Monday, February 24th
Club Lotto: There was no winner of last week’s jackpot of €4,600. The numbers drawn were 28, 1, 11 & 12. Lucky Dip winners of €20 each were, Ciarán McMorrow, Neil Nolan, Noel McPartland, Shane Connaire & Betty Cannon. Prizes may be collected in Hegarty’s Centra from Thursday following the draw. Next week’s jackpot will stand at €4,700. Many thanks for your continued support and to those businesses who stock our Lotto envelopes.
Use of Gym: The HSE will be using the gym every Tuesday & Thursday morning from 9.00am to 1.00pm, until May 9th of this year. If possible, please avoid using the gym facilities during these hours. Míle buíochas.
New Club App: The club is in the process of adopting a new club App which will involve moving from the traditional Club Lotto Draw to adopting a new 50/50 fundraising draw. With this in mind, a demonstration of the new App took place in the clubhouse on Tuesday evening last. Many clubs around the county have adopted this new App and new method of fundraising with great success. The introduction of this new system of funding will involve a good deal of work and the club is appealing to all members to get involved and help out with the 50/50 draw. Many hands make light work. Further details to follow.
County News: Unfortunately, the Co. Senior team suffered their fourth successive defeat in Div. 3 of the National Football League last Saturday in Corrigan Park, Belfast. Four 1st half goals from the Antrim men gave them an unassailable half-time lead and they eventually ran out comfortable winners. Next Sunday, March 2nd, Leitrim host Offaly in Ballinamore in Round 5 of the competition.
Leitrim Ladies: After three successive victories the Leitrim Ladies momentum came to a shuddering halt against Antrim in Belfast last Sunday morning. Despite Leitrim registering more scores than the opposition the Antrim goals made the difference in the end. Final score was Antrim 3-08, Leitrim 1-11. The Leitrim girls will hope to get back to winning ways next Sunday morning, March 2nd, when they entertain Longford in Kiltubrid.
Sympathy: The club extends its sincere sympathy to the McDowell family, Ballinaglera, on the sad and sudden passing of their beloved James last week. James was a much-loved coach whose knowledge and expertise was highly respected and appreciated in clubs and schools all over the county. Go raibh leaba I measc na naomh aige.
Monday, February 17th
Club Lotto: There was no winner of last week’s jackpot of €4,500. Lucky Dip winners of €20 each were Noel McPartland, Aoife Greer, Irene McGovern, Tony Conway (Arigna), & John Reynolds (Arigna). Winnings may be collected in Hegarty’s Centra from Thursday following the draw. This week’s jackpot will stand at €4,600. Many thanks for your continued support and to those businesses who stock our Lotto envelopes.
Tony McGowan Run: Congratulations to the organising committee of the annual Tony McGowan Run which took place in dry but overcast conditions last Sunday morning. The event was a huge success with over 1,600 athletes from all over the country taking part. The winner of the half-marathon was Shane Begley in a time of 1hr. 17mins., while the winner of the 10k race was Ciaran Cox coming home in a time of 35mins. 10secs. First home in the 5k event was Peter Gilmartin with a time of 17mins. 33secs. In the 5k event the first Allen Gaels person over the line was Patrick Keane in a time of 20mins. 42secs., with Brian Kielty being the first Allen Gaels participant to cross the line in the 10k event, with a time of 40mins. 57secs. A huge thank you to all the Allen Gaels members who gave their time as volunteers in various capacities such as registration, stewarding, car-parking and catering. Your contribution on the day played a major role in the smooth running of the event.
County News: Once again it was a tough day at the office for the Leitrim senior footballers in Div. 3 of the National Football League. Kildare proved much too strong for a young Leitrim side, building up a big half-time lead before running out easy winners on a score line of 1-27 to 0-07. Leitrim travel to Corrigan Park, Belfast on Saturday next, Feb. 22nd to take on Antrim in round 4 of the competition.
Leitrim Ladies: In a very one-sided affair last Sunday, the Leitrim Ladies recorded their third consecutive win, in Div. 4 of the Lidl National Football League. The Kilkenny girls were simply no match for a rampant Leitrim side as the final score of 6-19 to 0-02 suggests. The All-Ireland Intermediate champions will be hoping to make it four in a row next Sunday, Feb. 23rd when they travel up north to face Antrim.
Sympathy: The club extends its sincere sympathy to the Raftery family on the sudden and tragic passing of Peter Raftery, Kilcolgan, Clarinbridge, Co. Galway, brother of Michael who served as a Gárda in Drumshanbo for many years and uncle of club player, Martin. Go raibh leaba i measc na naomh aige.
