FIRST ALL-IRELAND GAA TITLE OF 2007 SECURED BY MAYOBRIDGE’S CLAIRE ROONEY

Claire Rooney with GAA President Nicky Brennan

Sean Rooney, Down assistant County Secretary admiring
Claire's medal after the All-Ireland Scor na nOg final in Athlone on Saturday

Down’s first piece of All-Ireland glory for 2007 was secured last Saturday in Athlone when Mayobridge’s Claire Rooney’s long journey southward was rewarded, when she at last achieved her goal of taking home that elusive All-Ireland Scór na nÓg medal; a medal she so richly deserved, considering the amount of time and effort she has put in over the past five years in pursuit of her ultimate goal.

Having been cruelly thwarted in earlier years, when most people would have judged her a certain winner, Claire was unbowed and determined to not let disillusionment or earlier disappointments set her back.

In the same venue in 2006, after she had been surprisingly beaten in the recitation competition, Claire’s first words were, “Well, I’ll just have to try again next year”. Well, she did, and she succeeded, and brought the first of the only two All-Ireland Scór titles to Ulster in 2007.

County Down Gaels and in particular the Gaels of Mayobridge are extremely proud of Claire’s magnificent achievement in bringing yet another All-Ireland honour to the club and county.   It was the fifth All-Ireland Scór medal won by Mayobridge GAC members in the past eight years, following on from her sister Jane’s success and the success of the Instrumental Music group in earlier years,

Patrons at the East Down Scór final on Sunday night in Dundrum were treated to Claire’s winning recitation, a recitation written by her mother Therese called ‘The Return of Sam’ the story of the Sam Maguire Cup.

Claire will be performing ’The Return of Sam’ at the County Scór final in Saval next Sunday night.

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Down Scór Final

All roads lead to Saval’s Sports and Leisure Centre this Sunday evening for the 2007County Down Scór finals.

Winners and runners-up from the South and East Down finals will compete in the eight competitions and following the success of the Mayobridge and Dundrum divisional finals, a great night’s entertainment is assured.

As there is a practically full programme, the evening’s competitions will get underway at 7.00pm and should be completed by 11.00pm