GAA Club together for Championship Launch
The 2014 Ulster Club Championships were launched last night in the Tyrone GAA Centre at Garvaghey by Martin McAviney, President Ulster GAA, Kathleen Woods, Ulster Camogie and Gerry Doherty from Ulster Ladies Gaelic. Tommy Traynor, Senior Manager First Trust Bank, proud sponsors of the AIB Ulster GAA Football and Hurling Club Championships was also in attendance.
The special evening in Garvaghey shone the spotlight on the very best of Gaelic Games across clubs in Ulster. Club players and mentors gathered kitted out proudly in their club colours, knowing that not only are they representing their local club community but they are also representing their county in the 2014 Ulster Club Championships.
The 2014 AIB Ulster Hurling Club Championship has already began and will continue this Sunday 12th October with semi finals in the Senior, Intermediate and Junior grades. The 2014 AIB Ulster Football Club Championship throws in on Sunday 19th October with Senior and Intermediate First Round games scheduled.
The 2014 Tesco Home Grown Ladies Gaelic Club Championship is already underway with quarter finals scheduled for this weekend, while the 2014 NWP Camogie Club Championships continues this Sunday 12th October.
Speaking at the launch Ulster GAA President Martin McAviney said, “I particularly enjoy this time of year when the club championship swings into action. It is a major achievement for any club to win their county championship and to play in the Ulster Championship is a real honour.
“The 2014 AIB Football and Hurling Ulster Club Championships will be extremely competitive and I look forward to another great year for our clubs. I wish all competing teams well as they battle it out for the Ulster Titles.”
Ulster Camogie Representative Kathleen Woods said, “Ulster Camogie has been very successful on the national stage this year with All Ireland success for Down but the Ulster Club Championships is when our games come home to the local communities, when clubs commitments are rewarded with County Championship cups and medals. We are looking forward to an exciting and competitive Ulster Club Championship with the breakthrough of new champions. The support of our sponsors NWP Recycling is vital in the development of Camogie in Ulster and their contribution is greatly appreciated as is their presence at all our events”.
Ulster Ladies Football Administrator Gerry Doherty stated, “I am delighted to have the opportunity to congratulate all those clubs that are still very much involved in our Tesco Ulster Club championships and I wish you the best of luck in your upcoming quarter and semi final games. On an occasion such as this we are reminded that the concept of the GAA family is very strong in Ulster and I want to thank the Ulster GAA for their continued support. We have a number of very exciting games to look forward to and I hope that the players will enjoy strong support from within their communities as they take to the field to represent their Club and County.”
Tommy Traynor, Senior Manager, First Trust Bank commented, “The Bank has been associated with the club championship competitions since the early 90’s, over 20 years of our sponsorship, a rarity in today’s competitive world. We have been proud in recent years to extend it to sponsor the junior and intermediate competition and recently ladies football and camogie. AIB Club Championships is the ‘toughest of them all’ and we look forward to watch all teams involved. Before September comes March, before county comes club.”
