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Article Date: 02/11/2009
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Friends of Sligo football
Congratulations to Drumcliffe / Rosses Point ladies football team on their victory over Dromahair and being crowned Connaught Junior champions, which is an impressive performance for a relatively new club.
Congratulations to Paul Taylor and Naomi Maguire, who got married recently. We wish them many years of happiness together. Paul has scored many crucial point and caught many balls for club and county but this was probably his best catch ever.
We are delighted to hear confirmation that Eamonn O’Hara has pledged his commitment to the County football team for 2010. As recorded in this column earlier this year his performances in matches in 2009 illustrated he still had a lot to offer Sligo football.. The draw for next years Connaught championship is a demanding one but Sligo seem to relish such challenges and we know under Kevin Walsh they will be well prepared for the task.
We extend sympathy to the families of Len Henry Ballymote, Geraldine Conway, Cloondrihara , Mullinabreena and Fr Denis Henry CC Lucan and formerly Cloonacool. The latter 2 were supporters of FOSF in Dublin. Geraldine tragically passed away at a very young age leaving behind 2 young children. She and her sister Breege were regulars at Sligo events in Dublin and will be sorely missed by all who knew her.
Fr Denis was also a good man to lend his support to Sligo events. Len Henry was a member of a great sporting and musical family. A number his family wore the Sligo colours as footballers and accomplished handballers. Dermot, as well as being a good footballer was one of the best known musicians in Ireland and further afield in the 70’s. Ross Donovan that rock hard Harps and Sligo defender is a nephew of the late Len. We also extend sympathy to the family of Teresa McHale , who died recently at a young age. She was an accomplished musician and her husband Eddie is a staunch GAA man.
Saturday 24th October was great occasion for Tubbercurry and surrounding areas as a warm reception was held to honour Dearbhla Walsh on her return to Tubbercurry with her Emmy award. No effort was spared by the Local Drama group – Phoenix players, Tubbercurry GAA and local Chamber of Commerce to celebrate this historic occasion.
St Brigids’s hall was packed to capacity and what an appropriate place where it all began for Dearbhla with Phoenix players and as participant in Scor. John Paul Murphy on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, Billy Kilgannon on behalf Tubbercurry Drama Festival Committee and MC for the night Eamonn Og Gallagher, chairman Phoenix players congratulated Dearbhla on her achievement and thanked her for her commitment to Tubbercurry whenever she spoke including her acceptance speech in LA. Billy recalled her commitment to drama in Tubbercurry in her youth and even after she left Tubber. Eamonn recalled Dearbhla’s first performance for the Phoenix players and other stories of her time in drama in Tubbercurry. Her mother Maeve made a fine speech recalling Dearbhla’s life and spoke of her pride for her other children. Dearbhla displayed all her talents as an orator in a wonderful speech off the cuff. She recalled her early days as a 5 year old helping out at the Drama festival in St Brigid’s Hall, her first opportunity on stage, the huge impact some of the great actors around Tubbecurry had on her professional development and her great love and pride in Tubbercurry. She entertained us on a series of anecdotes on events in her life growing up in Tubbercurry. Her speech was interspersed with nostalgia and humour and thoroughly enjoyed by all. It was hard to believe that here among us was a world star but still an humble girl from Tubbercurry , who cherished her roots.
Dearbhla was presented with a statue (a replica of the sculpture in the Square Tubbercurry) which she greatly appreciated and the crowd rose to their feet in sustained applause and people partied into the late hours.
Great credit must go to the organisers of this historic event for doing such a fine job befitting the occasion and the hospitality they extended to all attendees.
Another man born just up the road from Dearbhla, James Murray, who has made an immense contribution to the Arts locally will be honoured in Tubbercurry next week. James is an accomplished musician as a fife or fiddle player having been introduced to Irish music by his uncle the late Joe Murray in the 60s. Since then he has gone on to gain fame on local national stages and he and his good friend, Harry McGowan are regarded as two of the best in the business and two gentlemen to boot. James is also an accomplished artist and many of his works are to be seen in the local hall and church. He is also a very popular local postman.
Congratulations to Tommy Gorman, Northern Editor for RTE, who was conferred with an Honorary Masters degree by NUI Galway recently. Tommy is a true professional and the quintessential Sligo man. He never misses an opportunity to promote Sligo and any success we enjoy in any sport. Although a busy man he is always willing to give his time to support a Sligo initiative.
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