Sport

World champions!

Irish pool team, world champions, back row L-R: Ben Doyle (Enniscorthy), Morgan Thomas, Tyler O'Connor (Enniscorthy). Front row L-R: Mark Scally (Manager), Adam Maher (Enniscorthy) and Cormac Kerr. Pic: Ultimate Pool. THREE YOUNG ENNISCORTHY MEN ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!

At the recent 2022 WEPF World Under-25 Team Championships held in Killarney, Ireland's pool team defeated Malta 5-3 in the final to emerge as world champions. Congrats to Tyler O’Connor, Ben Doyle and Adam Maher, all from Enniscorthy, and fellow team members Morgan Thomas and Cormac Kerr, and team manager, Mark Scally. n

Building Bellefield

L-R: Ger McVeigh, Pat Tobin, Michael Doyle, Anthony Russell. Pic: Maria Nolan. SEE FULL STORY ON NEXT PAGE.

Astro Pitch

The eagerly awaited new Astro Pitch project at Ross Road, Enniscorthy, is making progress. The Part VIII planning process for the new pitch has been completed, the appointment of a project manager is imminent. It is expected to put out a call for tenders for the construction of the pitch before Christmas, with construction work likely to commence in early 2023 and the project completed over the following months. The question of a playing pitch at the centre of the running track at the Enniscorthy Sports Hub came up again at the November meeting of Enniscorthy Municipal District. The District Manager informed the meeting that it is under review with a view to it being used for Spring/ Summer soccer. n

Greyhound snippets...

Enniscorthy Greyhound Track: The Track is now taking bookings for Christmas Parties. Tel: (053) 923 3172 for full details. The recent Lord of Charity Event was a huge success with over €3,000 being raised for local charities and good causes: Kilmore Quay RNLI, St Vincent de Paul, Enniscorthy, Hope Cancer Support Centre, Wexford Marine Watch, Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, St Patrick's School, Enniscorthy. n

Building Bellefield Project

A crowd of over three hundred strong turned out to the Bellefield Clubhouse, home of the Rapparees/Starlights GAA Club, on Tuesday 29th November, to hear Project Manager Pat Quigley launch the elaborate Building Bellefield Project, proposed for the iconic venue at the heart of the Bellefield community. ‘Our vision is to create a Flagship Sports and Community Facility’, Pat told the packed Clubhouse ‘to world class standards at the very heart of Enniscorthy that will promote the health and wellbeing of all the community in a safe and inclusive environment’.

The process, already begun, will be completed in 3 Phases, and builds on the dedication and commitment of past generations and all who have given their lives to Bellefield GAA.

Pat went on to outline the extensive plan which will see the development of two new full-sized pitches, one of them floodlit, a community walking track, a state of the art hurling wall complete with all-weather surface perfect for training and skill enhancement, a children’s playground, a sensory garden, new car park, new entrance, coffee dock, youth club facility, additional toilets and dressing rooms, with wheelchair accessibility and upgrade of all seating on the existing main pitch. The total cost of the project is approximately €1.2 million, Pat Quigley told the enthralled audience, with almost half of the total already secured through the generosity of long-time and loyal club sponsor Sam McCauley who has stood by the club in good times and bad, never asking what the club could do for him but rather what he could do for it.

Sam said that he was more than delighted to be able to assist with a project of this magnitude for the club and the town and thanked the Club Executive Committee, under Chairman Ger McVeigh, the Project Management Team under Pat Quigley, the Design Team under Paul O`Brien, Garry Flood, Main Contractor, the Finance Development Committee under Adrian Fenlon, saying that he was happy that the future of the project and the future of the club was in safe hands.

Adrian Fenlon announced to the gathering of politicians, including Minister James Browne T.D., Paul Kehoe T.D., Johnny Mythen T.D., Chairman of Enniscorthy Municipal District Councillor Aidan Browne, Councillor Jackser Owens, Councillor Cathal Byrne, business people of the town and beyond, club members, neighbours and friends, that the remaining monies to complete

the project would be raised through the power of Meitheal – ‘an old Irish term’ he explained ‘that describes how people come together to help one another out’. ‘We have already had such a tremendous start and response to our Christmas Bonanza draw, through the goodwill of the people of the town and beyond. We are also offering a great opportunity to each and every one of you to show your support for this amazing project which will be here for generations to come, by having your name, family name, business name or name of a deceased family or club member inscribed on our Patron Wall. There will also be Silver, Gold and Platinum Packages available to those wishing to sponsor, and details of a fundraising Blind Date with Dáithí Ó Sé will be available early in the New Year.’ Adrian was happy to announce that Pettitt’s SuperValu had just come on board as a sponsor for the proposed Walking Track seeing it as a marvellous community facility and an addition to the health and wellbeing of the general public in the area.

