Barryroe GAA

02 November, 2022

Sporting followers from all over Barryroe parish and beyond assembled at the Pier House on Saturday night last for the Barryroe GAA fundraising race night. With a plentiful entry of horses for all of the eleven races on the card and many long-shots turning up on the frame, punters were in ecstatic mood and those manning the tote in the Bar and the Lounge were kept well on their toes. The shortest odds were four to one in first and second  races. The winners of the 6th , 8th and 11th races got massive odds of eight to one. No doubt the chief interest centred on the Auction Sweepstake Race which carried a top prize of €1,200 to the winners. Here, club coaches Norman Fleming and Conor Walsh led an Abbeymahon syndicate with a sprinkling of horsey experience from shrewd advisers Daniel and Brian Whelton, to score an impressive win as their Horse number seven just got up on the line. To add to the amusement of the occasion, all listed horses were written in verse accompanied by some interesting owners, jockeys, trainers and breeders.

Bringing down the curtain on the meeting, Club Chairman Eoin McCarthy, thanked everybody who helped to make the meeting such an outstanding success. He complimented the race commentator, Dan O'Dwyer and Michael Hurley who provided the superb IT technology for the occasion and most especially the Race Night sub Committee under Co-ordinators Vincent O Donovan and Michael Coleman. Eoin thanked all of our supporters that made last Saturday night a huge success and also to each and every one of our very generous sponsors without their support the night would not have been possible. In summing up Eoin paid a special tribute to Niamh Hurley and Billy Drake of the Pier House for their hospitality and for being such great supporters of the Barryroe GAA.

Finally the club would like to acknowledge the efforts of many, especially the adult players in the selling of horses in the run up to the big night, thank you all.

See you all next year for Race Night 2023!