Congratulations

Warm congratulations to both Lavey Camog's and Ballinascreen Hurlers with their respective All Ireland and Ulster success. Great to see silverware coming back to the County. Fiar play to all the players and their management teams! (Pictures taken by Sportsfile and Colm Heron)

Nollaig Shona

A special word of thanks to all the club coaches and administrators who helped with the delivery of the 2009 coaching programme. Enjoy the break over Christmas!

From all the Derry Coaching and Games Staff

GAA For All Coaching Workshop

On Wednesday night we held a GAA for All workshop at Foreglen GAC. The workshop was designed to help create ideas for coaches who may be working with children who have a disability or special need. We looked at the equipment that is available as well as looking at games aimed at developing the needs of every child. 13 coaches turned out and everyone agreed it had been a very worthwhile evening. Thanks to Paul Callaghan, Ulster Council, Emmett Stewart, Ashleen McCaul and Shauna McCallion for delivering the session.

City Oaks @ Celtic Park

There was a good turn out for November's City Oaks held in Celtic Park. Thanks to all the players who came out and to Paul Simpson for delivering the session.

Derry City Gaelic Performance Workshop

24 players and 6 coaches took part in an Under 12 Coaching Workshop last Wednesday evening at the Old Library Trust 3G pitch deliver by Derry GPO Paul Simpson

St. Mary's Magherafelt Foundation Coaching Award

On Tuesday 8th December twenty 6th form students from St. Mary's Magherafelt continued with their foundation coaching award. Richard Ferris delivered a number of classroom based workshops with the students in the morning.

Followed by some work in the gym going through the various stages and activities of the GAA Fundamentals. The new coaches worked extremely hard throughout the day and applied themselves really well. The final stage of their foundation award will be to do a practical session with some children from the local primary school. The coaches will be assessed and given feedback and personal improvement goals. Well done to all involved.

Key Stage 2 indoor blitz @ Meadowbank

St Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt assisted by the Derry County Board recently held an indoor Key Stage two blitz for the primary schools in the area. 150 primary school pupils were coached in the morning by fourteen 6th form pupils who are currently working towards their foundation coaching certificate assisted by Diarmuid and Francis Scullion from Derry County Board. This was followed by a blitz in the afternoon where Anahorish PS defeated Portglenone by 3-07 to 3-02 in a highly entertaining final. Also well done to Stephen Bradley from St. Marys Greenlough who was awarded the player of the tournament award. Thanks to John McElholm and his pupils for a well run day.

Mult Skills Day with the GAA and IFA

At the end of November the IFA and GAA within Derry City launched the first multi sports fun skills day in Bready Cricket Club.
This cross community event included over 100 children from 4 schools in the Derry City area. For many children this was their first taste of Gaelic Sport and a great time was had by all.
The event consisted of 3 seperate skill areas an area for Gaelic skills, a soccer skills area and Fundamental skill area which is common to both sports. The Fundamental skills proved a big hit for all with the Gaelic Start stations being used for the first hour and Fun races being held during the second hour. The event was cordinated by IFA coaches Stefan Deery and Patricia Doherty and by GAA coaches Colum Tracey and Simon Gillespie.
Many thanks also to the assisting coaches from the IFA Eamonn Curry and Shane Coyle and to Tyrone GAA star Joe Mc Mahon for assisting on the day. The event was also kindly sponsored by Asda who supplied fruit and water for all children, teachers and coaches on the day. Below are some pictures of the event:

Derry City Key Stage 1 Handling Blitz

Recently the six Derry based Ulster Council DENI coaches ran their second handling blitz day in the Creggan sports hall in Derry City.
The event included 88 children from 3 schools who participated in a hour of the Gaelic Start station based activities.
The second hour of the blitz included a number of Fun based games involving throwing and catching small and large balls a skill which is Fundamental to both Hurling and Gaelic Football. Many thanks to the 9 assisting teachers and classroom assistants who helped with coaching the stations on the day which was most of the ladies first experience of coaching the fundamentals of Gaelic sport. The event was coordinated by the Derry City GAA coaches Colum Tracey and Simon Gillespie.

