Castldermot GAA to host star-studded Cheltenham preview night

On Friday 7 March, Castledermot GAA club are hosting a Cheltenham preview night at the Crookstown Inn. This preview night will include special guests such as John McConnell, Johnny Dineen, Gavin Lynch, Shark Hanlon and Daragh Fitzpatrick. All money raised on the night will go to Castledermot GAA club.

According to Peter Behan of Castledermot GAA club, the event promises to be an exciting night.

“It brings the community together. We have prizes on the night that are sponsored by local businesses and by the club. It brings racing people into our club, and it also gives new people in the town the chance to integrate into the community. I’m not a huge racing man, but if you’re looking to go off the tips that were given last year, you would’ve made a lot of money over Cheltenham. This is the second year we are running it; we came up with the idea the previous winter”, he says.

Behan paid tribute to people who will make the event possible on the night.

“I want to mention Robert Catterson and Rachael Kane, club members involved in the racing industry, who provided vital knowledge and contacts. Keith Murphy and Peter Behan both club members and local businessmen supporting the fundraiser. Tara Coogan has also been a huge help. Thanks to Crookstown Inn for the venue and Niamh Byrne in Naas Racecourse who supported us last year and this year. We want it to be an entertaining night for people. However, people are paying 20 euro for a ticket, so we want it to be as good as possible and we want it to be professional” Behan stated that the money raised on the night will be huge for Castledermot GAA club.

“We have the guts of 30 teams in the club, and numbers are only getting bigger. We need to look after our players. We are competing now for kids with other sports. The day of just dropping your child to the GAA club because there was nothing else, is long gone. You have rugby, soccer, karate, you name it. We have a Gaelic Football Mothers and Others team now in the club which has been great. It’s been a huge success, but it puts pressure on us trying to find training slots. We now have the senior ladies' team there for the first time in a few years, which is brilliant.

"I even look at our senior men’s team now and the training they are doing, and the work they are putting in. I’m only in my mid 40’s but there was nothing like that 20 years ago. So, you have to look after your players and show them the respect for the hard work they put in. That’s why fundraisers like this are so important for your club to generate money.”