Antrim Camogs were well represented at Sunday’s Ulster Camogie Awards in Newry with the Saffrons picking up a wide range of awards. Many thanks to Armagh PRO John Merry for the use of these photos and a word of congratulations to him for picking up the PRO award himself
Bronagh Lennon from St Mary’s Aghagallon had the honour of receiving a prestigious GAA President’s Award last Friday evening in The Hogan Suite in Croke Park. The Aghagallon club member said that she was “honoured and privileged to receive such an accolade. When I received the letter, I was so shocked but so honoured. We had a brilliant evening in Croke Park.”
The award is one presented to volunteers within the association who have made a huge impact on the GAA. Bronagh was awarded the Gradam na Gaeilge, the Presidential Award for the promotion of language and culture. President of the GAA, Larry McCarthy presented the awards to the recipients during a live TV broadcast on TG4.
Bronagh has worked tirelessly to promote Irish culture and language in her club, in her county and throughout Ulster. A former County Cultural Officer and current County Scór Officer, she is at the forefront in organising cultural events during Seachtain na Gaeilge to ensure the Irish language has presence within the GAA in her county. Bronagh has taken part and mentored participants in Scór from an early age and the Irish language has more often than not had a presence in those acts.
Bronagh revived the Gaeltacht scholarship scheme in Antrim in her work as Oifigeach Cultúir agus Gaeilge in which hundreds of school goers have availed of and benefited from. Bronagh herself has a strong connection with the Loch an Iúir and Rann na Feirste Gaeltacht areas in northwest Donegal and spent many a summer teaching Irish, music and dance in Loch an Iúir. She also ensured that the Irish language had a significant presence in match programmes and on Antrim social media platforms during her time as Cultural Officer.
Along with Ulster Scór Chairperson, Paula Magee, she has organised national anthem workshops in Ulster counties, training all singers ahead of Ulster Championship. During the pandemic, Bronagh started the Saffron Singers and used the group to promote songs as Gaeilge. She ran online Irish courses for young and old as well as lectures for clubs on Irish surnames. She continues to work tirelessly to promote Irish language and culture in her native county of Antrim and further afield. When we asked Bronagh about her work within the GAA, she said: “The GAA is a central part of my life. It’s something I really love. The manifesto of where we all belong is so true. I am one who has found my place within the GAA outside of involvement in sport. Scór and language have been a part of my life since I was very young. All GAA volunteers do trojan work. I am proud to be a representative for these hardworking Gaels who give up so much of their time for the GAA. I love the challenges that the life of a GAA volunteer presents. I look forward to continuing my work to promote the language and culture in the GAA, as well as continuing my work in strategic planning, inclusion and demographics. “ Bronagh is the current County Scór Officer, South West Antrim Cultural Officer, a member of the Ulster Scór Committee, a member of the National Scór Committee and she is the Secretary of the Provincial Leadership and Planning Committee. We congratulate her on her award and wish her luck in her continued work in the County and further afield.
Bronagh got a second chance to enjoy her celebration the following evening when her club St Mary’s Aghagallon celebrated the club’s 40th anniversary Gala in the Carrickdale Hotel, where, as luck would have it, GAA President Larry Carthy was again in attendance. The main photo on this report is of the President presenting the medal to Bronagh again.
Ulster GAA has hosted the first meeting of the Casement Park Community Engagement and Benefits Forum which will help to bring to life the many socio-economic and cultural opportunities that the new stadium will provide for west Belfast and the wider region.
Members of the Forum come from a range of community and professional backgrounds and have a broad skillset that will help to establish and deliver a community wealth building programme which will create social value from construction through to completion and beyond.
The Forum will be an important catalyst to ignite the exciting opportunities that Casement Park offers, by working closely with local organisations and the wider community to unlock the stadium’s full potential.
The areas of expertise within the Forum include education and skills, social enterprise, culture, arts, tourism, economic development and sport.
At the launch event, which was held at the recently redeveloped St. Comgall’s Community Centre in West Belfast, Ulster GAA updated Forum members on the current work of the project team as they prepare for the construction phase of stadium.
The Forum will, in the coming weeks, establish work-streams and sub-groups to advance key elements of the project’s plans.
Welcoming the first meeting of the Forum, Casement Park Project Board Chairperson Tom Daly said: “We are delighted to have established the Community Engagement and Benefits Forum which will play a very important role in unlocking the full potential of the Casement Park project. There has been significant interest to participate in this important initiative and I would like to thank everyone who was been in touch with us.
“We are excited by the knowledge and expertise that there is within the Forum and we are looking forward to closely with the team to realise the considerable potential of the Casement Park project for the entire community.
