Club Notes - 21st December 2009:

Soccer Tournament:

If you think that you over done it a bit over the Christmas period than Drumkeerin GAA might have the thing for you. A soccer tournament has been organised for Sunday the 27th of December.

Sixteen teams of four from around the parish are invited to take part in what is a mixed participation event (ie the competition is not confined to men). Entry is €40 per team.

It is sure to be an interesting affair and a special prize giving function will take place in Davitt's shortly afterwards. First kick-off is at 2pm.

For further information contact Ciaran White or Gabriel Flynn.

Lotto:

Lotto took place over the weekend. Jackpot was € 2,975. Numbers drawn were 5, 9, 13 and 25. Unfortunately there was no winner. €20 runners up winners were Gerry Conaire, Sheena; Claire Fallon, Drumkeerin; Ciaran White, Drumkeerin; Junior Hazlette, Drumkeerin and Pauric Murphy, Killargue.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who has played lotto in 2009. Lotto returns on the 2nd of January. New sellers are Joe Early, PJ Clancy and Brendan Mc Nama. See you then.

Membership:

Players will be unable to take to the field of play in the new year if membership is not paid. Money can be given to Stephen Feeney.

Club Notes - 15th December 2009:

Executive Meeting:

An executive meeting for Drumkeerin GAA will take place this Thursday the 17th of December at 8pm. Can all executive members endeavour to attend.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place again this weekend. The jackpot now stands at €2,975. What a Christmas treat that would be.

Can December sellers please co-ordinate with each other. The club's Christmas draw also takes place next week. All spot prises will be gratefully accepted from sponsors.

Soccer Tournament:

If you think that you over done it a bit over the Christmas period than Drumkeerin GAA might have the thing for you. A soccer tournament has been organised for Sunday the 27th of December.

Sixteen teams of four from around the parish are invited to take part. Entry is €40 per team.

It is sure to be an interesting affair and a special prize giving function will take place in Davitt's shortly afterwards. First kick-off is at 2pm.
For further information contact Ciaran White or Gabriel Flynn.

Membership:

Players will be unable to take to the field of play in the new year if membership is not paid. Money can be given to Stephen Feeney.

Club Information:

Readers are always keen to see what is happening in and around the club so if you have anything that you would like to appear in the notes please contact Stephen Feeney at feeney.stephen@gmail.com or 0860663228.

Merry Christmas:

The club would like to wish Drumkeerin Gaels both home and abroad a happy and safe Christmas. I would also like to wish the Leitrim Observer and everyone else who helps with the notes a very Merry Christmas too.

Club Notes - 8th December 2009:

Lotto:

otto took place on Saturday night. Numbers drawn were 12, 14,16,23. There was no jackpot winner. €20 winners Damien Mc Padden, Francis Davitt, Mairead McPartland, Bray, Gerry Gallagher, Tully, Dromahaire, Paul McTiernan. Thanks to December sellers Seamus Duignan, Eamonn O Grady jnr and Ciaran White. Next draw on Saturday week. Same sellers apply.

If there is anyone out there who would be interested in sponsoring lotto tickets could they please contact Francis Davitt. Thank you.

Vodafone Customers Support Your GAA Club

I have been asked to notify any members of the club who use Vodafone that the company are running a new initiative which assists GAA clubs. Go to the following web address and fill in your details and 5% of your monthly bill or pay as you go top up will go to the club.

The more members that switch to Vodafone Ireland and sign up, the more money the GAA Club makes. It will give the club the chance to buy training gear, jerseys, make pitch improvements or anything else that is needed. The scheme doesn't cost anything at all so we would encourage all that can sign up to do so.

Membership:

Players will be unable to take to the field of play in the new year if membership is not paid. Money can be given to Stephen Feeney.

Club Notes - 1st December 2009:

AGM:

The conclusion of Drumkeerin GAA's AGM took place this last Saturday with thankfully positions being filled for the coming year. The club would like to welcome John O'Donnell as new chairperson of the club for 2010.

He replaces Jimmy McNama who done great work for the club while Chairman and while he will be missed John is a great addition to the executive and we wish him the best of luck for the coming year.

Thankfully Micheal Forde has decided to stay on a secretary for the coming year. The club simply cannot operate without a good secretary and Micheal has shown that he has brilliant at the job over the last number of years. He will be assisted this year by Seamus Gallagher who replaces Damien McPadden as Assistant Secretary of the cub.

The rest of the executive plus team management for the year is listed below. As you can see some positions are still vacant and if you are interested in getting involved you can contact any member of the executive.

Note: Executive & team management listings for 2010 are in fact displayed in the "Officers/Contacts" section. Click on the following link for full details.

Once again thanks to all the people that have put their names forward this year hopefully we can look forward to successful 2010. To those who have decided to take a break thanks so much for the contribution you have given.

Membership:

Players will be unable to take to the field of play in the new year if membership is not paid. Money can be given to Stephen Feeney.

Club Information:

Readers are always keen to see what is happening in and around the club so if you have anything that you would like to appear in the notes please contact Stephen Feeney at feeney.stephen@gmail.com or 0860663228.

Club Notes - 24th November 2009:

AGM:

The AGM of Drumkeerin GAA club took place on Saturday in the Community Centre. To say the least it was disappointing event.
This was not because of the people that were there but more to do with the fact that there was a huge amount of club members not present on the day. Because of that it was impossible to complete the meeting in full and therefore another meeting has been called for this Saturday in the Community Centre at 6.30pm.

What was one of the most disheartening aspects about the attendance was that it went totally against how well the club has done this year. Unlike many other clubs in not just Leitrim but the entire country we are in a relatively healthy state of financial affairs. On top of this we have a development down in the field which is right up there with anything else you see with plans to extend it even more.

Most of all however we had the most successful year on the field in terms of our underage teams for both the boys and girls. This was reflected by both the outgoing Chairman and Secretary Jimmy McNama and Michael Forde who highlighted the trojan work that is going on with all our underage coaches. This is something that the club is tremendously proud to be associated with.

There is so much that is good about the club but with our executive missing not just a chairman but also a secretary, not to mention some other positions, it will be impossible for the club to operate this year and that is something nobody in the community wants.

With Mass for the deceased members of the club taking place on Saturday night in Tarmon, Saturday's meeting will only be a short one and hopefully more people can come along and have their say for the future of Drumkeerin GAA.

*As last year was my first on the executive I wish to thank all members particualry those who have decided to take a break this year. A full report of this year's AGM plus new officers will be in the notes next week as will details of 2010 membership.

Lotto:

Lotto took place on Saturday night. Jackpot was €2,910. Numbers drawn were 13, 20, 23, and 26. Unfortunately there was no winner. Runners up €20 prize winners were Niamh McPartland, Bray, James Duffy, Drumshanbo, Brian McHale, Killala, Leslie Ryan, Killala and Eamon Smith, Tarmon. Congratulations to all involved and thanks to Conor Woods and Gabriel Flynn for co-ordinating the draw.

A special word of thanks to Eamon O'Grady Snr who tirelessly co-ordinated the draw for the past year. Eamon done a great job and was always there when he was needed.

Lotto returns on December 5th with a jackpot of €2,910. If there is anyone out there who would be interested in sponsoring lotto tickets could they please contact Francis Davitt. Thank you.

Club Mass:

A reminder that mass for the deceased members of Drumkeerin GAA Club will be celebrated on Saturday 28th November at 8pm at St Patrick's Church, Tarmon.

Club Notes - 17th November 2009:

AGM:

This Saturday, November the 21st, sees the Annual General Meeting of Drumkeerin GAA take place at 5pm in the Community Centre.

The occasion marks the one of the most important dates in the clubs calendar and hopefully should set the tone for our intentions for 2010.

As as been said before in these notes a number of positions will be free after a number of officials indicated their intention to take a break from the executive. While all of them will be missed for the great service they have done over the years their decision means that some new faces can take up positions in the club.

It may seem daunting but the truth of the matter is - many hands make light work - and the more people that are interested in doing just a small bit of work the easier it will be on everyone.

The past year has shown that there is a great will to bring this club forward. The standard of our underage coaching is second to none in the county and while our success hasn't transferred to the senior team we are not that far away. However the success of the last year means we need people to keep the momentum going.

Don't be afraid to come along and get involved. Hopefully we will see you all there.

www.drumkeeringaa.com:

Our net is widening. Our website has taken on tremendous shape over the last year and it is only improving.

Fergus Redican has now added links to the Drumkeerin Fan Site on Facebook which at last count had close to eighty members. There is also a link to the wikipedia site for the club.

Thanks to Fergus for this and hopefully come the new year we can develop the website even further.

Club Gear:

Just a reminder that plenty of club gear is now available to buy. Items include jackets, polo shirts, replica jerseys, shorts and socks.
Gear is available to purchase in Breffni Stores or Kenny's. Thanks to Colm Clarke for organising this.d socks.

Thank You:

Thanks to Tony Feeney of DM Auctions for carrying out a valuation of the club grounds voluntarily.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place this weekend. Jackpot now stands at €2,845. Best of luck to everyone and thanks for your continued support. Sellers: Conor Woods and Gabriel Flynn.

Under 21 B Championship:

Although it was a strange experience not being there congrats to the two north Leitrim teams who played out what seemed a very close Under 21 B final. Glenfarne/Kilty done a great job in getting there and were unlucky against a strong Melvin Gaels side.

Club Notes - 10th November 2009:

Lotto:

Lotto took place on Saturday night with a jackpot of €2780. Numbers drawn were 1, 16, 22, 25. There was no jackpot winner. The five €20 winners were as follows: Kevin Dowd (Mohill), Kathleen Gallagher (Corry), Tommy Rooney (The Cosy Corner), Fionn McPadden and Sue Gallagher.

Thanks to Eamonn, Connor, & Gabriel for coordinating the draw. The next draw takes place on the 21st with a jackpot of €2,845.

Club Gear:

I am reliably informed that plenty of club gear has arrived. Items include jackets, polo shirts, replica jerseys, shorts and socks.

Gear is available to purchase in Breffni Stores or Kenny's. Thanks to Colm Clarke for organising this.

AGM:

The countdown continues to the club's AGM which takes place on Saturday November the 21st at 5pm.

By now all club members would have received nominations and as you know undoubtedly now know this year a number of the executive have indicated their intention to take a break from their involvement. They will be missed but it does give the opportunity for new people to get involved.

We are hoping that whether you are a player, parent or club member you would like to volunteer a small proportion of your time to continue the good work that is being done both on and off the field throughout the club.

It may seem daunting but as they say many hands make light work and the more people that can help out the easier it is.
Put the date in your diary and hopefully we will see you all there.

New Gym:

The new gym is up and running on top of the handball alley. It is a great credit to everyone involved in the Handball club and Drumkeerin GAA would like to pay tribute to all those that have brought the Facility to the town.

If you want to work up a sweat, flex some muscles or just want to seek a change in your lifestyle it is the perfect place to go with weights, treadmills, rowing-machines, exercise bikes, cross-trainers and much more all on offer.

Opening hours are Monday-Friday 6pm to 10pm, Saturday's 10am to 2pm, and Sunday's 4pm to 8pm. The gym is for over 16 yrs only and new Members are currently welcome to join.

Club Mass:

Mass for deceased members of Drumkeerin GAA Club will be celebrated on Saturday 28th November at 8pm at St. Patrick's Church, Tarmon.

Club Notes - 3rd November 2009:

Lotto:

Lotto returns this weekend. New sellers for the month are Conor Woods and Colm McKenna. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Club Mass:

Mass for all the deceased members of Drumkeerin GAA wil take place on Saturday the 28th.

AGM:

The club AGM takes place on Saturday November the 21st at 5pm.

By now all club members would have received nominations and as you know undoubtedly now know this year a number of the executive have indicated their intention to take a break from their involvement. They will be missed but it does give the opportunity for new people to get involved.

We are hoping that whether you are a player, parent or club member you would like to volunteer a small proportion of your time to continue the good work that is being done both on and off the field throughout the club.
It may seem daunting but as they say many hands make light work and the more people that can help out the easier it is.

Put the date in your diary and hopefully we will see you all there.

New Gym:

The new gym is up and running on top of the handball alley. It is a great credit to everyone involved in the Handball club and Drumkeerin GAA would like to pay tribute to all those that have brought the Facility to the town.

If you want to work up a sweat, flex some muscles or just want to seek a change in your lifestyle it is the perfect place to go with weights, treadmills, rowing-machines, exercise bikes, cross-trainers and much more all on offer.

Opening hours are Monday-Friday 6pm to 10pm, Saturday's 10am to 2pm, and Sunday's 4pm to 8pm. The gym is for over 16 yrs only and new Members are currently welcome to join.

Bon Voyage:

Best wishes to Enda McNama and Thomas Davitt who are returning to Canada to spread the gospel of Drumkeerin. Safe journey lads.

Well Done:

Congrats to neighbours Glencar/Manorhamilton who added the Division 1 League title to their championship crown at the weekend. Super achievement and something that all clubs should wish to emulate.

Club Notes - 26th October 2009:

Under 21 Championship:

Alas it wasn't to be. Despite a brave effort our Under 21 just weren't able to get past Bornacoola in the first round of the Under 21 Championship on Saturday afternoon.

At a wet and windy Drumreilly the lads controlled the majority of the match but were not able to make it count on the scoreboard. Hard luck to the lads and their management team of Ciaran White, PJ Clancy and Conor Woods.

Lotto:

Lotto took place on Saturday night. Numbers drawn were 2, 9, 24, 26. Unfortunately there was no winner. €20 winners were F McPadden, T Davitt, G Slevin, F Davitt Jnr and S McGrath.

Thanks to Eamon O'Grady Jnr and Snr, Joe and Kevie for co-ordinating the draw and also everyone for their continued support. Sellers for November are Conor Woods and Colm McKenna.

AGM:

The club AGM takes place on Saturday November the 21st at 5pm.

By now all club members would have received nominations and as you know undoubtedly now know this year a number of the executive have indicated their intention to take a break from their involvement. They will be missed but it does give the opportunity for new people to get involved.

We are hoping that whether you are a player, parent or club member you would like to volunteer a small proportion of your time to continue the good work that is being done both on and off the field throughout the club.
It may seem daunting but as they say many hands make light work and the more people that can help out the easier it is.

Put the date in your diary and hopefully we will see you all there.

New Gym:

The new gym is up and running on top of the handball alley. It is a great credit to everyone involved in the Handball club and Drumkeerin GAA would like to pay tribute to all those that have brought the Facility to the town.

