Féile na nGael festival preparations in full swing

COUNTIES Laois and Offaly will jointly host the 39th Coca-Cola Féile na nGael National Festival of under 14 hurling, camogie and handball over the weekend of Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21 next and preparations are in full swing. Birr, just as Portlaoise was last year, will be the focal point of the festival. It is twenty-one years since St Brendan"s Park last played host to the Féile na nGael National finals.The draws for the various divisions in hurling and camogie were made last Wednesday night in Dooly"s Hotel and details of these can be seen on the Féile na nGael web-site. Check out www.feilenangael09.gaa.ie Information for Féile na nGael official programme All Laois/Offaly host clubs should note that the deadline for information for the Féile na nGael official programme has passed and the response to-date has been particularly poor. To avoid disappointment, all clubs that haven"t submitted their three items of material (a panel of players listed 1 to 24 - jerseys players will wear on Féile weekend; a panel photograph - players arranged in three rows of eight, no mentors; and short history/profile on club maximum 125 words) are asked to do so immediately. Material is to be e-mailed to Féile PRO Alan Walsh at alan@offalyexpress.ie Féile parade THE Féile na nGael grand opening parade takes place in Birr on Friday, June 19. To mark the GAA"s 125th Anniversary, Her Excellency, President of Ireland Mary McAleese will be guest of honour on the review stand along with new GAA President Christy Cooney and the new Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael President Joan O"Flynn, both from Cork. The Féile na nGael Parade sub-committee is being chaired by Joe O"Brien and they"ve been working in conjunction with Sergeant Michael Dardis and the local Gardaí to finalise parade arrangements and a traffic management plan. Teams will gather in St Brendan"s Park, Birr from 6.30pm and the parade will commence at 7.30pm, departing St Brendan"s Park, moving along Railway Road, Wilmer Road and past the review stand in Emmet Square. The colourful spectacle then proceeds down Main Street, turns right in Market Square, moving on into Castle Street, past the Marian Hall, keeping left and heading up Rosse Row where the parade ends at the junction of Oxmantown Mall. Buses will be parked in this area and depart. Stewards will be required to assist with the smooth running of the parade and similar to last year, all clubs are asked to supply ten stewards. Meetings will be held over the coming weeks. Key diary dates Saturday, May 9 - Cross-county Hurling Blitz Day 3. Games from 10.30am. Monday & Tuesday, May 11 & 12 - National School Visitations in Laois. Wednesday & Thursday, May 13 & 14 - National School Visitations in Offaly. Thursday, May 14 - Official Launch of Laois/Offaly Féile na nGael 2009 in the County Arms Hotel, Birr. Saturday, May 16 - Laois & Offaly County Final of Hurling Skill Star competition. Sunday, May 31 - Laois & Offaly Skill Star winners exhibition during half-time of Laois versus Galway Leinster SHC game in O"Moore Park, Portlaoise. Monday, June 8 - Féile Officials meeting. Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21 - Féile na nGael 2009. Féile draws (In each case, host club followed by visiting club) Division 1 Hurling Section A: Tipperary host, Dublin 1; Tipperary host Clare. Section B: Birr, Tipperary; Shinrone, Limerick. Section C: St Rynagh"s, Cork 2; Kilcormac/Killoughey, Galway. Section D: Galway host, Cork 1; Galway host, Wexford. Section E: Tipperary host, Kilkenny; Galway host, Waterford. Quarter-final: Winners E v Winners D. Semi-finals: Winners Q/F v Winners A; Winners B v Winners C. Division 2 Hurling Section A: Rathdowney/Errill, Kerry 1; Tipperary host, Carlow 1. Section B: Kilcotton/Borris-in-Ossory, Dublin 2; Camross, Wicklow 1. Section C: Clough/Ballacolla, Meath 1; Portlaoise, Antrim 1. Section D: Tullamore, Westmeath 1; Ferbane/Belmont, Derry 1. Section E: Coolderry, Down 1; Portumna, Kildare. Quarter-final: Winners C v Winners B. Semi-finals: Winners Q/F v Winners A; Winners D v Winners E. Division 3 Hurling Section A: Abbeyleix, Antrim 2; Harps Gaels, Mayo 1. Section B: Seir Kieran, Dublin 3; Ballyfin Gaels, Carlow 2. Section C: Naomh Eamann, Meath 2; Colt, Westmeath 2. Section D: Tinnahinch, Kerry 2; Shamrocks, Roscommon 1. Semi-finals: Winners A v Winners B; Winners C v Winners D. Division 4 Hurling Section A: Galway or Tipperary host, Wicklow 2; Galway or Tipperary host, Down 2. Section B: CRC Gaels, Armagh; Drumcullen, Kildare 2. Section C: Na Fianna, Donegal; Clara, Roscommon 2. Section D: Kinnitty, Derry 2; Lusmagh, Tyrone. Semi-finals: Winners B v Winners D; Winners C v Winners A. Division 5 Hurling Section A: Portlaoise 2, Longford; Timahoe, Louth. Section B: St Fintan"s Mountrath, Mayo 2; Clonad/Ratheniska, Fermanagh. Section C: Brosna Gaels, Monaghan; St Oliver Plunkett"s, Sligo. Semi-finals: Winners B v Winners A; Runners-up B v Winners C. Division 6 Hurling Section A: Edenderry, Warwickshire; Ballinamere/Durrow, Cavan. Section B: St Joseph"s Ballylinan, Leitrim; St Paul"s Gaels, London. Semi-finals: Winners A v Runners-up B; Winners B v Runners-up A. Division 1 Camogie Section A: Toomevara, Kilkenny; Thurles, Antrim. Section B: Burgess, Cork; Kilruane McDonagh"s, Clare. Section C: Sarsfields, Derry; Killimor, Wexford. Section D: Davitt"s, Dublin; Eyrecourt, Limerick. Semi-finals: Winners B v Winners C; Winners A v Winners D. Division 2 Camogie Section A: St Rynagh"s, Westmeath; Shinrone, Armagh. Section B: O"Moore"s, Down; Camross, Waterford. Semi-finals: Winners A v Runners-up B; Winners B v Runners-up A. Division 3 Camogie Section A: St Brigid"s, Kerry; The Harps, Roscommon. Section B: Tullamore, Kildare; Kilcormac/Killoughey, Carlow. Section C: Drumcullen/Lusmagh, Wicklow; Birr, Meath 2. Section D: Naomh Brid, Meath 1; St Cillian"s, Cavan. Semi-finals: Winners A v Winners B; Winners C v Winners D. Division 4 Camogie Section A: Clonad, Mayo; Portlaoise, Erin go Brath Warwickshire. Section B: Clonaslee, Louth; St Sinchill"s, Donegal. Section C: Kinnitty, Monaghan; Seir Kieran, Tyrone. Semi-finals: Winners C v Winners A; Runners-up C v Winners B.