RÉALT NA MARA: Date for your diary: family fun/field day on Sunday, July 18, at 1 p.m., a great day for all the family. Children's races, wheel of fortune etc. Barbeque and bar open. Cúl camp: August 9 to 13. Hurling/football camp in Ballygarrett. Book online at www.gaa.ie or contact Jimmy Furlong (086356360).

The next ladies' championship game is set for Wednesday, July 14, in Ballygarrett at 8 p.m. against Geraldine O'Hanrahans. Please support.

Well done to the Under-12 and Under-14 girls who won their games recently. The Under-14 girls play away to Clongeen on Thursday, July 15.

Ladies' Minor training is now starting. Please contact Tommy (087-9693443). The first game is to be played mid-July.

Gaelic for Mothers: a new initiative sees ladies playing football in a fun, noncompetitive and social environment. This is for ladies who don't want to play in competitive games and who want to enjoy the craic. You don't have to be a mother. Come along every Wednesday from 8.30 to 9.30 p.m and bring a friend. It promises to be great fun.

Ballygarrett ladies' football frenzy: in conjunction with the club field day, July 18, the ladies' football club will host a football frenzy for under-age girls. It is an ideal opportunity for the ladies' football club to showcase the sport and to show the community what the club has to offer.

We now cater for girls Under-6, Under-8, Under-10, Under-12, Under-14, Under-16 and Minor. We have a Senior ladies' team and this year we have Gaelic for Mothers. New members are always welcome.

For all outdoor activities contact Brendan Hobbs and Mary Cooper, or for all indoor training etc.

Well done to Clare Casey who won a prize in the Model County Draw.

In Under-10 in the Kent Steel football league, we will be out every Wednesday for the month of July. The Pat Neville Go Games will also be played shortly.

CASTLETOWN-L MELLOWS

On July 5, Castletown-Liam Mellows Under-8 hurlers lined out in Croke Park to play Danesfort from Kilkenny. This special outing was part of the Leinster G.A.A. blitz where Castletown was one of the lucky teams selected from Wexford this year.

The full experience of Croke Park was available to the players including the use of dressing-rooms and presentation area of the Hogan Stand where they received their medals. It was a great performance by the team, in particular in the second-half where they outscored the Kilkenny boys.

There was no shortage of encouragement and vocal support coming from the team's proud parents and relatives in the Cusack Stand throughout. The day's activities concluded with a dinner in Jury's Croke Park, where the team got a select meeting and photographs with President of the G.A.A., Christy Cooney.

This was the second opportunity the team had to meet with him, the previous time being for the opening of Castletown's indoor G.A.A. complex last March.

A special thanks to the mentors and support to the team - Seán Ó Dubhlaing, Terry Lande and Marcella Higgins - and to Wexford G.A.A. for giving the children such an unique experience in their development in our games.

Many congratulations to the Under-14 camogie team which won the Division 1 county title against Kilrush in Wexford Park onWednesday last by 2-3 to 2-1. This young team of girls, having started the club's first camogie match in Under-10, now have six county medals to their credit.

The Under-12 camogie team was out against St. Ibar's and drew 1-0 each. The Under-16 camogie team had a win over Horeswood by 4-7 to 1-2. The Under-14 girls' footballers hosted St. James' in Coolgreany on Friday night. Under the management of John Roche, the girls produced a fantastic display of teamwork and thoroughly deserved their victory.

The Junior footballers beat Bunclody by 1-8 to 1-6. They now qualify for the league final. The Under-21 hurling match on Monday evening versus Naomh Éanna was a great game, a very closely-contested match that could have gone either way. Castletown-Liam Mellows narrowly lost out by one point, but it was a great team performance by all players.

The Minor footballers, Cuchulainns, resumed their football championship after the state exams with a great win over St. James' on a scoreline of 1-19 to 0-15. Our Under-16 footballers travelled the long way to Mersheen to play St. James' on Monday last, with the final score 3-12 to 3-8 in favour of Castletown. Well done lads.

The heavy downpour of rain on Saturday did not dampen the Under-16 hurlers when they had had a very impressive win over Bannow-Ballymitty. Two Under-10 teams represented Castletown-Liam Mellows in the Kent Stainless Steel football competition. They played two teams from Ballinastragh Gaels and both our teams came away with wins.

Good luck to the Senior footballers who play Kilanerin in Wexford Park on Sunday next at 6.30 p.m. in the Division 1 league final.

HWH-BUNCLODY

Our Intermediate hurlers had a good 1-16 to 1-8 win over Askamore in Wexford Park on Sunday evening. HWH-Bunclody started strongly and led at half-time, but midway through the second-half Askamore got two goals to put the result in doubt.

