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Newtownshandrum has been named as one of 32 GAA Clubs around the country to be given an early New Year's bonus, with the announcement of the AIB GAA Club of the Year Awards for 2003.
As part of their award, each club will receive a development grant of Eu2,000, and will also go forward to represent their county in the Provincial and All Ireland AIB GAA Club of the Year competition, the winners of which, will be announced at the awards ceremony in Croke Park on Monday 2nd February.
Each of the Provincial winners will receive a further grant of Eu5,000, with the ultimate AIB GAA Club of the Year receiving an additional Eu10,000, bringing the total prize fund for the top award to Eu17,000.
In addition to the prize fund, every club that entered the competition was entered into a draw. The winner of the small club category was Cumann Peile na bPiarsaigh, Co naGaillimhe and the winner of the large club category was Holy-Cross Ballycahill GAA Club, Co Tipperary. Both clubs received vouchers towards club gear worth Eu3,000 each.Speaking about the Awards, Donal Forde, Managing Director AIB said, ‚"AIB are delighted to have initiated these Club of the Year awards, and thereby acknowledging the importance of the club within the GAA structure, and the contribution that clubs make to their local community"
This is the fourth year of the awards scheme, and the number of entries from clubs has more than trebled since 2000, while AIB have also trebled their investment in the scheme, with the prize fund alone coming to over Eu100,000. Previous winners of the overall AIB Club of the Year Award are
Sean Dolan's CLG (2000), Eire Og Carlow (2001) and St. Malachy's Castlewellan (2002).
President of the GAA, Mr. Sean Kelly, said that he was delighted to be once again associated with AIB in such a worthwhile venture. "The club is without doubt the most important unit of the Association," he said. "The current strength of the Association comes from the tremendous work that takes place year in year out at grassroots level. The players who will grace Croke Park throughout the summer all began at club level and it is a testament to the strength and purpose of our clubs that they continue to provide playing, social and coaching facilities that are the envy of so many other organisations."
He also paid tribute to AIB's continued commitment to the Club of the Year Awards scheme and said that winning an award, whether at county, provincial or All Ireland level was a fitting recognition of a club's contribution to the overall well being of the Association.
Connacht
Winners of the voucher for Eu3,000 worth of GAA gear - | |||
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