Special events mark FAI AGM in the county

IN just over a week’s time, Clare soccer will play host to a week-long programme of events, which will be held across the county, to mark the staging of the Football Association of Ireland’s annual general meeting in the county capital.
Preparations for the event have been underway since this time last year and details of what promises to be a very busy week for all soccer people in the county were released this week.
President, Paddy McCaul; CEO, John Delaney; ambassadors, Ray Houghton and John Aldridge; plus staff from the technical section of the FAI will be in Clare for the week during which time they will visit a selection of clubs.
Chairman of the local organising committee, Jim Madden, is confident that the staging of the AGM in Clare will not alone boost the game in the county but also provide much-needed revenue for business in Clare.
On day one, Monday, July 11, clubs to be visited include Connolly Celtic, Corofin Harps, Moher Celtic, Burren Utd and Sporting Ennistymon. The Ennistymon club will host a charity social in the Falls Hotel that night.
There will be an FAI soccer fun day at the Skycourt in Shannon.
On Tuesday, July 12, the FAI group will visit Lees Road summer camp, Lifford, Coole FC, Mountshannon Celtic, Lough Derg FC, Bridge Utd and Tulla where the official opening of the club’s new astro turf facility will take place. The day will conclude with a social evening in Tulla.
On Wednesday, July 13, there will be a Powerchair football demonstration at Cratloe while clubs to be visited inhclude`Kilmaley Fern Celtic, Moneypoint, Kilrush, St Pat’s, (Kilmihil) and there will be a table quiz and a social evening in Daly’s.
The roadshow will be in Scariff on Thursday July 14, and clubs to be visited include Avenue United at Lees Road; Ennis Town; Newmarket Celtic; Shannon Olympic for FAI soccer sisters; Shannon Hibs and Shannon Recreation Centre for an intercultural futsal exhibition and Park FC for an intercultural open day in Ennis.
Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council will host a civic reception at Glór. There will be a social evening in Ennis hosted by the Clare Schoolboys League.
The roadshow will be on the Prom in Lahinch.
The FAI will host a press conference at Cliffs of Moher on Friday, July 15, where the announcement of Irish squad to play Croatia will be made by Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Tappatoni and his assistant, Marco Tardelli. There will be a golf outing at Shannon while the delegation will visit Bunratty Folk Park. The day will conclude with a gala dinner and presentation of awards in the West County Hotel.
The West County Hotel will host the FAI annual general meeting on Saturday, July 16, where the organisation’s CEO will announce grants to the clubs of the county totalling almost €100,000.