competition in both hurling and camogie – the winners of which goes forward to represent Down in the All-Ireland Finals in Dublin. In all approximately 400 children will take part (including preliminaries) in Féile 2012
Saturday begins with the Féile Parade when all the representatives complete with full kit and club banner process from St Malachy’s High School through the town to the pitch. At that stage the Camogie teams return to St. Malachy’s to play their competitions to the cup final stage. While Division 2 Hurling teams go to the Bann Rd, complex to play their competitions to the final stage.
Everyone returns to the main pitch then for the 3 finals, Division 2 Hurling, Camogie and lastly the Division 1 Hurling final. The Handball competition between Clonduff, Downpatrick and Saval takes place on the Friday evening in Saval, but the handballers are invited to the Parade on Saturday morning.
Féile How it Began
Féile na nGael was the brain child of a Tipperary man Moneygall school teacher Seamus Ryan. After serving his three years as Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Seamus took over as chairman of the Tipperary County Board and he was anxious to develop something that would strengthen club hurling throughout the whole country and the vehicle for that development would be the youth.
County secretary Tommy Barrett and himself hatched an ambitious plan to bring the club champions of the 31 other counties to Tipperary and the host county would provide the other 33 teams from their own clubs to bring the total to 64 teams. Thus on Friday 16th July 1971 teams from Carndonagh in Donegal to Blackrock in Cork; from Eoghan Rua in Dublin to Loughrea in Galway descended on Tipperary and amid great enthusiasm and excitement Féile na nGael 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.
Still on handball acknowledging that all clubs will not be able to provide facilities such as those in Saval the association in an effort to give more of our youth the chance to experience this great game, have turned back to their roots and have focussed attention on “one wall handball”. With that in mind we have erected an indoor portable structure in the hall in Castlewellan so that competitors and indeed spectators can “have a go” at handball. We encourage as many as possible to sample this great game. Who knows we could well unearth a Co. Down Paul Brady!
From it’s inception Down has been involved in Féile. In the early years Seamus Mc Gratten was the man in charge. In 1984 Bernard Mc Gratten took control and acted as Féile chairman for the next incredible 27 years! Co. Down and it’s youth owe him a tremendous depth of gratitude! 2010 was a monumental year for Down when Liatrom’s Pearse Óg Mc Crickard was crowned All-Ireland Hurling Skillstar champion with the highest points total ever recorded!
This year the All-Ireland finals take place in Dublin and so on July 5th 6th and 7th the Down winners in hurling, camogie and handball plus the skillstar winners will make their way to the Capital to represent our proud county. In advance of the competition we congratulate our champions and they carry our best wishes to Dublin.
Above all we earnestly hope that every child who takes part in Féile 2012 enjoys the experience because enjoyment is the very essence of Féile.
One other innovation this year is the use of twitter.
The 3 venues will be inter linked so that everyone will know what is going on and how their teams are doing whether you are present or not! So why not come along and make this a very special occasion for the children. Twitter can be accessed through the Down Website, just click on the twitter box on the main page to follow or login in to twitter using your phone to keep track of how your team is progressing through the day.
Access Official Down GAA Twitter Page
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