All club members would like to thank Cavendish Lane Properties Ltd who will be the club’s main sponsor for the coming year. Members of the club executive, team managers and players gathered in the Welcome Inn Hotel last Thursday night to launch the new deal. Tony McHugh and James McTigue of Cavendish Lane Properties Ltd said ‘they were delighted to be closely associated with the club’ and wished the club well for the coming year.

The first quarterly meeting of the club which was due to take place in the Welcome Inn Hotel on Friday March 16^th at 8.30 p.m has been deferred due to the foot and mouth scare. A new date will be set for the meeting as soon as circumstances allow.

The club is making a presentation to our two Australian bound players, David Gordon and Rory O’Grady, next Thursday night at 8 p.m. in the Welcome Inn Hotel. All club members are welcome to come along and wish them well.

Members of the group who travelled on the club’s trip to New York in March 2000 had a very enjoyable reunion in Mick Byrnes last Friday night.

A reminder to everybody that club membership is now due and is only £10 for both adult and juvenile players and for non-playing members. Membership forms for senior players / adult members are available from John Brennan @ 22966 or James Rocke @ 25019. Membership will be closing soon!

The club is currently embarking on a major fundraising drive. We are offering an attractive sponsorship package to businesses. If there is anyone interested in availing of the benefits of this sponsorship package, you can obtain further details from either Michael Diskin at 24887 or Monica Joyce at 22378.

County Board tickets are on sale to club members at a cost of £60. All sections of the club have been issued with tickets. We are appealing to all adult players, club members and parents of underage players to buy a ticket. Monies raised will go to the further development of football and hurling within the club. Please return any sold tickets as soon as possible. Have you bought a ticket yet?

Tickets are available from the following: James Rocke (25019), Michael Diskin (24887), Mick Byrne (21561), John Brennan (22966), Philip Heneghan (21086), Tony Stakelum (26506).

Senior football and hurling: Wednesday and Friday at 7.30 p.m.

Junior football: Wednesday and Friday at 7.30 p.m.

Minor team: Tuesday 7.30 p.m. and Sunday morning 10.30 a.m.

All fixtures in March have been cancelled due to the foot and mouth scare. This affects the first two rounds of the county minor league which were due to be played on Sunday March 18^th and March 25^th.

Members of the senior hurling team will be training with the senior footballers on Wednesday and Friday nights at 7.30 p.m.

Training for the under 14 hurling continues next Saturday at 1 p.m. at the all weather pitch in Celtic.

Bord na Nog will be holding a registration day for all underage players in An Sportlann on Saturday 24^th March next from 11 – 2 p.m.

We are asking all parents to come along and pay membership during this time. It is important that all players are registered and covered by proper insurance before any matches begin. Members of Bord na Nog will be available during this time to talk to parents and to explain the details of the additional voluntary insurance available to all players. If anyone has any queries contact either Monica Joyce @ 22378 or Brendan O'Hara @ 23485.

The Under 14’s are back in action starting next weekend. Manager Jimmy Feeney has organised a town league with the following four teams:

Connaught: Sean Faulkner (captain), Sean Keane, Conor Higgins, Ronan Moran, Damon Cunningham, Keith Lyons, Rory Irwin, John Flatley, Damian Conway, Sean McHale, Sean O’Donoghue, Michael Aherne, Simon Byrne, Joe Gibbons, Paul Heneghan, Garry Walsh, Fintan Brophy.

Ulster: Ronan Henry (capt), Ronan O’Boyle, Ciaran Golden, Noel Marley, Richard Martin, Keith Staunton, Shane Hopkins, Ronan McTigue, Thomas Murphy, Mark Conlon, Ciaran O’Dowd, Fintan Casey, Sean Gavin, Diarmuid Sheridan, Darragh Conway, Sean O’Malley, Peter Moran.

Munster: James Diskin (capt), Padhraic Healy, Darragh Quinn, Shane Cunnane, Adrian Roche, Darragh Granaghan, Shane Hynes, Peter Munroe, Gerard O’ Boyle, Brendan Ryan, Paul Gannon, Jarlath Glynn, Sean Byrne, Darragh Gleeson, Ciaran Sheridan, Daniel Fitzgerald, Paul Flynn.

Leinster: Niall O’Hara (capt), Tom Cunniffe, Kevin Stenson, Alan Lyons, Fiachra Heavey, Conor Murray, Jarlath Sweeney, David Kelly, Michael Cuddy, Daragh Loftus, Cillian Gavin, Terry O’Hara, Colm Harte, Kevin Mcnamara, Niall Naughton, John Dunne.

The fixtures for this weekend are:

Connacht v Ulster Friday 16^th at 5 p.m. Players assemble at 4.45 p.m.

Munster v Leinster Saturday 17^th at 2 p.m. Players assemble at 1.45 p.m.

Games will be played in McHale Park.

If there are other players who are not listed on any team, contact Jimmy Feeney at 25104.

There was a good response to training last weekend. We would like to welcome two new assistants Pat Diskin and Donie Duignan (both members of the Garda Siochana) to the coaching panel.

Training for the under 12 team continues next Saturday in An Sportlann at 10 a.m. Training will be indoors. So all players are asked to bring runners and £1 for the hall.

Manager Brendan O’Dowd informs me that training for the under 10 team continues next Saturday in De La Salle Hall, Newport Road at 10 a.m. Training will be indoors.