Ba mhaith liom fáilte uí Cheallaigh a chur róimh go léir go Barnhall. Tá súil agam go mbeidh lá breá agus spórtúil again inniu, gan aon dochar do na h-imroeirí.
I welcome you all here to Barnhall, and hope that you will enjoy a good days rugby, and our hospitality, and that the games will be free of injury to the players.I am deeply honoured to be President of Barnhall R.F.C. for 2008/2009, a season which will undoubtedly be the most challenging for us since we joined the ranks of senior clubs in 1999. I hope that the enthusiasm, team spirit and commitment of everyone in the Club will be rewarded by the success it deserves on the field of play. Our Director of Rugby, Eddie Fitzgerald, Coach, Ian Morgan, and his assistant Denis Bowes will not be found wanting when it comes to hard work, and they deserve our fullest support and encouragement. I wish captains Jim Nolan (1st XV), John Bagnall (2nd XV), Martin Dwyer (3rd XV), and Aidan Minnock (4th XV) the best of luck in their campaigns.
I also wish every success to the captains, coaches, managers and helpers of all our teams from senior, Under 20s, youth and minis, and I thank all of you for the huge amount of work that goes into putting any team on the field. I want in particular to mention our very successful women’s team – the Blue Babes – who made such an impact over the last couple of years, and whose infectious enthusiasm brightened up many of our social events last year. This year our ground staff – led by Christy Dunne and Sean Kirby, have worked miracles on our pitches and I want to publicly acknowledge their efforts in making our playing fields among the best in Leinster.
Our supporters have been ever loyal, and I hope their loyalty will be rewarded by an enjoyable season of exciting, open and skilful rugby at all levels. Thank you to all our sponsors, Rye Valley Foods, Chemical Direct, Interface Flor, The Courtyard Hotel, whose financial support makes it possible for us not only to compete, but to provide the excellent training and back up facilities necessary in modern rugby. Sponsorship should be a two way street, so wherever possible, I urge you to return that support to our sponsors.
Please enjoy your visits to our Club. We pride ourselves on being a friendly, welcoming and family centred club, and we are proud of our close ties to our local community. I hope you will find new friends here, and that you return time and again to experience the warmth and camaraderie we can offer.
Yours in sport,
Paul Kelly
