All eyes on Clare for 40th Féile

LEADING officials from the GAA, camogie and handball were in Clare last Thursday night for the official launch of this year’s Féile na nGael at the West County Hotel.

GAA president Christy Cooney was on hand to launch the event and he was joined by camogie president Joan O’Flynn and handball president Tony Hannon.
Hundreds of boys and girls from all parts of the county donned their club colours as MC Marty Morrissey got proceedings underway. There was music followed by a question-and-answer session, where the answers were provided by former Clare All-Ireland winning stars, Ger O’Loughlin (current county senior manager), Frank Lohan and Jamesie O’Connor.
The launch ceremony came at the end of a week in which officials and players had visited the schools of the county.
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, GAA president Christy Cooney was one of a group of officials to attend a function at the homestead of the founder of the GAA, Michael Cusack.
Chairman of the Michael Cusack Centre, Martin O’Loghlen, commented, “It is a tribute to the legacy and foresight of Michael Cusack, that 126 years later, Gaelic games are at the dynamic heart of Irish sporting pride.” 
Each year, over 25,000 boys and girls from all 32 counties as well as a number of teams from overseas take part in Féile na nGael, the national festival of hurling, camogie and handball for boys and girls under 14 years. This is the 40th year of the competition and gets underway on the weekend of June 18-20.