Monday, February 10th
Club Lotto: There was no winner of last week’s jackpot of €4,400. Lucky Dip winners of €20 each were Ciara & Conor Tiernan, Síle Tighe, Emma McCawley, Bernard Brady & Evan Foley. Winnings may be collected in Hegarty’s Centra from the Thursday following the draw. This week’s jackpot will stand at €4,500. Many thanks for your continued support and to those businesses who stock our Lotto envelopes.
Membership: Club membership is now due for all members. If you wish to renew your membership online, you may do so at Foireann.ie. If you have any issues with your online renewal, please contact Sean Lynch, Aine flood or Berni Lynch. If you prefer to renew membership in person, you may do so on Friday next, Feb. 14th between 7.00pm and 8.00pm in the clubhouse.
Tony McGowan Run: All roads lead to Drumshanbo on Sunday next, Feb. 16th for the annual Tony McGowan run. Huge numbers have registered and the action gets underway at 10.00am. If you are available to volunteer for a couple of hours on Sunday next, please contact any of the organising committee. Allen Gaels volunteers will be on duty in The Mayflower from 7.00am so can we ask you to drop off any food donations between 7.00am and 9.00am to avoid traffic congestion at the venue. Please put your name under any non-disposable dish so it can be safely returned to you.
Congratulations: The club extends its warmest congratulations to Eamonn McGowan on receiving yet another award for his contribution to Allen Gaels. Last Saturday night at the Leitrim Sports Partnership Awards, which was held in The Landmark Hotel, Eamonn was presented with the Club Volunteer of the Year Award. This is in recognition of Eamonn’s outstanding dedication, commitment and loyalty to Allen Gaels in 2024. Eamonn has been a shining example to all over many years and his work and input as a volunteer for the club can never be measured. Comhghairdeas leat, Eamonn.
County News: It was a disappointing day for our senior team last Saturday in Ballinamore with Laois running out comprehensive winners in this Div. 3 clash of the National Football League. Three Laois goals in the first eight minutes essentially finished this game as a contest as they raced into a 3-12 to 0-02 half-time lead. A very young and experienced Leitrim side gave every effort but were no match for their Leinster rivals in a one-sided contest. Leitrim host Kildare in Ballinamore next Sunday in round three of the NFL with the throw-in at 2.00pm.
Leitrim Ladies: The Ladies team had a narrow, hard-fought victory over Wicklow in Bray last Sunday in Round 3 of the Lidl Ladies National Football League on a score line of 3-04 to 1-11. The girls will hope to make it three wins in a row when they entertain Kilkenny at a venue yet to be confirmed. Throw-in is at 2.00.
Quid Games: Former player, Declan Gilhooly, will be representing Allen Gaels in the forthcoming Quid Games fundraiser which is being organised by Leitrim GAA & LGFA. The event takes place in The Landmark Hotel on Sunday, March 16th when the various contestants will complete challenges to see who emerges victorious and claim the top prize of €5,000 for their chosen club. However, prior to this, each contestant has been tasked with raising at least €2,000 and those who raise the most have a better chance of winning. As part of his fundraising effort, Declan has set himself the challenge of running 210km, the equivalent of five marathons between now and the day of the event. This will entail 28 runs of 7.5km finishing on the 16th of March on the Boardwalk, Drumshanbo. If you wish to support Declan in reaching his target you may do so by going to his I donate page or through Allen Gaels social media channels.
Gear & boot Collection: The collection of pre-loved Allen Gaels / St. Francis / Leitrim gear & boots in good condition will take place in the clubhouse this Friday, Feb. 14th between 7.00pm & 8.00pm, to coincide with club membership registration. Gear & football bootsmay be left in the home dressing room. Míle buíochas.
Monday, February 3rd
Dinner Dance: Congratulations to the organising committee of the St. Francis Ladies/Allen Gaels Dinner Dance, which was held in The Landmark Hotel on Sunday night, Feb. 2nd. The night was a tremendous success with the huge crowd in attendance generating a wonderful atmosphere. The double-winning St. Francis Ladies stole the show as they were paraded in to the dining-room with both trophies, receiving a standing ovation and rapturous welcome from all present. There were jubilant scenes of celebration as the ladies were presented with their medals by special guest and Leitrim player, Charlene Tyrell. Award winners on the night were as follows: Mothers & Others Most Improved Player, Victoria Stakelum. Mothers & Others Player of the Year, Sinéad Kielty. Minor Girls Most Improved Player, Katie Gilroy. Minor Girls Player of the Year, Ella Casey. St. Francis Ladies Junior Player of the Year, Shannon McTiernan. St. Francis Ladies Senior Player of the Year, Éilis Cornyn. Allen Gaels Junior Player of the Year, Eoin Guckian. Allen Gaels Senior Player of the Year, Adrian Sorohan. The biggest cheer and loudest applause of the night was reserved for Eamonn McGowan who was chosen as the Club Person of the Year. Eamonn’s award is in recognition of a lifetime’s dedication & commitment in various roles and over several decades to Allen Gaels GAA Club. Richly deserved Eamonn. Comhghairdeas leat. There were also presentations to the management team of St. Francis Ladies, Ray McBrien, Dylan McGowan & Ann Flood and to the Allen Gaels management team of James Flynn & Stephen Tiernan. In her address to the gathering, Chairperson Berni Lynch thanked players, coaches, fellow officers and volunteers for their valiant efforts over the past year. Congratulations Berni, on a wonderfully inspiring address and the hugely important role you play in all club matters. Once again, well done to the organising committee for a thoroughly enjoyable night.
