ISSC UPDATE : A Busy Calendar Year Upcoming for Sporting Club
By JOHN O'FLYNN
VANCOUVER - The Irish Sporting and Social Club's 2005 Executive of President Gavan Connolly; Vice President John O'Flynn; Treasurer Kamal Bachana; Secretary Stephanie Boggan; Registrar Sean Quinn and dedicated ISSC members have been busy planning some great future activities for the Irish community.
The executive meets on the third Monday of each month at 8 PM at the Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood Pub 3728 Clark Drive. Interested members and guests are always welcome at meetings. The 2005 fees have been set at $10 for general membership and $25 for Gaelic players
The Irish Sporting and Social Club was formed 30 years ago by a group of individuals in an effort to bring people together socially. Today the club is a blend of new immigrants, second-generation Irish descendents, and other Canadians. Over the years, the ISSC have donated their time and efforts 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, we hope to develop and promote the games at the youth and adult levels. The ISSC Harps' soccer team plays in a winter league in various Lower Mainland communities.
The Vancouver CelticFest St. Patrick's Day parade on March 13 will be the first event this year for the club with an attractive float celebrating the Gaelic games of Ireland. Many members of the ISSC have contributed to its creation and we appreciate their time.
A Gaelic football and hurling game that afternoon at David Lam Park (at Drake and Pacific) 2 PM with the Vancouver Cougars (Aussies) will mark their fifth year of play together for St. Patrick's Day
The Vancouver Harps' women's Gaelic football team has manager and coach in Chris Cyr (ISSC webmaster of www.isscvancouver.com) (604) 874-0979, and the Vancouver Harp's men's Gaelic football team will be co-coached by Sean Quinn (604) 255-1893 and Sean O'Neill (604) 879-6527.
Men's and Women's Gaelic Football teams will descend upon White Rock on July 2-3 from Seattle, Edmonton, Calgary and with a Vancouver Cougars Aussie Rules team for further excitement. The Irish Club of White Rock and Vancouver ISSC Harps will co-host this international event and the tournament is being held at the South Surrey Athletic Park located off 20th Avenue between 146th and 148th Streets in Surrey, B.C.
Canada's Head Coach of the National Ladies Gaelic Football team, Jarlath Connaughton from Ottawa, will attend to assess potential players from the Western teams who have an interest in making the National team that will compete in Ireland in the fall of 2005.
For the second year in a row, an international match of hurling is scheduled for July 3 at 12:30 PM. The Seattle Gaels hurling team, who will be competing in Philadelphia at the North American County Board Championships, will take on an Irish-Canadian team of Albertan and British Columbian All-Stars.
Limerick man Thomas O'Flynn of West Limerick Holdings Ltd., to honour the occasion once again, has donated a plaque that will be presented to the winning side. It is a plaque that the American Gaels are anxious to take ownership!
The Elks Hall (Home to the Irish Club of White Rock) is the venue for the social gatherings over the two days. There will be a dinner available on Saturday night from 6 PM to 8 PM. and all are welcome for the dance that will follow from 9 PM to 1 PM with Three Row Barley who "wowed" the audience at last year’s tournament.
Upcoming events that are planned include a “Half Way to St. Pat's Day Celebration” at Doolin's Pub in September and an event that is drawing a lot of attention once again in the Irish community, the anniversary dinner dance of the ISSC which will be held at the Cambrian Hall in Vancouver on November 12. More details will be available at www.isscvancouver.com.
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