Chairperson: Yvonne Bonnici
Secretary: Anne Marie Murphy
Treasurer: Catherine Carr
P.R.O.: Denise Callan
_____________________________________________
History of Boyle Community Games
by Martin Dolan
Community Games was established initially in Walkinstown, Dublin in 1967 by local activist Joe Connolly who saw the need to provide organised sporting activities for the children of the rapidly growing housing estates in his area. He organised competitions in a range of sporting disciplines for the children of his area. The idea caught on so quickly that by the following year a total of 3,000 children from 24 areas in Dublin competed in the first Dublin County Finals in August of that year in Santry Stadium. It continued to develop and spread throughout the country over the next few years to the extent that the first National Finals were held in Santry in 1971.
County Roscommon didn't affiliate to the national organisation until 1973, but it nominated competitors who were prominent in athletics in the County at the time to participate. The nominees include representatives from Boyle. We are proud to state that Michael Cox from Boyle won the gold medal in the U16 high jump event in the first National Finals in 1971. Michael retained his high jump title in 1972 when he sat a new National record of 5ft 11 inches. In the same year Boyle's David McLoughlin took silver in the U14 long jump.
County Roscommon affiliated to the Nationa Community Games organisation in 1973 and Boyle was among six areas from the County in attendance at that meeting and records show that we were represented at tha meeting by Mary Travers and John McGowan, both now sadly deceased.
The local committee was established in Boyle in 1973 with Barry Feely as our first Chairman, Mary Travers was Secretary and Marie Scott (now Burke) was Treasurer. Other committee members included Sister Rita, Frank Geelan, Padraig Callaghan and Declan Lynagh (RIP).
The early years saw extraordinary succees, especially in the high jump and long jump events. David McLoughlin, as stated above took silver in the long jump in 1972. He and his brothers, Raymond and Brendan dominated the high jump event at National level up to and including 1980. David took the title in 1973 and 1974, Raymond continued the tradition in 1975 and 1976, while Brendan brought the title to Elphin Street in 1979 and 1980. Raymond also won the U14 long jump title in 1974. The first medal on the track was won by Marie Flynn from Greatmeadow when she took bronze in the U17 100 metres in 1984.
We had to wait until 1993 for our next National medal when Catherine Dolan from Carrick Road took silver in the U12 100 metres. She repeated this feat two years later in the U12 100 metres. This signalled the a second golden era for Boyle Community Games. Catherine Dolan's sister Aisling won gold in the U10 200 metres. She became National Champion again in 2001 in the U16 100 metres and she took silver medals in the 100 metres events in 1999 at U14 level and bronze medals in the same event in 1998 at U12, in 2000 at U14 and 2002 at U16 levels. It was not all left to the girlsas Mark Grimes from Church View took gold in the U8 100 metres in 1999 and he came back and took silver in the U10 metres in the following year.
This was also the era of excellent Boyle relay teams culminating with an All Ireland win by the U12 girls comprising of Claire Callaghan, Edel Keenehan, Ruth Candon, Aisling Dolan and Marina Horan in 1998. In 2000 the girls U14 team of Claire Callaghan, Aisling Dolan, Karen Furey, Edel Keenehan and Marina Horan took bronze in Mosney while in the following year the U 15 mixed relay team of Aisling Dolan, Claire Callaghan, Marcus Kennedy, Niall Egan and Ruth Candon went one better by taking silver.The common denominator in all those successes was St Mary's College athletics coach Padraig Callaghan who coached our successful high and long jumpers in the seventies and all our athletics successes since then.
There were lean times in terms of winning national medals from 2002 until August 2010 when Ruth Cox from Mockmoyne regained the title held by Aisling Dolan in 1996 when she prformed brilliantly to take the U10 200 metres in fine style in the Community Games National Final's new venue in Athlone.
Boyle Community Games has participated in almost all of the 30 plus disciplines that are on offer over the years. The local sports day is a special event in the local calendar and we send competitors to the County Athletics Finals in most categories annually apart from those already mentioned, we have been represented with distinction by several others at the National Finals in Mosney and Athlone. We have also reached the National Finals in events such as Gaelic football, soccer, choir, art and model-making, cross country, educational projects and a variety show which featured budding actor Chris O'Dowd.
We have also participated at local, county and provincila levels in basketball, badminton, quiz, draughts, chess, indoor soccer, volleyball and many other activities.
Practically every youngster-male and female, in Boyle Parish has taken part in one or more Community Games activity over the past forty years.
We have been blessed with extremely dedicated adult leader-too many to mention-at local and County levels. We have received the support of the many sporting and cultural organisations in the Parish and we have always been met with open arms when we seek the use of local facilities.