Tony McGowan Run: Just over a week to go now until the big event as the organisers make their final preparations. Over 1,500 participants have registered and the action gets underway at 10.00am on Sunday morning, February 16th. If you are free to lend a hand in any capacity, please let the committee know.
Gear & Boot Swap: Before the underage season gets underway, the club is organising a pre-loved gear & boot swap. If you have any football boots, Allen Gaels/St. Francis/Leitrim gear that is in good condition and that you no longer need and are willing to donate to the club, please set it aside. Further information to follow.
Congratulations: The club extends its warmest congratulations to club player Ryan Higgins and his wife, Aoife on the birth of their baby daughter, Éabha.
County News: Leitrim began their National Football League, Division 3 campaign last Sunday in Cusack Park, Ennis, but the home side were comfortable winners. Leitrim fielded a very young and inexperienced side under their new manager, Stephen Poacher, due to the non-availability of several regulars and other players recovering from injury. Clare led by nine points at half-time but the Leitrim lads fought back early in the 2nd half to reduce the gap. However, two Clare goals in the latter stages made a big difference to the score line and Clare eased to a 2-17 to 0-10 victory. Their next outing is the re-scheduled game against Laois which takes place next Saturday, Feb. 8th in Ballinamore at 2.30pm.
Leitrim Ladies: After a disappointing showing against Fermanagh last week, the All-Ireland Intermediate champions bounced back and cruised to a comprehensive victory over Derry in the Lidl Ladies NFL Division 4 clash. The game was played in Kiltubrid last Sunday and ended on a score line of Leitrim 3-13, Derry 1-05. The girls travel to Bray next Sunday, Feb. 9th to take on Wicklow.
Monday, January 27th
Sponsorship: Many thanks to Niall Scollan Cars for the recent sponsorship of a set of training tops for the U-17 team. We greatly appreciate Niall’s generous gesture.
Dinner Dance: A reminder that the St. Francis Ladies/Allen Gaels Dinner Dance takes place on Sunday night next, February 2nd in The Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon, commencing at 7.30. It’s the biggest social night in the club’s annual calendar so don’t miss out as tickets are selling fast. There will be several presentations on the night including the Ladies Intermediate Championship & League medals, the Ladies Senior, Junior & Minor Player of the Year awards, the Allen Gaels Senior & Junior Player of the Year awards, the Allen Gaels Mother & Other Player of the Year awards and the Allen Gaels Club Person of the Year awards. Tickets costing €50 each can be obtained by contacting any of the organising committee which includes Berni Lynch, Sinéad Dolan, Paddy Higgins, Ann Flood, Kevin Moran, Annette Reynolds & Ríona Gilgunn.
Cancellation: The Community Engagement meeting with An Garda Síochána which was due to take place last Thursday night, Jan. 23rd was cancelled due to the bad weather forecast.
Leitrim Fixture: The National League Div. 3 fixture involving Leitrim v Laois which was to be held in Ballinamore last Saturday afternoon was cancelled due to the effects of Storm Éowyn. The game was re-scheduled for Saturday afternoon but was once again called off due to electrical issues as a result of the storm.
Underage Coaches: Please note that on Tuesday evening, Feb. 4th, in the Allen Gaels Clubhouse, the club will be appointing coaches for our underage teams in the following age groups: (1) Boys U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15 & U17. (2) Girls U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16 & U-18. We are looking for at least 4 coaches for each group. This is to ensure that at no stage will there be a coach on their own coaching children and that training hasn’t to be cancelled due to the unavailability of a coach. For girl’s teams it is imperative that at least 2 adult female coaches are on the management team to ensure there is always an adult female present at training and matches. Coaches will be selected on the night but not ratified until Garda Vetting & Child Safeguarding is complete. Any coach without this requirement will not be permitted to coach. This is the law and cannot be ignored by the club. The club expects all coaches to have at least the Foundation Coaching Course completed. Leitrim County Board will be rolling out these courses in early 2025. If it’s a case where 2management teams are proposed for the same group, as in previous years a secret ballot will take place on the night in order to choose the management team. Nomination forms are available from Damien McCabe on 087 291 1778. Closing date for nominations is Wednesday, Jan. 29th at 8.00pm.
