The winning under-14 footballers.
A big “well done” to the Delaware County Gaels Youth Gaelic Football Club (the Delco Gaels). Not only did they make a fine showing in the Feilie games in County Cork, Ireland, this year, the under-14 footballers powered their way to the Continental Youth Athletic Games championship in Boston earlier this month. Coached by Louie Bradley and Aidan Corr, the team knocked off every opposing team, including two from New York and one from San Francisco.
More than 100 players from the Philadelphia area headed to Boston for the games and the others didn’t do so badly either. The Under-12s, coached by Tommy Higgins, got to the semifinals before losing to the Rockland Hibernians. The Under-8s, coached by Paul McBrearty, were also knocked at at the semi-finals by the Rockland Hibernians. The Under 10 hurlers also made it to the semifinals, coached by Noel Doherty, before succumbing (by a narrow margin) to NY Hurling. And the Under-16s were only defeated in the finals of the U16 premier tournament by New York.
Comhghairdeas!
What Is It About Dungloe?
Caught a Facebook posting from the reigning Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe, Stephanie Lennon, that she got engaged while competing in the international pageant in Donegal. The same thing happened to last year’s Mary, Kiera McDonagh!
I checked the Donegal Association website and nowhere does it mention that your chances of becoming engaged increase when you enter the pageant.
However, the search is on for contestants for this year’s competition that takes place at the Donegal Ball on Saturday, November 26. To enter, you just need to be between the ages of 18-27 and of Irish descent. You do get a free trip to Ireland, fiancé not included.
Applications are due by November 4. For more information, you can contact Michelle Mack (herself a former Mary) at 215-518-3403 or Coleen Katz (who could have been if she wasn’t) at 610-446-2676. The application form is on the Donegal Association website. http://www.philadonegal.com/specials.php
Ch-ch-changes
While we’re on the subject of Irish pageant winners, last year’s Rose of Tralee, Mairead Conley, who coordinates programs at the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby and is a founding board member of Irish Network-Philly, is heading back to school for her master’s degree in social work at Fordham University. We hear the seniors at the Wednesday lunch at the Immigration Center are going to miss their “foster granddaughter.” Best wishes, Mairead!
We’ve been enjoying the daily videos from the International Rose of Tralee Pageant in Ireland, which is going on as we speak. On day one, our own Philly Rose, Beth Keely, was interviewed. Check it out. Nice work, Beth!
Comhghairdeas to our charter advertiser, Brian McCollum (of McCollum Insurance in Manayunk) and his wife, Karen Boyce McCollum, on the birth of their third child, son Shane Bernard. We know that the “Bernard” honors Karen’s father, Bernard “Barney” Boyce. But we’re wondering if these rabid Phillies fans are honoring a certain outfielder from Hawaii with their baby’s first name. Little Shane joins older sibs, Sarah and Daniel.
And congrats also to the recently selected Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Famers, Tom Farrelly, John Donovan, and Kathleen Murtagh! They’ll be inducted into the hall of fame in early November.
Aon Sceal is Irish for “what’s the story?” If you have a story to tell or some news you want to share, let us know. Email Denise at denise.foley@comcast.net.
