The third annual Pioneer All-Ireland Sports Finals were held in Rice College, Westport on September 15th in breezy but sunny conditions. This event was organised by the Connaught Youth Committee in association with more senior members of Connaught Council and the Westport Pioneer Branch. Competitors and supporters gathered on the pitches just before noon where Fr. Michael Mannion C.C. Westport, welcomed everyone. A minute's silence was held for the victims of the recent atocities in the U.S.A. and this was followed by the Irish National Anthem.

The games commenced at 12 noon and 650 participants began competing for gold in three different age groups (9-12 Boys/Girls, 12-15 Boys/Girls and Over 15 Boys/Girls) and in four different competitions: Gaelic Football, Soccer, Basketball and Badminton.

Nearly six hours later all competitions had ended and Fr. Micheael MacGreil (President of Board of Management) and Brenda Lynch (National Youth President) presented specially commissioned P.T.A.A. All-Ireland Sports Gold Medals to the winners and Silver Medals to the runners-up.

The Connaught Youth Committee would like to thank all their sponsors in Westport, Castlebar and other regions in Connaught who made donations towards the running of this prestigious event. Without their generosity, such and event could not be staged.

We as a committee would sincerely like to thank the wonderful members of the Senior Pioneer group who joined us to raise the sponsorship required. Firstly, we would like to thank the fantastic effort made by the Castlebar members, namely, Bridie Cloherty and Mary Neary who went on countless errands around Castlebar to raise money for this event. Thanks Ladies!

We would also like to thank Ann Hyland, Mary McGovern, Fr. Micheal Mannion, Moria Glavey, Moira Dolan, Denis Mulkeen and Mary Kilgallon who travelled to Westport and Castlebar on a number of occasions to assist us with raising funds. You are all an inspiration to us young members and we thoroughly enjoyed your company and assistance over the past few weeks.

We are indebted to Anne Mulkeen, National Youth Secretary for all her work organising and ensuring the smooth running of the event, both before and during the All-Ireland Sports Finals. A programme was specially produced for the All-Ireland Sports Finals by Anne and Frances Mulkeen. Thanks also to Éilis and Seamus Murphy (Kerry), Brenda Lynch and Ger Naughton (Dublin), Chris Clarke and Dermot Fagan (Meath) who assisted with the actual putting together of the booklet the night before the sports. The evidence is on video!

Thanks to Mr. Liam Sadler, Mr. Frank McCarrick (Ex-Principle and Principle) respectively for putting the wonderful facilities in Rice College at our disposal. Special thanks to Fr. Micheael Mannion, Chaplain to Rice College, for all his assistance. We would also like to thank the caretakers in Rice College, especially Chris Moran for all his help both before and during the All-Ireland.

Sincere thanks to Fr. Joe Delaney, St. Mary's College, Galway for providing us with some of the goalposts and to Dan Shaughnessy for delivering them to their location in Rice College and then returning them to St. Mary's College. Thanks also to Stiofain O'Morain, CBS, Westport for the use of the Samba goalposts.

Finally, we would like to thank all of the people who assisted with the catering, shop, PA system, selling of programmes, referees, umpires, stewards, Order of Malta, Westport and our photographer for the day, Trisha Forde.

 

BADMINTON	GOLD	SILVER
9-12 Girls	North/East Galway	Carrigallen/Drumeela
9-12 Boys	Carrigallen/Drumeela	Killucan
12-15 Girls	Carrigallen/Drumeela	Roscommon/Athlone
12-15 Boys	Carrigallen/Drumeela	Enfield
Over 15 Girls	Knock	Leighlinbridge
Over 15 Boys	North/East Galway	Carrigallen/Drumeela
9-12 Mixed	Carrigallen/Drumeela	Killucan
12-15 Mixed	Carrigallen/Drumeela	Enfield
Over 15 Mixed	Roscommon/Athlone

BASKETBALL	GOLD	SILVER
9-12 Girls	Mid Killala	Rathangan
9-12 Boys	Mid Killala	Enfield
12-15 Girls	Rathangan	Roscommon/Athlone
12-15 Boys	Rathmore	Mid Killala
Over 15 Girls	Mid Killala	Leighlinbridge
Over 15 Boys	Rathmore	Claremorris

Word of welcome from the Connaught Youth Committee


Céad mílle fáilte to Westport, (Ireland's 2001 tidest town) to the 3rd All-Ireland Sports Finals. We the Connaught Youth Committee are delighted to grasp the opportunity of hosting this prestigious event and hope our efforts suffice to make this day an enjoyable and memorable one for all the competitors.

