Ulster Council Coaching & Games Development

Annual Conference

A chairde Gael. Ta an athas orm a bheidh anseo inniu. Ta suil agam go mbeidh la brea agaibh. Ta mhuinteoir O’Neill lan sasta beo tachaiocht a thairbart dom Cumann Luth Cleas Gael.

O Neills Irish International Sports Company are delighted to be sponsoring the Fourth Annual Coaching & Games Development Conference for the Ulster Council. Over the last three years Comhairle Uladh have set a very high standard in the selection of topics to be covered at its Coaching & Games Development Conferences, in the presentation of these topics and in the quality of its speakers. I am very confident that this standard will be maintained today and I wish to congratulate Dr Eugene Young and his organising committee for their work so far and wish them a very successful Conference.

This Conference was sold out a few weeks ago; I believe we have over 350 people participating in today’s workshops which will be facilitated by some of the best coaches in Ulster. I wish all of the participants a very successful day and I am confident that you will take back to your club much useful advice and information which will allow you to drive your clubs on to greater achievements over the next few years. I commend all of you for your interest in Coaching and Games Development and I am sure that all of you will benefit from the topics selected for today’s Keynote Speeches and Workshops. I have had a brief glance at the topics selected for the Conference; lifestyle, identifying and managing talented young layers, physical, tactical and mental preparation and implementing a practical coaching plan in our clubs, are all very relevant and important aspects of Coaching and Games Development and should provide plenty for debate throughout the day.

Over the years O Neills Sports has established a very good relationship with Comhairle Uladh, with the counties, the clubs, the schools and with individual coaches. We see this relationship as beneficial to O Neills Sports and our partners in the Council, the counties, the schools and the clubs. The support we receive from Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, allows us to employ 320 people in Strabane ; In an area where the textile industry at one time provided most of the employment that was available, O Neills is one of the few remaining textile employers in the Strabane area. We at O’Neills including all our employees are very grateful for this. And, because of our support for your activities, we hope that the GAA can go from strength to strength in the Province and that you can continue to challenge, at all levels, the leading counties in the other three provinces.

In conclusion, I would like to repeat that we are delighted to be associated with such a prestigious event as the Ulster Council Coaching and Games Development Conference. I wish all of you a very successful day and I look forward to the continuing progress at club, school and county level in Ulster.

Ta me cinnte go mdeananfaidh sibh buntasta as clar an lae. Go raibh mile a maith agaibh go leir.