19 July 2011 Gaelic4Mothers Blitz a huge success Share this Article 0 0 0 Shares! 0 Shares! Last weekend saw Mourneabbey Community Centre take on a whole new life when 153 women descended on the club for the annual Munster Ladies Gaelic4Mothers blitz. While the women played through sun, wind and rain the men of the local club were busy collecting scrap metal for a local fundraiser, making the facility a real buzz of activity. In total 14 teams from 4 counties participated in the blitz that was coordinated by Munster Ladies with the support of Munster GAA. The women arrived on banner clad buses, in cars draped with flags all with the same goals; to have fun, be part of a team and get a healthy supply of exercise. By three o’clock on Saturday all three goals were well and truly achieved by everyone. All teams played at least 4 games while the volunteers on the day made sure that they were treated like royalty both on and off the pitch. Pat The Baker had kindly sponsored breads and cakes for the catering and all players, mentors, supporters and workers on the day were treated to some first class hospitality. This blitz provided the teams with a chance to play ladies football in a real life game situation, which for some was their first time ever. The uncompetitive nature of the event meant that there was a place for everyone regardless of ability and length of time playing. Now in its fourth year, Gaelic4mothers is a fantastic success and continues to grow every year in Munster. There are currently 28 active sites in Munster and it is hoped that this number will continue to grow. Paula Prunty, National Games Development Officer and William Harmon, Regional Games Development Officer were both on hand to assist in the running of the day, along with pitch and referee coordinators, referees and catering staff. When asked to express their thoughts at the end of the day most women highlighted the fun, non-competitive aspect of the event as being the most positive while many more mentioned the great approach taken by the referees to ensure that the games were fair and that the women got an opportunity to learn the basic rules. It is hoped all these areas and more will now travel to the National Gaelic4mothers blitz in Dublin on October 15th. To quote one lady; “Good Fun, lovely atmosphere, friendly environment, very well organised, hope to be back next year.” Many thanks to everyone who contributed to such a fantastic day. Mary Beades, Munster Development Officer. Share this Article 0 0