A Mylie Connors goal swung the balance back in Bunclody's favour and they eventually ran out four-point winners.

Team: John Byrne; Darren Kehoe, Colm Kehoe, Pádraig Brennan; Matthew Byrne, Ollie Connors, Enda Slevin; Peter Atkinson, Conor Kinsella; Mylie Connors, Colm Farrell, Arthur O'Neill; Mark Murphy, John Paul Connors, James Kehoe. Subs. - David Reck for Murphy, inj., Kevin Dunne for J.P. Connors.

Best for Bunclody were David Reck, Mylie Connors and Arthur O'Neill.

Our Junior hurlers had a comfortable win over Marshalstown in the final game of the group stage of the championship.

Team: Larry Connors; Keith O'Hara, Tommy Farrell, Michael Connors; Paul Foley, Ger Cowman, Philip Murphy; Shane Kehoe, Pádraig Brennan; James Creane, Thomas O'Neill, Kevin Dunne; Aidan Nolan, Thomas Kavanagh, Mickey Connors.

Best on display for Bunclody were Pádraig Brennan, Aidan Nolan and Kevin Dunne.

Our Minor hurlers had a convincing 5-17 to 2-4 win over a depleted Geraldine O'Hanrahans team on Sunday morning. This was an excellent performance with everyone playing their part. Our next game is this Wednesday in hurling versus Monageer where we hope our team will maintain a one hundred per cent in both football and hurling.

MONAGEER-BOOLAVOGUE

The Intermediate team captured the Premier 'C' league title on Sunday last in Ferns. They were leading by 1-11 to 0-7 at the break mainly due to the workrate of the midfield partnership of Stephen Murphy and Patrick Breen and good distribution of the ball from the defence to supply the fullforward line and in particular Marty Kelly who contributed six first-half points, all from play.

The only major of the game was scored by Bertie Gahan when the Ballygarrett men failed to clear a goalmouth ball on 20 minutes, and Bertie was first to react and tuck the ball into the net. We played with great determination through the first-half and deserved the lead at the break, with Niall O'Reilly and Michael Sweeney working hard.

Some positional switches by Ballygarrett seemed to unsettle us early in the secondhalf as a brace of points were exchanged by both sides in the early minutes. Niall O'Loughlin's free-taking steadied the ship as he contributed six points.

The addition of three substitutes to freshen up the situation helped and, as the clocked ticked away and Ballygarrett went

looking for goals, Peter Mernagh dealt confidently with anything that came his way. Overall the pace of the game lacked real championship fare and we will have to improve on the tempo and intensity in order to progress in the championship.

The next outing will most likely be in the championship against Geraldines O'Hanrahans next weekend. Please check the local paper for details.

PeterMernagh; David Breen, Chris Daly, Seán Doran; Mick Nolan, Ger Daly, Tommy Breen; Patrick Breen, Stephen Murphy; Bertie Gahan, Matthew Dunne, Niall O'Loughlin; Niall O'Reilly, Marty Kelly, Michael Sweeney. Subs. - Dean Fenlon, Brendan Carton, Colm O'Loughlin, John Breen, Conal Nolan.

The Under-8s had a major day out on Monday of last week when they not only went to but played on the sacred sod of Croke Park. The boys were picked along with a number of other clubs from the county to experience the thrill of playing in G.A.A. headquaters.

After the game they all went up onto the Hogan Stand and lifted the cup. Well done to all concerned.

Team:

RAPPAREES-STARLIGHTS

We had a great start to the week with our Under-21 hurlers putting in a great performance to beat Ferns on Monday evening last and progress to the second round of the championship. This was a wonderful overall team effort with good performances from all our players and indeed outstanding displays from some - notably Tommy 'Tucker' Foley, Aaron Ronan, Barry 'Baz' Nolan, Jack Kelly, Richie Farrell and indeed Joe Cullen who once in possession seems to have the same bent for goal as his namesake Joe Canning and indeed hits the back of the net with the same force and determination.

He notched up a personal tally of 2-4, with Tommy 'Tucker' close on his heels with seven points and Barry Nolan with 2-1, Richie Farrell with 0-2 and Aaron Ronan and John James Dunne a point each making the final tally 4-16 to 1-14.

It is a very long time since we have been able to put that amount of scores on the board, so keep up the good work lads and well done to all concerned.

