PROGRAMME PLUS – VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1, JANUARY 29 th , 2016

Welcome, collectors, to the first issue of the Programme Plus information bulletin, a resource that I hope will heighten awareness of, and interest in, our hobby, as well as helping everyone to fill as many gaps as possible in their collections, and in establishing new contacts.

The aim of this undertaking is quite simple: I want it to be used as a monthly forum for collectors to share information and ideas that should benefit everyone. In order to do that I will need the help of as many readers as possible, so please feel free to contact me with contributions.

Ideally this should be a ‘one-stop shop’ for collectors, covering as many aspects of our hobby as possible. I’ve settled on the name ‘Programme Plus’ to convey the idea that collecting doesn’t begin and end with programmes only for most of us; it’s programmes primarily, plus yearbooks, annuals, magazines, histories, etc.

As you will see, the appearance of the bulletin is fairly basic; apologies to anyone who had visions of something more elaborate when I first mooted the idea and mentioned the word ‘newsletter’. I guess that would have conveyed an idea of printed material laid out in pages with accompanying images.

Unfortunately, I simply don’t have the time to commit to such an undertaking, so I trust this will suffice. Hopefully it will be looked upon as a first step in improving communications between collectors, and who knows where it might lead down the road?

That’s the explanation and background out of the way, so now it’s time to explore various aspects of our hobby in an attempt to spread the word. I want to ensure that nothing is off limits, because for every long-established collector out there who knows the ropes so to speak, there may be somebody else relatively new to this hobby who will benefit from what others may feel is stating the obvious.

THE MONTH IN PROGRAMMES: Most of us attend games every weekend, and there’s no better way to build up a collection. Therefore, I hope that one of the regular features in this bulletin will be ‘The Month In Programmes’, a section where as many collectors as possible contact me to give a lowdown on the recent publications they have seen.

I will start with a personal look at January and, let’s face it, the more accurate terminology should probably be ‘the month in teamsheets’ given that four-page, single-sheet hand-outs are the norm for the provincial tournaments.

The new year started out on an unacceptable low note here in as our Board didn’t even produce a teamsheet for the games played on January 2 and 3: the Bord na Móna opener against I.T. in Bunclody, and the Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup clash with All- champions . They received a very bad press for this oversight, in the local media as well as in the ‘Evening Herald’, and it simply wasn’t good enough.

By my calculations, it was the first time since 1985 that a programme or teamsheet hadn’t been produced for an inter-county game played in Wexford. The local media were contacted in advance by the Co. P.R.O. to state that programmes wouldn’t be available. In the case of the , it was stated that Wexford wouldn’t know what players they had at their disposal until the day of the game, which I personally found hard to believe; as for the football, Dublin were late in sending in a team but then supplied their alphabetical list.

This prompted the P.R.O. to send the template for a programme to the media including both teams, but a comedy of errors and incompetence ensued as apparently nobody in the County Board had the facility to get it photocopied on the day before the game! The saga didn’t end there as, in fairness to Dublin, they followed the numbers they had supplied for the ‘programme that never was’, but for some reason Wexford ignored it, fielding 13 players in different numbers and causing total confusion among the visiting media who had seen the template.

Most bizarrely of all, when Ben Brosnan scored Wexford’s first goal, the County Board’s official Twitter feed credited Donal Shanley with it because Brosnan was wearing Shanley’s number 15 shirt. It must have been news to Shanley that he had rattled the net against the Dubs, given that he was on holidays at the time!

I don’t know about you dear reader, but as a committed collector I get very annoyed when I attend a game and there’s no programme, but thankfully it doesn’t occur too often. To be fair to the Council, they make a big effort to promote the Walsh Cup and O’Byrne Cup, with the drive led by former national newspaper journalist Cian Murphy in his role as Marketing and Public Relations Manager.

Distinctive artwork was designed and sent out to every county for use on the front cover of programmes, along with generic back page welcomes from John Horan (Leinster Chairman) and Gerry O’Hagan of sponsors Bord na Móna.

It was interesting to see how different counties used this material in different ways. My next game after the Dublin debacle was three days later when Wexford hosted D.C.U. in the O’Byrne Cup. Having learned their lesson, the County Board supplied a free hand-out at the stiles, but it was of poor quality as the Leinster Council’s supplied colour artwork had been photocopied.

Next up on January 10 for me was a double-header in as Meath hosted Wexford and Laois respectively in the Walsh and O’Byrne Cups. This was the best four-pager I saw this month as it was in full colour on thicker, card paper; my only gripe was the €2 cover charge which was €1 too much in my view.

