Is le lúchair, gaisce, dlúthpháirtíocht agus spraoi a ghlac ceithre fhoireann sinsear ó dheisceart Chontae Aontroma páirt i gCorn Oilibheár Uí Cheallaigh Dé Sathairn seo caite. Eagraithe i mbliana mar dhlúthchuid de Fhéile Gaeilge le Bród a bhí faoi lánseol ag eagraíocht Ghaeilge Uachtar Chluanaí, Glór na Móna, is iad Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Laochra Loch Lao a reachtálann an comórtas peile seo. Bunaithe in 2006 mar fhoireann peile de chuid na Ceathrún Gaeltachta in iarthar Bhéal Feirste, d’ardaigh na Laochra clú agus stádas Gaeilfeirste i measc Ghaeil na tíre agus iad ag glacadh páirte i gComórtas Peile na Gaeltachta ó 2007 i leith. Go deimhin féin, lean clár faisnéise a rinne an comhlacht scannánaíochta Imagine Media iad amuigh go Béal Átha Mhuirthead anuraidh agus chríochnaigh an dá chlár leathuaire seo mar an clár Gaeilge leis an lucht féachana is suntasaí i stair BBC Thuaisceart Éireann.

Is i rith 2010 gur chinn na Laochra roinnt coiscéimeanna forbartha eile a ghlacadh chun próifíl an chumainn a dhaingniú go háitiúil i measc mhuintir Bhéal Feirste féin. Is mar thoradh ar an smaointeoireacht seo a d’eascair Corn Oilibheár Uí Cheallaigh, a thosaigh in 2010. Láinseáladh é in ómós don dlíodóir iomráiteach agus Gael aitheanta Oilibheár Ó Ceallaigh a d’éag go tragóideach in 2009. Beidh clú agus cáil i gcónaí ar an seal a chaith Oilibheár mar Chathaoirleach ar Bhord Chontae Aontroma go háirithe mar gur stiúraigh sé an contae i rith 1989 nuair a bhain Foireann Iománaíochta s’againn cluiche ceannais na hÉireann amach don chéad agus an t-aon uair i stair na gcluichí Gaelacha.

B’oiriúnach do Laochra Loch Lao an comórtas seo a reachtáil mar gur bhaill imeartha an chumainn iad beirt mhac Oilibhéar, Diarmuid agus Cathal. Thug Bord reatha an chontae lántacaíocht agus stádas oifigiúil don chomórtas mar chorn de chuid Dheisceart Aontroma agus tá buíochas ar leith tuillte ag leithéidí Jim Murray, Paddy McElvenny agus Gearóid Mac Róibín gur amhlaidh atá an scéal.

I mbliana, b’iad Cumann Naomh Úna, Cumann na Piarsaigh, Lámh Dhearg CLG agus curaidh 2010 Laochra Loch Lao a bhí páirteach ann. Bhain na Laochra an chéad chluiche leathcheannais in éadan Na Piarsaigh le farasbarr de naoi gcúilín bíodh is gur thosaigh siad go fadálach sa chéad leath agus go raibh comhscór ag leath-ama mar gur scoráil Gaeil an Tuaiscirt cúpla cúl. Sciob Lámh Dhearg an dara cluiche leathcheannais in éadan Naomh Úna sna bomaití deireanacha le dhá chúilín bíodh is go raibh siad ag cailleadh ar feadh iomlán an darna leath.

Sa chluiche ceannais, bhí an lámh in uachtar ag na Laochra arís in éadan Lámh Dhearg i gcluiche fíochmhar a léirigh go raibh an dá fhoireann chomh tiomanta céanna chun an corn a bhaint. Se deireadh thiar thall, ní raibh ach cúilín amháin sa chluiche, le himreoirí mionúir na Laochra, atá ag briseadh isteach san fhoireann sinsear, ag aimsiú mórchuid na scóranna, le tacaíocht bhríomhar ón imreoir idirchontae s’acu Pádraig Ó Cuinneagáin