If you want to work up a sweat, flex some muscles or just want to seek a change in your lifestyle it is the perfect place to go with weights, treadmills, rowing-machines, exercise bikes, cross-trainers and much more all on offer.

Opening hours are Monday-Friday 6pm to 10pm, Saturday's 10am to 2pm, and Sunday's 4pm to 8pm. The gym is for over 16 yrs only and new Members are currently welcome to join.

Club Notes - 19th October 2009:

Under 16 'A' Final

A darkness fell in Drumshanbo on Sunday evening hundreds of smiles lit up the sky as Patrick McHugh lifted the Cup for Drumkeerin Under 16's.

Winning championships is based on many things - a bit of luck always has its say but most of all you need courage, skill, hard work and determination. This was never more on show than during the final at a rain soaked McGettigan Park where the team defied the odds to take the glory.

As with any journey there was more than a few bumps along the way however despite going 8 points down half way through the first period the lads re-grouped and thanks to some excellent goal-keeping, tenacious defence, energetic midfield play and skilful attacking guile the boys worked themselves into a winning position which they were never going to give up.

There were so many heroes on the day and to single anyone one of them out would defy the team spirit that was on show. A special word must however go to the management team of Richard McTiernan, Junior Hazlette, Damien McPadden and Maurice O'Donnell.

Both Richard and Junior have been involved with this bunch of players for a number of years and through their involvement have fostered a team that is now the best in the county. Indeed two years ago the lads were involved with the same bunch of players who lost the Under 14 final to the same opponents.

Damien and Maurice got on board this year and their input has obviously paid the biggest of dividends. But as the lads will tell you themselves it is the players on the field that have to do the business and thankfully they did.

The club are extremely proud if the whole whole panel of players.
Well done and hopefully there will be more success to come.

Under 21 Championship

Our love affair with the Under 21 Championship continues this weekend when the Under 21's take on Bornacoola in Kiltubrid at 4pm on Saturday. The team have a few injuries but following on from the high of last Sunday hopefully the team can push on and take the first step on the road to another final. Good Luck.

Lotto:

The last lotto of the month takes place this Saturday. Good luck to everyone involved and thanks for your continued support.

AGM:

The club AGM takes place on Saturday November the 21st at 5pm.

This year a number of the executive have indicated their intention to take a break from their involvement. They will be missed but it does give the opportunity for new people to get involved.

We are hoping that whether you are a player, parent or club member you would like to volunteer a small proportion of your time to continue the good work that is being done both on and off the field throughout the club.
It may seem daunting but as they say many hands make light work and the more people that can help out the easier it is.

Put the date in your diary and hopefully we will see you all there.

Club Notes - 12th October 2009:

Club Meeting:

A club meeting takes place this evening, Wednesday the 14th of October in the Rowanberry at 8.30pm. All club members are invited to attend.

Under 16 Final:

The Under 16 team are due to play the 'A' championship final against Glencar/Manorhamilton this weekend. This is a massive achievement for the team and management and the whole club would like to wish them the best of luck this weekend.

As of yet there is not details of the fixture but please check this paper. Get your flags, jerseys and colours out and get behind the lads this weekend.

Under 21s:

Our Under 21s get their campaign underway in the coming weeks. The lads play Bornacoola on the 24th of October. Between injuries and absentees the team are short a few numbers but of course this team proved the doubters wrong last year and let us hope that they can do the same this year.

New Gym:

The new gym is up and running on top of the handball alley. It is a great credit to everyone involved in the Handball club and Drumkeerin GAA would like to pay tribute to all those that have brought the facility to the town.

If you want to work up a sweat, flex some muscles or just want to seek a change in your lifestyle it is the perfect place to go with weights, treadmills, rowing-machines, exercise bikes, cross-trainers and much more all on offer.

Opening hours are Monday-Friday 6pm to 10pm, Saturday's 10am to 2pm, and Sunday's 4pm to 8pm. The gym is for over 16 yrs only and new members are currently welcome to join.

FBD League Final:

ll done to Eamon O'Grady Jnr who once again refereed the FBD Connacht League final in the Big Apple at the weekend. Eamon is fast becoming one of the most respected referees in the game and surely it won't be long until he gets the big championship game he deserves.

The game itself marked the first game for Joe Kernan as Galway manager. The result was a facile victory for Galway over New York at Gaelic Park.

Apologies:

Apologies for my atrocious grammar last week. Hopefully it didn't cause anyone too much distress.

The club would like to properly thank to all the men who work with the Leitrim Development Company namely Pat Early, TJ Fallon, Vincent Gallagher and Paddy Mc Padden and their overseer Seamus Shanley who do trojan work at the field every week. The excellent upkeep simply wouldn't be possible without them.

Lotto:

Lotto once again took place on Saturday. Numbers drawn were 1, 3, 6 and 13. Unfortunately there was no winner of the jackpot. Runner up €20 winners were Niamh McPartland, Bray, John Casey Drumshanbo, Seamus Gilhooly, Christina McKenna and Sean Mitchell, Mohill.

The jackpot now rolls over to € 2,715. Thanks again to Eamon Snr, his helpers and everyone who continues to support the Lotto. It returns the Bank Holiday weekend so see ya then.

Club Notes - 6th October 2009:

A Word Of Thanks:

Thanks to all the men who work with the Leitrim partnership namely Pat Early, TJ Fallon, Vincent Gallagher and Paddy Mc Padden and there overseer who do Trojan work at the field every week. The excellent upkeep simply would not be possible without them.

Under 16:

Well done to the Under 16 who secured their final place after a hard earned victory over Mohill last week. Keep an eye out in fixtures for their opponents.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place this weekend. New sellers are now in situ can they please co-ordinate with Eamon O'Grady Snr. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Club Notes - 29th September 2009:

County Final:

Well done to Eamon O'Grady Jnr and the rest of the Drumkeerin Club members for officiating Sunday's County Final between Glencar/Manor and Carrigallen. By all accounts it was one of the best finals in recent memory and no doubt Eamon and the lads played their part in that.

Congratulations to Glencar/Manor on their terrific win. The claim back to back titles is no mean feat and shows that the side have what it takes to make a real impact in the Connacht Club Championship.

Hard luck to Carrigallen. Only a few years ago we were battling it out in an Intermediate Semi-final and now you were only whisper away from winning the Senior title. It shows that with the right attitude no team is ever too far away.

Kilmacud Sevens:

Well done to the Girls Under 14 team who had a fantastic day out at the Kilmacud Sevens competition on Saturday. The girls won two of their group games and were defeated in the other.

Unfortunately they were also beaten in the playoff. Nevertheless there were some sterling performances particularly from Kate Byrne and Shauna Clancy who both received Player of the Match awards during the day.

Under 16s:

Well done to the Under 16 team and management who handsomely defeated Carrick-on-Shannon on Friday evening. The win puts the team in good stead for the championship setting up a possible final shot at Glencar/Manorhamilton. Good luck for the rest of the year.

Lotto:

Lotto took place on Saturday night. Numbers drawn were 9, 14, 23, 25. Unfortunately there was no jackpot winner. €20 runners up prizes went to Packie Gilbride, Mary Rooney, Aughnasheelin, Clodagh McManus, Carrigallen, Jimmy McPadden, Aiden McKeague c/o Leitrim Development Co-op. Lotto is back in two weeks. Thanks again to Eamon, sellers and everybody for their continued support.

All-Ireland Final Tickets:

A belated congratulations to Gabriel Flynn and Ciaran White who were the winners of the club draw for the tickets for the All-Ireland final between Kerry and Cork recently. It was a great occasion and hopefully the lads enjoyed it.

Club Notes - 23rd September 2009:

Club Lotto:

Lotto takes place again this weekend. Can ticket sellers please co-ordinate with Eamon. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Under 16's Win:

Well done to the Under 16 team who got their Championship back on track with a great win over Drumreilly last week. The boys defeated their south Leitrim counterparts on a scoreline of 1-17 to 0-8.

All-Ireland Final Tickets For This Sunday:

The ladies All-Ireland final takes place this weekend. There are six tickets available for anybody willing to go. If you are interested you can contact anybody any of the executive.

Under 12 County Champions:

Well done to the Under 12 girls team who won the County Final in Leitrim Village on Saturday. It was a great achievement for all involved after the team won an entertaining game on a scoreline of 4-7 to 1-2 against north Leitrim neighbours Glencar/Manor. Well done to the panel and their mentors Richard, Laurine and Pauric.

Under 16 Loss:

The girls were unlucky to lose by a point to Dromahaire last week. They can get their championship back on track when they take on Gortletteragh this Thursday down in the pitch.

Club Notes - 16th September 2009:

Executive Meeting:

An Executive meeting of Drumkeerin GAA takes place this Wednesday evening (16th of September) in the Rowanberry at 9pm. Can all members please endeavour to attend.

Under 12 Girls County Final:

Our Under 12s play in Glencar/Manorhamilton in the 13-a-side 'B' Final this Saturday the 19th of September in Leitrim Village. Throw-in is at 12 midday.

This is a real chance for everybody involved in the club to get behind this young team that have done so well to get this far. Good luck to the girls and their coaches and hopefully there will be celebrations in Drumkeerin this Saturday.

Under 14 Kilmacud 7s:

Our all conquering Under 14 Girls team are taking their road show national after they were invited to play in a 7-a-side competition at the Kilmacud Crokes grounds in Dublin.

The event takes place on Saturday the 26th of September, a day before the All-Ireland Ladies Finals in Croke Park. This will undoubtedly prove a great experience for the girls and their mentors and is also just reward for their efforts this year.

A meeting will be held tonight (the 16th of September) for all the girls and their parents at the dressing rooms at 7.30pm. It is important everybody will attend as the meeting is designed to organise travel arrangements for the day.

Under 16 Girls:

The newly established Under 16 Girls team are doing extremely well in their league competition. They take on Dromahaire tomorrow, Thursday the 17th. Please check this paper for fixture details.

Underage Boys:

Our Under 12s unfortunately lost on Monday evening against Bornacoola in their championship while our Under 16's game against St Mary's on Friday was called off. At the time of going to print I have no details of the re-fixture but please check this paper.

Fundraising Night:

Daniel and Ryan McSharry will be doing their bit for charity next month when they visit South America in a home building project. In order to raise funds for this worthwhile expedition they are holding an event in Davitts Bar this Saturday evening. There are a hosts of things planned including head shaving, chest and leg waxing, a yard of ale competition and most intriguing of all a beard shaving competition.

It is understood that both Seamus Gilhooly and Peter 'Bob the Builder' Gallagher will sacrifice their beard and moustache respectively for the cause. No doubt a night not to be missed.

Junior Certificate:

Well done to all our club members who received their Junior Certificate results last Wednesday.

Lotto:

Lotto took place again on Saturday evening. Numbers drawn were 1, 16, 19 and 20. Unfortunately there was no winner. €20 winners were Clodagh McPartland c/o Hugh McPartland, Aimee McGee, Irene Redican, Leo Duignan, 2 Lisnagot, Carrick and Peter Gallagher. Well done to all involved and thanks again to everyone for their continued support.

Lotto is back on Saturday week with the jackpot edging ever closer to the €3,000 mark.

Club Notes - 9th September 2009:

Lotto:

Lotto returns this weekend. The jackpot now stands at €2,455. The sellers for September are Darragh Flynn and Jason Byrne. Can they please co-ordinate with Eamon O'Grady Snr. Thanks to everyone for their support for the year.

21st Celebrations:

Congratulations to Thomas Devitt who celebrated his 21st to a packed house in Davitt's Bar on Saturday night. Thomas is back to Canada soon and was certainly a shocked man when he walked through the doors for the surprise party.

All-Ireland Final:

Well done to Pauric Fallon and Stephen Feeney who were the lucky two members to be drawn for the All-Ireland Hurling Final Tickets last week. It is fair to say it was one of the best games of the decade.

Underage:

Our underage team are due to play St Mary's, Carrick-on-Shannon this Friday evening. Best of luck to all involved. Our U12 team are in action again next Monday at home to Bornacoola.

Club Notes - 1st September 2009:

Minor Champions:

Well done to the minor team and management who recorded a comfortable victory in the Minor Dolan Cup Final against Dromahaire last Wednesday. After racing into a 2-8 to 0-0 lead at half-time the team cruised home to win by an amazing 6-11 to 0-05.

There were some fine individual performances from number 1 to 13 and beyond. Thomas Lavin finished the game with a staggering 4-2 on the day but he was not the only star as the team hunted in packs to get in amongst a Dromahaire team that fancied themselves after beating our lads earlier in the Championship.

Well done to all including Micheal Forde, Conor Woods and PJ Clancy who have been out with the team since early January. It is a tremendous boost for the club who are very proud of the lads efforts.

Under 16s:

Unfortunately our Under 16s were not able to build on the high of last Wednesday evening going down at home to Glencar/Manor in the 15 a-side championship on Friday. Despite the loss this is a class team who can still go all the way. They take on Carrick in their next match. Check paper for details.

Seniors and Junior:

The year ended on a positive note for both our Senior and Junior teams who both retained their status in their respective championships over the weekend.

The Intermediate team took on Ballinaglera in Drumshanbo on Saturday evening. A shaky start meant it wasn't looking too good for the lads but an impressive performance by man of the match Francis Davitt, who finished with a tally of 1-1 and Darragh Flynn, the lads earned a comfortable win on a scoreline of 2-7 to 0-7 points.

The Juniors meanwhile were all set for their match against Melvin Gaels on Sunday evening however they received a walk over at the eleventh hour meaning that the retain their place in the Junior A championship in 2010.

Well done to all involved for their effort they put in during the year. That includes the old management and the new management who all endeavoured to do their best for Drumkeerin. While the season may have ended with no silverware once again, signs are that, that might not be the case for much more.

Lotto:

Lotto took place on Saturday night. Numbers drawn were 1, 6, 11, 19. There was no winner of the jackpot. €20 winners were Fiona McPadden, Barry Gilhooly, Co 2 Lisnagot, Carrick, Vincent McCabe, Keadue, Vicky Skelton and Irene Redican. Lotto returns in Saturday week.

Club Notes - 26th August 2009:

Minor Final:

Our minor team are scheduled to take on Dromahaire later tonight in the Championship Dolan Cup final at 7pm. At the time of going to print I have no details of the venue but please check this paper for details.

