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• Louth County Council
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Louth-Sport, Recreation and Play

Introduction

Louth County Development Board in its 10 year strategic plan for Louth (2002-2012) highlights the importance of sport as a necessary activity for health and social well being of all individuals and the communities at large throughout Louth.

Louth Local Authorities are committed to the overall aim of this strategy to make Louth a place where good quality sports / recreational facilities and opportunities will be available across the county and where participation in sports and physical activities by individuals and communities will be encouraged and supported.

This web-page has been set-up to make information available to the general public on Louth's sporting and recreational facilities, clubs/organizations and ongoing activities.

Louth Sports and Recreation Unit

County Council has established a Sports and Recreation unit within it's Community & Enterprise Section to advance the aims of the County Strategy in this area and has appointed a County Sports and Recreation Officer, Mr. Noel Redmond. Noel is based at Louth County Hall and is contactable by phone at 042-9324225 or by E-mail at noel.redmond@louthcoco.ie

News

Boston Bruins are coming to Dundalk Town.

Ice Hockey Games this weekend ( 16th /17th October 2009) in Dundalk Ice Dome:

Boston Bruins Alumni team (ex NHL players) versus Irish (IIHL) Select Team on Friday night, Face off 6.30pm

Boston Bruins Alumni team (ex NHL players) versus All Star Select Team on Saturday night, Face off 6.30pm

Game ticket cost:

€10 Adult; €7 child; Family rate of €30 - PAYABLE AT ICE DOME DOOR. All proceeds will go to develop Junior Hockey in Ireland.

Ror more information contact

(Boston Bruins Alumni team are ex professionals and it will be 2 fantastic games of ice hockey)

Irish Heart Week takes place from 21st to 27th September.

A number of walks will take place on World Heart Day, Sunday the 27th September as part of the biggest walking event in the country. Last year 600 walks were organised with more than 15,000 people taking part. The Irish Heart Foundation is calling on everyone young and old, active and not so active to take part and make the walk the start of a programme of regular walking or physical activity.

• Louth County Council in conjunction with Louth GAA have organised a walk along the Darver Slí na Sláinte route. The walk will begin at 11am at Darver GAA Centre, is 3km long and should take approximately 45 minutes.
• Blackrock Tidy Towns have again organised a walk in Blackrock The walk will begin at the Sundial at 2 pm and will follow the 3.1 km Slí na Sláinte route
• Louth County Council and Louth Local Sports Partnership have organised a walk along the Stephenstown Pond Slí route which starts at 3pm. Light refreshments will be provided after the walk and children’s face painting/balloon modelling will be available.
• On National Trails Day, Sunday the 4th October the CROWS walking group will lead a walk that starts at the Lumpers, Ravensdale at 11am and will take 3 to 4 hours. For further details please contact Noel Redmond on 042-9324225.

Power Kiting returns to Seapoint Beach, Termonfeckin

The first Louth based event in the Irish Power Kite and Sandyachting Associations 2009/2010 season will take place on Seapoint Beach, Termonfeckin over the weekend of 26th and 27th September 2009. The Association has used this venue during the past two seasons and it offers an opportunity to the public to see this minority sport in action up close.

Louth County Council has issued a Licence to the Irish Power Kite and Sandyachting Association under the County Foreshore Bye-Laws 2007 for the holding of their Power Kiting and Sandyachting competitions on part of the foreshore at Seapoint, Termonfeckin on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September 2009.The event will take place between the hours of 09:00 and 17:30 on both days. Whilst the beach will not be closed for public use, access will be restricted during these hours to that part of foreshore cordoned off for the event.

Oxfam Trailtrekker – Call for Volunteers

The Oxfam Trailtrekker event which takes place at the end of September 2009 is a huge logistical exercise spanning a 100km route which will require people to help throughout the whole of the event weekend. Almost 3,000 volunteers will be required to fill the many different roles, some of which are suitable for corporate and local community groups. And all of which are vital to ensure that success of this fantastic event.

