Laois/Offaly Féile na nGael Facts & Figures
*The 39th Féile na nGael National Festival of U-14 Hurling, Camogie and Handball, sponsored by Coca-Cola, is being jointly hosted by Laois/Offaly next weekend, Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21. *Coca-Cola"s sponsorship of Féile na nGael is the longest running sponsorship in the GAA or of any sporting event in this country or even in Europe. Laois/Offaly previously co-hosted Coca-Cola Féile na nGael in 2008 and also in 1988 & 1989. *In excess of 3,786 young boys and girls Under 14 (2,208 Hurlers, 1,248 Camogie players and 330 Handball players) from all thirty-two counties, London and Warwickshire will participate in Coca-Cola Féile na nGael 2009. There will also be Skill Star participants in all three codes also. *210 teams (92 Hurling, 52 Camogie and 66 Handball) will be in action next weekend. This year"s Féile na nGael sees the biggest handball entry since the festival began in 1971. 354 matches (158 Hurling, 90 Camogie and 106 Handball) are down for decision over the weekend of Coca-Cola Féile na nGael 2009. *O"Connor Park, Tullamore and O"Brien Park, Tullamore will be the venue for ten Féile na nGael National Finals (Divisions 1 to 6 in Hurling & Divisions 1 to 4 in Camogie) on Sunday, June 21. *The ten Féile na nGael Handball Finals (Boys 40x20 Divisions 1 to 5, Girls 40x20 Divisions 1 to 3 and Boys 60x30 Divisions 1 & 2) will be staged on Saturday, June 20 at six different alleys in Crinkle, Kilbeggan, Monavea, Clara, Cullohill and Fahy Cross. *The Liam McCarthy Skill Star Champion at Féile na nGael 2008 was John McGrath of Loughmore-Castleiney in Tipperary, a brother of current Tipp star Shane. *The Division 1 Christy Ring Trophy winners at Coca-Cola Féile na nGael 2008 were James Stephens of Kilkenny and their team included Denis Cody, son of Kilkenny All-Ireland winning hurler and manager Brian. *The Artane Band will lead the Coca-Cola Féile na nGael Parade through the streets of Birr, beginning at St Brendan"s Park from 7.30pm on Friday, June 19. RTE broadcaster Micheál O"Muircheartaigh will be MC for the Parade. *The Féile na nGael Torch will be carried during the Parade by Offaly Hurling Skill Star winner Peadar Murray (Seir Kieran) and Laois Hurling Skill Star winner Ronan Broderick. *The Hurling & Camogie Skill Star Competitions take place at 2pm on Saturday, June 21 in O"Connor Park, Tullamore and O"Brien Park, Tullamore, respectively. The Hurling Skill Star event will be co-ordinated by Offaly 1981 & 1985 All-Ireland SHC medal winner Ger Coughlan, along with Laois"s only Hurling All Star recipient Pat Critchley. *Offaly"s Paul Cleary and Dylan Hayden were members of the Birr team which won the Canon Fogarty Trophy (Division 2 Hurling) in 1998 at Bellefield, Enniscorthy. Brothers Kevin and Joe Brady, along with Offaly attacker Brian Carroll, also won Division 2 Féile na nGael medals at Walsh Park, Waterford in 1996. Millennium Man Brian Whelahan and Adrian Cahill part of the 1985 Birr side that captured the Division 2 crown. *Some of the household names that have starred for their club and county, and played in Féile na nGael 1988 & "89 in Laois/Offaly were chart topper "Mundy" (Edmund Enright), Simon Whelahan, David Franks, Ger Oakley, Stephen Byrne, Gary Hanniffy, Paudie Mulhare, Frank Lohan (Clare), Brian McEvoy (Kilkenny), Paul Codd (Wexford), Mark Foley (Limerick), Dan Shanahan and Dave Bennett (Waterford). *A selection of secondary schools and primary schools across Laois and Offaly were visited during four days in May to promote Coca-Cola Féile na nGael and the games of Hurling, Camogie and Handball. GAA President Christy Cooney, Camogie President Joan O"Flynn and Handball President Tony Hannon were among the well known personalities that led the visits. *When the Coca-Cola Féile na nGael was staged in Birr in 1988, Pat Leogue, Miriam O"Callaghan and Tony Cassidy were part of the Laois/Offaly Féile na nGael Executive Committee and twenty-one years on they are again involved with the organisation of the festival. *Since 1971 more than one million boys and girls have participated in Coca-Cola Féile na nGael. *The 2009 Coca-Cola Féile na nGael office is based at the Tullamore Court Hotel. Telephone: 057 93 46663 / 057 93 46664. Fax: 057 93 46677. Web-site: www.feilenangael09.gaa.ie