Tony McEntee, CEO of the McCauley Group, had a very exciting announcement to make when he came to the podium to speak. ‘I am delighted to be able to tell you all that the McCauley group are proud to be associated with this innovative project at the heart of Enniscorthy and are willing to accept naming rights of the new facility at €25,000 per year for the next five years.’ Amid rapturous applause, Club Chairman Ger McVeigh brought the uplifting event to a close thanking all for attending ‘especially County Board Chairman Michael Martin, all our public representatives, members of the Enniscorthy business community, club members and friends. This exciting new venture is a positive step forward for everyone in the community. Together we can build not just a better Bellefield, not just a better Rapparees/Starlights, but a better Enniscorthy.’ – Words & Pics by Maria Nolan PRO

L-R: County Board Chairman Michael Martin and Jim Byrne.

L-R: Adrian Fenlon and Matt Browne.

L-R: Leslie McCauley, Liam Spratt and Paul Kehoe TD. Speakers on the night: L-R: Ger McVeigh, Pat Quigley, Adrian Fenlon, Sam McCauley, Tony McEntee.

Planning for a better future

As Enniscorthy Rugby Club continues its second campaign as a Senior Rugby club, the club itself is beginning to implement the necessary changes that all teams within the AIL do in their early stages.

The club has realised the importance that a strategic plan for the future of the club has, so they have started to introduce these changes in the form of workshops.

The 19th of November and the 4th of December are the set dates for the club’s ‘Your Club Your Voice’ workshops, for all club members, coaches, officers, players, members of the community and other stakeholders.

The idea for these workshops was to provide an open forum for discussion on what the club can do to make the club more notable across the country, while also feeding into the Strategic Development Plan that the club is developing for the next five years.

The focus of the workshops was broken down into six main areas; Legal, Administration, Finance, Facilities, Playing and Social.

The club has adapted well to the status change with these areas so far. Communication is a key focus for the club. In the past it looked at how other clubs were consistently posting on social media, and once the training was provided to those who put themselves forward to do the social media, they haven’t looked back.

They have been sharp with their posting online when it comes to live match updates and their graphic design for teamsheets, results, and so on is second to none at the moment, a testament to those involved.

While a lot of what we read in the local media is about the senior team, the focus of this initiative is not just for the men’s. The club’s vision is to improve the standards across the board, for both the men and women’s game and this starts from the ground up, from the minis all the way to the under 18s.

In order to develop, you have to maximise the potential of everyone who puts on the red, white, and black of Enniscorthy, and this is exactly what the club plans to do.

Everything is a work in progress as the club is in the infancy stage of being a Senior Rugby club, but the plan is underway, the club are working hard to meet the goals set by the committee, and before we know it, Enniscorthy Rugby Club will be recognised across the country for how they go about things both on and off the field of play.

If anyone would like to get involved or provide feedback, the club would encourage you to get in touch with the Strategic Review Coordinator, Annette Soraine, by e-mail at asoraine@hotmail.com

Slaney Olympic’s Anne is Irish Masters Athlete of the Year

CV's don't come much more decorated than Anne Gilshinan’s – the Slaney Olympic AC over-55 athlete who has broken World Records on nine occasions in her age bracket. Congrats to Anne on being awarded this year’s Irish Masters Athlete of the Year.

INDOOR WORLD RECORDS (W55): �� 1500m 4:43.59 �� 1mile 5:07.01 �� 800m 2:20.20 �� 1500m 4:46.10 �� 1 mile 5:13.10

OUTDOOR WORLD RECORDS (W55): �� 1 mile 5:08.47 �� 1500m 4:41.46 �� 800m 2:19.63 �� 1500m 4:45.65 n

Addressing traffic concerns

Following a meeting between Wexford GAA, Sacre Coeur Boxing Club and the residents of Pearse Road facilitated by Enniscorthy Town Manager Ger Mackey and attended by An Garda Síochána and the Showgrounds Committee, a traffic management plan for match days in St. Patrick’s Park was agreed.

A one-way traffic system will be in place for games played in St. Patrick’s Park with traffic to exit via the Showgrounds and Enniscorthy Greyhound Stadium and not back down Pearse Road. Sacre Coeur Boxing Club will have priority access to the car park during their training hours and will ensure that their members and parents will also exit using the same oneway traffic system. Enniscorthy Municipal District will erect signage in the shortterm on Pearse Road and provide residents with cones to prevent parking issues outside their homes. In the medium term, Enniscorthy Municipal District will look at improving street lighting on Pearse Road and in the car park while Wexford GAA will work with the Showgrounds Committee to improve lighting in the Showgrounds.

Wexford GAA ask all supporters attending St. Patrick’s Park to exit via the Showgrounds and Enniscorthy Greyhound Stadium at all times and not via Pearse Road. And also ask that supporters respect the residents on Pearse Road and the neighbouring sporting organisations in the same area. n

Enniscorthy Rugby Recap: November

November wasn’t the best of months for Enniscorthy Rugby Club from a fixture sense, failing to win a game out of a possible three.

They first faced the Galway Corinthians up in Galway, and the tale of the tape of that game was pretty much how a lot of the Enniscorthy matches have gone so far this year.

They play a stormer of a first half, everyone playing to their roles without fault and going into half-time with leads or within one score, but then the second half starts, and they get blown out of the water within moments.

