Birr Community Online

Birr will be holding two camps this year at Woodfield Park. The first will be held on July 2nd-6th and the second on August 20th-24th. Application forms are available from Post Offices in Birr, Banagher and Kilcormac. Further information is available from the FAI Summer Soccer Schools website here or call 1890 653 653 (8am-8pm 7 days a week).

Applications received by June 1st will receive personalised jerseys. The camps are open to children aged 7-15 years, cost per child is €89 and each participant will receive a full football kit, water bottle and shin guards.

Rory Hanniffy, voted the 2006 Offaly Hurler of the Year, will hope to inspire the Faithfuls this season after last year's campaign culminated in a disappointing run in the All-Ireland qualifiers. 

The Birr clubman will take over from Ballyskenach's Brendan Murphy as skipper of the county side.

The 24 year-old played a big part in Birr reclaiming the county title last year and winning through to November's Leinster club final which saw them lose to Ballyhale Shamrocks of Kilkenny.

When Michael Cusack and his friends founded the GAA in Hayes Hotel, Thurles in 1884 their main concern was to cater for the sporting needs of Ireland's young men particularly outside the major centres of population. Rugby, soccer and cricket flourished in the garrison towns and Cusack and company wanted to provide the youth of the time with Gaelic alternatives. Their efforts met with considerable success particularly in 'rural parishes and country towns where big families were the order of the day.

In many of these rural parishes and country towns faction fights had been a far too common occurrence in earlier times.When the faction fights thankfully died out the inter-parish rivalries were expressed through support for the local hurling or football team. Young men gave their all for the honour of the parish and frequently several brothers played together on the same team.

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