Over the past few weeks a large number of people have worked diligently and graciously in assisting us with our endeavours. A big thank you is due to Fr Micháel Mannion, Mr Liam Sadler and Mr Frank McCarrick (Ex-Principal and Principal respectively of Rice College) for putting this fantastic venue at our disposal. We would also like to extend our thanks to Chris Moran who has assisted not only in setting up the venue but who has also provided his services as a referee for the entire day. Thank You Christy!

As with the organisation of any major event, the wearisome and dismal task of raising sponsorship money is unavoidable. We as a committee would sincerely like to thank the wonderful members of the Senior Pioneer group. Firstly, we would like to thank the fantastic effort made by the Castlebar members, namely, Bridie Cloherty and Mary Neary who went on countless errands around Castlebar to raise money for this event. Thanks Ladies!

We would also like to thank Ann Hyland, Mary McGovern, Fr Micháel Mannion, Moira Glavey, Moira Dolan, Denis Mulkeen and Mary Kilgallon who travelled to Westport and Castlebar on a number of occasions to assist us with raising funds. You are all an inspiration to us young members and we thoroughly enjoyed your company and assistance over the past few weeks.

We are indebted to Frances Mulkeen for all her work with the programme and to the referees and helpers who have the daunting task of ensuring the smooth running of the sports. Thanks also to the Order of Malta for their first aid assistance.

Last but by no means least we would like to thank all those people who sponsored us. We received fantastic financial support from all businesses and we hope and encourage you to support them for the duration of your stay in Westport. Without them, this event could not even be staged.

Good Luck to all the competitors. We hope you have an enjoyable day.

Connaught Youth Committee.


Word of thanks

Sincere thanks to Fr Joe Delaney for providing us with goal posts and to Dan Shaughnessy for delivering them from St. Mary's College, Galway to their present location here at Rice College.

I would also like to welcome a number of people who have travelled long distances to help us over the past few days with the final preparations. These include Seamus and Eilish Murphy from Kerry and Ger Naughton from Dublin. Thanks also to Theresa Mulkeen for all her assistance with the
time-tabling of events.

To Riordan's supermarket in Claremorris and especially to Honor and Noel - to O'Haras Bakery, Lydon House, King Crisps, McWalters Balla, Lyons and Barrys tea, Coca Cola and Brady's Ham . Thank you all for your generosity.

A special thanks to all our sponsors and Senior Pioneers that helped us over the past month with our venture and to Fr Micheal Mannion for providing us with this venue and indeed helping us with the fund raising. Please keep Rice College litter free and use any bins provided. Thanks also to Denis and Frances Mulkeen who have worked diligently with me over the past 3 months and to congratulate them on their recent 30th wedding anniversary!

Last but by no means least, I would like to welcome to Mayo, our Young Pioneer National President Brenda Lynch (Dublin). Wishing yourself and Conor many happy years together and thanks for all your help over the past few months.
 
Anne Mulkeen
(National and Connaught Youth Secretary)

Word of welcome from Brenda Lynch ~ President of the National Youth Committee

Welcome to everyone who is here today!

I am very happy that the All-Ireland Sports Finals are taking place here in Westport today. As many of you may know, the Foot and Mouth situation led to the curtailment of a number of PTAA activities during 2001. It has been a great achievement to organise the All-Ireland Sports Competitions and in particular this years finals, due to these events. It would not have been possible without the trojan effort of a number of people, especially the local organising committee. These people deserve the sincere thanks of everyone for their efforts. I personally believe that the fact that the
All-Ireland Sports finals are happening today shows what can be achieved within the Association when the will is there.

The Sports Competitions have proved very popular over the past three years and I hope that there will be even more participants in future years. Everyone who participates here today has already achieved something to be proud of and their success can be an inspiration to other Young Pioneers throughout the country.

May I wish all the teams the very best of luck in the All-Ireland Finals.

Enjoy the day!

Brenda Lynch

Word of  welcome from Micheal Mannion ~ Spiritual Director, Westport P.T.A.A.and Moira Dolan ~                                                                                    President, Westport P.T.A.A.

On behalf of the Westport Branch of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association we welcome all of you who are competing in todays All-Ireland Pioneer Sports Finals. We congratulate you on reaching the finals and hope you have a memorable day. We say Céad Míle Fáilte to all involved, to the Youth Committee and organising committee, who worked so hard to make this event such a success. We welcome all competitors, their friends and their families. We hope you enjoy your visit to Cathair Na Mart.

Sixty years ago on the 14th September, 1941 the P.T.A.A. was founded in Westport. What better way to continue to celebrate this than by having todays finals for the Young Pioneers here in Westport. It is a time to look back with thanks and to look forward in hope. It is a bright future to look forward to when you see so many young pioneers here today.