In this case, they were down 10-7 at the half, with Daniel Pim scoring the try and Ben Kidd stuck the conversion, but they conceded 31 points in the second half as a result of poor discipline, being penalised on number of occasions which led to three players being sent to the sin bin at one point or another in the game. The final score on the Tuam Road was Galway Corinthians 41 Enniscorthy 10.

Next up was the matchup against Belfast Harlequins in Alcast Park, a game that they lost despite holding a lead at the half. A Tomás Stamp try which was not converted was the only score in the first half of a very physical game, but the second half shadows appeared again, as Belfast were able to pounce in the second half.

Unfortunately for Enniscorthy, the trend for the month was the lack of discipline and it carried into this game, with two yellows being dished out in this game along with a litany of penalties being conceded. O’Dwyer, Enniscorthy were outmatched, with Belfast scoring four second half tries along with two penalties to leave Enniscorthy with a 30-10 win.

The South East’s only Senior Rugby team got a week to breathe after this game, with their last match of the month taking place out west again, this time they took the trip to Hamilton Park in Sligo to face the namesake.

This game was a major improvement for Enniscorthy despite the loss, as they were able to secure a losing bonus point due to their tenacity to stay in this game and were well disciplined, which is something I can imagine was an area of focus for head coach Declan O’Brien after their previous showings.

A strong starting 15, a good supporting cast of subs who played their part when they came on, Enniscorthy’s points in the game came from a mesmerising kick from Jack Kelly and a try from Niall Parker, last year’s 2C Player of the Year. The conditions in Sligo were not helpful and the home side were able to use the weather to their advantage when it mattered most, with the game finishing 17-10 in favour of the hosts.

Enniscorthy still await their first victory of the 2B campaign, but the foundations of a strong side are there. Having dealt with injuries for the start of the season, they seem to be getting key players back at the right time, and they certainly will need to rely on these players over the month of December.

They will host Old Rainey Boys RFC from Magherafelt on Saturday the 3rd of December (kickoff at 2.30pm) before closing out the first half of the 2B campaign with a trip to Crowley Park to face the Galwegians on the 10th of December (kickoff is at 2.30pm). n

Caoimhe excels at World Boxing Championships

Cllr Aidan Browne presents Caoimhe Kinsella with a Civic Award earlier this year, accompanied by her parents Patrick and Lynda. Marshalstown boxer Caoimhe Kinsella represented herself and her country proudly at the World Youth Boxing Championship in Spain last month. Caoimhe narrowly missed out on a quarter-final appearance losing on a split 4-1 decision to a Japanese opponent. Caoimhe is no stranger to success having, among other achievements, won gold at the European Schoolgirls Championship in Tbilisi in 2019, being part of the Kinsella Family who won RTE's "Ireland's Fittest Family" in 2021, and received a Civic Award from Enniscorthy Municipal District earlier this year. Best of luck Caoimhe with your future sporting endeavours. n

Next phase of Enniscorthy Sports Hub is in some doubt

The next phase of development of the Enniscorthy Sports Hub at Cherry Orchard is in some doubt after tenders received for Phase 2 of the project (changing rooms, showers, admin space, etc) were substantially in excess of available funding. Among those alarmed by the news at the November meeting of Enniscorthy Municipal District (EMD) was Cllr Kathleen Codd-Nolan who has been a champion of the Sports Hub project from the outset. Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy also spoke of her concerns and about the importance of getting Phase 2 done, even if this entails looking at scaling back the project a little. Cllr Cathal Byrne explained to the same meeting that the hub couldn’t accommodate Leinster-level events because of a lack of changing rooms/showers etc so it was crucial to get Phase 2 undertaken as soon as possible. EMD Manager Ger Mackey told the meeting that the Council will now be reviewing the situation to see how it can be progressed and that hopefully it can still commence in 2023 but perhaps in a scaled back way. A decision will be made over the coming weeks and the EMD Councillors will be updated at their January meeting.

In relation to the existing facilities at the Sports Hub, Cllr Cathal Byrne asked that an online booking system be introduced to make it easier for groups to book time slots at the hub. Manager Mackey agreed and indicated that such a system will be introduced.

In the meantime, all are reminded that the existing facilities at the Sports Hub provide a great place to keep fit on these these dark, winter evenings with its international-standard running track, secure parking, floodlights, security guard on duty etc and all for just €2. n

Enniscorthy Tractor Run

Tractor Run for All – tractor, cars and trucks – at Enniscorthy Marts, Old Dublin Road, Enniscorthy, in aid of St Patrick’s School, HOPE Cancer Support Centre and Awareness Head to Toe group, on 6th November, 2022.

Above left: Caolan and Gearoid Redmond. Above centre: With his home-built Massey, Jim Mooney. Above right: Ciaran Swaine and Jack Barbour who is mad about tractors. Below left: Abi, Oran and Amy Finn. Below centre: David Whelan and Niall Finn. Below right: Getting their chips before the start were Sam and Philip Deacon. Bottom left: Samanta and Jack Cloke. Bottom centre: The powerhouses behind the event are Emily Barker and Alice Doyle. Below right: Paddy Murphy.