Seven days later I was in Netwatch Cullen Park for Wexford v. Carlow in the Walsh Cup. The free four-pager at the stiles was in black and white this time but the quality was a lot better than Wexford’s, as it had clearly been assigned to a printer rather than being photocopied.

Finally, last Sunday (January 24) brought me to O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, for Wexford’s Walsh Cup win over Offaly and another photocopied black and white effort. Strangely though, there was a charge of €1 this time which goes to prove that you never know what to expect with programmes in Wexford these days: from nothing at all to a four-page freebie, followed by one costing €1.

After a month of teamsheets, I’m looking forward to getting my hands on an actual programme with reading material tomorrow when Croke Park is my destination for the Walsh Cup final and the Dublin v. Kerry Allianz League opener. That publication will start off my ‘month in programmes’ review in the next edition. I would love to hear from other collectors with similar accounts, as it will help all of us who avidly collect everything to get a clear picture of what exactly is being produced around the country.

LABOURS OF LOVE: Every month I plan to devote a section to club histories, and I make no apologies for labelling it ‘labours of love’. That, in my view, sums up what these compilations are all about, and I know from personal experience after writing the history of my own club, Sarsfields (published in 2010), as well as a history of the St. Ibar’s/Shelmalier club (published in 2012).

Many readers have undertaken similar tasks with their own clubs and can readily identify with the endless hours spent researching, interviewing, chasing photographs and checking facts. And in many cases, because of the specific subject matter, the end result will see a mere 200 or 300 copies being sold. Club histories are not compiled in order to make a profit, but they engender immense pride within communities; yes indeed, labours of love, and I have the height of admiration for anybody who undertakes such a venture.

This month I will set the ball rolling by putting the spotlight on three excellent club histories I recently purchased, from three different provinces. First up is ‘The Story Of The G.A.A. in Killeavy County Armagh’ by Oliver McDonald. This impressive hardback publication with dust cover runs to a whopping 545 pages and retails for £30 sterling. Taking the conversion to euros into account, plus a €10 postal charge from Dundalk and packaging, I secured my copy for €56 from Oliver whose address is 47 Forkhill Road, Cloughoge, Newry, Co. Down, BT35 8LT. Please e-mail Oliver first to check that copies are still available: [email protected]

My next acquisition was the equally impressive ‘Our Proud Heritage - A History of Kilmallock GAA 1884-2015’ which was compiled by an eight-man editorial committee. Another hardback with a dust cover, it runs to 559 pages and I obtained my copy by sending a cheque for €37 (€25 cover charge plus €12 postage and packaging) to John O’Donnell, Griscarra, Treanlewis, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick. Please contact John first at [email protected] to check availability.

Finally this month, I purchased ‘Black & Amber - A History Of The GAA In The Parish Of Dunshaughlin, 1886-2014’ by Jim Gilligan and Patsy McLoughlin. Another hardback with dust cover, it’s slightly smaller in size than the other two books but the additional pages (691 in total) make up for that. I detoured on my way home from Navan earlier this month to purchase this book for €30 in SuperValu in Dunshaughlin, as it was sold out in Tara News on the Main Street around the corner. Please contact Jim Gilligan on 086-8291816 or by e-mail on [email protected] to source a copy.

All three books mentioned above are highly recommended, as they rank right up there with the very best I have seen in terms of quality and production values.

The Fenor club in Waterford launched its history in December entitled ‘Fenor - The Club That Never Gave Up - 130 Years - 1885-2015’. Apparently it sold out immediately, so club officials submitted a re-order. I sent a message to [email protected] seeking a copy (price €20), and I’m waiting on a response.

I also know that the Bonniconlon club in Mayo launched its history at some stage in the past 18 months, but none of my e-mails to their officials were answered. Perhaps some of our Mayo collectors might be able to assist in sourcing this book. Are you aware of more club histories that were published recently? If so, please send me on some details along with a photograph of the front cover if possible. If all collectors around the country co- operate with this section of the bulletin, it should ensure that we don’t miss any new publications.

YEARBOOK WATCH: God be with the days when the vast majority of counties produced a regular yearbook. Unfortunately, more and more are falling by the wayside, and I was disappointed to read before Christmas that Clare was the latest ‘victim’.

Likewise, there has been no Dublin yearbook in the past two years, and this was explained to me by Gerry O’Sullivan, the Limerick native and Ballyboden St. Enda’s clubman largely entrusted with putting it together. He simply didn’t have the time to devote to it any more, and nobody else was in a position to take up the slack. Something similar has happened in Wexford: I compiled and edited the yearbook annually from 1996 to 2006, but I finished up as Co. P.R.O. in ’06 and that brought the publications to an end.