“Participation and inclusivity will be at the heart of our community engagement, and through the Forum, a series of programmes and events will be developed, working with a range of organisations to deliver Casement’s vision of a seven day a week community hub supporting the social, economic and cultural development of the local area.”
The Saffron Business Forum Sports Lunch, kindly sponsored by Tughans, is taking place at the Crowne Plaza Belfast on Friday 12 May 2023 at 12 noon. The annual Sports Lunch has become one of the most popular social business events in the calendar in Belfast.
Special guests this year are Kerry Football star David Clifford and Kerry Coach Paddy Tally.
Tables of 10 and 12 available
Member price: £1000 and £1200
Non Member price: £1200 and £1400
To book your table email anna@annaconnorevents.co.uk
Due to high demand, tables will be allocated on a first come-first served basis and full payment must be taken within 10 days of booking to secure your table.
By Brendan McTaggart
For likes? Popularity? For the love of the game? For fun? Or maybe it’s all for a laugh?
It’s a question I asked a team I coached last year to get them thinking on what they wanted from themselves for the season ahead and it’s something that I’ve been thinking on again in recent times.
What’s my why? What makes me tick when it comes to attending games, taking photographs, doing interviews or previews.
Out of the list above, it’s more the latter but I’ll add for more therapeutic reasons than anything. I enjoy the laughs and friendships that are made in the journey of a chaotic season. But as the season unravels in recent times, I’ve become deeply invested in whatever team I’ve been following. While that may have been my own club in recent times, the same could be said of following Antrim.
This is where the therapy comes in.
How you deal with disappointment can make or break some people. Some find their answer in the arms of their family, some at the bottom of a bottle while some get back in the race at the next opportunity. My family are always hugely supportive of anything I do, but for me I get ‘peace of mind’ when I write or take and edit photographs.
It’s not for recognition or accolades. My ‘why’ comes from a mix of a love for our games, an enjoyment at still being involved in the GAA in some small way and to help me deal with inner demons.
Last year I had to take some time off work to deal with some mental health issues. I needn’t bother saying I’m out on the other side of that, I still have some dark days but thankfully those are the exception and not the rule. Everyone’s way of dealing with those days are different. I’ve found my way. My children, my family, sitting foundered at the side of a pitch with a long lens and notebook. This is my why.
Accolades are nice and any recognition gives you a boost. Either would have me completely affronted, a bit like a Facebook post a year or so ago from Lavey club that initially I thought was a wind up but when I read on, my face got redder and redder. A small but meaningful post that went a long way.
We are coming towards the end of the ‘thank you’ season as I like to call it. When clubs get everyone together for their annual dinner dance and recognise their recent past achievements. I’ve attended a couple and when neither recognition nor name comes your way amongst a plethora of thank you’s and ovations, you begin to question yourself. You wonder why. You begin to question your why. Why not me as well?
Why would I go through it all again? Why would I put in the time and effort that comes with covering games, may it be previews, photos or reports? It hurts the confidence a little, well, more than a little and leaves a scar. It’s hard to shake.
I questioned whether I should continue. If truth be told more than a few have asked the same question of me. Why do I continue? I always said, like the advertisement for gambling; when the fun stops, stop. When I stop enjoying what I’m doing then I’ll call it a day. That being said, there’s been plenty telling me to keep ‘er lit. But that kinda just added to the question of why.
I enjoy the matches, the craic, the photographs, even writing the odd song and finding the ‘willing’ volunteers to get involved is good craic. It might seem like I’ve lost the run of myself to others but we all have our own way of going mad.
Why? While the scar remains, I found my why again on Saturday. Antrim and Kilkenny in Corrigan Park. Meeting good people again, having laughs with friends and family. The banter with the good people at Naomh Eoin, the catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a while and the rush of watching Antrim playing against a team like Kilkenny.
The banter with the Kilkenny supporters who made the long journey to Corrigan Park and the chats with some of the backroom team of Derek Lyng. The gentleman who reached me a sliotar to give to one of my daughters who was at the game with me and my aul fella, a small gesture but we shared some words and looked forward to hopefully a better day weather wise when Kilkenny come up to Corrigan again for the Leinster Championship. Brief chats with the players involved and not involved. Seeing children trying to get a glimpse of their heroes as they walk off the pitch and those lucky enough to grab a photo. The hope of another season and the year ahead, how will it unfold.
People will try to say it’s just a game, for some it’s more than that. I think I’ve now accepted that I fall into that category. GAA has helped me more than I have realised in the past 12 months and it’s only over the last week or so that I’ve realised it. Is it a healthy obsession? The jury is still out on that one. But for now, 2023 is underway. Let the games commence.