TG 4 presenter Daithi O’Se will perform the opening of the La Na gClub Castlegar Hurling Club Festival on Sunday.
The event, to celebrate 125 years of GAA in Ireland, takes place at the Castlegar Sports Complex at 1.30pm.
“Apart from being a treasured sport, the GAA represents everything about Irish tradition and community,” says the club’s juvenile chairperson Mike Connolly.
“The Irish are well known all over the world for sharing their rich tradition with others, while we are Castlegar are fiercely proud of the players of all grades who have brought such great success to the club in the past. We are hoping this day will be an opportunity for everyone within our local community to come out to celebrate and share with others our local heritage.”
Castlegar, he says, is a unique community in Galway which has undergone tremendous development and change over the last 10 years.
Members of the Castlegar Hurling Club are dedicated to embracing this change with a positive outlook, he says, and although “ old Ireland” has changed for good, this does not mean that local heritage is lost.
“We need to find a way of keeping a sense of community alive for everyone within the locality, including people from completely different nationalities. Our club is a wonderful opportunity for all newcomers, adults, and children to get involved in the community, make new friends, and share interests.
“We are urging old members to come and share with newcomers to the area the gift of our wonderful sport. We also hope to learn about our non-Irish members.”
The festival includes a children’s dance performance from the African community, choreographed by Millicent Adebayo, and a presentation about Nigeria from Chris Okeke, chairperson of Afro Renaissance.