In the circumstances, collectors should applaud the counties who continue to buck that trend by bringing out yearbooks. Prior to Christmas I got my hands on the most recent offerings from , Tipperary, Cork, Tyrone and Monaghan, and I know that Galway and Wicklow can be added to that list.

‘Hogan Stand’ also look after the yearbooks for Meath, Louth and Cavan, but I’m not sure if they were produced at the end of 2015. Are you aware of any more recently-published county yearbooks? Please let me know for the next edition!

TONY MAHER: Those of you who were active collectors in the 1980s should be very familiar with the following name and address: Tony Maher, 20 Páirc Mhuire, Tullow, Co. Carlow. I started collecting at the age of 12 in 1985, and Tony was very good to me in the early years. Homework was always put on hold for a while when I arrived home from school to find an envelope with Tony’s writing and the latest programme from Carlow enclosed.

As the years went on and my studies took over, I gradually lost touch with many collectors as it was no longer feasible to keep in regular contact; and remember, those were the days when maintaining contact involved writing letters rather than the much handier alternative of sending e-mails.

Late last year I met a distant family relation who had worked for a while in the past in Tullow, and Tony came up in conversation. This prompted me to do a Google search on his name and, lo and behold, the first thing I came across was an excellent interview on his life and times which was written by Pádraig Murphy for the St. Patrick’s (Tullow) club website last September.

This is a fascinating account of a G.A.A. enthusiast who celebrated his 87 th birthday two days before Christmas, and it includes his recollections of the efforts he made to secure every county Senior final programme published in the centenary year of 1984. I sent Tony a Christmas card and a note just to say ‘hello’ again after all these years, and one of his sons replied with the news that he was recuperating in hospital in Kilkenny after a fall. However, he is in good spirits and, while programmes are no longer a priority for him, he has a fantastic collection all the same.

Friends and former contacts of Tony will enjoy the interview which is available online at http://www.stpatricks.carlow.gaa.ie/history DATE FOR THE DIARIES: Those of us who attended the second annual programme fair in the Thurles Sarsfields clubhouse in December were delighted to receive a flyer announcing another event coming up in the near future. The South Tipperary G.A.A. Centre in Clonmel (home to the South Tipperary Board) will hold a fair of sporting memorabilia on Saturday, March 19, from 12 noon to 4 p.m.

Collectors and sellers are cordially invited, with sales positions, free of charge, to be booked prior to March 6. Please contact Seán Nugent (087-2669304) or Noel Byrne (087-8076080) for further details. Admission will be €3, with accompanying children free. Bar facilities, teas and coffees will be available, and the location is easy to find as it’s right beside the Clonmel Sportsfield on the Western Road directly opposite South Tipperary General Hospital.

Who knows, the local Commercials could be celebrating an All-Ireland Senior title annexed two days earlier - stranger things have happened! This fair is fantastic news for all collectors, coming hot on the heels of successful events in Armagh (two), Thurles (two) and Belmont, Co. Offaly. Well done to the organisers, and let’s hope it will be well supported.

CUL CARDS: Go on, it’s safe to admit it in this forum, with only fellow collectors for company - how many of you indulged your ‘inner child’ so to speak by collecting the Cúl Heroes cards which were so popular with the younger generation last summer? I know I did, and I have a fully-completed album to prove it!

Those of us with even a passing interest in soccer will be familiar with Match Attax trading cards and Panini sticker albums, but this was the first serious attempt to provide something similar in the G.A.A. world. A Monaghan company did produce stickers back in 2004, but a quick look back at these was enough to remind me that the quality wasn’t really up to scratch.

The Cúl Cards were different to be fair, with high production values and the use of quality action photographs of the players which were sourced from the Sportsfile agency. The collection contains 468 cards and a book for storing them, with full details available on http://www.culheroes.com/

I can personally vouch for the prompt service whereby it’s possible to buy individual cards online to complete your collection. And the good news is that the 2016 collection will be available in stores from April. I had a couple of chats with the Cúl Heroes rep. at the fairs in Belmont and Thurles, and I got an answer to one question that intrigued me: players from every football team, including London and New York, are featured along with all Liam MacCarthy Cup participants with one glaring exception, namely the Galway hurlers.