Relegation Play-offs:

Our relegation semi-final against Ballinaglera was called off as a result of monsoon conditions on Sunday. The game has been re-fixed for this Saturday the 29th of August at 6.30pm in Drumshanbo.

Meanwhile our Juniors are in a similar position when they take on Melvin Gaels this Sunday in Ballinaglera at six.

Under 14 Girls:

The club would like to say a belated well done to our Under-14 Girls and their managers on their fantastic achievement on winning the Under-14 County title. The team defeated Fenagh on a scoreline of 9-11 to 1-10 in Leitrim Village. It is a tremendous achievement given that this is the girl's second title in as many years.

Hopefully it bodes well for the future and we may see some senior titles comes to club. Once again well done to the panel of Kate Byrne, Tara Drugan, Megan Wynne, Deirdre Davitt, Mary Louise McCabe, Annie Marie Gallagher, Shannon O'Grady, Michaelaigh Nolan, Aoife McKenna, Shauna Clancy, Martina Gallagher, Linda McCabe and their managers.

Underage Fixtures:

Both our Under 12 and Under 16 teams are in action this week. The Under 12s are at home to Annaduff in the 13-a-side championship on Monday evening. Our Under 16s on the other hand take on Glencar/Manorhamilton in their first game of the Under 16 15-a-side championship. Good luck to both teams.

Race Night:

Our race night took place on the Bank holiday weekend earlier this month. As has been the case in previous years the level of support we got from the local community and beyond was outstanding.

A special word of thanks must go to all the sponsors all of whom are listed below:

DRUMKEERIN STONE; SALMON INN, LAGHY, DONEGAL; THOMAS AND ANNE FALLON; KILLASNETT CO-OP MANORHAMILTON; ABBEYLARA GARDEN CENTRE; BRIAN O'HAGAN MANORHAMILTON; NOEL MCPADDEN, COAL MERCHANT DRUMKEERAN; EAMONN DEVANNEY BUTCHER DROMAHAIRE; KELLY AND RYAN SOLSR MANORHAMILTON; TONY MCGOVERN, CIVIL ENGINEERING, BOYLE; TONY FORDE; MICHAEL ROGAN BUS HIRE, DRUMKEERAN; JOE GUNNING CONWAYS BAR DRUMSHANBO; PAT MITCHELL CARRIGALLEN; SEAN QUIGLEY CIVIL ENG. ENNISKILLEN; JOE FOWLEY MOTORS DROMAHAIRE; DESSIE MC DERMOTT CONST MAORHAMILTON; MICK THE BARBER, DRUMSHAMBO;

JJ CONNOLLY CIVIL ENG. MANORHAMILTON; KANE TILES, DRUMSHANBO; JOE GALLAGHER, LONDON; CIARAN MCNAMA; THE BRANDYWELL DROMOD; HUGH THOMAS O' ROURKE PLANT HIRE DRUMKEERAN; MCGOVERN AND WALSH SOLSR MANORHAMILTON; HENRY BOUCHIER; GIBBON'S CENTRA DRUMSHANBO; NOEL WOODS; MULVEYS MART STORE; KARL SCOLLAN GALA DRUMSHAMBO; FORDES INN DRUMKEERAN; LEITRIM FARM MACHINERY JOHNY Mc GEE; CLUB HOUSE DROMAHAIRE; HOME FARM CONVS SOLICITORS. MANORHAMILTON; FRANCIS DAVITT PLAN & DESIGN; BREFFNI STORE, DRUMKEERAN, BRIDGE GALLAGHER; LEITRIM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY; GERRY MCMORROW HAULAGE DOWRA; HUBERT MC CORMACK; J0E GANLEY CARRICK ON SHANNON; CUTTING EDGE HAIR SALOON DRUMKEERAN; LEITRIM GAA SUPPORTERS CLUB DUBLIN; ROWANTREE RESTAURANT, MAUREEN FEE;

GALLAGHER BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION; LIAM MCTIERNAN CONSTRUCTION; FRANK HEALY TYRES BALLYFARNON; GUINNESS; JIM GALLAGHER CREEVELEA; WALSH BUTCHERS, BALLYSHANNON/BALLINTRA; FRANCIS MCPARTLAND KITCHENS DRUMKEERAN; GABRIEL CLARKE BUTCHER DRUMKEERAN; TOMMY O'ROURKE BUS HIRE; SEAMUS GALLAGHER; INSPIRE DENTAL CARE KILBURN, DR. CAILLIN REDICAN; JOHN MULVEY, BALINAGLEARA; GILL SHEDS & TYRES DRUMSNA; FRANK FARRY, BALLLINAMORE; PEGGY HORAN; LA NUA, PADRAIG FALLON; PAUL GALLAGHER CONSTRUCTION CORRY; HEINEKEN; LA BELLE FLEUR SHOP, DRUMSHANBO; ROONEYS COSY CORNER; GAEL LINN; JOHNY MCGRATH VIDEO HIRE DUMSHANBO; OLIVER SHANLEY OLLIE'S REPAIRS; DEBBIE AND DAVID KENNY FOOD STORE DRUMKEERAN; REV GERARD ALWILL; DRINO; GILMARTIN CASH N CARRY CARRICK;

THOMAS MC SHARRY CONST; BRENDAN CHRISTY HACKNEY SERVICE; LOUGH ALLEN COFFEE SHOP, C. MCLOUGHLIN; DOVEA A.I. JIMMY WATERS; JOHN LANGAN TILES DRUMKEERAN; CLLR MARY BOHAN; BRITELITE WINDOWS; DRUMKEERAN HANDBALL, SPORT & LEISURE LTD; DESSIE WYNNE AUCTIONEERS; CLLR ENDA MCGLOIN; JIMMY MCNAMA; JOE MCLOUGHLIN; CMCS SECURITY RICHARD MC TIERNAN; FRANK DAVITTS BAR; DRUMKEERAN I.F.A; MICHEAL MCNAMARA PLANT HIRE; TOOLAN SOLRS BALLINAMORE; KERRIGANS QUARRIES; JIM FEENEY NAVAN.

Of course a race night is not a race night without some winners and the ten lucky recipients of 50 were: Carmel Fallon, JJ Connolly, Geraldine Dolan, Kevin Conaire, Rosaleen Dolan, Kathleen Nolan, Louise McSharry, Martina Gallagher, Eamon Fallon and Daniel McSharry.

Thanks once again to everyone that lent their support. Hopefully we will meet again in 2009.

Lotto:

The final lotto of the month takes place again this weekend. The previous draw was held on Saturday the 15th of August. Number drawn were 10, 18, 24 and 25. There was no winner of the jackpot. 20 winners were Darragh Flynn, Kevin Forde, Aaron Wynne, Kate Byrne and Paddy Byrne, Ballinamore. Jackpot rolls over to €2,390.

Good Luck:

Good luck to all of the member who return next week to either school or college. For some it is an exciting new time for other it is time to get down to work. Whatever the case the club wishes you the best of luck for the coming academic year.

Apologies:

Apologies for the notes not appearing in the paper last week. A mixture of computer difficulties led to their absence.

Club Notes - 10th August 2009:

Intermediate Championship:

It was a disappointing weekend for our Senior team who went out of the Intermediate Championship on Saturday after losing to Dromahaire. After a poor first half the team re-grouped and applied tremendous pressure to our near neighbours however we just could not make it count on the scoreboard.

Nevertheless despite the loss there are some positives to take from the year given that a number of new players have emerged which hopefully will make it a stronger panel for years to come.

Well done to Glenfarne/Kilty and Dromahaire who now progress to the quarter finals. We however must play a relegation play-off against Ballinaglera in the coming weeks.

Junior:

It was equally as heartbreaking for the Junior team who lost to Leitrim Gaels on Sunday. Hard luck to all involved.

Under 14's:

While it was a tough weekend for our Seniors team again our Underage teams continue to do the club proud. This time it was our Under 14 team who stepped up to the mark on Friday evening to win the 11-a-side championship final against Kiltubrid. Final Scoreline: Drumkeerin:4-11, Kiltubrid: 2-05.

At the beginning of the year there was a fear that because of new rules we may struggle to field an Under 14 team for the coming year. However thanks to the hard work of Enda McNama, Kevie Forde, Patrick Byrne and John Joe Byrne this team have now claimed two trophies for the club this year.

Well done to all involved. The team deserve immense credit for the courage and skill they have shown this year and hopefully it is a sign of things to come for the future.

Under 10's:

On Wednesay evening everyone can get a chance to see the stars of the future when the club’s Under 10 team take on Glencar/Manor in the field at 6.30pm. Please support.

Best Wishes:

The club would like to take this opportunity to send its best wishes to Seamus Dillon of the Glenfarne/Kilty club who was in a terrible accident recently. Our thoughts are with you at this time.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place again this weekend. Jackpot is €2,390. Can this month’s ticket sellers please co-ordinate with Eamon O’Grady Snr. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Club Notes - 3rd August 2009:

Junior Championship:

Our Junior side began their championship campaign on Monday in Leitrim Village against Gortlettragh. Despite a sterling effort the side went down by nine points.

Their next match takes place against Leitrim Gaels in Pairc Sean at 4.30pm. Indeed it is a busy weekend for the senior players of the club with the Senior Team playing Dromahaire in Drumshanbo on Saturday at 5pm. Best of luck to all involved and please support.

Under 14 Final:

Our Under 14 team line out in the 11 a-side County Final this Friday against Kiltubrid. The match throws in at 7pm but as of yet no venue has been fixed. Please check this paper for details.

Sports Day:

Despite a few droplets of rain our Sports Day was a great success. It was wonderful to see so many youngsters give their all in every race on the day and hopefully all of them went home happy.

Thanks to everyone who contributed on the day. I will include a full list of those who helped next week but well done to all the players who lent a hand with some great activities.

The highlight of the day was the alternative football match. Balloons, lipstick and some dodgy fashion was the order of the occasion with some of the lads unsurprisingly showing a real zest for dressing up.

Race Night:

Sunday Night's Race Day in Davitts Bar was once again an unqualified success. Thanks to all that attended, sponsored races and bought horses for the night.

Dessie Wynne was once again MC extraordinaire for proceedings. Likeabove I will provide a full list of all those who contributed in next week's paper but at this stage let me just take this opportunity to praise the whole community and beyond for lending their support to our biggest fundraiser of the year.

Lotto:

Lotto took place again on Saturday Night. Jackpot was €2,325. Numbersdrawn were 1, 15, 20 and 23. Unfortunately there were no winners. €20 winners on the night were: Shannon O'Grady, Kitty Coyle, Gerald Christy, Alan McVeigh and Marie and Kate Byrne.

Thanks to Eamon O'Grady Snr, Dara Flynn, Jason Byrne and Kevie Forde for co-ordinating the draw. Also thanks to everyone all supported it is greatly appreciated.

Club Notes - 27th July 2009:

Intermediate Championship:

Our Senior team earned a point in the first round of the Intermediate Championship against Glenfarne in Ballinaglera on Sunday.

After a tough year it was wonderful to finally get the championship underway. While the football on show may not have been of vintage quality throughout, both teams went full thrust into the contest in what was true Championship fare.

While it was disappointing not secure the win after taking a two point lead into the closing stages, we live to fight another day and can be glad that after a string of defeats we have registered a point on the board and that the team performed admirably. They now have a break until the weekend after next when we meet Dromahaire in our final group game.

A note of praise must go to the patrons of Ballinaglera GAA for the quality of the club grounds on Sunday. In addition to the immaculate quality of the pitch (despite our recent monsoon climate) the dressing rooms were perfectly laid out and parking was excellently organised on the day. Well done to all involved.

Full Match Report available in "Media Watch" section.

Junior Championship:

There is no rest for the wicked as our Junior team get their championship campaign kicked off this weekend against Gortlettragh on Bank Holiday Monday at 3.30pm in Leitrim Village.

With the effort that has been shown at training by all of the panel it is clear to say that this is a very strong second team. With that in mind they deserve our support.

Under 14 final:

At the time of going to print it is known the Under 14 final involving Drumkeerin against Kiltubrid will take place on Bank Holiday Monday also. I do now have at hand the time or venue but please check this paper for details.

This team are going for their second trophy of the year and it would be a tremendous achievement for all involved if they pull it off. We wish them luck.

Under 10s:

Our Under 10s are in action this Wednesday away to Glenfarne in a tournament match. All players are asked to be in the Square at 6pm for the bus to the match.

Race Night:

The clubs biggest fundraiser of the year takes place this Sunday Night with the hosting of the Annual Race Night. MC on the night with once again be Dessie Wynne.

Everyone involved in the club is invited to come along and enjoy what is sure to be a great night's entertainment. Over the past year's this has been a great source of enjoyment for everyone in the town while also providing some much needed funds so hopefully once again we will see everyone there.

The club would like to express its gratitude to everyone who have already sponsored either a race or a horse for the event so far. Without this generosity it simply couldn't happen.

Sports Day:

In line with the weekend's festivities the Sports Day also takes place at the club grounds on Sunday. It all kicks off at 2pm.

Everyone from around the parish and beyond are invited to come along and enjoy the variety of games that are on offer. We hope to see you all there.

Executive Meeting:

A short executive meeting will take place this Thursday at 9pm in the Dressing Rooms to finalise details for the Race Night. All members of the executive are asked to attend.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place again this Saturday night. As it is the first draw of August new sellers are in situ.

Jason Byrne, Darragh Flynn, and Dessie Wynne are asked to co-ordinate with Eamon O'Grady Snr. Thanks again to everyone for their continued support.

Familiar face:

There was a familiar face on our TV screens last Saturday during the Donegal v Galway qualifier in Sligo. Eamon O'Grady Jnr was assistant referee on the day and had to make a few interventions during the course of the 70mins.

Well done to Eamon who is certainly making a name for himself on the national panel having recently refereed the Minor Connacht Final.

Club gear available:

A host of club gear is now available to purchase in the town. This includes club socks, togs and replica jerseys.

All items are available in Kenny's and Breffini Stores. The club would like to thank both proprietors for facilitating us in stocking the items.

Club Notes - 20th July 2009:

Lotto:

The lotto took place in Daviits Bar on Saturday last with a jackpot of €2,260. There was no jackpot winner on the night.

Numbers drawn were 8,14,17,26 and the €20 winners were Claire Rooney - Cosy Corner, Kara Doherty - Keshcarrigan, John Buckley - Sheena, Martina Davey - Ballisadare, Seamus Lavin - Drumkeerin.