The organisers are currently calling on the generosity of volunteers who can spare at least 4 hours between the afternoon of Friday 24th September and the night of Sunday 27th September 2009.

For full details on the event and volunteering roles please contact Louise Darragh at +02890 895976 or visit www.oxfamireland.org/trailtrekker

Drogheda United Legend Weekend

Drogheda United FC are hosting a Legends Weekend over the weekend of 8th -9th August 2009. The weekend, incorporating legends from both the Drogheda United and Liverpool, will include Liverpool stars of the past –former republic of Ireland Internationals Ronnie Whelan, Ray Houghton, John Aldridge, Steve Staunton, Phil Babb and Jim Beglin. Other Anfield favourites, Bruce Grobbelaar and Ian Rushe will be joined with Drogheda legends, from the distant and recent past, with Gel martin, Jerome Clarke, John Gill, Dusty Flanagan, John Carroll, Trevor Crolley, Barry O’Connor and Andy Myler confirmed.

The weekend’s events include

Full details from Eimear Taffe at Drogheda United FC . Ph 087 3239066.

Walking Tours of Dundalk to start this week

The County Museum, Dundalk has announced plans to start a series of walking tours of Dundalk over the coming month. Starting at the Green Church at 11.00 a.m. the tour will take in the Church itself and will include along its route St. Leonard’s Gardens, the Courthouse, St. Patrick’s Cathedral before stopping at the Museum itself. Conducted by members of the Museum’s staff the tour will be held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and will last approximately 90 minutes. The tours are free of charge and open to all. A minimum number of participants will be required and all tours are weather permitting.

According to Brian Walsh, Museum Curator, "the tour offers a great opportunity for visitors and locals alike to see the manner and nature in which the town has developed over time. The town is a veritable treasure trove of historical incident and event, all located in a very compact area.” He also thanked Rev. Sandra Pagnell and the congregation of St. Nicholas’ who have allowed us to take these tours in to their church stating that “the tours would simply not have been possible were it not for their generosity and support."

Tours will commence at the Green Church at 11.00 am Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays subject to group size and weather. Pre-booking is required. Bookings and more information about the tours and may be had by contacting the Museum at 042 9327056.

New Dundalk - Omeath Sunday Bus Service

1,900 Kids to descend on Croke Park!!

Traditionally in Gaelic games, there has been a tendency to nurture the perceived best and to neglect the rest. In recent years, there has been a greater appreciation and increased recognition of the need to ensure that a child-centred approach is adopted where the promotion and development of Gaelic games is concerned.

July Under-8 Go Games Blitzes in hurling and football will be recognised nationwide as part of the ‘Play & Stay with the GAA’ Go Games Blitz Initiative. The initiative is designed to promote the use of the Go Games model to increase participation and improve playing standards in young players.

On July 1st and 2nd, Croke Park will play host to 170 Under 8 Hurling and Football teams from around the country in a celebration of these Go Game Blitzes. A total of 13 teams from Louth will be represented over the two days, with the lucky boys and girls playing small sided games on the hallowed turf and also taking a tour of the famous stadium.

This year the clubs selected from Louth include Oliver Plunketts, Wolfe Tones, Newtown Blues, St Nicholas (All Drogheda) Na Piarsaigh, Dundalk Gaels, Cooley Kichams, St Patricks, Kilkerly Emmetts, Cuchulainn Gaels, Roche Emmetts, St Fechins Hurling Club, Wolfe Tones Hurling Club and Collon Hurling Club.

Games provide a fun and safe experience that serves to develop players and introduce them to a lifetime of involvement in Gaelic games. So come on and Play & Stay with the GAA.

