Colm Higgins RIP
Erin’s Own Lavey are saddened to announce the passing of our former club chairman, Colm Higgins. In his own gentle way, Colm Higgins revolutionised Lavey. His legacy is all around us and it is wonderful. A former footballer and hurler with the club, Colm Higgins served nine years as our chairman. During his first term (1978-80) a new pavilion was constructed. The building was extended during his second term (1986-91) – when it also welcomed home Derry, Ulster and All-Ireland Champions – and is the nucleus of the facility that every citizen in our parish now enjoys. A kind, compassionate and honourable man, Colm Higgins will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Colm’s wife Celine and the Higgins family. A truly great man is gone, but his memory and his gift of legacy to the people of Lavey will endure. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.
Good Luck to Our Ulster Finalists
Best of luck to our Ballad Group (Annie McGurk, Emma Scullion, Katie Taylor, Clare Madden and Hannah Taylor) in their Ulster Final tonight, Sat 25th January, in Silverbridge, Co. Armagh.
The team+supporters bus will leave the club at 4.30pm – there are a limited number of seats available, please phone reception for details.
Lavey are one of a record number of six entries from the county who have qualified for the finals this year, more details can be found on the Derry GAA Website.
Derry Champions
Club AGM
Lavey Club Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday 12th January in Lavey Club
Success at Scór na nÓg
Comhghairdeas to our ballad group who were crowned county champions on Sunday! Many thanks to Katrina and Chloe for putting them through their paces and achieving such an amazing result.
Congratulations also go to Anna Rafferty and the Quiz team who were runners-up in their respective categories.
Lavey was represented in Scór na nÓg this year by 26 young club members who competed in all but two categories of the competition: ceili dancing, solo singing, instrumental, recitation, ballad group and quiz.
From two nights of semi-finals, six acts qualified for the county final which was held in Glenullin on Sunday 24th November – Katie Taylor (solo singing), Caitriona Toner (recitation), Anna Rafferty (Recitation), Ballad group and two Quiz teams. A full house was treated to a wonderful night’s entertainment and all will agree that the adjudicators’ jobs that evening were not easy!
The full results were as follows:
Ceili Dancing: 1- Glen, 2- Slaughtneil
Solo singing: 1 – Slaughtneil, 2 – Glenullin
Instrumental: 1 – Castledawson, 2- Glen
Recitation: 1- Glen, 2- Lavey
Ballad Group: 1- Lavey, 2-Glen
Leíriú: 1- Swatragh, 2- Slaughtneil
Set dancing: 1-Glen, 2-Glenllin
Quiz: 1- Glenullin, 2- Lavey
Congratulations to all involved: competitors, mentors, parents and supporters.
The Ulster Semi-Final will be held in Glenswilly, Co. Donegal on Friday 13th December – Ádh mór to our girls and all the Derry representatives for the semi-final.
Recitation winner Meabh McGirr (Glen) and Runner-up Anna Rafferty (Lavey) pictured with county officials. (Photo: Danny O’Kane)
Ballad Group winners Emma Scullion, Hannah Taylor, Clare Madden, Annie McGurk and Katie Taylor (Lavey) pictured with county officials. (Photo: Danny O’Kane)
Parent and Toddler Group
Lavey parent and toddler group is now running every Tuesday morning from 9.15am – 11:30am at the Lavey Termoneeny Centre.
All mums, dads, children and childminders welcome!!
Underage Training
Underage training will continue throughout the winter (until further notice) at the following times:
Camogie Circuit Training – U14,16 & 18 every Tuesday at 4.15pm
Hurling Training (indoor) – P1-P4 Mondays 6-7 pm, U10 Mondays 7-8pm, U12 Wednesday 6-7pm
Photograph Appeal
Lavey GAC are in the process of putting together ‘A Photographic History’.
If anyone has any photographs from the All Ireland Club Final in 1991 (either of players or spectators) we would appreciate if you could lend us your photographs for a short period of time so that they can be copied for the display.
All photos will be well looked after and returned. Please leave photographs at reception in an envelope marked ‘FAO Paddy Chivers’
Club Lavey Plaque
A limited amount of spaces are still available on our club plaque! This plaque is proudly mounted in the Lavey Termoneeny Centre and provides people with a unique opportunity to show their association with the club.
Individual plaques can be purchased for £100; these are inscribed with a family or individual’s name making a fitting Christmas present or memorial for loved ones! Please contact Helen on 02879643202 for more details.
Ulster GAA honours Lavey Community Sports Facility
Erin’s Own Lavey has been selected by an Ulster GAA inspection panel as having ‘the best club facilities in Derry GAA’. The awards are made on a county by county basis in line with the 2009-2015 strategic plan for the provincial body entitled ‘Lifelong promotion of Gaelic Games, Culture, Community and Family’.
Speaking to DerryGAA.ie, club chairman Seamus Downey and secretary Sean McPeake expressed their delight at the recognition, and explained the context in which the facility is used:
‘We’re delighted to accept this award on behalf of our club. Our new facilities including the indoor sports hall with 3G surface, fitness suite, spinning studio and changing facilities have now been open three years and are widely used by our club members, players, other local teams and the wider community’
With recent visitors to the facility including Christy Cooney, Brian Cody, Mary McAleese, Mickey Harte and Liam Sheedy, Downey is keen to point out that ‘teams have travelled from all over Ireland to avail of the facilities’ giving them national recognition.
Regarding future plans, the pair note:
‘We are constantly committed to enhancing these facilities, both indoors and outdoors, to ensure that they meet the needs of our members and the local community. We have recently installed a state of the art hydrotherapy pool and have further proposals to extend our fitness suite to include a specialist free weights area.
‘We are also committed to ensuring that our grounds are accessible to all irrespective of any disability, and our fitness suite is one of the first IFI accredited fitness suites at any GAA ground in Ireland.’
With the development underpinned by Club Lavey and the Termoneeny Community Association, Downey is eager to acknowledge the vital contribution of all who made the vision a reality, and who continue to contribute:
‘I would like to make a special word of thanks to all those who involved in the club development and those who assist with the daily upkeep and running of our club, working tirelessly to ensure that our grounds are kept in impeccable condition.’
The 3G indoor sports facility at Lavey GAA measures 60m x 40m
The fitness suite and spinning studio which is ‘widely used by club members, players, other local teams and the wider community’
Senior football championship Q/F
M&L Contracts SFC this Sunday at Glen
Dungiven v Ballinderry (1.30pm)
Lavey v Slaughtneil (3.00pm)