Mayo club host 15th anniversary celebrations

It was a night to remember for Claremorris Colts RFC as the rugby club fittingly celebrated its 15th anniversary at a Gala Awards Banquet at the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris on Friday, May 24.

Among the highlights were the series of trophy and medal presentations to underage and adult teams followed by an intensely interactive auction, bringing the event to an exciting climax.

Master of Ceremonies, Galway Bay FM Sport’s Ollie Turner entertained the audience throughout and performed brilliantly as the auctioneer, keeping the bidding going to the max.

The awards, sponsored by CBE, Claremorris were presented during the three course meal to all teenage and senior teams, with crystal trophies for Player of the Year, Most Improved Player and ‘Hail, Rain or Shine’ Player of the Year. Special trophies were also handed over to Club, Youth and Players’ Player of the Year. There was also a tribute made to the six Colts Girls that represented Connacht at U16 & U18 interprovincial level during the season.

The auction captured everybody’s attention with busy bidding for the items going under the hammer, including BnB vouchers at the Johnstown Estate Hotel, Enfield and the Maldron Hotel at Dublin Airport, a framed photo of the Irish Rugby Team from their successful New Zealand Tour and a signed Grand Slam winning Irish Team Shirt, supplied by Opel Ireland, which was highly desired and the bidding alone went on for twenty minutes.

In his address, Fergal Byrne, Chairman, Claremorris Colts RFC outlined the history of the club since its formation. He thanked all the sponsors, coaches, players, parents, Racecourse Trust and the Mount St Michael Secondary School, for their continued support, commitment and involvement in the club: “Without these contributions over the past fifteen years, we would have not reached where we are today, and we continue to invest and develop facilities, improve training techniques and player quality. Our achievements on the playing fields over the past season, marked on the night, are numerous such as Connacht League and Cup wins, as well as having a number of players on the Youth and Senior Connacht squads and Irish Development team and something to be very proud of.” 

Established in 2009, Claremorris Colts RFC promotes rugby union in a fun, safe and friendly environment to children, youths and adults in Claremorris and surrounding areas. From humble beginnings, the club now has over 360 members playing mini, youth and junior rugby in the various Connacht branch sanctioned competitions, and with great success, which was acknowledged on the night. Less than ten years ago, the Colts Park playing and training pitches were developed at the Old Racecourse Grounds, just outside the town.

An all-ages disco brought the memorable night to a successful conclusion.