Newest Dundalk Soccer Club Kicks Off

Setanta Football Club, Dundalks newest juvenile soccer club is inviting boys and girls from 6-12years old who are interested in joining this Club and academy to its launch day in Oriel Park on Saturday 4th July 2009 between 5pm and 7pm. With penalty shots, bouncy castles, slides & games laid on this promises to be a fun event. For more invitation on the club come along on the day and speak to any of the committee members who will be present. Information can also be had by contacting Majella Watters at 086-3157712.

Are you a Sports Volunteer? - ISC Volunteer Study

There are currently 400,000 volunteers working in sport and physical activity programmes in Ireland yet very little is known about the Irish volunteer and how best to support them. In response to this the Irish Sports Council has commissioned research to investigate the motivations, capacities, needs and resources of volunteers involved in delivering sports/physical activities programmes to children between the age of 4-18 years.

If you are a volunteer working with the above then the Irish Sports Council would like your views and you could win one of three vouchers for Champion Sports worth €100. You could also win your club an amazing prize of a training camp for 20 people for two nights B&B plus an evening meal and access to state of the art training facilities at Breaffy International Sports Hotel.

For more information please go to www.irishsportscouncil.ie/Research/Current_Projects

Local Basketball players make Irish National Team

Two young Dundalk basketball players will be heading off for a 14 day Training camp in the US in June 2009 as part of the Irish U-18 National Squad. Aaron Lawless and Peter O’Hanlon, both members of the Dundalk Ravens Basketball Club, are amongst a small number of new young players now entering the international scene. The Dundalk Ravens Club, which is based at Dundalk Sports Centre, was formed only three years ago. For fuller details log on to www.basketballireland.ie/international/U18m

Walking for health - Slí na Sláinte routes in Louth

Thinking of taking up walking or looking for some good starter routes?- if so the following should interest you.

It is now over ten years since the first Slí na Sláinte appeared in Ireland. Slí na Sláinte routes, an initiative of the Irish Heart Foundation aim to improve the level of heart health across communities through regular walking. These routes provide local communities with safe, well signed and comfortably distanced routes on which to walk their way to better health. With the assistance of local authorities, H.S.E. and local community groups over 150 such routes have to date been provided throughout Ireland and the number continues to grow as the value of regular walking is appreciated more and more. Louth currently has Slí routes in Dundalk, Drogheda, Blackrock and Carlingford with shorter virtual Slí routes at Darver GAA Training Complex, Stephenstown Pond and from Blackrock to Dundalk. Maps for all these routes are available for viewing/downloading on the Irish Heart Foundations website on a county by county basis. www.irishheart.ie - Louth Slí na Sláinte walking routes

The first “Slí at Work” in Co. Louth was recently launched at Dundalk Institute of Technology (D.K.I.T.) and a shorter school route is being installed in Scoil Ui Mhuiri, Dunleer.

To encourage better use of these routes the Irish Heart Foundation runs a series of Walk Leader Training weekends each year throughout the country to provide a pool of trained leaders who will be able to assist those promoting walking as an activity in their areas. Details of these courses are included on this webpage. Louth Co. Council is currently working with Louth Local Sports Partnership, Irish Heart Foundation and H.S.E. Dublin North-East to develop a programme for walking promotion in Louth, details of which will be publicised.

Sports Capital Programme

The Minister for Arts Sports and Tourism, Mr Martin Cullen T.D. recently confirmed that funding for Sport in 2009 had been reduced to €195 million – down from the higher level of €336 million in 2008. Mr Cullen confirmed that whilst there will be no Sports Capital Grants programme in 2009, all commitments made under the Sports Capital Programme and Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme up to and including 2008 would be met. He stated that the provision in relation to capital funding in Budget 2009 would allow these commitments to be met.