Next lotto draw takes place in Fordes Bar on Saturday, August 1, with a jackpot of €2,325. Co-ordinators for August are Dessie Wynne, Darragh Flynn and Jason Byrne.

Cúl Camp:

A reminder to all parents to submit your Cúl Camp applications to Francis Davitt or Thomas Keenan before July 26.

Minors:

The minor team had a convincing win over Annaduff last week and this places them in the 13-a-side Minor Championship Final. This is a great opportunity for the lads and good luck to you all. Fixture to be decided.

U12:

Well done to the U12 football team who finished off their blitz against Allen Gaels. These games will have given the players lots of confidence and experience for the upcoming championship. Well done to you all.

Seniors:

The senior team was out against Aughavas which proved to be a very tight contest with Aughavas coming away with the points. Championship begins this weekend in Ballinaglera where they will play Glenfarne. Game starts at 2:30pm. Good luck lads.

Connacht Minor Final:

Well done, yet again to our own Eamon O' Grady who referred the Minor Championship Final on Sunday last. This is Eamon's third Minor championship final to ref and by all reports he did a fine job.

Executive Meeting:

Could all members please attend a short meeting of the executive committee in the dressing rooms on Thursday, July 23, at 9:30 re-update on the Race Night.

Race Night/Sports Day:

Don't forget the August Bank holiday weekend arrangements for the sports day and race night organised by the GAA club. Our sports day takes place on the Sunday in the football field beginning at 2pm and is set to be a fun day for all the family so come and enjoy it.

The annual Race Night takes place on Sunday, August 2, in Davitts Bar and if the past few years is anything to go by, this night will be a great success and a good night's entertainment for the locals and visitors over that weekend.

There has been huge support from sponsors this year and off course the people buying horses so thank you to you all and it is very encouraging for the club when the locals show such interest in the efforts of the club.

Benefit Social:

Drumkeerin GAA Club organised a benefit social for injured player Eddie Mc Tiernan and other injured players within the club. The support that these players received from the local and surrounding areas was unbelievable. It is difficult to convey how grateful the club is that you people showed such generosity to the players and we are very grateful on their behalf. There are many people to thank and I hope I leave no one out.

A special word of thanks to Michelle McNama and the groupa ceol for thier wonderful musical entertainment, to Kevin Logue and Sean Wrynn, to Carmel O' Grady who is always on hand with amplification & Fiachra O'Thorna for his entertainment. We really appreciated your efforts.

Again a huge thank you to Chrissie McLoughlin who organised the food of which there was no shortage for all the people in attendance. Not alone did Chrissie cook and supply the food but she also sponsored it. This was the case for all the entertainers on the night also volunteered their time on behalf of the Benefit Social which was very successful. This is, yet again, indicative of the kindness and generosity of the people of our local and surrounding areas.

Club Notes - 13th July 2009:

Benefit Social:

A benefit social in aid of Eddie Mc Tiernan, who was seriously injured recently, and other injured players of Drumkeerin GFC will take place in the Community Centre at 9pm on Friday, July 17.

Entertainment by local musicians to include the local groupa ceol who took part in the All-Ireland Fleadh recently.

Light refreshments on the night. Please support this very worthy cause.

Lotto:

The next club Lotto draw takes place in Davitts Bar on Saturday. Co-ordinators are Eamon O' Grady, Patrick Byrne and Keith Gallagher.

Underage:

Well done to the U14 team who beat Melvin Gaels on Friday last. Well done to our U12 girls team who won their game on Thursday when they beat Glencar/Manor. Congrats to players and management alike.

All Ireland Shield:

Congratulations to the U14 County Girls who had a great win on Sunday last. They beat Offaly in the All Ireland U14 B Shield Final.

Our club has five players on the team and special congrats to them, Kate Byrne, Ann-Marie Gallagher, Shauna Clancy, Deirdre Devitt and Shannon O' Grady.

A special word of thanks to Pat and Geraldine McWeeney, Ciaran Moran, Bernie McLoughlin and Mary Bohan who have dedicated so much of their time to this team. Well done to you all.

Race Night and Sports Day:

By now, no doubt, you are aware that our annual Race Nite is coming up. Many of our club members will be selling horses and looking for your sponsorship. It costs €50 to sponsor a race and €10 to buy a horse.

This annual event is very popular and promises a great nights entertainment. It takes place in Davitts Bar on Sunday night, August 2nd (Bank Holiday weekend) and as always we thank you for your continued support.

On the same day at 2pm, we will hold our annual Sports Day which again, is always great fun and an opportunity for a family day out. Everybody is welcome and again we thank you all in anticipation.

Club Notes - 6th July 2009:

Division 3:

Our Division 3 side were unlucky in their defeat against Ballinaglera's first team in the final round of games. A bit more luck in front of goal and it could have been a different story for the lads. Hard luck now it is time to look forward to the championship.

Underage Success:

Well done to both the Under 14 and Minor sides who recorded impressive wins in their respective championships last week.

Both teams had to overcome deficits with the Under 14s coming through against Leitrim Gaels on Friday and the Minors dishing out some revenge against Carrigallen on Thursday. Well done to all involved.

The minor are out again Wednesday evening when they take on Dromahair at home. Throw in at 7pm.

The Under 14s are away to Melvin Gaels on Friday evening with a throw in time also at 7pm. Good luck to all.

All-Ireland Final replay:

Good luck to all of the girls from the club who are involved with the Leitrim Under 14 team that play in the replay of the All Ireland Shield final against Offaly this weekend.

Kate Beirne, Ann Marie Gallagher, Shauna Clancy, Deirdre Devitt, Shannon O'Grady and Michaelagh Nolan have done their club proud so far this year and no doubt they can help Leitrim power through come the weekend. I have no details for the fixture at the time of writing but please get check this paper and get behind the girls.

Under 12 Girls:

Our Under 12 girls recorded an excellent victory against Mohill last Thursday. The team won out on a scoreline of 4-6 to 0-3. Well done to all involved.

This Thursday they are away to Glencar/Manorhamilton at 7pm. Some great work is being done with the juvenile girls and they deserve our support. Best of luck.

Leitrim v Longford:

Hard luck to Colm and the rest of the Leitrim team who were beaten by Longford in the first round of qualifiers on Saturday.

Although he didn't play Saturday Colm has had a great year to date and established himself as a county star. Well done.

Table Quiz:

The final table quiz took place on Sunday in Davitts. Thanks again to everybody who supported the event it was a massive success. Once again Joe Early was unstoppable en route to victory greatly aided by Eamonn O'Grady Snr, Colm Clarke and Jason Byrne. In all 13 tables took part.

A number of sport prizes were given out on the night. Thank you so much to all the sponsors who were: Francis and Rosaleen Davitt (Bottle of Whiskey), Jimmy McPadden & Drumkeerin Stone (€25), Kerrigan's Quarry (€20), Mary Bohan (4x€15 one for all vouchers), John Joe Byrne and family (Box of Biscuits) and Clarke's Butchers (Bottle of Whiskey).

Credit must go to everyone who made the quizzes such a success over the four weeks including the four pubs for lending their premises, Carmel O'Grady for the amplifier, Gabriel Flynn and Seamus Gallagher for being quiz-masters, Laurine Walpole, Camilla McDonagh and Catherine Clancy for preparing and organising the quizzes, all of the sponsors and finally to you the fans who contributed so wholeheartedly to cause. Over €2,000 was raised overall and all of these monies will go straight back into the underage structures of the club.

Best Wishes:

A belated best wishes to Ciaran White who underwent surgery on his knee last week. The first step to recovery and by this time next year we will see him back on the field of play.

Lotto:

Our latest lotto draw took place on Saturday 20th of June. Numbers drawn were 2, 9, 19, 26. Unfortunately there were no jackpot winner.The five €20 winners were as follows: Ashling Woods - Sheena, Colin Mc Kenna - Tarmon, Sean Mc Weeney - Baraghmore, Ciara Fallon - Sheena and Maura Ford - Drumkeerin.

Thanks to Eamonn O'Grady Snr for co-ordinating the draw. The next draw takes place in Davitts July 19th with a jackpot of €2,260. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Executive meeting:

An executive meeting takes place Wednesday the 8th of July in the Rowanberry at 9pm. A number of items will be discussed including the annual race night and a possible sports day next month on the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

Contact:

If you have anything that you would like included in the notes please contact me at either (086) 0663228 or email me at feeney.stephen@gmail.com

At the best of times I can forget even the most important of things so please do not hesitate to let me know. Thanks.

Club Notes - 29th June 2009:

Leitrim v Longford:

Good luck to Colm and the rest of the Leitrim Senior Football team as they take on Longford in the qualifiers this Saturday. A lot of talk is going on down here in Longford that this will be a walkover - we know that is not the case.

Please note that this weekends qualifier game is cash at the turn stiles except for the stand which is ticket only.

Tickets for Leitrim v Longford will be distributed to our club secretary Micheal Forde on Wednesday night.

€10 concession only for OAP's on Stand tickets.

Three in a row for Joe and Co:

The third of the club's four table quizzes was held in Wynne's Bar on Sunday night. Thanks to everyone that attended.

A special word of thanks to Seamus Gallagher who stood in as quizmaster at short notice and Laurine and Camilla for once again avidly preparing the questions. Also thank you to Wynnes who sponsored a bottle of baileys and a €30 fuel voucher.

Joe Early was once again part of a winning team this time with Eamon O'Grady Snr, Rosaleen Davitt and Gillian Forde. If you think you can stop a clean sweep come along to the final table quiz which will be held in Davitt's on Sunday night.

A table of four will cost €40 for adults and €20 for juveniles. To date the response has been terrific and with only one to go we hope to see as many people in this Sunday to support a great cause.

VHI Cúl Camps:

I have been asked to remind club members that the VHI Cúl camps will arrive in Drumkeerin this later this month on the 27th to the 31st of July.

The Vhi GAA Cúl Camps provide boys and girls – between the ages of 7 and 13 – with a week of activity during the summer holidays which revolves around maximising enjoyment and sustaining participant involvement in Gaelic Games. All of the games are catered for including football, hurling and camogie.

Places are still available. Cost per child is €70 with the 2nd child in the family paying €50 and the third and fourth child paying €40 each.

If you are interested please contact co-ordinator Thomas Keenan on 087 6591049. Places are limited so please do not delay.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place this weekend. As it is the first draw of the month new tickets sellers are asked to co-ordinate with Eamon O'Grady Snr.

The new sellers are Eamon O'Grady Jnr, Keith Gallagher and Patrick Byrne. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Thanks also to Gallaghers who sponsored the latest rounds of lotto tickets. It is greatly appreciated.

Underage Football:

Championship football is in the air with most of our teams set to kick off their campaigns in the coming month. Our minors get it start Wednesday when they take on Carrigallen away at 7pm in the 13 a-side championship.

Then on Friday our League winning Under 14 team take on Leitrim Gaels in the 11 a-side championship at home at 7pm. Good luck to all involved and lets up it marks the start of a great month. Let us get behind all of them.

Division 3:

Our Division 3 side have a massive game against Ballinaglera this Sunday. The match is away at 2pm. Please come a long and support in what is a vital game for all involved.

Club Notes - 22nd June 2009:

Under 16's:

Hard luck to our Under 16 team who lost to St Mary's of Carrick-on-Shannon by two points in the Division One Final on Friday.

Although this correspondent was not at the match my understanding is that the team were unlucky not to win on the night. Hard luck to all involved but remember Championship isn't too far away.

A full match report of the final is available in the Media Watch section.

Juniors:

Our Division 3 went down to a very strong Glencar/Manorhamilton side in the revised Round 7 of the league on Sunday. The lads endeavoured well and following a couple of injuries their challenge petered out.

Hard luck to those involved but with one game to go they are still within a chance of staying up.

Lotto:

Our latest lotto draw took place on Saturday the 20th of June. Unfortunately there was no Jackpot winner.

The five €20 winners were as follows Mary Mc Hugh - Turpann, Drumkeerin, Amy Bohan - Drumkeerin, Roisin Devenany - Drumkeerin, Aileen Gormely - Aughnasheelin and Adrian Mc Keague -Carrick-on-Shannon

Thanks to Eamonn O'Grady Snr for co-ordinating the draw. The next draw takes place in Davitt's July 5th with a jackpot of €2,195.

Table Quiz:

The second of the club's four table quizzes was held in the Forde's Inn on Sunday night. Thanks to everyone that attended as once again it was a great success.

For the second week running we had ten tables taking part on the night. It was a comfortable victory for the team consisting of Brenna Dolan, Deirdre Devitt, Michelle McNama and Joe Early.

Thanks to Ian and the rest of the Forde family for providing the premises and sponsoring a bottle of whiskey. To Anne Fallon who also sponsored a spot prize and the same to Kenny's XL Stop and Shop.

Gabriel Flynn, who will be sorely missed in his absence next week, once again held the floor wonderfully. Also thank you to Laurine and Camilla for preparing and correcting the questions for the night.

The third quiz takes place this Sunday (the 28th of June) at 9.30pm in Wynne's. A table of four will cost €40 for adults and €20 for juveniles. We are asking that everybody gets behind this really worthwhile cause, the young players are the lifeblood of our club and all of them deserve the best they can get.

Handball:

Well done to the Handball club on their wonderful achievement at the weekend on reaching the Girls 2009 Feile na nGael Division 3 Handball Final.

The girls went down to Kilkenny's Goresbridge in the decider however they accounted for some big names along the way. It's great to see the club continuously going strong so well done to all involved.

Club Notes - 15th June 2009:

Division Two:

We had a heartbreaking end to our Division Two match against Glenfarne in the pitch on Saturday evening. Final Scoreline Drumkeerin 1-08, Glenfarne 1-10.

After controlling the game for long periods and leading by two points heading into stoppage time we conceded an unlucky goal which proved to be our undoing in the end.

Well done to all involved for a much improved performance from previous outings. Hopefully there will be a turnaround in results when the same two sides meet in the first round of the championship.

Best wishes:

The club would like to extend best wishes to Eddie McTiernan who suffered a bad injury during the match on Saturday evening.

Thanks to everybody from both the club and Glenfarne who endeavoured to bring him off the field in the safest of fashions. We wish Eddie a speedy recovery from his operation on Monday and hopefully it won't be that long until we see you slotting over those frees again.

Bon Voyage:

Good luck to Seamus Dolan, Thomas Davitt and Enda McNama who set sail for Canada Tuesday. Although the lads will be sorely missed on the football field while they spend the Summer abroad, we will hopefully see them back in action come September.