Ag bailiú an choirn álainn dó, dúirt captaen na Laochra agus mac Oilibheáir, Cathal Ó Ceallaigh, ‘Tá mé iontach bródúil an corn seo a thógáil  agus tá clann s’agam iontach buíoch d’achan duine a chuidigh linn an comórtas seo a reachtáil. Is é an chomhoidhreacht a d’fhág m’athair ionainn ná an grá don teanga agus an grá do spóirt Ghaelacha. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil fosta leis na cumainn a ghlac páirt, le Bord Dheisceart Aontroma, d’óstaithe an chomórtais, Lámh Dhearg CLG,  na réiteoirí agus le Laochra Loch Lao CLG ach go háirithe. Cuireann seo le fís s’againn fán Ghaeilge agus Cumann Lúthchleas Gael a nascadh le chéile mar is ceart agus is dea-shampla muid don chuid eile den tír. Tá muid ag dúil leis an bhliain seo chugainn agus muid dearfa cinnte go rachaidh an comórtas seo ó neart go neart amach anseo.”

Le tuilleadh eolais a fháil ar Laochra Loch Lao, déan teagmháil le feargal@forbairtfeirste.com no scairt air 02890438597 nó 07841101630

The atmosphere was that of joy, bravery, solidarity and sportsmanship, when four senior football teams from South County Antrim took part in the Oliver Kelly Cup last Saturday. The competition was organised as a central event of Féile Gaeilge le Bród. Glór na Móna, an Irish organisation in Upper Springfield organised the festival, and the Laochra Loch Lao GAA Club accommodated this football competition. The Laochra Loch Lao GAA Club was formed in 2006 as the West Belfast Gaeltacht Quarter football team. They have raised the status and profile of the Irish language in Belfast  and amongst the Irish- speakers of the country since taking part in Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta (the National Gaeltacht Football Competition) from 2007. Indeed, the filming company, Imagine Media, made a documentary, that followed them down to Bulmullet (Béal an Mhuirthead) last year and the two half- hour programmes finished as having the most remarkable viewing figures in the history of Irish language programmes on BBC Northern Ireland.

During 2010, the Laochra took further steps to development and secure the GAA club as a locally based one, among the people of Belfast. And it was from this rationale that The Oliver Kelly Cup sprang and commenced in 2010. It was launched in memory of the reputable solicitor and well-known Irish- speaker, Oliver Kelly, who tragically died in 2009. The time Oliver spent as Chairman of the Antrim County Board will always be remembered, especially as he guided the county during 1989 when we reached the All-Ireland Hurling Final for the first time in the history of Gaelic games.

It couldn’t have been more fitting for Laochra Loch Lao to run this competition as Oliver’s own two sons, Diarmuid and Cathal, are playing members of the club. The current County Board has given their full support and offical status to the competition as an official South Antrim tournament and special thanks must be given to the likes of Jim Murray, Paddy McElvenny and Gearóid Mac Róibín in helping the club  be so successful to date.

Naomh Úna, Cumann na Piarsaigh, Lámh Dhearg GAA Club, and last year’s champians, Laochra Loch Lao were involved in the competition this year. The Laochra won the first semi-final, against Na Piarsaigh, by nine points. Laochra started slowly and the score was even score at half time, after the North Belfast Gaels scored a couple of goals to get back into the game. Lámh Dhearg scooped the second semi-final against Naomh Úna in the last moments when they scored two points, even though they were losing for the entire of the second half.

The Laochra once gained the upper hand, against  Lámh Dhearg in a ferocious final, that showed just how driven the two teams were in their quest for the cup.  There was only one point in the difference at the finish, with the Laochra’s minor players, who are only just breaking into the senior team, taking most of the scores, with eagar strong  support from Laochra inter-county star, Pádraig Ó Cuinneagáin.

The captain of the Laochra, and Oliver’s son, Cathal Ó Ceallaigh said as he was collecting the Cup, ‘I am very honoured to receive this Cup and my family is so thankful to everyone who helped us organise this competition. The heritage that my father leftto us was love for the language and love for Gaelic games. I would also like to thank the participating clubs, the South Antrim Board, the hosts of the competition, the Lámh Dhearg GAA Club, the referees and especially the Laochra Loch Lao GAA Club. All of this strengthens our vision of linking the Irish language and the GAA together, as they should be, and we set a fine example to the rest of the country. We are looking forward to the coming year and certain that this competition will only go from strength to strength in the future’.

For further information on Laochra Loch Lao, contact us on feargal@forbairtfeirste.com or call us 02890438597 or 07841101630