St Brigids - Belfast

2008 has been an extra-ordinary year for Gaelic games in the Malone road area of South Belfast, both on and off the pitch. With a lot of highlights during the course of the year it is clear that the Gaelic traditions are thriving right across the community.

Off the pitch the club celebrated An Cheid Deich mBliana, the first ten years, and the opening of the new playing facilities at Musgrave Park. The festivities were held in the middle of September, on what turned out to be one of the best weekends of the year. And it was this good weather which made an already special time for this young club indeed very memorable. One of the highlights of the celebrations was without a doubt a gala dinner attended by over 750 patrons, with MC Benny Tierney and under the watchful eye of An t-Uachtarán, Cumann L�thcleas Gael, Nickey Brennan. The all-star match which included legendary players such as Anthony Tohill, Peter Canavan and of course Joe Brolly was the main talking point on the following day. Apart from this exhibition of skill, there were loads of activities to ensure everyone got to join in with the celebrations � with all of the teams from St Brigids including football, hurling and ladies getting their day in the sun.

Nickey Brennan, An t-Uachtarán, Cumann L�thcleas Gael; Oliver Lennon, Cathaoirleach Naomh Brid and John McSparron Cathaoirleach Cosite Antroma perform the official opening of St Brigids new playing facilities at Musgrave Park.

On the pitch it was a year of firsts. First of all there was the introduction of a new kit to underline the festivities and the celebrations for the 10^th anniversary.

Launch of the new St Brigids kit celebrating the first 10 years.

It was in this new kit that St. Brigids also for the first time fielded a team in the first division of the All County Football league. Indeed, the Malone road Gaels seemed to really enjoy life in the highest regions of Antrim football, coming in with a bang, beating Lamh Dearg emphatically in the first match of the season followed by victory over Cargin and running other established names very close. With the season just past the half way mark the senior team are making good strides in achieving their goal established at the outset of the year by remaining in the top flight of Antrim football.

The Senior reserve team started the season with a big challenge too, to achieve promotion out of Division 5. After a shaky start the boys got settled and with the end of the league coming in sight they still have every chance of reaching their goal.

This was also the year that the Naomh Brid hurlers for the first time fielded a team in an All Antrim league and where every start is difficult there has been visible improvements in results and performance and if they can keep the progression going the way they have been doing during the course of the season, then the future of hurling in South Belfast will be very bright indeed.

For the more youthful teams of St. Brigids it was a year of firsts for a completely different reason. The Minors enjoyed so much success in the South Antrim League Division 2 and completed the season undefeated. A promising run in the championship ended in disappointment in the committee room as at the height of the summer holidays and exam season the mentors were unable to field a team for their quarter final tie against Rossa.

U10's Winning Final The under 10's had a series of near misses having lost narrowly to St Johns in the final of the St Galls May-Day tournament, followed by another final defeat to Lucan Sarsfields in the Newry Mitchels tournament. They "finally� turned the corner by securing the Carryduff tournament with victory of Errigal Ciarán in the final. The rest of the underage teams as well as the young hurlers and the ladies teams were not too far behind the limelight, this all of course bodes very well for the boys in blue and gold

Another big feature on the St. Brigids calendar was, as always, the Sunday morning coaching for primary children. This year saw once again a lot of new young talent becoming part of the Gaelic family, it is obviously good to see that the numbers keep growing all the time, with over 175 children in regular attendance. No doubt that in another 10 years some of these young boys and girls will be coming to the forefront and take the club to even greater heights.

After a very big year in 2008, the attention will now shift to the next season. The start of the next 10 years, a new era, in which we will undoubtedly see some new faces who will make sure that the progression made so far by this club full of aspiration, will keep going in the right direction.

A final thank-you to all our sponsors and the Friends of St Brigids who have assisted the club throughout the past 12 months.