Carmel O’Shea Moloney, Sophie Brick, Shauna Harris, Saoirse Moloney and Mike Roger O’Sullivan at the launch of Tralee Parnells GAA Club’s adult Camogie at The Meadowlands Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Adult Camogie Now Coming to Tralee:
There was a great air of encouragement and optimism in the room at the Meadowlands Hotel on Friday 23 November.
The meeting was chaired by Carmel O’Shea-Maloney, Vice Chair of Tralee Parnells, who welcomed all present and thanked the invited guests who came along including Kerry Camogie County Board Secretary/Rúnaí Fiona Flynn and Brian and Fiona from the Kerry Camogie 2019 management team.
Carmel went on to briefly explain the Camogie activities of Tralee Parnells since 2013 and the obvious need now for an adult team in Tralee. Then at the invitation of Carmel, those present were asked to contribute their opinions on the launch.
Several current Tralee Parnells Camogie players from a number of age groups spoke about the need this adult team will meet and the importance of having an adult structure to graduate to, for those who each year get nearer to the end of the juvenile age bracket.
Some students from IT Tralee welcomed the initiative and expressed a strong interest in training with the panel on Friday evenings starting on the 4th of January. Former players who competed in club Camogie in places including Galway and Dublin, also welcomed the launch and we hope to see them too at the Camogie strength and conditioning sessions.
A number of mothers including Suzanne Chute, Aisling Sharkey, Lynda Harris, Maria O Sullivan and Loretto O’Sullivan spoke, both in favour of the opportunity moms now have to take to the field and also to support the chances now available to their daughters, to stay involved in playing Camogie into adulthood.
Some of the fathers present echoed this second sentiment. Brian Shanahan praised the strong structures and diligent volunteers Tralee Parnells have in place. Stephen Buttimer spoke as a parent and as a volunteer involved in the Parnells Executive since the re-formation of the club in 2012 and emphasised the support for this initiative from the club Executive.
Terry O’Sullivan spoke of his appreciation of the Camogie opportunities Parnells provides to his daughters and the strong support the club has among parents and in the local community. Fiona Flynn welcomed the formation of a second adult camogie club in Kerry on behalf of the Camogie County Board and urged those present to support the County Board by volunteering as officers and members of committees and delegates.
Club PRO Mike Roger O Sullivan showed the meeting a photo taken this year at the Tralee town secondary schools Camogie blitz and remarked on the strong numbers present across the schools and the plentiful representation of Tralee Parnells players among all those ranks.
Kerry Camogie Manager Brian Kennedy explained the level of commitment required to compete in Camogie at the elite level and cited his own background coming through the underage to adult structures in the Clare hurling heartland of Sixmilebridge and the high level of endeavor and giving of personal time that is required and does pay dividends, when part of a combined team effort.
Carmel concluded the meeting by thanking all for their contributions to the live discussion and once again invited everybody interested to participate by training with the panel on Friday evenings, starting on the 4th of January.
Tralee Parnells Executive 2019:
Election of Club Officers at the 2018 AGM of Tralee Parnells Club.
Position: Executive Member
President: Rory Kerins
Chairman: Dermot Reen
Vice Chairman: Carmel O’Shea-Maloney
Camogie Chairperson: Carmel O’Shea-Maloney
Camogie Co-Chairperson: Suzanne Chute
Secretary: David Brick
Assistant Secretary: Kieran Fitzgerald
Treasurer: Brian Sargent
Assistant Treasurer: Stephen Buttimer
PRO: Mike Roger O Sullivan
Assistant Pro: TBA
Registrars: Siobhan Corridan, Ger O Brien
Health & Well Being Officer: Roz Fitzgerald
Children’s Officer: Agnes Sheehy
Club/Schools Link Coördinator: Patrice Diggins
Scór Officer: Ger Reidy
Kerry Camogie Delegates: Richard McCluskey, Carmel Maloney
Player Representatives: Barry Lyons & Tadhg Brick.
We wish all these volunteers every success in 2019.
Managers and Coaches meeting Monday 26th:
Planning starts now for the 2019 season. All volunteers involved with Hurling or Camogie teams from Under 6 to Under 16 in 2019 there is a Manager/Coaches meeting Monday the 26th of November in Kerins o Rahillys clubhouse at 8 pm. South Kerry GDA Patrice Diggins will also be attending to go through proposed coach the coaches sessions and training plans for the first few months of the year.
