Out and About in Durrow Sports
Latest sports news from Ballinakill, Cullohill, Durrow & Spink
THE HARPS GAA CLUB NEWS – SPLIT THE BUCKET – Participate in the exciting weekly chance to win instant cash with ‘Split the Bucket.’ You can join in two ways: contact Richie (087) 9294742, Tom (087) 6159226 or Shane (087) 2034035 to establish a monthly standing order. Investing €8 monthly grants one entry per week, while €20 monthly provides three entries weekly, saving you €72 annually. Alternatively, play for €2 a ticket, at local businesses hosting our buckets. Best of luck to all participants, and thank you for your continued support to the Harps GAA Club!
40 YEARS ANNIVERSARY: The Harps GAA 40 year Anniversary Dinner Dance 1984-2024 will take place in The Castle Arms Hotel on Friday the 27th of December at 7.30pm. Tickets – €40 from The Club. Music by “All The Best”. Presentations and awards on the night. All current and former players/members welcome.
HARD LUCK: Commiserations to Our lady’s Meadow who were beaten in both the boys and girls Cumann na mBunscol football finals last Thursday, November 28th in O Moore Park. Better days ahead!
THE HARPS CAMOGIE CLUB – RAFFLE: The Club will hold its Annual Christmas Raffle on the Saturday 21st December in Dec’s Bar, Durrow. Great prizes on offer with tickets on sale now. All support greatly appreciated.
ONLINE: Follow us on Social Media – www.facebook.com/HarpsCamogie
CULLOHILL HANDBALL CLUB – GET IN TOUCH – You can contact the club on cullohillhandballclub@yahoo.ie by email.
THE LIONS AFC CLUB: FOR HIRE – Astro Pitch Hire, suitable for 7-a-side soccer social groups, casual bookings and team activities. For all enquiries or to make a booking please contact lionsafc@gmail.com or call (085) 7088511.
AGM 2024 REPORT: Chairman Address – With the end of 2024 fast approaching, it is timely that I, on behalf of the Lions AFC, update you all regarding our Pitch Development Project. Following the announcement of a Sports Capital Grant allocation of €170,259, the committee have been tirelessly working in the background and are delighted to share the exciting news that our plans for a full-size, all-weather pitch at our club grounds on the Cork Road, Durrow, are well under way.
The coming year, 2025 promises to be an exciting and busy year for our club. We expect to break ground in early 2025 and will welcome the action and hive of activity that will soon commence…and so begins the Lions AFC Drive for 25!! The saying “Go Big or Go Home” never sounded so true… the successful delivery of Phase 1 of our Pitch Development Project comes at an estimated cost of €750,000. It is my belief and that of our dedicated committee members, that this investment will not only serve the Lions AFC club members, but our local community and indeed the wider sporting community in Laois and surrounds.
This is an exciting milestone for the Lions AFC. The individual support and the support of our wider community is instrumental in helping us bring projects like this to life and in shaping the future of our club and our community. Last year’s 50th Year Golden Anniversary Draw was an immense success, and demonstrated how a wider community can join forces to not only support the Lions AFC, but how this community can come together socially to celebrate each of the three €5,000 winners!
And the good news is, the €15,000 draw will take place once again this year. So, to be in with a chance of joining Enda Carroll, Edel Dalton and Kieran McGree and Liam Aherne on the €5,000 winners’ podium. Make sure to get your tickets before they sell out! Tickets are available from committee members and a number of other selected sellers or online through our Go Fund Me Page.
Let me finish by saying thank you – thank you for helping us to bring our Pitch Development Project to a reality and for supporting us to provide the best playing facilities possible for each of our 457 playing members.
ANNUAL DRAW – 51st Monster Christmas Draw: Our Annual Christmas Draw will take place as usual on the Green on Christmas Eve. Once again we have a number of excellent prizes. First Prize – Monster Hamper; Second Prize – 1 Night B&B & Dinner at Killashee Hotel & Spa;
Third Prize – 1 Night B&B & Dinner at the HEritage, Killenard; Many more vouchers and prizes too! Tickets can also be purchased through our Go Fund Me Page, one ticket for every €5 donated will be entered into the draw. Ensure to provide your name when purchasing online.