All-Ireland Finalists:

Well done to Drumkeerin's Kate Beirne, Ann Marie Gallagher, ShaunaClancy, Deirdre Davitt, Shannon O'Grady, Michaelagh Nolan who were all involved in the Leitrim Under 14 team who won the Under 14B Shield All-Ireland Semi Final on Sunday.

The girls put in a tremendous result to beat Fermanagh in Templeport, Cavan. Final scoreline: Leitrim 6-15; Fermanagh 0-06.

They now can look forward to contesting the All-Ireland Final against Offaly in Two Weeks. Fixture yet to be confirmed.

Club Meeting:

A club meeting will be held in the Rowanberry on Wednesday evening at 9pm. All club members are asked to attend.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place again this weekend. Can all sellers please co-ordinate with Eamon O'Grady. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Table Quiz:

The first of the club's four table quizzes was held in the Cosy Bar on Sunday night. Thanks to everyone that attended by all accounts it wasa great success.

Ten tables took part on the night. After a hotly contested encounter the team consisting of Eamon O'Grady Snr, Joe Early, Maeve Gallagher and Janet Doherty won out.

Thanks to the Rooney's for kindly providing sandwiches on the night and also for sponsoring first prize in the raffle. The same to Anne and Tomas Fallon who also sponsored a prize.

Gabriel Flynn once again showed why many are touting him as the next presenter of Blackboard Jungle after another impressive display as Quizmaster. He was supported by Catherine Clancy who organised the questions.

The second quiz takes place this Sunday (the 21st of June) at 9.30pm in Forde's. A table of four will cost €40 for adults and €20 for juveniles. We are asking that everybody gets behind this really worthwhile cause, the young players are the lifeblood of our club and all of them deserve the best they can get.

Guess the Score:

There was no winner of our recent Guess the Score competition for the Leitrim v Roscommon Connacht Championship match. There were however a number of runners-up who scooped €50.

They were Gabriel Clarke, Christina Byrne, Donal Gallagher and Seamus Fallon. Well done and thanks to everyone for their support.

Under 16 Final:

Our Under 16's are gearing themselves for the U16 15-a-side league final which takes place this Friday. The lads will take on St Mary's, Carrick-on-Shannon on @ 7pm. A venue has yet to be confirmed but check this paper for details.

Felix McPartland:

A guard of honour from the club led the procession at the removal of Felix McPartland who died on Saturday, the 13th of June.

Felix was one of the club's great servants and was the last surviving member of the 1939 side who won the North Leitrim Championship and were engaged in the four game epic County Junior Final.

Playing at right half forward, Felix more than played his part in one of the club's most famous teams that went down to Ballinamore after the fourth and final game.

He was laid to rest at St Brigid's Church, Drumkeerin on Monday money following his funeral mass. We extend.

Club Notes - 8th June 2009:

Under 14 Heroes:

Congratulations to the Under 14 team and their management of Kevie, Enda and Patrick on their terrific win in the 9-a-side league final on Thursday evening.

A sun soaked Ballinaglera was the venue for a terrific games between two great teams. Drumkeerin's size and power in front of goal made the difference in a tight match.

Aughnasheelin got off to a terrific start scoring two quick fire goals in the first ten minutes. However Drumkeerin responded well and went in at half time just slightly ahead.

In the second half it was more of the same, with some great football on display. Some vital interceptions and a late goal proved to be the difference with Drumkeerin winning on a scoreline of 2-11 to 2-5.

There were heroes all over the pitch from Dean Brolly in goal to Robert Fee and Declan Daly in the backs. Sean Hazlette had a terrific game while Jerome Maguire never backed down from a challenge.

Thomas McPartland and Sean O'Grady got vital scores at vital times. James Gallagher led the line well while captain fantastic Cathal McCawley etched up a staggering 2-7. They were well supported by panellists Darragh Woods and James Early.

Team v Aughnasheelin

Dean Brolly; Robert Fee, Declan Daly (0-1), Sean Hazlette; Thomas McPartland (0-2), Cathal McCawley (2-7); Sean O'Grady (0-1), James Gallagher. Subs: Darragh Woods, James Earley.

A full match report of the final is available in the Media Watch section.

Under 16 Final:

A date has been set for the U16 15-a-side league final which involves Drumkeerin. The lads will take on St Mary's, Carrick-on-Shannon on Friday the 19th of June @ 7pm. A venue has yet to be confirmed but be sure to keep your diary free.

Table Quiz:

The club have organised a series of table quizzes over four weeks as part of a major fundraiser for the underage players of our club.

The first quiz takes place this Sunday (the 14th of June) at 9.30pm in the Cosy Corner. A table of four will cost €40 for adults and €20 for juveniles . We are asking that everybody gets behind this really worthwhile cause, the young players are the lifeblood of our club and all of them deserve the best they can get.

Seniors:

Our Seniors had a disappointing loss on Sunday against St Mary's in Division 2. There is a crisis of confidence of late but undoubtedly the team can respond over the next couple of weeks.

They are out again on Saturday against championship opponents Glenfarne at 6.30pm in the field. Please support.

Leitrim Ladies:

A belated hard luck to Drumkeerin's Deirdre, Shannon, Anne-Marie, Shauna, Kate and Michaela who were part of the Leitrim U-14 panel that lost by four points to Roscommon in the Connacht Final recently.

Despite their loss the team are still set to take on an Ulster team in the All-Ireland series.

Lotto:

Lotto took place on Saturday night. Numbers drawn were 2, 10, 13, 20. €20 winners were Myles McPadden, John Buckley, John Flynn, Killargue, Theresa Woods and Gerald Glynn.

Thanks to everyone for their continued support. Lotto will be back Saturday week.

Exams:

A belated good luck to all of the young people associated with the club that have undertaken their Junior and Leaving Certificate Exams. By now you should have them well underway and the worst of any nerves behind you.

RIP:

The club would like to extend its sympathies to Seamus and the rest of the Gallagher family on the death of Teresa last week. A guard of honour from the club led the procession at her removal which took place last Tuesday evening.

Formerly of Ballyshannon and Killargue, Co Leitrim Teresa was laid to rest at St Brigid's Church, Drumkeerin on Wednesday morning. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her whole family at this time.

Club Notes - 1st June 2009:

Leitrim v Roscommon:

Hard luck to Colm Clarke who put in a sterling performance on his debut against Roscommon on Sunday.

Colm raised the roof off Carrick after only 80 seconds when he burst through the Roscommon defence to crack home the opening goal. He certainly done the club proud.

Unfortunately it wasn't enough for the team who battled extremely well throughout. We look forward to seeing who they get in the qualifiers which begin at the start of July.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place again this weekend. Please support. Jackpot is up to €2,065. Can the new sellers please co-ordinate with Eamon O'Grady. Thanks to everyone who takes part.

Under 14 Final:

Our U14's take their place in the 9-A-Side League Final this Thursday against Aughnasheelin at 7pm in Ballinaglera.

This is a cracking young side who have shown tremendous skill and verve to get to where they are today. Best of luck to the panel and their management team of Enda McNama, Kevie Forde and Patrick Byrne.

Underage table quizzes:

The club are organising a number of table quizzes which are set to begin the weekend starting the 13th of June. More details to follow next week.

We ask that everybody give their best possible support to this as it is a vital fundraiser for the most important people in our club...the kids.

Juniors win:

Well done to our Junior team who had a good win against Mohill on Saturday evening. It was a very important victory in the team's fight for survival.

Our seniors are out in action this weekend when they take on St Mary's in Division Two. The game is fixed for Carrick and we ask everybody for their support.

Leitrim vs Roscommon Championship:

Congratulations to Colm Clarke on making the starting 15 for Leitrim against Roscommon this coming Sunday. Colm will start out at no.12 wing half forward.

Drumkeerin GAA wishes Colm the best of luck and we're sure he will do the club proud.

Tickets for Leitrim v Roscommon on sale at Drumkeerin GAA Grounds this Tuesday May 26th between 8 and 9pm.

Student and OAP Patrons must pay full prices as outlined but will be entitled to concessionary refund of €10 on the day of the match at designated stiles only.

Concessions will not apply to Stand Tickets.

Club Notes - 25th May 2009:

Senior game off:

Our seniors received a walk over after Cloone failed to appear on Saturday evening for the Shield Game. Our Juniors are in action this Saturday however when they take on Mohill in a must win Division 3 game.

Throw in is at 6.30pm in the field and all support is welcomed for the game.

Leitrim v Roscommon:

All roads lead to Pairc Sean this Sunday when Leitrim take on Roscommon in the first round of the Connacht Championship. Best of luck to our very own Colm Clarke is on the panel where he is joined by past player Michael Foley.

Both men are battling it out for a spot in the forward line on Sunday and here is hoping that they will make a contribution to a Leitrim win.

Lotto:

Our latest lotto draw took place on Saturday the 23rd of May. There were no Jackpot winners. The five €20 winners were as follows: Mary Bohan, Raymond Mc Padden, Jimmy Mc Padden, Eileen Kelly and Gean Caherly.

Thanks to Eamonn O'Grady Snr, Enda Mc Nama, Joe Earley & Kevie Forde for co-ordinating the draw. The next draw takes place in the Forde's Inn June 6th with a jackpot of €2,065.

Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Under 16's:

Our Under 16s put in a tremendous performance last Tuesday to earn a place in the Division 1 15-a-side final.

In difficult conditions the lads played some of the best football seen by a Drumkeerin side this year and despite some glitches along the way they impressively accounted for Mohill down in the pitch.

They are now down to play St Mary's in the final, a date for which is yet to be fixed. Well done to the whole team and their management of Junior, Richard and Damien who have brought this side to a new level this year.

Minors:

Our minors can be proud of their efforts despite losing to Carrigallen in the pitch on Friday evening. It was a display of great guts and determination however the lads were unable to take victory suffering atwo point loss.

Club Notes - 18th May 2009:

Mixed Weekend:

We had a mixed weekend on the field with a win and a loss to our name. We had a tight but well deserved victory over Aughnasheelin in the Shield competition down in the pitch on Saturday evening.

Why it may not have been a game for the purest, there was great endeavour by both teams and a strong and spirited display by the lads proved enough in the end. Final scoreline was Drumkeerin 0-9, Aughnasheelin 0-6.

On Sunday our junior team travelled to Carrick to face St Mary's in a crunch Division 3 encounter. The lads, many of whom played a full match the night before, did the club proud despite a two point loss.

It leaves our Division 3 status in doubt nevertheless it was great to see so many young lads giving their all and hopefully a good spell of results can bring us out of danger. Final score - St Mary's 1-7, Drumkeerin 0-8.

Fixtures:

There is no division three game this weekend but our seniors head into their second game in the Shield on Saturday evening. Cloone are the visitors to the pitch. Throw in 6.30pm.

County Panel:

Well done to Colm Clarke who has been named on Leitrim's 30 man panel for the forthcoming Connacht Championship. We'll see you in Carrick on May 31st.

Meeting:

This week's club meeting, due to take place tonight (May 20th), has been changed to an executive meeting. Can all members of the executive please attend the Rowanberry at 9pm.

Underage:

Our minors had a great win away to Annaduff on Friday evening, winning on a scoreline of 1-10 to 1-4. They take on Carrigallen on Friday and if they win their next couple of games they could be in line for a play off.

Our under16s were in action against Mohill yesterday evening. A win would put them into the league final. Check results for details.

Guess the Score:

The club are running a guess the score competition for Leitrim's Connacht Championship match against Roscommon. Cards are doing the rounds at the moment. Entry is €2 and there is a top prize of €400. Please support.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place this weekend. Can sellers please co-ordinate with Eamon. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Club Notes - 11th May 2009:

Juniors win:

Our junior team had a well deserved victory at home against Annaduff on Saturday evening. It was great to see a a lot of young lads putting in a great performance with the more seasoned campaigners. Final Scoreline was Drumkeerin 4-8; Annaduff 1-4. Junior game this Sunday May 17th away at 1pm verus St. Marys.

Under 16s:

Our Under 16s continued on their winning ways with a handsome victory away to Ballinamore on Sunday. Well done to the lads and their management. Lets hope that the good form can continue. Final score: Ballinamore/SOH 0-06; Drumkeerin 2-16. See fixtures for details.

Baby joy:

The club would like to congratulate Eamon and Annette O'Grady on the birth of their daughter Sophie last week.

Meeting:

A reminder that a club meeting will take place in the Rowanberry next Wednesday the 20th of May at 9pm. All club members are invited to attend.

Lotto:

Lotto took place again last Saturday night. Unfortunately there were no winners. €20 runners up prizes went to Paddy Mooney, Colette Maguire, Leo Duignan, No2 Lisnagrath, Carrick-on-Shannnon, Kevin McPartland and Kate Hanley.

Thanks to everyone for their support. Lotto takes place again on 23rd of May.

Club Notes - 4th May 2009:

Disappointing weekend:

It was a disappointing weekend on the field for both our senior teams over the weekend. On Saturday the first team suffered an awful blow to their promotion hopes going down away to Eslin. Then on Sunday a strong second half comeback was not enough for the Juniors to overcome a well drilled Allen Gael team in Division 3.

The team have not become bad players over night and hopefully this blotch on our copy books is only a blotch and the team can pick themselves up entering into the summer months. The Juniors are at home to Annaduff this Saturday evening at 6.30pm. Please support.

Underage:

While there was disappointment for the senior sides, at least the club can look forward to enjoying the fruits of our underage structure which continues to go from strength to strength. After losing their opening games both the Under 16 and Under 14 sides have put themselves in contention to proceed in their respective competitions after to huge wins last week.

The under 16 team were excellent in their victory over a well fancied Carrick side in the pitch last Tuesday. While the Under 14's notched up more goals in their game against Glenfarne on Friday. Well done to all involved.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place this Saturday. New sellers for April are Enda McNama, Paul McKenna and Kevin Forde Snr. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Club Meeting:

A club meeting will take place on May the 20th at 9pm in the Rowanberry.

Club Notes - 27th April 2009:

Lotto:

Lotto took place in Wynne's on Saturday night. Numbers drawn were 5, 8, 13, 24. There was no jackpot winner. Five €20 winners were Kevin Forde, Thomas McKenna, Marie McMorrow and Thomas Cassidy twice (yes that is right, twice). Next draw takes place Saturday week. New sellers for April are Enda McNama, Paul McKenna and Kevin Forde Snr. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Division Two:

Our senior team had a hard fought win against Annaduff down in the pitch on Sunday. It was great to see a good crowd there for the first home match of the year.

