Cul Camp boys from Ballyholland, Eoin Hughes,
Chris Brady and Nial O'Reilly
This summer saw over 3000 children take part
in 36 different VHI GAA Cul Camps in County
Down. The camps which were a nationally co-ordinated
programme of gaelic games ran throughout the
summer months in every county in Ireland including
Down.
The camps encouraged children to learn and
develop sporting and life skills by participating
in Gaelic Games in a fun, non-competitive
environment. Attendance at camps was open
to children aged 7 years to 13 years and all
camps ran from 10.00 am to 2.30 pm - Monday
to Friday. The Camps were structured to have
4 skill development days for primary and secondary
levels, followed by a blitz tournament day
on the Friday. Also on the Friday all participants
received a full set of playing gear (jersey,
shorts and socks) and a knapsack as well as
certificates and medals.
Speaking on the final day of the camps Down
GAA Youth Officer Sean McCashin stated “In
total 3028 children from all over Down took
part in GAA Cul camps over the past 45 days.
This is 1000 more children than took part
in last year’s camp. The children received
top level coaching and hopefully many of the
kids that went through the 2008 Down GAA Cul
Camps will grace Croke Park in the years ahead
wearing the red and black of Down. The success
of the 2008 camps which included Football,
Hurling and Camogie comes down to the hard
work of the many coaches which were in attendance
at all the camps as well as the work put in
by County Secretary Sean Og McAteer, Football
Development Officer John Morgan and Hurling
Development Officer John Crossey who were
all responsible for the day to day running
of the camps.”
