ISSC Prepares to Celebrate 30th Anniversary of the Club
By JOHN O'FLYNN
VANCOUVER - The Vancouver 2004 executive of the Irish Sporting and Social Club has been busy organizing recent club events and is planning some great future activities for the Irish community. The roster includes: President James Kirk; Vice President John O'Flynn; Treasurer Kamal Bachana; Secretary Kate McNamee; Registrar Sean Quinn; Member-at-large Nuala Cyr; and ISSC Harps Coordinator Paul Stack.
They meet on the first Monday of each month at 6:30 PM at the Croatian Cultural Centre, located at 3250 Commercial Drive in Vancouver, and interested members are always welcome to attend. Memberships fees are set at $25 for players and $10 for supporters.
The Irish Sporting and Social Club was formed over 30 years ago and today the club is a blend of new Irish immigrants, second-generation Irish descendants and other Canadians. Over the years ISSC members have donated their time and effort in support of many events that have come through Vancouver by way of Ireland.
As a member of the Canadian County Board and an affiliate of the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Vancouver ISSC offers local players a chance to play the Gaelic games of hurling and football. Through this affiliation it is their objective to develop and promote the games at both the youth and adult levels. The ISSC Harps soccer team plays in a winter league in various Lower Mainland communities.
The Vancouver St. Patrick's Day Parade in March was the club’s first event this year when over 25 members contributed to the creation of an attractive float celebrating the Gaelic games of Ireland.
The following day was a memorable one with a Gaelic football game at Livingston Park in downtown Vancouver between the ISSC and Vancouver Cougars (Aussies). Members participated in the European Festival and dance in Burnaby and the club held a “Burger and Beverage” fundraiser.
Chris Cyr is the manager and coach of the Vancouver Harps women's Gaelic football team. He is also the ISSC webmaster (www.isscvancouver.com), and designer of the club banner and his efforts are much appreciated.
Chris is currently preparing his team for a tournament to be held in White Rock on July 31 and August 1 between Seattle, Edmonton and Calgary. This event will be co-hosted by the Vancouver ISSC alongside the Irish Club of White Rock. The Elks Hall (Home to the Irish Club of White Rock) will be the venue for all the social gatherings.
There will be a dinner available ($10) on Saturday night from 6 PM to 8 PM and everyone is welcome to attend the dance ($5) that will follow from 9 PM to 1 AM with Three Row Barley. All games will take place on the fields within Softball City near the South Surrey Athletic Park.
The Vancouver Harps men's Gaelic football team is managed by Sean Quinn and coached by Sean O'Neill. The manager's hard work in soliciting a generous donation from ISSC members Liam and Germaine Gibbons allowed a team set of O'Neill's County Offaly jerseys to be purchased, ensuring that a well-dressed team competed in the recent Calgary Gaelic football tournament.
The men's team is looking forward to playing the high standard of football that the uniform demands when they meet the men's teams of the Pacific Northwest at the tournament in White Rock.
For the first time in quite a long time, since a hurling team from San Francisco played the ISSC at Swangard Stadium in 1976, an international match of hurling is being planned for August 1 at 12:30 PM.
The Seattle Gaels hurling team, who will be competing for the first time in Denver, Colorado at the North American County Board Championships, will take on an Irish-Canadian team from Alberta and British Columbia. To honour the occasion, Thomas O'Flynn of West Limerick Holdings Ltd. has donated a plaque that will be presented to the winning side.
Upcoming events include a “Half Way to St. Pat's Day Dance” on September 16. Another event that is drawing a lot of attention is the thirtieth anniversary ISSC dinner and dance to be held at the Cambrian Hall on November 13 with entertainment by Rogues n' Tinkers.
Past and present members will gather to celebrate the history of the ISSC and a limited number of tickets will be available for sale ($30) at the White Rock Gaelic football tournament from members. Further information, call (604) 723-6840, or e-mail: isscvancouver@hotmail.com.
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