After starting well the team lost their way a bit and it took a late surge to secure the win. While the performance was far from what will be needed in the future a win is a win and hopefully the team and management can move on in a positive frame of mind.

Final scoreline 2-08 to 3-03.

Fixtures:

Our seniors take on Eslin away on Saturday in the next round of Division two. Throw-in 3.30pm. Our junior team, whose game was cancelled last Sunday are away to Allen Gaels at 1.30pm on Sunday.

Dressing Room Damage:

There was damage caused in the home dressing room last week. The sink was pulled clean off the wall. It took a number of man hours on Saturday to have it in the right condition for the match on Sunday.

Our pitch, dressing room and club grounds are the centre of our parish. Everyone associated with the club, both young and old, have a responsibility to maintain the facilities to the best of their ability. Without them we have nothing and the costs of repairing any damage simply adds to the escalating costs of the club.

While no one has been identified in relation to above damage, every player and manager is reminded to ensure that all club players are adhering to the rules of the club.

Training Pitch:

All players and management are to be reminded that all training and warm up must take place on the training pitch. The field was in great condition for Sunday's match and in order to keep that way we want to limit its activity to matches only.

Club Meeting:

A club meeting will take place on May the 20th at 9pm in the Rowanberry.

Well Done:

A belated well done to all the girls who were involved in the Leitrim team that were narrowly defeated by Mayo in the U14 Connacht Championship. I don't have the names to hand but credit to you all.

Under 14's:

Our under 14s continued on their winning ways with 7-10 to 1-4 victory over St Osnatt's. Well done to the lads.

Club Notes - 20th April 2009:

Congratulations:

Congratulations to Richard and Olivia McTiernan on their wedding which took place in Donegal town on Saturday last. It was remarkable to see the finest weather of the year grace their big day and a large crowd from the club enjoyed the occasion.

The whole of Drumkeerin GAA would like to wish the happy couple and their children Natasha and Dean the very best for the future.

Seniors:

Our Seniors got their Division Two campaign back on track with a well deserved win over Cloone on Friday. It was definitely our best performance of the year with the forwards producing a super display against a team that Drumkeerin have never always had joy over.

The next Division Two game is against Annaduff this Sunday at 12.30pm. The game is down for a home fixture. Meanwhile our Juniors are also down to be out on Sunday taking on St Mary's at 3pm.

U14's:

Our under 14's had a super win on Friday evening against a well fancied Aughavas. The game finished on an astonishing scoreline of 10-9 to 2-7. Well done to the team and management. Lets hope they can keep it going for the next game.

Under 16's:

The under 16 team are due to take on St Mary's in the next round of their Division One league campaign on Friday evening. Check fixtures for details.

Minors:

Unbelievably our Minor's game on Sunday was cancelled due to the non-appearance of a referee. This was a major disappointment to all involved especially considering the lengths some people went to to get to the match. It is a situation that Leitrim County Board will have to look at as it only ever seems to happen with underage games.

Club Notes - 13th April 2009:

Leitrim v Clare:

A large Drumkeerin crowd were in attendance at Pairc Sean on Sunday to see Colm Clarke put in an outstanding performance against Clare in Leitrim's final game of Division 4. Playing centre half forward Colm scored 1-1 from play in the team's 3 point win. Hopefully it bodes well for the championship match against Roscommon in May.

Lotto:

Lotto took place in Wynne's on Saturday night. Numbers drawn were 3, 5, 14, 25. There was no winner of the jackpot. €20 winners were Shane Connaire, Sean Fidgeon, Eddie Williams, Eamon O'Reilly and K Barry. Thanks to everyone for their continued support and to Eamon, Noel and Kevie for co-ordinating the draw. Next draw takes place on the 25th of April.

Wedding Bells:

Best of luck to Club captain Richard McTiernan who gets married this weekend to Olivia Nolan in Belcoo. The club hope that you have a lovely day.

Seniors:

Our senior team take on Cloone this Friday night in the next round of Division 2. It is down for a home match at 7.45pm but this could be subject to change. All support is greatly appreciated.

Meeting:

A reminder that there is a meeting of Drumkeerin GAA executive this Wednesday night (15th of April) in the Rowanberry at 9pm.

Club Notes - 6th April 2009:

What a night:

It is with great satisfaction that I can thank everybody who made last Thursday's visit of Sam Maguire such a great success. A night to remember it was no doubt.

We danced and celebrated the night away under the wonderful entertainment of the Looney Hoppers who impressed everybody with their willingness to get the crowd involved including some of the club's finest singers. Gabriel, we all new that you had it in you.

A big word of thanks must go out to Guthbert Donnelley who arrived in the parish with the Sam Maguire and also the Minor All-Ireland trophy. It was great to see them present and Guthbert said some great words of encouragement following the presentation of medals to the underage.

Congrats to players of the year - Senior: Ciaran White, Junior: James McPartland, Under 21: Keith Gallagher and Minor: Kevie Forde. You all are worthy recipients.

Credit must go to those who made the night such a success including Francis Davitt for the bar and organisational duties, Michael Forde who organised the visit of Sam, Gabriel Flynn for the music, Jimmy McNama and Seamus Duignan for their much needed help on the night. Chrissie for the lovely food, everyone involved in the Community Centre for the kind loan on the night, both the Leitrim Post and Leitrim Observer for their coverage, Eamon O'Grady for MC and for you, the community for being there. If I have left anyone else out I must apologise.

It was a fantastic night and sets the precedence for all social outings in the future. The club should be proud of their efforts and hopefully it will mark the beginning of another successful yea on all fronts.

Senior and Junior:

It was a disappointing weekend on both the senior and junior fronts. Wides were costly in our Division Two game against Carrigallen where we were much the better side but couldn't make it count on the scoreboard, losing on a scoreline of 1-12 to 0-7.

On the other side our Junior hit 11 points from play however a strong second half comeback wasn't enough to secure the win away against a strong Bornacoola side.

Underage:

The club would like to thank Ballinaglera for the use of their facilities for our Minor game against Ballinamore on Monday night. Check paper for results.

Under 14 play St Osnatt's this Tuesday again check paper for time & venue and our under 16's are away to Carrigallen this Good Friday. Best of luck.

Meeting:

The next Executive meeting has been organised for Wednesday the 15th of April in the Rowanberry at 9pm. Can all of the executive strive to attend.

Hard luck:

Hard luck to the Lough Allen College team who lost in their bid to reclaim the Senior Vocational Connacht title.

Lotto:

Sorry for delay but lotto took place last Saturday week. Numbers drawn were 1, 5, 15, 21. There was no winner. €20 winners were Pat Early, Eddie Stokes Carrick, Collette McGuire, Laura Mc Gee and Darryl McFarlane, Ballinamore. Next draw takes place on Saturday. April ticket sellers are now asked to co-ordinate with Eamon. Thanks for your continued support.

Club Notes - 30th March 2009:

Sam is coming:

The wait is finally over. This Thursday night Drumkeerin GAA will be privileged to host the visit of Sam Maguire. It sure to a special event with a night of entertainment for both young and old being organised.

The trophy will be available for locals to get a picture with at the community centre between 7-8pm. A huge amount of events are happening including the presentation of medals between 9-10pm. There will also be an underage disco between 8-9pm. Following the presentation of medals and buffet the kids will ushered away for the start of the Over 18s disco which will catered for by a late bar. Entertainment on the night by the Looney Hoppers.

Also taking place on the night will be the special €500 confined draw for yearly lotto ticket holders. We wish all yearly ticket holders good luck in the draw!

We really want to make this a huge night for the whole community and would ask that everybody get behind the event. Admission at the door.

Leitrim v Kilkenny:

Congrats to Colm Clarke who got his first league start away to Kilkenny at he weekend. It was a great win for Leitrim with a scoreline of 4-19 to 0-4.

Get well soon:

The club would like to extend of good wishes to Thomas McHugh who is recuperating after recently undergoing an operation in Galway.

Under 16s:

Our under 16s led by Richard and Junior lost were unlucky to lose their first league match of the year away to Glencar/Manor. There is a great bunch of players there and losing on a scoreline off 1-07 to 8 points shows there is plenty more to come from this team. Best of luck in the next game.

Connacht Final:

Best of luck to all club members involved with the Lough Allen College Senior team who take on their Drumshanbo counterparts in the Connacht Final this week. Their appearance comes following a win over Coola last week. Its the second year in a row that the school team have reached the final after winning it last time out.

Fixtures:

Our Senior take on Carrigallen away this Saturday at 6pm, while the Juniors continue their campaign against Bornacoola at home on Sunday at 2.30pm.

Club Notes - March 23rd 2009:

Championship Draw:

Draws for this years Intemediate and Junior Football Championship took place in the Bush Hotel on March 23.

In the Intermediate we were drawn against Glenfarne and local rivals Dromahair.

While in the Juniors our opposition will be Leitrim Gaels and Gortletteragh.

County Seniors:

Congrats to Colm Clarke who earned a place on the Leitrim panel for last Sunday's trip to Waterford. His selection came following an amazing performance for the Leitrim Juniors on Saturday where he scored 4 points. Unfortunately he didn't get a run in the ill fated game but hopefully it is a sign of things to come.

U21's:

Hard luck to Aidan Dolan and Thomas Devitt who both started against Sligo in the Connacht Under 21 Championship on Saturday. Well done to both of them for earning a place on the starting XV and playing well on the day.

Juniors:

Our juniors went down by three points away to Gortletteragh on Sunday. The score-line was 1-9 to 1-6. Hard luck to the team and management on the result, although this correspondent was not at the game I understand the lads weren't too far away. Amazingly there is no fixtures for this weekend. This is third weekend in a row that our seniors have had no game.

Key to the door:

Good luck to James McPartland who is celebrating his 21st in Davitts this Saturday night.

Sam is coming:

The excitement is building ahead of the visit of Sam Maguire to the parish next week on the 2nd of April. The trophy will be available for locals to get a picture with at the community centre between 7-8pm. A huge amount of events are happening including the presentation of medals between 9-10pm. There will also be an underage disco between 8-9pm. Following the presentation of medals and buffet the kids will ushered away for the start of the Over 18s disco which will catered for by a late bar. Entertainment on the night by the Looney Hoppers. We really want to make this a huge night for the whole community and would ask that every get behind the event. Admission at the door.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place this Saturday. Jackpot is € 1,740. Can all ticket sellers please co-ordinate with Eamon Snr. Thanks for continued support and good luck.

Club Notes - March 16th 2009:

Lotto:

The lotto was in Wynnes on Saturday night. There were no winners of the jackpot. Twenty euro winners were John Mc Nama, Michael John Flynn, Stephen Feeney, Mark Gallagher and Aaron Wynne. Thanks to everybody who co-ordinated the draw and lent their support. It is greatly appreciated.

Get well soon:

Best wishes to Ciaran White, Damien Mc Padden and Patrick Byrne who are recovering from serious injuries. Patrick underwent surgery on a knee injury this week while the other lads received the results from scans they underwent. Hopefully the lads will recover to full fitness soon and we will see them dawn the Drumkeerin colours again.

Club Night:

Preparations are well underway for the arrival of Sam Maguire to the parish on April 2nd. On the night medals will be presented to all underage winners from last year. There will also be entertainment provided by Looney Hoppers. We are hoping to make this a great night for everyone involved and a lot of work is going into organising it so could all club members please support.

Supervalu - Kids in Action:

The club is now registered for the Supervalu - Kids in Action which will enable us to avail of free sports equipment. For every ten euro spent in the supermarket we will get one voucher for the sports equipment. The club will ask if anyone is shopping in any of the stores could they collect vouchers, it will be of great assistance to the club.

County starlets:

Well done to seven girls in the club who are representing Leitrim ladies at underage level. Michaelagh Nolan, Shannon O' Grady, Tara Drugan, Shauna Clancy, Kate Byrne, Deirdre Devitt and Anne Marie Gallagher are all doing the club proud.

Leitrim Under 21's:

The county under 21s take on Sligo this Saturday ain Pairc Sean. Best of luck to Aiden Dolan and Thomas Davitt who are involved with the panel. Please support.

Club Notes - March 9th 2009:

Division 3:

Our Junior side has a tough opening to their Division Three campaign. Up against Fenagh’s first team our lads were unlucky on the day and went down on a scoreline of 1-14 to 0-5.

Under 14's:

Our 9-a-side under 14 team were also unlucky on Sunday after going down to Aughnasheelin by a small margin. Hard luck to those involved.

Under 16's:

Our under 16s begin their quest for Division One glory this Saturday away to Mohill. The match is at Noon. Please support.

Meeting:

A club meeting takes place this Wednesday the 11th of March in the Rowanberry. All members of the club are asked to attend.

Sam is coming:

The countdown has well and truly began for the very special visit of Sam Maguire to the parish on Thursday the 2nd of April. The legendary cup will be one of the special features of the club's social night which takes place in the community centre. Medals for all of last year's winning teams, as well as players of the year awards will be handed out on the night.

Also taking place on the night will be the special €500 confined draw for yearly lotto ticket holders. We wish all yearly ticket holders good luck in the draw!

The club is hoping to make the night a memorable event and are hoping that all locals that have any association with the club lend their support.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place this Saturday night. It is the first draw of the month so new ticket sellers are in place. These are Pauric Fallon, Brendan McNama and Ciaran White. Could the lads please co-ordinate with Eamon. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

Website:

IT officer Brendan McNama has taken over the reigns of the website. Thanks to Fergus Redican for getting the fantastic site up and running. As you know there are a number of treats on the website including lotto, videos and soon to be available special Drumkeerin club screensaver.

Website News - March 6th 2009:

Site Administration:

Note our club I.T. Officer Brendan McNama has now taken over the duties (from Fergus Redican) of keeping the website content up to date.

Brendan will be the main administrator for keeping fixtures & results, news & notes, guestbook, photo gallery, and most other areas of the website current & up-to-date. Please contact Brendan if you have any updated information which you would like him to add/change on the website.

Fergus will continue to add new functionality & videos to the website at various stages over the year and will add a Club Screensaver (which will be available for download) in the coming days.

We wish Brendan good luck with the task of keeping the site up-to-date, and hope that club members will provide him with the required information for doing so.

Lough Allen College Website:

The club would like to draw your attention to the new Lough Allen College website which has recently been launched.

