Mick Kelly & Paddy Walsh cut the tape to open the new court
Collooney handball club committee
Collooney handball club celebrate
After many years of dedication, hard work and commitment the Collooney
handball Club Committee were at last able to celebrate the opening of their
state of the art 40 x 20 handball court last Friday evening, writes Michael
McGee
A huge gathering of people from
all over Ireland attended the opening of the Collooney handball 40 x 20 court
on Friday evening last. In attendance was Joe TaaffeSligo G.A.A Chairman,
Eamonn McMunn Sligo G.A.A Administrator. Shane Malone Main Contractor, P.J.
Moran Engineer on the project. Wexford Handball Secretary Tony Breen and his
wife Betty made the long journey to Collooney. Amongst the attendance was Michael McElroy son
of William McElroy the Club’s first Secretary in 1928. Also there was Brian
Cooper of Markree Castle the family who kindly donated a plot of ground on the
Fairgreen where the handball courts are now situated. With the viewing gallery
full to capacity the evening started with an Ecumenical Blessing by Fr. Pat
Peyton P.P. Collooney and Rev Adam Pullen Ballisodare. After the blessing two of the legends of the
game in Sligo Paddy Walsh & Mick Kelly who between them have won 39
All-Ireland handball titles had the honour of cutting the tape to open the new
€200,000 state of the art handball court. It was a case of double celebration
for Walsh as he also celebrated his 74th birthday. D.J. Charlie
Brown provided the musical entertainment.
Development Chairman Hugh McGarry
gave the speech and began by sincerely thanking the Cooper Family of Markree
Castle who kindly donated the ground in the Fairgreen back in 1928 where the
handball court is built. McGarry had a warm “Cead Mile Failte” for Brian Cooper
who was in attendance. McGarry praised
Fr. Pat Peyton PP Collooney who launched the plan back in 2011 and said “that
the people of Collooney are very lucky to have him.” “Fr. Pat is a tremendous help to us over the
last 3-4 years”. The Development Chairman thanked Tony McLoughlin
T.D. who was instrumental in helping the club receive the €50,000 sports
lottery funding from the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport in
January of last year which greatly aided the project. He
also thanked all the support received from the weekly Bingo in Collooney hall
and acknowledged “that this would not have happened only for the support of
their loyal supporters”. P.J. Moran a lecturer in Engineering was described as
a “great guy” by McGarry. “This was his
ideas and plans and great credit to him.”
McGarry was full of praise for the main contractor Shane Malone “when
Shane came on board my problems was solved.”
Shane is an absolute gentleman McGarry added. Malone’s team of contractor’s Jimmy
Kilgallon, Eamon Waters, Padraic Harte, Michael Harte & the Walsh brothers
were also thanked for their excellent work.
McGarry remembered great friends of the club
who are now deceased people like Willy Loftus, Ned Connelly, Mrs Jackson,
Mickey Finn, Kathleen Finn, Gabriel Walsh & John O’Hara and with that there
was 30 seconds of silence for those departed.
McGarry mentioned past players the
Clifford brothers, Mannion brothers, Kenneth McKenna, Bergin brothers, Flynn
brothers, Johnson brothers Ballisodare, Harry Colleary, Sonny Hennessy &Tom
Colleary. The Development Chairman reiterated his desire to continue their
development during the winter months to renovate the 60 x 30 court and have an
Official opening in Spring of next
year. All of the committee were
individually thanked for their extraordinary dedication and commitment in the
last number of years. McGarry was
delighted to see Michael McElroy son of William McElroy the first Club
Secretary in 1928 looking hale and hearty at the opening. McGarry looks forward to seeing the club
players reach their potential in the years to come and that the new generation
will also bring great success to the club.
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