Carlingford Walking Festival

Sports Coach Training Grant Scheme 2009

Grant scheme for Sports Coach Training, operated by Louth County Council, is being continued for 2009. Set up to help increase the number of qualified Sports Coaches, leaders and mentors available to Juvenile Sports Clubs/organisation throughout County Louth, this scheme aims to encourage /assist participation by Club members/individuals in accredited Sports Coach/Leader training within Ireland through subsidising of basic course fees across a range of sports. The scheme also offers subsidy to Louth based Sports Clubs, County Sports organisations and N.G.B.s (National Governing Bodies for Sport) towards cost of organising Sports Coach/ Leader training courses within Louth for their members. Copies of the scheme and applications may be downloaded from this site and any queries in relationto this scheme should be referred to

Walk Leader Training

To encourage the development of walking through usage of Slí and other local walking routes, the Irish Heart Foundation runs a number of weekend Walking Leader courses throughout Ireland each year. These courses target individuals who walk and are interested in encouraging friends /people in their locality to find the enjoyment they get through regular walking. Providing basic training on preparing a walk, warm-up/cool down exercises , footwear, safety/traffic ,etc they cost just €80.00. To encourage the development of new walking groups in Louth, the Council will again sponsor the course fee for a number of places on the 2009 courses* for persons interested/willing to train as a walk leader.

For further information contact

I.H.F Walking Leader Course 2009

Courses commence on Friday evenings at 7pm and end early on the Sunday afternoons. A sixth course for 2009 has yet to be firmed up.

Carlingford Sli na Slainte Launch.

Louths newest Slína slainte route was launched by Cllr Declan Breathnach, Chairman of Louth Co. Council in Carlingford on Sunday 14th Deecember 2008. A cold but sunny day provided good conditions for the 40 plus walkers who turned up to try out the 7km route which runs along the scenic stretch of Carlingford Lough. Slí na Slainte routes, an initiative of the Irish Heart foundation aimed at improving the level of Heart health through regular walking, has passed its 10th anniversary. Tanya Comber-Rait, National Coordinator for Slí na Slainte, speaking at the launch said “with their signed distances, Slí routes provide a safe ,fun and healthy way to take exercise and gauge your progress towards a healthier lifestyle”. She complimented Louth Co. Council for its ongoing provision of Slí routes and the HSE Dublin North East for its assistance in their development/promotion. There are currently over 150 Slíroutes throughout Ireland with Louth Slí routes in Drogheda, Dundalk, Blackrock, Carlingford; “virtual” Slíroutes rae also in place at Darver GAA Training Complex, Stephenstown Pond and from Blackrock to Dundalk.

New Ice Skating Club launch

If you or your children have ever watched Ice Skaters gliding through their figure skating routines on TV and longed for the opportunity to try it out then the following announcemnet may interest you Skating Club launch

A full listing of this years allocations and further information on the Dept.of Arts, Sports and Tourisms various schemes and activities are available from its website www.dast.gov.ie

Louth’s first community based, local news website.

A new website offering opportunities to community groups to up-date their communities on their activities, successes and up-coming events/fixture shouild be of interest and use to Sports Clubs/organizations.www.mylocalnews.ie ,a newly launched community based ,local news website has a dedicated page on all key towns and villages in the county and the service is available Free of Charge to all non-profit and voluntary community groups. The public can also enjoy Free access to the service which is simple to use.

To sample the website check out Young Ireland’s GAA on the Dundalk page : http//www.mylocalnews.ie/louth-22/Dundalk-592

For further details contact Kevin McDermott at 086-8218444 or www.mylocalnews.ie

Louth Local Sports Partnership (Louth L.S.P.)

Sports Partnership was formally launched on 16th June 2008 in the Whitaker Theatre in Dundalk Institute of Technology at which its website was unveiled. Mary Browne, LSP Coordinator took up duty in May and was joined by Celine Kearney, Administrative Assistant in the Community & Enterprise section at County Hall Dundalk. Since then the LSP Board, chaired by David Cranny, has with the assistance of Mary, Celine and Lisa Kelly S.I.D.O* been active in promoting its presence, rolling out some of the Irish Sports Councils national programmes and preparing its own three year strategy.

Fuller information on the Louth LSP, its programmes and activities are available on the . Louth LSP website.

Contacts