The very nicely designed website gives an insight into the history & running's of the school, and has sections such as sports and a photo gallery which content will be added to soon.

The site can be accessed at the following address >>

Club Notes - March 2nd 2009:

Lotto:

Lotto took place on Saturday night. Numbers drawn were 5, 10, 19, 23. There was no winner of the jackpot. €20 winners were Pat Early, Eddie Stokes, David McManus, Peter Dolan c/o PJ Clancy, Eddie McCaffrey c/o Davitts.

Thanks to Eamon, Kevie, Dessie and Barry for their involvement in the draw over the past month. Also thank you to all those who sold or purchased yearly tickets.

Division Two:

Our senior team went down to local rivals Dromahaire in Division Two on Saturday evening by two points. Poor underfoot conditions meant that the game turned into a real battle of wills and try as they might our boys just could not cut the deficit despite a good second half performance. They now have a two week break until their next game.

Our division three side begin their campaign this Saturday away against Fenagh at 4.30pm. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Under 14's:

Our under 14's go up against Aughnasheelin in the first round of the 9-a-side competition this Saturday at Noon. Good luck to the team and management for the coming year.

Club Meeting:

A club meeting takes place on Wednesday the 11th of March in the Rowanberry. All members of the club are asked to attend.

Club Notes - Feb 23rd 2009:

Seniors Win:

Our Senior team started their league campaign on Sunday and by all accounts it was a successful day with our boys winning out on a scoreline of 2-11 to 1-3. Credit to all the team who not only had to overcome the psychological battle of defeating last year’s Intermediate final winners Aughnasheelin but also the loss of a number of last’s year’s starting 15. Needless to say none of them were missed with a terrific display and with the talent on show the future definitely looks bright.

Also congratulations to Richard McTiernan and Connor Woods who have been named captain and vice captain respectively for the coming year. Best of luck to the team and management in their next match which takes place this weekend. Check fixtures for details.

On a side note the whole club would like to wish a speedy recovery to Aughnasheelin’s Fergal Early who sustained what looked like a serious injury during the match on Sunday.

Lotto:

Lotto takes place this Saturday night. Jackpot is €1,610. Ticket sellers for the month of February are Dessie Wynne, Barry McPadden and Kevie Forde. Thank you for your continued support.

Yearly Lotto Tickets:

Final call for yearly lotto tickets which are available for one more week priced at €50. By purchasing a ticket not only will you be in with a chance of winning any of the up and coming fortnightly lotto draws for the coming year you will also be entered into a draw for yearly tickets holders only where you could win €500.

In addition to that you will be presented with a Drumkeerin supporters car sticker. Your support for the club is greatly appreciated.

Hard Luck:

Hard luck to the Drumkeerin players involved in Leitrim’s heart breaking defeat against Wexford in the All-Ireland Vocational Schools Semi-Final played in Portarlington, Co Laois. The team went down by two points however credit to those involved for getting that far.

Celebrity Bainisteoir:

Look out for a Drumkeerin influence on TV in the coming weeks. This is due to Eamon O’Grady’s appearance in refereeing the tie between St Michael’s Cootehall and Rockwell Rovers of Tipp for RTE’s Celebrity Bainisteoir. Well done to Eamon and his panel of umpires, you can start charging for your autographs now.

Membership:

There are still some outstanding memberships to be paid. This week is the last week as membership has to be sent to the county board by March 1st. If you still haven’t paid can you please contact Stephen Feeney or any other member of the executive. Prices are as follows:

Mary B. McHugh:

Drumkeerin GAA would like to extend its sympathies to the family of the late Mary B McHugh who died on Monday 8th February at Our Lady's Hospital, Manorhamilton. A large guard of honour from the club turned out following her removal from the hospital chapel on Tuesday the 9th of February with funeral taking place on Wednesday at St Brigid’s church.

Our thoughts go out to her daughters Carmel and Pauline, sons Peter, Hubert, Leo and Thomas, her grandchildren and extended family. May she rest in peace.

Club Notes - Feb 17th 2009:

Minors:

Our minor started their league campaign on Sunday against Allen Gaels. Unfortunately the result didn’t go their way this time round. Hopefully they can pick it up for the next day.

Social Night:

A social night has been pencilled in for the beginning of April. It looks set to take place in the Community Centre on Thursday the 2nd. It is intended that all medals for last year’s achievements will be given out along with senior players of the year awards.

It is also hoped that a special guest in the form of Sam Maguire will also make an appearance on the night. Watch this space for further details in the coming weeks.

Yearly Tickets:

It is the last call for anybody wishing to purchase yearly lotto as yearly tickets will not be sold after the next lotto. (View details below in Club Notes From Feb 9th on purchasing the "Yearly" tickets.)

Membership:

View details below in Club Notes From Feb 2nd on the requirements for paying club "Membership". Players will be unable to take to the field of play in the new year if membership is not paid.

Training Course:

A successful training course took place last weekend. Many thanks to all those that took part. Also to Lough Allen College Principal David Harding and caretaker Seamus Gilhooly for providing facilities. In addition the club would like to thank Thomas Keenan, Jimmy Holohan and Matt Gaffey for their involvement in the training.

Lotto:

Lotto took place last weekend. Numbers drawn were 4, 10, 21, and 22. There were no Jackpot winners.

Thanks to Eamonn O'Grady Snr and the lads for coordinating the draw.

The next draw takes place in the Fordes Feb 28th with a jackpot of €1,610.

Senior League:

Gets your hats, flags and headbands out again as Division Two begins this weekend. The senior team will take on Aughnasheelin on Sunday away at 2pm. Please support and good luck to the lads for the coming year.

Club Notes - Feb 9th 2009:

Lotto:

Lotto takes place this Saturday night. Jackpot is €1,545. Ticket sellers for the month of February are Dessie Wynne, Barry McPadden and Kevie Forde. Could new ticket sellers please make themselves available and co-ordinate with Eamon O'Grady Snr. Thank you for your continued support.

Yearly Lotto Tickets:

Yearly lotto tickets are available for one more week priced at €50. By purchasing a ticket not only will you be in with a chance of winning any of the up and coming fortnightly lotto draws for the coming year you will also be entered into a draw for yearly tickets holders only where you could win €500.

In addition to that you will be presented with a Drumkeerin supporters car sticker. Your support for the club is greatly appreciated.

Minors:

The minors were due to get their 2009 campaign off and running last Sunday. However as was the case with most of the weekend’s fixtures it too fell foul out a blanket of snow. Good luck to the team and their management for the coming year, we looking forward to seeing you in action in the coming weeks.

Executive Meeting:

The monthly meeting of Drumkeerin Executive takes place this week on Wednesday night the 11th of February. It will take place in the Rowantree at 9pm.

Coaching Course:

View details below in Club Notes From Feb 2nd on the upcoming training course to be held this coming Friday/Saturday (Feb 13th/14th).

It is imperative that anybody that has been assigned to take on underage management for the coming year attend.

Membership:

View details below in Club Notes From Feb 2nd on the requirements for paying club "Membership". Players will be unable to take to the field of play in the new year if membership is not paid.

Club Notes - Feb 2nd 2009:

Coaching Course:

The club’s coaching officer Francis Davitt has organised for a coaching course to come to Drumkeerin later this month. The course will take place over two days on Friday 13th/Saturday 14th February.

The section on the Friday will commence at 7.30pm at Lough Allen College and will conclude at 10pm. Saturday’s section will then take place at the field between 11 and 2pm.

While the course is open to all members of the club, it is imperative that anybody that has been assigned to take on underage management for the coming year attend. This is because Croke Park and Leitrim County Board have issued a directive that underage management have a coaching qualification.

In order to put your name forward for this course you can contact Francis at (087) 9067606.

Registration Day:

In order to obtain membership fees and register all players within the club, a further registration day will take place this Saturday, 7th of February in the handball alley between 12-1.

If your child has not registered with the club as of yet could they please attend to fill out registration forms and pay membership fees which are now due for the coming year.

Membership:

Membership is now due urgently for the year 2009. Prices are as follows:

Players will be unable to take to the field of play in the new year if membership is not paid. Money can be given to Stephen Feeney.

Lotto:

Our latest lotto draw took place on Sat 31st of January. There were no Jackpot winners.

Thanks to Eamonn O'Grady Snr, Eamonn Jnr & Joe Early for coordinating the draw. New tickets sellers will now come into force.

The next draw takes place in the Cosy Corner on Feb 14th with a jackpot of €1,545.

Yearly Lotto:

Yearly lotto tickets are now available to purchase. Not only will purchasing the yearly ticket enter you into every draw for the next year it will also put you in with a chance with every other yearly ticket holder to win €500 in a special draw at Easter. If you don't that is enough then a car sticker pledging your support to Drumkeerin GAA will also be given to all yearly ticket holders.

Please contact any member of the executive for further information. Tickets cost €50.

Club Notes - Jan 26th 2009:

FBD League:

Well done to Colm Clarke who made an explosive start to his Leitrim career against Sligo on Friday evening. Leitrim won on a score line of 1-9 to 1-8 and Colm's great second half goal was decisive in that victory. With the national league beginning this weekend in London the whole club would like to wish him and the team the best of luck.

Elsewhere we would like to congratulate Eamon O'Grady for his performance in what appeared like a cracking FBD league final in Tuam on Sunday. It took extra-time to separate Galway and Roscommon in front of 3,000 fans. We would like to also wish Eamon a speedy recovery as I understand that he picked up an injury during the match.

Under 21s:

Hard luck to Thomas Davitt and Aiden Dolan who were on the Leitrim Under21 panel that were defeated by a highly regarded Roscommon side in Kiltoom on Saturday.

EGM:

Last Wednesday the club held a very well attended EGM. At that meeting Michael Forde took up the role of secretary of the club, while Francis Davitt and Seamus Duignan have decided to share the responsibilities of Treasurer. Thanks to all of them as these are two of the most important positions on the executive and I am sure all men, like they have done before, will carry out great work.

Special Club Lotto Draw:

One result of that meeting was that the club have decided to pursue a special club lotto draw. Yearly tickets that will see you entered for all club lotto draws for the coming year can be purchased as of now. If you decide to buy these tickets at a cost of €50 then you will be entered into an additional special draw at Easter with all other yearly ticket holders and be in with a chance of winning €500.

The cost of running a club has never been higher and your support for this fundraising effort by the club would be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in buying a ticket you can contact any member of the executive. In addition club members will be calling to local households in the coming weeks.

Lotto:

The club lotto continues this weekend. Jackpot is €1,485. You can now also support the lotto online at www.drumkeeringaa.com.

Senior Training:

Senior training began on Sunday. The club would like to welcome back Ken McPartland and John McTiernan who have again taken on the roles of manager and selector respectively. In addition John has been joined by new selectors Noel Flynn and Joe Walpole. We wish the whole team and management the best for the year.

Registration Day:

Registration day took place on Saturday. Although there was a good attendance, there are still a number of members that could not make it. As a result a further registration day will take place this Saturday week, the 7th of February, between 11-12. It is vital that all underage players fill out a registration form. Notification will also be sent to schools in the coming days.

Dublin v Tyrone:

Dublin take on all Ireland champions Tyrone this Saturday under lights in Croke Park. It is sure to be a special occasion as the match will tie in with the GAA's 125th anniversary celebrations at HQ on the night. The club have a couple of complementary tickets for the match. If anyone is interested in availing of these they can contact Stephen Feeney @ 086 0663228.

Club Notes - Jan 19th 2009:

EGM:

An Emergency General Meeting has been called for this Wednesday(21st January) in the Rowantree at 9pm. Attendance from club members is important as the meeting has been called to finalise the appointment of a number of key positions in the executive.

Underage Management:

All underage management are asked to attend the Rowantree at 9.30pm this Wednesday in order to discuss plans for the current player year.

Registration Day:

A registration day for all underage players will take place this Saturday at 11am at the Handball court at the field. This is in order to facilitate the paying of membership and gathering information on each player.

Mouth Guards:

At last November's AGM a motion was passed by members that in the interest of safety the club would promote the wearing of mouth guards for all underage players. As part of this the club have investigated the possibility of having custom mouth-guards made for anybody that may be interested.

Figures show that 31% of sporting injuries will result in damage to your teeth, face and head. When you have an injury to your teeth, there is a 95% chance of permanent disfigurement to your most visible upper front teeth. The risk of injury can be seriously reduced by using a quality mouth-guard.

A dental laboratory in Meath that will travel to the club and take moulds for these mouth-guards have agreed that they will strike a deal at €45 per gum shield. This cost is substantially less than what one would pay for a custom made gum shield at a dentist who may charge anything up to €200 for a similar service. Bringing the laboratory up however is dependent on interest from players and parents.

If anybody would like to express their interest in availing of this offer or would like to gather any further information on the benefits of a custom made mouth guard they are welcome to contact Stephen Feeney at 086 0663228.

Leitrim v Sligo:

Unfortunately Leitrim's match with Sligo on Sunday was called off due to the terrible weather over the weekend. The cancellation meant that the eagerly awaited debut of Colm Clarke did not take place however it won't be too long until we see him in the green and gold in the coming weeks.

Club Membership:

Membership is now due for the year 2009. (View detail's of costs as in the Notes below from Jan 5th).

Lotto:

The Lotto took place in Wynne's last Saturday night. The jackpot was €1,425. Numbers drawn were 3, 6, 8, 17. There was no winner. (View 'Club Lotto' page for full details).

IT officer Brendan McNama has set up the lotto online which now means that where ever you are in the world you can support Drumkeerin GAA. The link will soon be available on the Drumkeerin website but can also be gained access to on www.locallotto.ie. Thanks to Brendan for his hard work in this regard, I am sure it will be a great success.

Training:

It is that time of the year again. A meeting and training for all Senior players will take place on Sunday at 12pm. The league starts this year on February 21/22 so commitment from the off is essential.

Club Notes - Jan 12th 2009:

Executive Meeting:

The January Executive Meeting of Drumkeerin GAA will take place this Wednesday evening (14th Jan) in the Rowantree at 9pm.

Wedding Bells:

There were Drumkeerin celebrations in the Big Apple recently with the wedding taking place of Micheal Coyle and Gillian Hamilton.

I understand that a number of club members both past and present were in attendance at the ceremony in New York.

Mass took place in the Bronx with a reception held in the Harbour club in New Rochelle. Wishing the happy couple all the best for the future.