Na Magha Feeder Primary Schools Hurling Fun Day

Shauna McCallion, Derry GPO held a hurling blitz on Thursday 3rd December for some of the schools who particpiated in the hurling coaching throughout the term.
The schools were: St Brigids, Carnhill, St Therese's, Lenamore and Bunscoil Colmcille

In total there was just under 100 kids. They played 5-a-side games with the main emphasis put on fun and particpation but a few teachers got carried away in competition :-) Pointing no elbows at the St Brigids teachers!! A good day was had by all, the hurling skills that the children had learned over the term were on show for all to see and everybody went away smiling!! Hopefully these children will all be taking part with Na Magha throughout the Go Games Programme in 2010.

Doire Colmcille Feeder School's Football Fun Day

Shauna McCallion, Derry GPO ran a football tournament on friday 4th December, over 100 kids from St Annes, St Eithnes and St Eugenes particpated in 5 a side handpassing games. The kids got to show off their skill infront of 4 Doire Colmcille members who came along on the day to help out. Each school played against the other but all was played with emphasis on fun and particpation.

This was the end of year tournament for the kids and all the skills that they have learned throughout the term could be seen in the games. The teachers all commented on how much all the children have improved and highlighted how benefical the coaching was to them throughout the year.

Derry Vocational School Football Winners

Well done to both St Patrick's & St Brigid's Claudy and St. Colm's Draperstown who won the under 16 and under 14 vocational school football championships this year respectively. I wasn't able to get to the Under 16 game because I was touring around Vietnam, however I hear Claudy deserved the victory on the day against the reigning All Ireland Champions St. Paul's Kilrea.

I did make it to the Under 14 final between St. Colm's and St. Mary's Claudy and I was very glad I did. Despite the extremely cold weather it was a very good tight final. St. Colm's I would say edged it throughout, although the game never looked certain mainly down to the fact that St. Mary's seemed to be able to score goals at will. In the end St. Colm's ran out winners by five points.

Good luck to both sides now in their quest for an Ulster Title. St. Paul's raised the bar last year, it would be nice to continue that progress in 2009.

Gaelic Fun Day @ Vale Centre

At the end of November Emmett Stewart, Derry City GPO organised a Gaelic Games Fun Day for some of his schools. Children from Claudy, Broadbridge, Craigbrack,Greenhaw and Mullaghbouy Primary Schools all ascended on the Vale center for a day of football. The children participated in small games against the competing schools which turned out to be a very enjoyable day for all who took part. A special word of thanks goes to all the schools who took part and their teachers and classroom assisants who helped supervise the event.

Photograph's of the teams that took part below:

Gaelic Games Fun Days for Steelstown and Sean Dolans Schools

Ashleen McCaul recently held a Gaelic Games Fun Day for the feeder schools of the two clubs she is responsible for within the Derry City Council area. These event's were very well attended and the children really enjoyed themselves.

Sean Dolans Fun Day was held at the Old Library Trust Hall. The schools that took part were: Holychild, St Johns, Gaelscoil and Rosemount. A special word of thanks to Joe McKane for his help within the schools and on the Games Day.

The Steelstown event was held at Shantallow Community Hall. The schools that took part were: Oakgrove Integrated, Steelstown P.S and St Paul. Approx 120 children participated in the event and a great day was had by all.

Greenlough Under 10 Winter Programme

Just a few pictures from Diarmuid Scullion's Wednesday night coaching sessions with Greenlough. Thirty children from Under 10 level have took part in the sessions, which each night consist of skill work to start off with and finish with a 'Road to Croker' style blitz. The children have enjoyed the coaching thus far, and a word of thanks to club chairman Paul Downey, youth officer Fergal scullion and secretary Anthony Letters for helping out with the coaching. Keep up the good work!