2014 marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of the first GAA club in Killoe. The first GAA club in the parish was named Killoe Erins Hopes, and quickly renamed Killoe Erins Pride. By the start of the 20th century a single unified team emerged in the parish called Killoe Emmets, soon to be renamed Killoe Young Emmets. A weekend of celebration was held to mark our 125th year milestone on 30th & 31st August.
Saturday 30th August
- Parish Blitz (U10 & U12) – Main Pitch at 11am
- Parish Blitz (U14 & U16) – Main Pitch following above
- Skills Competition (U18 & U21) – Back Pitch in conjunction with above
- BBQ between 2pm and 4pm
- Ladies Senior Team challenge match – Main Pitch
- Evening Mass in St. Mary’s Ennybegs
- Ennybegs Community Centre – Slideshows, music, song, chat (finger food, tea/coffee served)
- Music & song in Begleys Bar
Sunday 31st August
- Fun Games (soft ball rounders, obstacle course, skills tyre competition) – Back Pitch at 12.30pm
- BBQ food throughout the day
- Set Dancing master class – In front of clubhouse at 1.30pm
- 1988 Team v 1993/5 Team – Main Pitch at 2pm
- Tug of War Competition – 3pm
- Donegal v Dublin match showing in Club House at 3.30pm
- U8 Blitz – Main Pitch (Killoe, Sean Connollys, Drumlish) at 3.30pm
- Kids Disco with DJ Mickey – Small Pitch at same time as Blitz
- Michael Kiernan Cup (Killoe v Fr. Manning Gaels) – Main Pitch at 5pm
- Music & song in Olde Forge (8pm)
Saturday 30th August:
Events will kick off in Emmet Park on Saturday 30th August at 11am on the main pitch with a parish blitz between a combination of our under 10 and 12 teams followed by a parish blitz between our under 14’s and 16’s combined. This is sure to generate great interest with lots of bragging rites up for grabs.
Running in conjunction with this will be a set of skills competitions on our back pitch aimed at our minor and under 21 players.
Activity at Emmet Park will conclude with a challenge match involving our Ladies Senior Team ahead of their upcoming County Final.
Following this we have mass in Saint Marys church, Ennybegs celebrated by Fr. Sean Casey in honour of the club and all deceased club members. The mass will be a celebration of club life with several current and former players involved in various aspects of the mass.
Mass will be followed in the community centre by a social evening consisting of slideshows and video, chat, music, song and memories of life within the club over the last 125 years. Finger food, tea and coffee will also be served.
Following this we intend retiring to Begley’s bar.
Sunday 31st August:
On Sunday we kick off proceeding in Emmet Park at 12.30p.m. with a day of fun filled family events with something on offer to tickle everyone’s fancy.
Events commence at 12.30pm with fun games such as soft ball rounders, obstacle courses and skills type competition for children of all ages on the back pitch.
At 1.30pm we will have a set dancing master class from some local riverdance masters in front of the club house with dancers dressing and arriving in traditional Irish dress.
At 2pm we have the showdown between our championship winning teams of 1988 and 1993/1995. This game will take place at 5pm and is sure to generate lots of interest, and a final chance to marvel at the sublime and silky skills as such greats as Eugene Murphy, Brendan Bracken, Frank Kennedy, Matt Duggan, The McCormack brothers, Speedy McCormack, the Fitzpatrick brothers, Declan Rowley and Kevin Dooner to name but a few.
At 3pm we are hosting a tug of war competition between some local heavy weight teams.
At 3.30pm we will be screening the Donegal V Dublin all Ireland semi final on big screens within the club house with tea and coffee served to guests. Guests will be entertained at half time when club chairman Jimmy Halpin will take part in the ice bucket challenge in front of the club house to raise money for motor neuron disease.During this game we will be running an under 8 blitz on the main pitch featuring our under 8 team, fresh from their games in Croke Park, as well as under 8 teams from Drumlish, Shroid Slashers and Sean Connolly’s, while local DJ Mickey will entertain the children with a kids disco on the small pitch.
At 5pm we will host the highlight of the weekend when our senior team will take part in the Michael Kiernan memorial tournament against Fr. Manning Gaels. Michael was an integral member of our championship winning 1993 and 1995 teams and one of the driving forces behind our fantastic developments at Emmet Park. It is fitting that our stand is named in his honour. The Michael Kiernan cup has been played every year since Michaels death in his honour and as his 18th anniversary approaches, it is fitting that events on the pitch this weekend end with him in mind.We will then round the weekend off with music and fingerfood in the Olde Forge at 8pm.
Commemorative booklets will be on sale over the course of the weekend and a shop will be in operation within the park on both Saturday and Sunday. BBQ food will be served throughout the day (€2 burgers). Tea and coffee will be served all weekend.
We hope there is something here to interest everyone and hope to see you all in attendance over the course of the two days.
