Match for Michaela Launched

Ulster GAA in partnership with the Michaela Foundation has announced plans for a major fundraising event to remember the life of Michaela McAreavey and her contribution to the GAA community.

The event branded as ‘Match for Michaela – a festival with football’ will take place on Saturday 3rd November 2012 from 6pm to 10pm in the grounds of Casement Park, in Belfast. It will be compered by one of Ireland’s greatest DJs/Comics – Hector Ó hEochagáin

The festival is expected to attract thousands of people from across the island of Ireland. All money raised will go to the Michaela Foundation.

The highlight on the special evening is sure to be a not-to-be-missed competitive Gaelic Football Match which will see Ulster and All-Ireland Champions Donegal take on Ulster’s finest players, the current Interprovincial Champions.  This will be an opportunity for the people of Ulster and Ireland to see the All Ireland Champions being put to the test by their friends in Ulster. It will also see a first managerial show-down between two All Ireland Winning Managers from a decade apart, Armagh’s Joe Kernan (in charge of Ulster – with some support from the current Tyrone Manager and three time All Ireland winner Mickey Harte) and Donegal’s Jimmy McGuinness. Can Jimmy win this match?

This will also be a real opportunity for Ulster Gaels to welcome home Donegal with Sam Maguire.

The Festival with Football, will also include a wide range of exciting thrills to keep the spectators entertained.  There really will be something for the whole family with performances from Ulster’s X Factor star Janet Devlin, and the very lively More Power to your Elbow.  There will also be some surprises along the way, which will have the crowd in Casement Park going wild.

Traditional Irish Music will also feature with a specially commissioned ‘Railway Band’ performing made of singers and musicians from across Ulster’s nine counties.  Little Stars Academy in Armagh will also feature in a very special performance as well as music from the volunteers from the Michaela Girls Camp and the famous Artane Band.

The Big Screen will be a big feature on the evening, with plenty of entertainment promised and the memory; values; and principles of Michaela kept very much alive.

Tickets are now on sale for this special one-off event from www.tickets.ie, from County Boards and GAA clubs and from participating Supervalu and Centra stores nationwide.  This is expected to be a sell-out festival and donations are also very welcome.  Tickets are priced at £10/€10 for adults and £5/€5 for children.

Speaking at the launch of ‘Match for Michaela – a Festival with Football’ Ulster GAA President Aogan O Fearghail said, “Ulster GAA is very pleased to be working in partnership with the Michaela Foundation for this very special event.  Michaela McAreavey was first and foremost a Gael – she loved Gaelic Games and loved the Irish language and culture.  We have all been enriched to have her part of our Association and our community and this event, we hope, will remember the life, heart and soul of a beautiful young woman who lost her life too soon.  I urge people from across Ireland, whether you’re interested in Gaelic Games or not, to come out to support this worthy cause and to celebrate Michaela’s memory with her husband John and the entire Harte family.”

Michaela’s husband, John McAreavey said he cannot wait for the event and said the proceeds will help with his ambitious plans for the future, “I am really excited about this event. We have a great team working behind the scenes and are confident spectators will enjoy a fantastic evening of entertainment. As well as contributing to our growth plans for The Michaela Girls Camp into other counties, the proceeds from this major event will go directly into our fund for ‘The Michaela Centre’ which will be located in Tyrone and act as a hub for all our future activities.”

Mickey Harte, Michaela’s father stated, “On behalf of our entire family I wish to express my most sincere thanks to the Ulster Council for affording us this opportunity to remember Michaela in such a special way.

“The family of the G.A.A. have been so supportive of us all since the word of this terrible tragedy filtered through and for that we will be eternally grateful.

“As well as remembering Michaela in a unique way this is a night of celebration of the many good things of life that she loved.”

The Tyrone Manager concluded by saying, “A special word of thanks to all those, too numerous to mention who have given of their time and expertise, so willingly, to bring this wonderful gesture to fruition.”

To find out more about The Michaela Foundation and what is does, visit www.themichaelafoundation.com and follow on twitter and Facebook for information. For those who can’t attend the ‘Match for Michaela’, why not donate instead, and help towards their fund raising goals.

For Further Information please contact Ryan Feeney ryan.feeney.ulster@gaa.ie