Queen’s GAA Festival 2014 Festival Friend Information Pack
The GAA Clubs at Queen’s University have secured the right to host the Ashbourne, Sigerson, Fitzgibbon and O’Connor Cups in February / March 2014. Together, these are the marquee University GAA events for Camogie, Football, Hurling and Ladies Football respectively. This will be an ambitious and unique initiative as no college has ever hosted even two of the four major tournaments in the same academic year.
Queen’s University have a proud history of hosting sporting events successfully and the GAA Club has been praised for raising the bar for the quality of inter varsity tournament hosting on each of the last two occasions of hosting the Sigerson Cup – in 2007 and 1999.
The four sporting competitions will be complemented by a programme of events celebrating university sport, culture, student achievement, the GAA and Belfast as a host city. All of the events will be marketed collectively under the one banner, Queen’s GAA Festival.
Queen’s GAA Festival will be based mainly at Queen’s Sport’s facilities at Upper Malone. A marquee will be erected for the Festival weekends, it along with the superb pavilion facilities at Upper Malone will be the host venues for many of the non GAA sporting events.
FESTIVAL WEEKENDS
Competition Date
Ashbourne Cup 15 – 16 February 2014
Sigerson Cup 21 – 22 February 2014
Fitzgibbon Cup 28 February – 1 March 2014
O’Connor Cup 21 – 22 March 2014 Date Event Time Venue
Thursday 13 Feb ‘14 Festival opening Night 7pm Queen’s Students’ Union
Friday 14 Feb ‘14 Sports Discussion Forum – Invited speakers 7pm Upper Malone
ASHBOURNE CUP WEEKEND
Saturday 15 Feb ‘14 Ashbourne Semi Finals Day Upper Malone
Saturday 15 Feb ‘14 Ashbourne Social night 7pm Queen’s Students’ Union
Sunday 16 Feb ‘14 Ashbourne Finals day TBC Upper Malone Ashbourne, Purcell & Fr Meachair finals
Sunday 16 Feb ‘14 Ashbourne teams banquet & celebration 7pm Queen’s Students’ Union
IRISH DAILY MAIL SIGERSON WEEKEND
Thursday 20 Feb ‘14 GAA Festival Mass 7pm Queen’s Chaplaincy
Friday 21 Feb ‘14 Sigerson Semi Finals day Upper Malone
Friday 21 Feb ‘14 Festival Live band Night – “The Raparees” 7pm Queen’s Students’ Union
Saturday 22 Feb ‘14 Irish Daily Mail Sigerson Finals day TBC Upper Malone Sigerson, Trench & Corn na MacLeinn finals
Saturday 22 Feb ‘14 Sigerson teams banquet & celebration 8.30 Queen’s Students’ Union
Saturday 22 Feb ‘14 Formal celebration dinner for invited guests 9pm Whitla Hall
IRISH DAILY MAIL FITZGIBBON WEEKEND
Thurs 27 Feb’14 Festival Comedy Night 7pm Queen’s Students’ Union
Fri 28 Feb’14 Fitzgibbon Semi Finals Day TBC Upper Malone
Fri 28 Feb’14 Fitzgibbon Social night 7pm Queen’s Students’ Union
Sat 1 March’14 Irish Daily Mail Fitzgibbon Finals day TBC Upper Malone Fitzgibbon, Ryan & Maher finals
Sat 1 March’14 AIL Rugby fixture – Queen’s Vs UCC 2.30 Upper Malone
Sat 1 March’14 Fitzgibbon teams banquet & celebration 8pm Queen’s Students’ Union
Sat 1 March’14 Formal celebration dinner for invited guests 9pm The Great Hall
O’CONNOR CUP WEEKEND
Friday 21 Mar ‘14 O’Connor Semi Finals day Upper Malone
Friday 21 Mar ‘14 O’Connor Social night 7pm Queen’s Students’ Union
Saturday 22 Mar ‘14 O’Connor, Giles & Lynch finals TBC Upper Malone
Saturday 22 Mar ‘14 O’Connor teams banquet & celebration 7pm Queen’s Students’ Union FESTIVAL FRIEND - BENEFITS
The Queen’s GAA Festival offers a number of volunteering opportunities allowing local students and GAA supporters to get involved in one of the biggest sporting events in Northern Ireland in 2014.
Degree Plus
Degree Plus was introduced in October 2008 to provide Queen's students with a vehicle for accrediting learning and skills developed through extracurricular activities.
The award is open to all full-time and part-time undergraduate, and postgraduate taught students, and you will receive the Award alongside your degree when you graduate. The Degree Plus Award is free, although some of the qualifying courses do charge their own small fee.
Being involved in Queen’s GAA Festival gives you an opportunity to apply for Degree Plus (Route B) and thus impress your future employers with your acquired skills and experience.
Millennium Volunteer
Millennium Volunteers (MV) is part of a UK-wide programme supporting young people to make a commitment to volunteer for 200 hours in their community. It encourages young people to build on existing skills and interests and to gain new experiences by giving their time to worthwhile and well-organised volunteering activities. Your efforts are recognised through a 50 and 100 hour Certificate and 200 hour Award of Excellence.
By signing up to become a Festival Friend you are we also offering you to register with MV programme and have your commitment, skills and experience recognised.
Social Events
As a Festival Friend you will receive free entry passes to all social events including the Comedy night and DJ nights for the duration of the Festival. FESTIVAL FRIEND CLOTHING
Each volunteer will receive the official Queen’s GAA Festival clothing supplied by O’Neill’s.
However, the gear received varies depending on volunteer’s availability. Criteria will be explained during the training.
Available Festival Friend clothing includes:
- GAA Festival hoodie - GAA Festival T-Shirt - GAA Festival windcheater - GAA Festival beanie hat SITE LOCATION
Queen’s Sport Malone Playing Fields Dub Lane, Belfast BT9 5NB Tel: 028 9062 3946 FESTIVAL FRIEND TRAINING
What?
- Health and Safety - Child Protection - Role description
When?
Wednesday 5 February 6pm – 8pm or Thursday 6 February 9am – 11am
Where?
Queen’s Sport Malone Playing Fields Dub Lane, Belfast BT9 5NB
(Take Bus 8B or 8A outside the Student Union and get off at the Dub Lane) WHAT’S NEXT?
1. Sign and return the Festival Friend Agreement
2. Indicate your Volunteering Availability
3. Indicate your preferred training date
CONTACT
If you have any questions or queries, or would like to request more information, please do not hesitate to contact us on:
www.gaafestival.com
Festival Jersey – ON SALE JANUARY 2014
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