Kiltubrid GAA Club Wins Ulster Bank GAA Force
Ulster Bank GAA Force, a community initiative which supports local
GAA clubs across the country, has today announced Kiltubrid GAA Club as
the winner of this year’s top prize – a support package worth €25,000
to refurbish and upgrade their facilities. Over 430 clubs from across
the island of Ireland entered the initiative this year.
Four clubs, one from each province, were also announced
as runners-up and each will receive support packages worth €5,000. They
were Croom GAA Club in Limerick, Dunmore MacHales GAA Club in Galway,
Ferbane GAA Club in Offaly and Portaferry GAC in Down.
2013 marks
the third year of Ulster Bank GAA Force – run as part of Ulster Bank’s
sponsorship of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship. To
date, the initiative has attracted entries from almost 1,400 clubs, and
provided over €150,000 worth of much needed support to 315 clubs, since
the initiative began. It has also been responsible for a significant
number of local volunteers getting behind their clubs, during the
designated Ulster Bank GAA Force Winning Weekends, to help carry out
renovations.
Speaking at the announcement of the Ulster Bank GAA
Force winners, Teresa Keaney, Club PRO, Kiltubrid GAA Club, said: “We
are delighted and overwhelmed to have won the national Ulster Bank GAA
Force support package. It will allow us to focus on improving the club
and make it something the whole community can be proud of. We are
extremely grateful to Ulster Bank for their support and we look forward
to this exciting opportunity for all our members and supporters.”
Kiltubrid
GAA Club are at the heart of the community and this funding will allow
them to improve the club while also benefiting the local community.. The
club plan to use the funding to upgrade their portacabins which upon
completion can be used for indoor circuit training, meeting rooms and
kitchen facilities. Over years gone by, the club have also dreamed of
building a playground at their pitch for children while their parents
are training or spectating and they will finally be able to realise this
dream.
Speaking about the initiative, Ann- Marie Cox, Ulster
Bank, Specialised Relationship Manager, said: “It was great to see
another successful year for Ulster Bank GAA Force, with over 430 clubs
entering the initiative. Getting appropriate funding for GAA clubs is
not always easy – particularly in recent years. Ulster Bank GAA Force
provides clubs with the opportunity to carry out necessary
refurbishments while bringing their community together to get behind
their local clubs. I am delighted that Kiltubrid GAA Club has been named
as overall Ulster Bank GAA Force winner and I wish them every success
in the future.”
The initiative was open to all GAA clubs, who were
asked to submit their entries on Ulster Bank’s dedicated GAA website –
www.ulsterbank.com/gaa. Entrants were asked to provide details of their
club’s plans to make improvements, outline the role of the club in their
locality and the benefits the makeover would have on the club, and the
wider community. The first 100 clubs who registered also received a mini
support package to the value of €100.