World Cup excitement kicks off

ENNIS will host its own mini-World Cup this Sunday, with 12 multicultural teams from all over Clare vying for a place in the semi-final, which will be part of the county’s Intercultural Festival the following weekend.
Alphonse Basogomba of the Clare Intercultural Festival explained that there has been a soccer tournament as part of the festival each year since the festival began six years ago.
“It’s always a very popular part of the festival, but this year to capture some of the World Cup fever, we decided to make it into Clare’s own mini World Cup. So 12 teams will be narrowed down to four this Sunday, coinciding with the real World Cup Final,” he said.
The mini-World Cup will be played this Sunday afternoon in the Ennis Leisure World on the Showgrounds Road.
“Many different countries will be represented on teams including Nigeria, South Africa, France, Poland and Ireland as well as Travellers. Some teams will be of mixed nationalities, while others will be all the same nationality,” he added.
The semi-finals and finals of the contest will be played the following Saturday, as part of the larger Clare Intercultural Festival.
The festival will be held in St Flannan’s College, Ennis from 11am to 2pm and will include soccer, music, dancer, children’s entertainment and multicultural food.
The event is organised by the Clare Intercultural Network, in partnership with An Garda Siochána, Clare Local development Committee. Clare Care, Clare Immigrant Support Centre, Clare Sports Partnership, Ennis CDP, Ennis Community College, Ennis Red Cross, FAI, Fuji Film, HSE, GIFA, Leisure World Ennis, St.Flannan’s College, and St Joseph Training Centre.
“This free family-orientated day is open to all. Great fun is planned with children’s activities, music, dances and a variety of food from all over the world on offer to taste, as well as the soccer tournament,” Mr Basogomba said.