Tony McGowan Run: The organising committee of the Tony McGowan Run are busy making their final preparations for the big day which takes place on Sunday, Feb. 16th. If any Allen Gaels members are free to help out on the day, the committee would be delighted to hear from you.
Sympathy: The club extends its sincere sympathy to the Wynne family, Paul, Alan, Ricki, & Brian and to the McGowan family, Kiltyclogher, on the recent sad passing of your beloved Margaret. Go raibh leaba I measc na naomh aici.
Monday, January 20th
Dinner Dance: The Allen Gaels / St. Francis Ladies 2025 Dinner Dance will be held in The Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday, February 2nd. Tickets are now on sale at €50 each. Doors open at 6.45pm and dinner commences at 7.30pm. The following presentations will be made on the night: St. Francis Ladies league & championship medals, Minor, Junior & Senior Ladies Player of the Year, Junior & Senior Men’s Player of the Year, Mothers and Others Player of the Year and Club Person of the Year. The following day, Monday February 3rd , is a Bank Holiday so hopefully there will be a good attendance for what should be a very enjoyable and memorable night.
Fundraiser: Following a club charity game which took place on St. Stephen’s Day, a cheque for €2,000 was presented to the Smith Family to help with ongoing medical bills for newly-born baby Harrison. Well done to the Allen Gaels & St. Francis players for organising and participating in this very worthwhile event. We send our prayers and best wishes to Baby Harrison.
Tony McGowan Run: This year’s Tony McGowan Run takes place on Sunday, February 16th with the Half-Marathon commencing at 10.00am, the 10K race at 10.30am and the 5K event at 10.45am. Over 1,400 participants are expected to take part. The Half-Marathon and the 10K races are sold out but there are still some places available in the 5K race. Of course, the event is also open to walkers. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to the Baby Harrison Smith Fund. This is a huge event and the club is appealing to anyone who wishes to volunteer their services in the areas of catering, stewarding and traffic management, to contact the committee with your details.
Leitrim Ladies: It was the clash of champions last Sunday in the opening round of the Lidl LGFA National League Div. 4, when All-Ireland Intermediate champions, Leitrim, hosted All-Ireland Junior champions, Fermanagh, in Kiltubrid. However, the Fermanagh girls proved much superior on the day building up a healthy first-half lead. This was a much changed Leitrim team with several of the All-Ireland winning stars not available. Despite a pair of second-half Leitrim goals, the Fermanagh ladies ran out winners on a score line of 3-13 to 2-09.
Monday, January 13th
Club Lotto: The first draw of 2025 took place last Tuesday evening, Jan. 7th. There was no winner of last week’s jackpot of €4,000. Congratulations to our Christmas Draw winners, John Reynolds (Arigna), Josephine McTigue, Emer Lynch (Corryard Wood), Declan Lynch (Rooskey) & Donncha Lynch who win €200 each. Prizes may be collected in Hegarty’s Centra from Thursday following the draw. This week’s jackpot will stand at €4,100. Many thanks for your continued support and to those businesses who stock our Lotto envelopes.
Every Step Counts: Allen Gaels will take part in the Irish Life MyLife Every Step Counts Challenge 2025. The Challenge began on January 8th and runs until February 12th. The minimum goal of this challenge is to collectively hit at least 4,000km and be entered into the Connacht provincial draw. The more participants we have within our community, the faster we will hit that target – last year we hit it in one day. You can participate in the Challenge by downloading the MyLife app.
Club Members Draw: The following winners have been selected through Foireann using a random number generator and have won the following prizes in our Christmas Club Members Draw, Gareth Higgins (Jinny’s Voucher), Kathryn McGreevy (Bellz Voucher), Sharon McGourty, Ballinaglera (Gunpowder Gin), Alan McKeon (Bottle of Brandy), Cathríona McGourty (Bottle of Whiskey), Barta Orawiec (Bottle of Vodka), Aidan McKeon (Boxed Wine Set) & Patricia Keane (Box of Biscuits).
Wedding Bells: The club extends its warm congratulations to Aidan Heron on the occasion of his recent wedding in Perth, Western Australia. Aidan has always been a staunch supporter of Allen Gaels and Leitrim GAA over many decades. We wish Aidan and his new bride, Cheri, every happiness as they begin a new chapter in their lives.
Club Meeting: A club meeting will take place in the clubhouse at 8.30pm on Thursday next, January 15th. Please make every effort to be in attendance as important decisions will have to be made for the club going forward.