* Our Golf Classic will take place this Friday, 23 May 2014 in Downpatrick Golf Club. The price is £100 for a Four Ball which also includes a meal back at the club plus a few fun extras. There is still a few places left so please contact Kevin Sweeney, Ronan King or Niall McArdle for details of the competition
* Well all roads lead to the Millbrook Lodge Hotel this Saturday Night for the Champion of Champions Strictly Come Dancing Final all in the aid of McMillan. All the local sports clubs have sent their winners to the event. For Castlewellan it is Rory McAlinden and Michelle Dorans. Rory and Michelle performed magnificently in our final just before Christmas. I am sure they will click back into the groove easy enough for this weekend’s big event. Tickets are £15 per head and can be purchased from the Millbrook Lodge Hotel, The Stick Cafe at Brennan’s Garage on the Newcastle Road, the Heights Bar in Loughinisland and also Castle Veterinary Group in Downpatrick. This is a great cause and a great idea for this event. Please come along and support the event and especially Michelle and Brian. Good luck to you both.
* 2.40am on a Monday morning local time in a McDonalds Restaurant in Rockhampton Australia isn’t normally the place you would expect to appear in these notes. A Facebook feed described the frustration of a radio listener from Down who was on an overnight bus stopover in rural Australia. They were tuned into last Sundays Senior Championship opener in Omagh. Down went into Sundays match very much the underdog against the favourites for the Ulster Title Tyrone. When Down eventually shook themselves we all found that our County Team can match or better what is thrown at them. Down will rightly be disappointed with a draw. Saturday night in Pairc Esler for the replay is where we all want to be, if you can get a ticket, that is. Good luck to Michael, Sean and all the Down lads this weekend.
* Thank you to Zebedees for their Sponsorship of the jerseys for our young hurlers. Again we fully appreciate the generosity of their help and support.
* On Sunday June 8th the Club will hold their annual Juvenile Sponsored walk at 2pm followed by juvenile sports and Tug of War in St Malachy’s Park. Everyone is welcome. Sponsorship sheets will be made available through our juvenile coaches.
* Our Under 12 camogs had their first league game of the season on Saturday at home to Clonduff. It was a very evenly matched game, with the girls playing some great camogie and were very unlucky to be beat by a goal. This scribe happened to be passing the park on Saturday and stopped and peered through the gates. All credit to the young ladies from both teams who showed great determination in their play. Training on Tuesday 6.15pm at the club.
* Congratulations to Aoife Keown on her recent Ulster Colleges Camogie All Star success. This is following a very successful year with the Assumption Grammar School Ballynahhinch. Well done to Aoife and the Assumption Grammar.
* Castlewellan are hosting the Under 8 and Under 10 camogie blitz this Saturday (24th) in St Malachy’s Park All. Under 8 and Under 10 players please be at the club for 10.30am. Everyone is welcome to come along and support all the young ladies for all the teams who will participate.
* On Saturday our Year 6 team took part in the annual Jim Mulholland Memorial football competition in An Riocht. The boys had great performances against Kilcoo, Monaghan Harps and the host club An Riocht before losing out in the narrowest of margins against Bredagh in the semi-finals. Whilst the boys were disappointed in losing out at such a late stage of the competition they showed determination, skill and above all pride in wearing their club jersey throughout the tournament and were a credit to their parents, coaches and their club. Well done boys. As always thank you to our fellow Gaels in An Riocht for organising a superb competition.
* The Under 14 Girls football training is on Thursday at 6.30pm. Everyone is welcome. There will be football games for the next four Sundays so we need all our girls out working with the management team.
* The Under 12 Hurlers were on the road recently with games against Bredagh and Carryduff. A last gasp goal for Bredagh denied us the win with the home team snatching the points by the slenderest of margins. This was a very good effort by all concerned with some great hurling on display. Next up was a trip to Carryduff where the lads again put in a battling display going down 2-7 to 1-4. After a sluggish start the boys settled down and hurled very well. Training continues on Monday at 6.00 in St. Malachy’s Park
* Hurling training for P3 up to Year 8 continues from 6.00pm to 7.00pm each Monday in St Malachy’s Park.
* Outdoor juvenile coaching programme will continue in St Malachy’s Park every Saturday. Please bring both indoor and outdoor shoes as coaching will be inside if it rains. All new and existing members are welcome.10.00am – 10.45am St Malachy’s Park – Nursery, P1 and P2 Hurling and Camogie, P3 – P7 Camogie. 10.45am – 11.30am St Malachy’s Park – Nursery, P1 and P2 Boys Football & Girls Football and P3 to P7 Girls football. All parents are welcome and are encouraged to get involved. There will be tea and coffee in the club from 10.00am to 11.30am on the Saturday mornings.
* There was shock and disappointment when our number one cyclist Ciariano Crilliani was unable to compete in the Giro D’Italia which we welcomed to our shores last week. Instead the hardened road user decide to concentrate on the Tour De France along with Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome. This would be exalted company for the last two Tour winners. There is now doubt over his participation in this following a training run fall in the park where he sustained an injury. This has also put a doubt on his Tour of the Ring of Kerry this weekend. Seriously though get well soon Ciariano and get back on the saddle. Rorini Macabussoni is now our sole entry for Le Tour!
* This weeks lotto numbers were 10, 15, 23 & 26. There were no jackpot winners and no £20 winners. Next weeks jackpot is £6450
