Simonstown Gaels ready to take a bite out of the Big Apple
'New York, New York so good they named it twice,' goes the words of one of the many songs sung about the famous city that never sleeps.
A group of footballers from Meath - the Simonstown Mothers & Others - will soon be jetting off to the Big Apple to take part the NY Ladies G4M&O Festival of Football. They will set out on their adventure tomorrow (Wednesday) and fly back on Sunday 12th October. The Festival takes place on Saturday 11th October in Rockland.
Teams from every county in Ireland will be represented at the Festival. The Simonstown players will also be taking part in the 5km walk/run through Central Park - a great way to experience one of NYC's iconic locations.
The trip is very much part of the Gaelic4Mothers&Others initiative that involves women playing Gaelic football in a fun, non-competitive and social environment.
"Gaelic4Mothers&Others provides an opportunity for women to get their recommended weekly exercise in a fun way while meeting other mothers in the area," explains Lorraine Finegan of the Simonstown Mothers & Others group.
"The initiative has proved hugely popular with women of all ages and has taken off in all 32 counties with success stories popping up all over the country, and most recently in an international context.
"Each year there are provincial festivals organised and a national festival which has been a huge success with over 2,500 participants taking part in the National Festival Day.
"We're looking forward to experiencing all the sights, sounds and energy of New York City from iconic landmarks like Times Square to the buzz of Broadway - we're ready for the adventure."
The adventure, Finegan added, is only made possible by the support of local business enterprises. "We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the local and surrounding businesses who contributed to our fundraisers. Whether you donated items for the raffle, helped spread the word, supported us in any way, or even baked cakes for the cause. Thank you."
The travelling group would particularly like to highlight the support of their club, Simonstown Gaels. "Their involvement and backing has been a big part of our efforts, and we're grateful for their contribution to our fundraisers," added Finegan.