Long may it continue!
Martin Dolan
by Martin Dolan
Community Games was established initially in Walkinstown, Dublin in 1967 by local activist Joe Connolly who saw the need to provide organised sporting activities for the children of the rapidly growing housing estates in his area. He organised competitions in a range of sporting disciplines for the children of his area. The idea caught on so quickly that by the following year a total of 3,000 children from 24 areas in Dublin competed in the first Dublin County Finals in August of that year in Santry Stadium. It continued to develop and spread throughout the country over the next few years to the extent that the first National Finals were held in Santry in 1971.
County Roscommon didn't affiliate to the national organisation until 1973, but it nominated competitors who were prominent in athletics in the County at the time to participate. The nominees include representatives from Boyle. We are proud to state that Michael Cox from Boyle won the gold medal in the U16 high jump event in the first National Finals in 1971. Michael retained his high jump title in 1972 when he sat a new National record of 5ft 11 inches. In the same year Boyle's David McLoughlin took silver in the U14 long jump.
County Roscommon affiliated to the Nationa Community Games organisation in 1973 and Boyle was among six areas from the County in attendance at that meeting and records show that we were represented at tha meeting by Mary Travers and John McGowan, both now sadly deceased.
The local committee was established in Boyle in 1973 with Barry Feely as our first Chairman, Mary Travers was Secretary and Marie Scott (now Burke) was Treasurer. Other committee members included Sister Rita, Frank Geelan, Padraig Callaghan and Declan Lynagh (RIP).
The early years saw extraordinary succees, especially in the high jump and long jump events. David McLoughlin, as stated above took silver in the long jump in 1972. He and his brothers, Raymond and Brendan dominated the high jump event at National level up to and including 1980. David took the title in 1973 and 1974, Raymond continued the tradition in 1975 and 1976, while Brendan brought the title to Elphin Street in 1979 and 1980. Raymond also won the U14 long jump title in 1974. The first medal on the track was won by Marie Flynn from Greatmeadow when she took bronze in the U17 100 metres in 1984.
We had to wait until 1993 for our next National medal when Catherine Dolan from Carrick Road took silver in the U12 100 metres. She repeated this feat two years later in the U12 100 metres. This signalled the a second golden era for Boyle Community Games. Catherine Dolan's sister Aisling won gold in the U10 200 metres. She became National Champion again in 2001 in the U16 100 metres and she took silver medals in the 100 metres events in 1999 at U14 level and bronze medals in the same event in 1998 at U12, in 2000 at U14 and 2002 at U16 levels. It was not all left to the girlsas Mark Grimes from Church View took gold in the U8 100 metres in 1999 and he came back and took silver in the U10 metres in the following year.
This was also the era of excellent Boyle relay teams culminating with an All Ireland win by the U12 girls comprising of Claire Callaghan, Edel Keenehan, Ruth Candon, Aisling Dolan and Marina Horan in 1998. In 2000 the girls U14 team of Claire Callaghan, Aisling Dolan, Karen Furey, Edel Keenehan and Marina Horan took bronze in Mosney while in the following year the U 15 mixed relay team of Aisling Dolan, Claire Callaghan, Marcus Kennedy, Niall Egan and Ruth Candon went one better by taking silver.The common denominator in all those successes was St Mary's College athletics coach Padraig Callaghan who coached our successful high and long jumpers in the seventies and all our athletics successes since then.
There were lean times in terms of winning national medals from 2002 until August 2010 when Ruth Cox from Mockmoyne regained the title held by Aisling Dolan in 1996 when she prformed brilliantly to take the U10 200 metres in fine style in the Community Games National Final's new venue in Athlone.
Boyle Community Games has participated in almost all of the 30 plus disciplines that are on offer over the years. The local sports day is a special event in the local calendar and we send competitors to the County Athletics Finals in most categories annually apart from those already mentioned, we have been represented with distinction by several others at the National Finals in Mosney and Athlone. We have also reached the National Finals in events such as Gaelic football, soccer, choir, art and model-making, cross country, educational projects and a variety show which featured budding actor Chris O'Dowd.
We have also participated at local, county and provincila levels in basketball, badminton, quiz, draughts, chess, indoor soccer, volleyball and many other activities.
Practically every youngster-male and female, in Boyle Parish has taken part in one or more Community Games activity over the past forty years.
We have been blessed with extremely dedicated adult leader-too many to mention-at local and County levels. We have received the support of the many sporting and cultural organisations in the Parish and we have always been met with open arms when we seek the use of local facilities.
Long may it continue!
Martin Dolan