Our prayer and wish is that you our young people will continue to give good example. We know you will portray a healthy, responsible and fun-loving attitude in your daily lives. We would like to thank all who made this day possible, The National Youth Committee, those who collected sponsorship, our sponsors who gave so generously, the stewards, caterers, officials, and referees. We especially thank Rice College for providing this beautiful venue. Safe journey home and we hope we will all meet again.

Mol an Óige agus tiocfaidh síad.

God Bless you all.

Micheal Mannion & Moira Dolan
Spiritual Director, Westport P.T.A.A. President, Westport P.T.A.A.

Message from Connacht council president

I am delighted to welcome everyone to Rice College, Westport, for the 2001 P.T.A.A. sports All-Ireland Finals. A special word of welcome and good wishes to all the competitors. I hope that they have an enjoyable, fun-filled day. With so many counter attractions about, it is great to have more than six hundred and fifty competitors vying for All-Ireland success.

I hope that lots of todays competitors will be motivated to become pioneers for life, because more young dedicated members are needed to join forces with the present hard-working P.T.A.A. Youth Committees throughout the country. I earnestly ask all adult pioneers to advise, help, encourage and support the young members, at every opportunity, in their many ventures.

Finally, I want to say how privileged I feel to have been associated with the Connacht P.T.A.A. Youth Committee members during the past few weeks and to have seen, at first-hand, their dedication and zeal. I also feel rejuvenated and renewed by their enthusiasm and exuberance.
May God reward them, for the selfless giving of their time and talents, for the enjoyment of others and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Rath Día oraibh go léir.

Ann Hyland
(President Connacht Council P.T.A.A)

Word of welcome from Bernard J. McGuckian S.J. ~ Central Director, P.T.A.A.

Good sports - Fr Cullen, the founder of the Pioneers wasn't very good at games. However, like every other young person he enjoyed playing them. In a lecture at his old school, Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare in 1904, he talked about the pleasure he got from them. He was referring back to recreation some forty years earlier in the 1860's, before the GAA or the rules of most modern forms of sport were codified. He recalled with pleasure the games he had played, handball and the two kinds of it, Common and Indian a good old Irish game cricket, archery, marbles, stilts, peg-tops, battle-dore and shuttle cock. Fr Lambert McKenna, his biographer, wrote, is certain that he never was remarkable for any proficiency in them. However, this did not prevent him from gaining the respect of the other boys. Fr McKenna writes, "His authority and influence over his companions was due rather to his strength of character, uprightness, and perhaps above all his manly and uncompromising piety and correctness of conduct. Even in our world of highly commercialised sport, these virtues still retain their value. They should be part of the life of every young Pioneer.

It is encouraging for older Pioneers to see the dedication of our younger members here at Rice College, Westport, both those who have organised the Sports and those who are competing.
In providing healthy sporting challenges to their peers they are totally in line with the spirit of our Association.
The Foot and Mouth crisis added to the difficulties of organisation this year. However the members of the Connaught Youth Committee have done a great job in spite of the difficulties. They deserve a special word of thanks.

Bernard J. McGuckian S.J.
Central Director, PTAA

Word of welcome from Sean Coll, President of the P.T.A.A.

As President of the Pioneer Association, I join in welcoming you all here to Westport for the National Pioneer Sports Finals 2001.

As you know, these finals were scheduled to take place in June. However, with the Foot & Mouth restrictions in place at that time and mindful of the responsibilities we have had at that time, the sensible decision was made to postpone the finals. I am aware that some people were upset by this decision but I hope that you understand the reasons why.

However, we are now here in Westport for what I hope will be a great day of competition. These sports have proved to be yet another popular social event in the Pioneer calendar. I hope you will all have a great day and even if you don't go home with a medal, at least you will have shared in the experience of taking part in an All-Ireland final. It is not the winning that is important but the taking part.

Today is a celebration of all that is good about being a Young Pioneer. You have come from around the country to take part in sporting events which will reflect your youthful enthusiasm, fitness and general well-being. It will be a lively, fun-filled, and exciting day. I really hope that you will enjoy it.

I congratulate all of you who have qualified for todays finals from regional, diocesan and provincial heats and thank everyone involved in training and helping you. I also thank the National Youth Committee for masterminding todays event. This was their brain-child and the best way we can show our appreciation to them for the time and effort they have spent in organising this event is by taking part in a spirit of good will and fair play as well as accepting the referees decisions and adhering to the timetable. I also would like to express my appreciation to the Connaught Young Pioneer Committee for their valuable input into organising todays event.

Unfortunately, I am unable to attend as I am on Lough Derg today attending the National Pioneer Day Retreat. However, I am sure that you will all enjoy yourselves today and I look forward to hearing great reports back. Have a great day!!! Take care.
 
Sean Coll
P.T.A.A. President
 
           
Programme of Events - cover picture                           Organisers and Helpers for the big day