Unfotrunately, our Senior hurlers were not able to emulate the Under-21s in the league semi-final on the following evening - Tuesday - in the Shamrocks pitch, and our thanks to the Shamrocks for making their venue available for this game. Our Seniors began well and after a reasonable first-half were only trailing by two points at 0-9 to 07 - however, they never seemed to get back into the game after the recess, only managing a goal and a point in the entire second period compared with Oulart's 12 points, and some very good saves from our goalkeeper, Fran O'Gorman, denied them goals to add to their tally (0-21 to 1-8).

Following a very hard-fought and competitive game, our Junior 'B' hurlers were defeated by Duffry Rovers in the championship in Bellefield on Friday evening last by 4-12 to 4-10. It was a valiant effort lads and heartening to see such a good turn-out for selection - perhaps my words don't fall on deaf ears after all.

Our Minor hurlers dished up a classy display on Sunday morning in Patrick's Park against the Shelmaliers. In a wonderful exhibition of skill, they completely outshone the opposition, but it has to be said that the Shels were missing some of their panel and the scoreline of 8-16 to 1-7 is testament to that.

But full credit to our young hurlers who defended staunchly and took some really classy scores, none better than the combination of Alan Tobin and Kevin Foley with a tally of 6-5 between them and the five wonderful points from Kevin Ryan - well done lads and keep up the good work.

Our Minor footballers went down to Ballinastragh Gaels on Wednesday night on a scoreline of 3-12 to 2-11 after a never-saydie effort from the whole team and in particular Timmy Dwyer and Jack Kelly who notched up a personal tally of 1-8.

This week our Junior footballers play the Shelmaliers at 7.45 p.m. in Bellefield on Friday, July 16. Our Juvenile footballers play Adamstown in Newbawn on Monday at 7.30 p.m. and our Under-12s are away to Naomh Éanna on Tuesday at 7.30 p.m.

On the camogie front, our Under-8s had a good win against Bunclody on a wet and windy Saturday morning, whilst our Under10s went down to them in their last game of the season. The Under-12s had another impressive win (7-3 to 1-0) over Davidstown, making sure that they topped their group and clinched a home quarter-final in defence of their county title.

The scores came courtesy of Aideen Byrne (3-2), Aoife McCrea (3-0), Anna Flood (1-0) and Áine Broaders (0-1). In a great team effort a couple of players stood out, notably Trish Doyle, Kim Horan and Kelly Buckley along with Siobhán Fanning. Keep this up girls and you will have another county medal at the end of it.

Our Under-14 ladies' footballers are away to the Sarsfields this Thursday evening.

And finally might I say on behalf of the Rapparees-Starlights, congratulations to Jason Ryan and the Wexford footballers on their marvellous win against Galway last weekend.

Thanks lads, you have given the county a much-needed boost, and well done to our own Jason Russell who is the sub goalkeeper with the panel.

Looking forward to seeing you line out against Cork in Wexford Park and good luck to our Under-21 hurlers who play Dublin this evening. Go raibh an t-ádh libh go léir!

DUFFRY ROVERS

Last week got under way with a nail-biting win for our Minor footballers who beat the Sarsfields by one point in Páirc Charman on Wednesday evening. With a full panel back they won by 3-6 to 2-8.

Also on the same evening, our Under-10 football squad had a great victory over Bunclody on a scoreline of 8-7 to 6-5, with young all star Stephen Kearns scoring all the Duffry scores, making him the club's highest scorer of the season so far.

On Thursday night in dreadful weather condisitions in Coolree, the Under-14 footballers were narrowly beaten by Volunteers as, despite Seán Brooks and Conor Nolan doing all the scoring, the Duffry lost by 0-8 to 2-1.

On Friday evening the Junior 'C' hurling squad had a win over the Rapparees in Coolree on a scoreline of 4-12 to 4-10.

Tonight the Minor hurling squad take on Ferns in Coolree, and on Thursday evening our Under-14 footballers take on Kilmore at 7.30 p.m. in Kilmore.

This coming Monday, July 19, the Juvenile hurling team is up against Bannow in Grantstown at 7.30 p.m.

On another note, we are currently upgrading our website and if any club members have past photos of teams that we could post on the site, we would be very grateful if you could pass them on.

Finally, we wish our Junior footballers the best of luck at the weekend as they take on St. Joseph's in the All-County Division 2 final in St. Patrick's Park.

FERNS ST. AIDAN'S

The club would like to wish the best of luck to Paul Morris and the Under-21 county team who play Dublin in the Leinster final this evening in Parnell Park, Dublin.

Under-8 training is on every Thursday at 7 p.m. in the pitch. All boys and girls are welcome.

The last winner in the club lotto was Anne Maguire who won the jackpot of ¤3,300.