(Micheal & Gillian are pictured above).

Also congratulations to Connor Woods and Sandra Smith who announced their engagement over Christmas. Another wedding to look forward to.

Under 21 final DVD:

DVDs of our historic Under 21 final victory against Carrigallen are now available to purchase. Anybody who is interested can contact Jimmy McNama.

Club Membership:

Membership is now due for the year 2009. (View detail's of costs as in the Notes below from Jan 5th).

Lotto:

Lotto takes place this Saturday in Wynne's. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.

Club Notes - Jan 5th 2009:

Happy New Year:

Wishing a Happy New Year to all members and supporters of the club for 2009.

Lotto:

The Lotto took place in the Cosy Bar last Saturday night. Numbers drawn were 3, 6, 7 and 20. There was no winner of the jackpot.

View main "Lotto Section" for full details.

Membership:

Membership is now due for the year 2009.

Players will be unable to take to the field of play in the new year if membership is not paid. Money can be given to Stephen Feeney.

Leitrim v GMIT:

The inter-county season began in earnest on Sunday when Leitrim travelled to Tuam to play the students of GMIT. A late point handed the students victory in a game that was affected by ten yellow cards which in the new rules means that a player has to be substituted.

Well done to Colm Clarke who was on the panel for Sunday's match. Unfortunately he didn't get a run this time round but one thinks that his chance is not too far away.

Club Notes - Dec 28th 2008:

John Williams:

Last week the whole community of Drumkeerin was shocked by the tragic death of John Williams. At the age of 17 his loss on Tuesday night has saddened everybody within the parish.

John was a fine young footballer who starred for the club at various underage levels in recent years. This was only one of John's many talents as he will always be remembered for his jovial approach to life. I am sure that there is nobody who can remember meeting him when he didn't have a huge smile on his face.

His removal took place on Friday evening to St Brigid's Church Drumkeerin, with funeral mass taking place on Saturday morning. The huge amount of people, both young and old, who attended both these ceremonies, is testament to the positive effect John had on so many people's lives.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents Eddie and Margaret and all of his brothers and sisters. The whole of Drumkeerin GAA would like to extend our sympathies to you at this time.

Lotto:

As a mark of respect the lotto was cancelled on Saturday evening. It will now take place next Saturday in the Cosy bar.

Club Notes - Dec 21st 2008:

Club Lotto:

The lotto took place in Forde's bar last Saturday, December 13th. View "Club Lotto" section for full details.

Thank You:

The club with like to like Francis Davitt for his sponsorship of the meal that the players received after the under 21 final.

County Under 21's:

Following the team's win last week it is understood that there has been an interest in a number of players from the club for next year's Leitrim Under 21 panel.

Manager Liam Higgins was at the final and must have been as impressed as we all were at what he saw. Good luck to those that get the call.

Stars Of The Future:

Earlier this month our starts of the future did the club proud when they stepped foot on the hallowed ground of Croke Park. Led by their managers, John McPartland, Dessie Wynne and Packie McPartland the team were one of four Leitrim teams that took part in a blitz.

It was the first time since our Under 14's played a challenge match against Dromahaire at Croke Park 22 years ago that a team from the club represented us at GAA headquarters.

Hopefully it will go on to inspire them to do again and we may see them dawning the green and gold on All-Ireland final day,

The team played a number of matches and acquitted themselves very well. Unfortunately at the time of going to print we had no list of players that travelled on the day. This however will be sorted out in time for the next edition of the paper.

Well done to all involved on what was a brilliant occasion.

Merry Xmas:

The Drumkeerin GAA Executive would like to wish everybody attached to the club both home and away a very merry festive season.

Club Notes - Dec 15th 2008:

Under 21 Final:

Glory be the days. Drumkeerin GAA ended the year on a perfect note on Sunday when the Under 21's recorded a thrilling victory in the championship final against Carrigallen in Ballinaglera.

Not only did the team grind out the win, they also played some beautiful football in the process.

Winning on the scoreline of 2-12 to 1-7 our lads certainly belied their tags as underdogs. However buried deep in the foundations of this victory was a will to win that was evident from the start.

In what was a physical (and fair) battle Drumkeerin more than matched their fancied opponents all over the field. From Barry in goal to Kevie "The Wrecking Ball" Forde in the corner, the whole Drumkeerin team were heroes on the day.

The lads should be immensely proud of their efforts, not just on Sunday but also throughout the championship. In winning the title they had beaten off two of the more fancied sides in both the previous round and Sunday's match.

Captain Keith Gallagher lifted the trophy much to the delight of a huge Drumkeerin support. It was the perfect tonic to the heartbreak of the Intermediate final and showed that there are good days ahead for this club as long as we can keep it going.

2008 Under 21 Champions v Carrigallen: Barry McPadden; Dean McVeigh (0-1), Jason Byrne; Thomas Davitt (1-0), Aiden Dolan, Fintan Harvey; Keith Gallagher (c) (0-2), James McPartland; Thomas Lavin, Stephen Gilhooly (0-2), Eddie McTiernan (0-4, 4f); Darragh Flynn (1-3), Kevie Forde. Subs. Brendan McNama, Patrick Byrne, Ciaran Walpole.

The above photo is the team photo which was taken prior to the final.

Thank You:

A big thank you and well done to the management team of Ken McPartland and John McTiernan. Both the lads put in a great effort this year and Sunday's win meant as much to them as it did to the team and the club. Congratulations to both of you.

Similar sentiments are echoed to those involved in providing food after the match to the lads in the Coffee shop and also for the video of the match itself. I understand that it should be featuring on the website in the coming days so keep a look out.

"Website News" & "Membership":

View again important notes below from Dec 9th in relation to "The Club Website" & "Club Membership"!

Club Notes - Week of Dec 9th 2008:

U21 Final:

This Sunday will see the end of competitive action in 2008 for the club when the Under 21 team compete in this year’s final at 1.30pm in Ballinaglera.

It is a tremendous achievement for the club given that it is our seventh under 21 final in a row however an even greater accomplishment is the fact that this team has made the final with a number of players injured and sick for previous rounds.

This is a panel of players who not only have great skill and ability but have also shown great resolve to defeat both Glenfarne and Bornacoola.

Hopefully this will be something that will be rewarded this Sunday when they take the field against a very strong Carrigallen side.

The team deserves our support. The match takes place at 1.30 pm on Sunday in Ballinaglera. Good luck to the lads and the management team of Ken and John, we know you will do us proud.

AGM:

The reconvened AGM took place last Saturday. Although there was a vast improvement on the attendance for the previous week’s adjourned meeting, it was still a shame that less than half the 150+ adult members were present.

A number of positions for club officers were filled at the meeting however there are still some very important vacancies on the executive. Foremost amongst these are the positions of secretary and treasurer

For the last number of years these have been filled by people that have given a tremendous amount of their efforts for the greater good of the club. It was often the case that they worked far and beyond what was expected of them within these roles and as a result have decided not to put their names forwards for re-election this year.

Their past involvement has bought a hugely professional element to running of the club. It is vital that both of positions are filled as if the left vacant will make running all the teams almost impossible for next year.

If you are interested in volunteering your services please contact a member of the new executive (listed on the "Officers/Contacts" Page).

There has also been concern about the lotto. There has been great effort put in by some in the club however is was explained at the AGM that the lotto income has dwindled recently. The monies obtained from this are the most consistent form of income and has to be sustained.

If you are willing to assist in selling tickets please let yourself known to the executive. The cost of running a club has never been greater so your support would be greatly appreciated.

Most positions for the management of teams have been confirmed for next year:

PJ Clancy and Micheal Forde have been confirmed as new minor managers while John McPartland, Dessie Wynne and Packie McPartland will take the Under 12s again this year.

Francs Davitt and John Joe Byrne will also look after the U10 team. It is hoped that the under 16 team management will be confirmed shortly while the Under 14's will be taken over by Enda McNama and Patrick Byrne.

Regarding ladies football in the club Eamon O’Grady, John Joe Byre, Richard McTiernan and Pauric Fallon, joined by newcomers Laurine Walpole and Marie Byrne, will be hoping to build on the success of last year after agreeing to look after both the Under 12 and Under 14 teams.

The idea of possibly setting up both an Under 16 and Junior side was also muted at the meeting however the viability of establishing both these teams will be decided at a later date.

Connacht Final Victory:

Congratulations to both Jason Byrne and Thomas Lavin who were on the Leitrim Vocational Schools team that defeated Roscommon 3-14 to 1-5 in the Connacht Final last in Wednesday in Elphin.

Jason was captain of the side while Thomas grabbed himself 1-2 in an impressive victory. Well done to both lads and good luck in the rest of the competition.

Website News:

As you undoubtedly all now know Drumkeerin GAA is online much to the thanks of Fergus Redican.

Fergus is shortly handing over the reins of looking after the site to new IT officer Brendan McNama however in the next couple of weeks Fergus is hoping to upload some videos of past matches on the website.

If anybody has any videos, or pictures for that matter, that they would like to put on the site they are more than welcome to pass them on to him.

Membership:

Membership is now due for the year 2009. Prices are as follows:

Players will be unable to take to the field of play in the new year if membership is not paid. Money can be given to Stephen Feeney.

Club Notes - Dec 2nd 2008:

Reconvening of Annual General Meeting:

This is an important notice to anybody who is interested in the continuance and development of Drumkeerin GFC.

It was the intention of the AGM that we would, collectively, elect people of the area to vital positions within the club for reasons outlined above. The few that did take the time to arrive and be at the AGM of last weekend, were rightfully concerned for the future of this club because of the lack of numbers and therefore interest in the club.

The club, any club, cannot function without the help of everyone. We have, year after year, the same people taking responsibility for over 300 members in our club. The workload is too much for a small group of people so obviously we are asking you to come and take a role in what is one of the most important sports/health facilities in our area.

We need you to consider the positions we require to be filled, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar, and off course in the area of management/selectors we need interest in this also.

You must approach the person you nominate and get prior permission to do so. If you have allowed your name to go forward then you must take the position on and continue it to the best of your ability but if it is not a priority then do not accept the position.

It was outlined at the proposed AGM of last week, the importance of carrying out the role you accept within the club. Obviously the more people that get involved the less work for everyone involved.

Just to note, until these positions are filled we will not be able to proceed with the running of the club.

Reconvening of the AGM will take place on Saturday next, 6th December, 2008, at 5pm in the community centre, Drumkeerin.

Club Lotto:

The lotto took place in Davitts on Sat last Nov 29th. View "Club Lotto" section for full details.

U21's:

The U21 team played Bornacoola in Aughnasheelin at the weekend. They came away with a great win and are now in the final for the 7th year running. What a huge achievement this is. If the players display the same standard of football in the final as they did for this game, then we would expect a good outcome.

Good luck to the team and management.

Club Notes - Nov 3rd 2008:

Club Lotto:

The lotto draw took place in Forde's on Nov 1st last. View "Club Lotto" page for full details.

A.G.M.

Drumkeerin G.F.C will hold their A.G.M on Sat 29th November at 4.30pm. Venue: Drumkeerin Community Centre (Please note change of venue).

Club Notes - Oct 20th 2008:

Club lotto:

The lotto took place in the Cosy Corner with a jackpot of €1040. View "Club Lotto" page for full details:

Sponsorship:

Thank you to Debbie and David in Kennys foodstore for sponsoring water for the lads for the final. And thank you also to Breege and Derek in Breffini Store for sponsoring bananas for the lads for the final, Much appreciated.

Annual General Meeting:

The Annual General Meeting of Drumkeerin GAA will take place on Sat November 29th at 4.30pm in the Community Centre.

As another year draws to a close Drumkeerin Executive Commitee have had their final monthly meeting with the present commitee. This commitee has worked tirelessly and unselfishly throughout the year, in fact most of us are there for more than one year. The committment and dedication that this committee gives to the club is without doubt, remarkable, considering the fact that each committee member has lots of other commitments and do this on a voluntary basis.

Each year we ask you, the people around Drumkeerin, to consider assisting us in the day-to-day running of the club and over the years we have had many great additions to our various committee's.

Running the club in 2008-2009 will be just as great a task as in the past years but with help it can be done very sucessfully as this committee and others of the past have proved.

When you recieve your nomination forms to elect committee members please think seriously about who you are nominating. The nominee must be prepared to commit to the position. New members are very welcome to join our club and are welcome to attend our A.G.M.

A number of committee members are leaving their posts and this is an opportunity for other members to become involved.

Think of the importance of our club and consider this area of Drumkeerin without the GAA club and its service to the community. Do your talking at the table, become a committee member or trainer etc. If you think changes are needed come and join the club, don't just talk about it, come and help to make the changes. Actions Speak Louder Than Words!

See you on the 29th of November at the AGM.

Club Notes - Oct 13th 2008:

The Late Anne McHugh:

Drumkeerin GFC extend sincere sympathies to the Mc Hugh family on the sad and recent death of Anne. Anne was very well known in the area and will be sadly missed by all who knew her. May she rest in peace.

Club Lotto:

The club lotto took place in Davitts on Sat 4th Oct. View "Club Lotto" page for full details.

Thank You Sponsors:

The following is a list of the people who very kindly sponsored our club in various ways in the days and weeks coming up to the Intermediate final. If I omit anyone it will be accidental and maybe you will let me (Catherine Clancy PRO) know.

Johnny Mc Gee - Drumkeerin Farm Machinery; Tommy Rooney - Rooneys Cosy Corner; Gabriel Clarke - Clarkes Butchers; Davitts Bar; Colin O Rourke and Colin Cornyn Car Sales Dublin; Fergal Costello - Jap Cars, Dublin; Breffni Plant Hire - Sean Flynn Dublin; Chrissie Mc Loughlin - Lough Allen Coffee Shop; Dave and Deborah Kenny - Kenny's Foodstore; Derek and Breege - Breffni Stores; Mc Tiernan Brothers - John, Richard, Gerard; Mary Bohan - Drumkeerin Post Office; Francis Davitt Planning; Dovea AI - Tony Forde; Noel Mc Padden Fuels; Jimmy and Mary Mc Padden - Drumkeerin Stone; Henry Sorahan Drumshanbo.

This is quite a list of sponsors and is indicative of the assistance that people, business and other, are willing to give to our club. We extend our thanks to each and every one of you and thank you for your support in the past and ask of course, for your continued support.

Executive Meeting:

The Executive Meeting (Monthly) takes place on Wednesday 15th in the Rowanberry Conference Room, 9pm.