White Rock Hosts First Football Festival

By RONAN DEANE

July 31 and August 1 was the beginning of what everyone involved hopes will be a beautiful relationship. The Irish Club in White Rock and the Vancouver Irish Sporting and Social Club combined to host one of the best Gaelic sport tournaments in recent memory. Brendan Hamill and company left no stone unturned in hosting the matches and a couple a great feasts at their clubhouse in White Rock by the sea.

The football, hurling, comradery and passion on display both on the field and off it, no doubt, will have impressed any members of the community in White Rock that had never witnessed these wonderful Games.

JOHN O' FLYNN of the Vancouver Irish Sporting and Social Club presenting Women's Seattle Gaels Team Captain Rebecca Fox with the J.J. Hyland Memorial plaque for the Ladies Gaelic Football Championship and also the MVP Award. Congratulations Rebecca

On the field, it was the Seattle Ladies that stole the show, with impressive performances against their Canadian counterparts. Vancouver Harps girls took the "scalp" of the tournament when they defeated the Edmonton Wolf Tones, the first Ladies Champions of Western Canada. Calgary's Cheiftainettes certainly showed that they were here to play some ball too, and boy, did they party to boot.

In the Men's, some classic round robin games, again, lead to some surprises in the semi's. Vancouver's Men seem to have an uncanny knack of unsettling the great Wolfe Tones teams, and did so again in their semi. The Seattle Men were a bit stunned by the intensity that the Calgary Chieftains displayed in their clash, which set up the final. A fantastic game of ball, where Vancouver showed their grit, but with a certain Deno McCallion on fire, supported admirably by Frank Campbell up front, Calgary claimed their second tournament title of the season.

The teams partied the night away on Saturday night, with some impromptu Irish dancing. Fantastic hosts, great music, laughs a plenty; this week-end was a credit to everyone involved, and with any luck more teams will be in attendance next year, and this will become one of Western Canadian Gaelic sports' great annual weekends.

THE CALGARY CHIEFTAINS MEN’S TEAM	THE CALGARY CHIEFTAINS WOMEN'S TEAM
THE EDMONTON WOLFE TONES MEN'S TEAM	THE EDMONTON WOLFE TONES WOMEN'S TEAM
THE SEATTLE GAELS MEN'S TEAM	THE SEATTLE GAELS WOMEN'S TEAM
THE VANCOUVER HARPS MEN'S TEAM	THE VANCOUVER HARPS WOMEN'S TEAM

Hurling: Back With a Bang

Not only did White Rock host an incredible Gaelic Football tournament, they also were the first tournament to get a hurling game successfully arranged in ages. Seattle's Hurling Club and the Western Canadian Select teams played out a rip-roaring contest in glorious sunshine on August 1.

The Seattle boys, playing together in one of their first fixtures, were a bit slow to settle down, but once they did there was some fine long range shooting and dogged determination on display.

The Canadians were a who's who of Western Canada's Gaelic football stars, but boy, did they know how to hurl. Deno McCallion took the mantle as Captain, and played a captains role, scoring at will, and treating the spectators, to what many would not have believed could exist; Fine Northern Hurling.

We look forward to having the Seattle hurlers come to more tournaments and we guarantee them that they will get a couple of games whichever Canadian tournament they can get to next year. We wish them the very best of luck in the North Americans.

Calgary Men - Edmonton Ladies : Western Canadian Champs

Beckett could not have written a more dramatic climax to the Men Western Canadian Championship. With Calgary and Edmonton level on points after their draw in Calgary, it looked like the winner of their game would take the title. Vancouver were only going to be spectators. Right...? Wrong.

Even though Vancouver beat Edmonton in the first game, all Edmonton had to do was beat Calgary, and the title was theirs. Vice Versa, from Calgary's point of view. Neither of them won. Another incredible match, and another draw, left Calgary in the position of having to face a Vancouver team that, from the brink, could see an opportunity to take the title themselves.

The fairytale did not materialize, however, with another draw looming either McCallion or Campbell (no-one is really sure) had the final say. A goal at the death and a three-point victory for Calgary.

The Edmonton women did not allow such a nail-biter to come to pass, as they swept all that came against them aside to take the honors for their City. Vancouver did make up for the failure to attend Calgary's tournament, but alas they finished out bottom of the table due to their record against Calgary.

A great first year for the Western Canadian Division. Two worthy Champions, and two hotly contested Championships. Can't wait for the snow to thaw.

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