MATCH REPORT – Junior League Division 1: Lions AFC 4 v 1 Freshford Town. Scorers: Jim O’Connor X2, Darragh Kelly and Johnny O Brien. After a few weekends off it was good to get back playing. The Lions AFC hosted local rivals Freshford Town. The lads needed to bounce back from a disappointing performance against Newpark to get the promotion challenge back up and running. The boys started brightly with Jim O’Connor, Rian Edwards and John O Brien having chances. More chances were to come, Darragh Kelly opened the scoring after latching on to a close range rebound to calmy slot it home. Lions AFC again pushed and again got through with a lovely through ball to Jim O Connor who hit it across the keeper into the inside of the net to make it 2-0.
The last 15 minutes of the half Freshford started to get a bit of joy and were rewarded when their player collided with our keeper Evan Pidgeon. Freshford slotted the penalty home to end the first half with all to play for. The lads came out with intent in the second half. They showed great character and desire to make sure to put the game to bed. Some excellent attacking play saw Jim O Connor get his second and also the in form John O Brien scored the fourth to secure the points. Great start to the year with the lads getting three wins from four in the league. Looking forward to next weeks away fixture to Highview Athletic on Saturday evening! Thanks to all the supporters on the day that came and supported the boys. We go again!
U12 GIRLS KILKENNY: Lions AFC were represented by Faye Dunne on the Kilkenny & District U12 girls team recently with as they took on Kildare in Kilkenny’s first inter leauge game of the season. It was a convincing win for Kilkenny. Faye had 1 assist on the day, a fantastic through ball. Well done to Faye and all the Kilkenny girls on a great performance.
LIONS LADIES: Women’s League Division 1 Result: Evergreen 2 V 4 Lions AFC. Scorers: Leah Kelly, Shannon Kelly, Lucy Kelly and Ciara Queally. Well done ladies!
LAST MAN STANDING: Congratulations to Brendan Murphy – winner of our first Last Man Standing! Brendan pipped David Roe to the winners pot of €605. Our Last Man Standing will take a weeks break, and our second Last Man Standing will start on December 14th. Details of how to enter will follow over the coming week on our Facebook page – so keep an eye out! A big thank you to all who supported our first Last Man Standing, 121 entries in total.
LAOIS KAYAK AND CANOE CLUB CLUB – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: Notice of the club’s Annual General Meeting which will be held on Saturday 28th December 2024 at 11am in the clubhouse followed by a local paddle.
GET IN TOUCH – You can contact us on info@laoiskayak.com by email.
DURROW GUN CLUB: Keep up to date with our social media page: www.facebook.com/durrowgunclub online.
KETTLEBELL BEGINNER CLASS: New round of classes starting soon! Learn to use kettlebells safely and effectively from one of Ireland’s top ranked kettlebell sports and fitness instructors. Also included in the classes are bodyweight exercises as well as posture correction and strengthening techniques. Together with proper kettlebell instruction you can learn to prevent and remedy a wide range of joint and mobility issues and injuries. Places are limited so booking is essential. For more information please telephone: (087) 3833258 or email: tridentfitnessclub@yahoo.ie or borukettlebellclub@yahoo.com
KETTLEBELL CLASSES FOR SENIORS: New Beginner Class Starting Soon. Just because you are getting older and a bit less active doesn’t mean you give up on your health and fitness. In fact physical training becomes more important as you get older! Working with weights such as kettlebells can slow down a number of conditions associated with ageing. Numerous studies have proven the benefits of strength training. Some of these are:
– Increase in bone density and muscle mass. This builds protection against fractures from falls etc.
– Improved Posture. Kettlebell exercises help to improve spinal alignment and strengthen the core muscles that hold the spine in its correct position.
– Improved mood and sleep. Exercise releases chemicals that increase positivity, reduce feelings of pain and anxiety, and promote sound sleep.
– Lower risk of heart disease. Weight training lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and strengthens the heart.
– Improved balance and movement skills.
Class places are limited so if you are interested contact me to book your place! Classes are run by coach David who is one of the most experienced and highest ranked kettlebell instructors in Ireland, with 10 years of experience.
JUNIORS KETTLEBELL CLASS: New kids class starting on Saturdays. Many parents worry that strength training is harmful for kids. However there is now widespread recognition in the medical community of the benefits of strength training for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics and The Mayo Clinic have stated that sensible strength training does not stunt growth or cause growth plate injuries. In fact it increases a child’s muscle strength and endurance, protects them from sports injuries, and improves their performance in any sport. Children are far more likely to get injured by playing sports without engaging in weight training.
Even if your child is not interested in sports, weight training can strengthen their bones, improve coordination and balance, promote healthy blood pressure and cholesterol, help maintain a healthy weight, and build confidence. Class places are limited so if you are interested contact me to book your place!
