24th PÁIDI Ó SÉ FOOTBALL FESTIVAL
48 TEAMS FROM SEVEN COUNTRIES TO COMPETE IN EUROSPAR CUISINE DE FRANCE CÓMORTAS PEILE PAIDI O’SÉ
5th February: An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, TD officially launched the Eurospar Cuisine de France Comórtas Peile Páidi Ó Sé 2013 in association with Irish Life and The Gathering Ireland 2013 at an official reception in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin that was attended by people from the world of sport, business, politics and media. The Comórtas is an invitational Ladies and Men’s GAA football tournament which will take place from 22nd -24th February all over the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry.
Now in its 24th year, this year’s Comórtas has expanded into a major International Gaelic games gathering including 48 senior, intermediate and junior GAA clubs from 13 counties across Ireland but also 15 teams from England, Wales, Scotland, Germany, Spain and Brussels.
The tournament is the brainchild of Páidí Ó Sé,the legendary Irish Gael and winner of eight All-Ireland senior football medals as a player and two as Kerry manager. Páidí passed away suddenly on 15th December, 2012 at the age of 57 and so this year the Comórtas is not only a celebration of Gaelic Games but of Páidí’s life and times.
Páidí’s son Pádraig Ó Sé said, “The Comórtas was my Dad’s personal contribution to The Gathering initiative and the football tournament was his annual effort to promote the Kerry Gaeltacht and West Kerry region that he loved so much. He would have been delighted to see the efforts by all the teams and our main partners Eurospar and Cuisine de France to remain committed to the tournament this year and long may it continue in his honour.”
The tournament will attract over 1,300 participants to the West Kerry region and is also supported by Lee Strand Co-Operative, national radio station Newstalk 106-108FM and Fáilte Ireland.
Since its inception, the weekend football festival has grown in popularity and in recent years has diversified, offering other aspects of Irish tradition and culture including music events and an annual photographic exhibition. This year’s photographic exhibition will be launched on Sunday, 24th February in Páidí Ó Sé’s Pub, Ventry and feature images of life in Limerick over the past 100 years from the Limerick Leader and Limerick Chronicle archives. The exhibition will remain in the pub for a number of months.
A mass will take place on Sunday, 24th February at 10am in St. Catherine’s Church, Ventry and will be attended by all participating GAA teams.
Leo Crawford, Group CEO, BWG Group (owners and operators of the EUROSPAR brand in Ireland) said, “As an Irish owned, locally based supermarket group, EUROSPAR is delighted and proud to be supporting this wonderful community initiative and this year’s event will be particularly poignant as we honour and celebrate the life of footballing great, Paidi O’Sé.”
Media Information: Killian Burns, 086-7988540 [email protected]
- 8x Senior men’s (Corn na nArm i gCuimhne Dermot Earley )
- 8x Senior ladies (The Boar’s Head Trophy)
- 8x Junior men’s (The Billy Casey Cup)
- 8x Junior ladies (The Paddy Bawn Brosnan Trophy)
- 8x Intermediate men’s (The Paddy Kennedy Shield)
- 8x Intermediate ladies (The Pat ‘Aeroplane’ O’ Shea Trophy)
PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
Friday the 22nd
6pm Registration in Ventry
- Each team must sign in for the competition and pay €10 entry fee.
- Each team will receive an itinerary of events, a fixtures list, banquet tickets and the names and numbers of committee members who will be your hosts for the weekend
9.30 Mighty barbeque and a night of music with famous Cork band ‘Bog the Donkey’
Saturday the 23rd
12:00 First round of the games at 12 o’clock followed by lunch and the winners to play the second round at 4 pm
6:30pm onwards: Teams to begin arriving for festival banquet and the night’s entertainment provided by Offaly band ‘Woodbine’ followed by Disco with guest DJ until late.
Sunday the 24th
10am: Comórtas Mass at St Catherine’s Church, Ventry for all attending teams including musical performance
12 noon: Senior Ladies Final in Gallarus, An Gaeltacht GAA Grounds
12:30pm: Intermediate Ladies Final, Dingle GAA Grounds
1pm: Junior Ladies Final, Lispole GAA Grounds
1:30pm: Intermediate Men’s Final in Gallarus, An Gaeltacht GAA Grounds
1:30pm: Junior Men’s Final in Annascaul GAA Grounds
3:15pm: Senior Men’s Final in Gallarus, An Gaeltacht GAA Grounds
4-5pm: Traditional music in Páidi O’Sé’s pub by ‘Acoustra’
5pm: Player of the Tournament Awards ceremony (Men’s and Ladies)
5:30-6:30pm: Photographic Exhibition launch from the Limerick Leader and Limerick Chronicle Photographic Archives
9pm: Celtic Rock live music by Acoustra at Comórtas marquee (late bar)
Monday the 25th
10:00 Gathering and farewell in Páidís Pub, Ventry, prior to coach pickup back to airport.