As these were the official trading cards for the G.A.A. and the G.P.A., the Cúl Heroes team had to get permission from each county squad to use their photographs. It was granted by everyone bar Galway who said that they weren’t getting involved in anything of a commercial nature. I wonder how they felt about that after seeing that all other counties complied for a scheme essentially aimed at promoting our games among the youth (and big children like this writer!). The Cúl Heroes rep. did stress that the Galway hurlers were fully co-operative when asked to engage with their mascots at events in during the year, but I hope they will allow their images to be featured in the next collection. I had a second question for the Cúl Heroes rep., based on personal experience whereby I opened some individual packets to find two of the exact same cards contained therein. Now, getting swaps, and lots of them, is part and parcel of any trading card collection, but the exact same two cards in the one packet is a bit much.

This was confirmed for me by Scotsman Robert Marshall, one of the foremost collectors of soccer trading cards and sticker albums in the British Isles. He said he had never bought a packet with duplicate cards or stickers. Armed with this information, I put it to the Cúl Heroes rep. in the form of ‘constructive criticism’, as I am generally a big fan of what they have done.

He readily agreed that duplicate cards in the same pack shouldn’t happen, explaining that some minor problems had occurred at the production stage which they intend to address in the new collection. I’m looking forward to the 2016 version and, in the meantime, I have over 150 duplicates of the 2015 cards that I would happily exchanges for programmes if anyone is interested!

USEFUL CONTACTS: Many programmes are readily available long after the games are played, and it might be helpful for new collectors in particular to pass on some useful contacts. First and foremost, the G.A.A’s publishing partner at central level, DBA Publications, carry an extensive list of programmes available to purchase, going all the way back to the late 1980s.

I fill the gaps in my collection at the end of each year through this medium, and the service is first class while postage costs are also kept to the minimum. The ever-helpful person to contact at DBA is Lynn Fletcher. Send her an e-mail ( [email protected] ) at any time and she will pass on the full list of programmes available to buy.

I also make contact with the Council three times per year to top up my collection: after the Dr. Kenna Cup and Under-21 football championship; after the inter-county Senior championships; and finally, after the Club championships before Christmas. It’s a very convenient way of obtaining all of the major programmes from Ulster, and the man to contact is programme editor Stephen Donnelly ( [email protected] ).

Staying with Ulster, many of you will be regular readers of ‘Gaelic Life’, the weekly 36-page newspaper devoted to all G.A.A. activity in the . I know it’s freely available in newsagents in other parts of the country too, although that doesn’t apply to some of us who have to take out a subscription which is €140 or £105 stg. for twelve months. Of particular interest to collectors is the ‘Get With The Programme’ half-page which shows an image of a programme cover plus the line-out pages along with a brief report on the game. Please contact Brenda in [email protected] for further details.

Is anyone aware of any more useful contacts around the country? If so, please let me know and I will highlight the details in the next edition.

TONY DORAN DVD: Ed Rowsome from the Monageer-Boolavogue club in Wexford is a collector of a slightly different kind as his passion is for G.A.A. photographs. Whether action or teams, Ed has scanned in thousands of images at this stage and would love to hear from anyone with a similar interest ( [email protected] ). The name Rowsome may be familiar to hurling followers in particular as Ed’s twin uncles, Billy and Declan, featured prominently with the Wexford teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s, while Billy also gave fine service to the footballers. Ed also boasts an extensive collection of DVDs and videos, and he put his interest to good use quite recently by compiling a DVD celebrating the glittering career of Damien Fitzhenry.

While this particular DVD was a sell-out, collectors may be interested in Ed’s latest offering, a DVD on the life and times of our great full-forward Tony Doran, which was launched in the Buffers Alley clubhouse in December. Please contact Ed at the above e-mail address or on 087-6177448 for further details.

THE PROGRAMME THAT NEVER WAS: The above mention of Tony Doran, coupled with the lack of programmes for Wexford’s opening games of 2016, has brought to mind an interesting fact which is particularly relevant at this time of year. The first two weekends of February will feature the AIB All- Ireland Senior Club championship semi-finals, and the Intermediate and Junior equivalents were played last weekend.

We can expect to see the familiar programmes produced by DBA Publications at the forthcoming games, and many collectors no doubt have gaps to fill for semi-finals from previous years. There is one programme that you will never get though, and that’s because nothing was produced!

Imagine going to Thurles, Navan, or Cavan in the coming weeks and discovering that there wasn’t a match programme for an All-Ireland Club semi-final; it simply wouldn’t happen nowadays, but it did back in 1989 when Buffers Alley played Four Roads of Roscommon in .

I was a 16-year-old at the time and I can remember my initial panic when I thought the programmes were sold out on my arrival, even though I was there in plenty of time. However, I quickly discovered that nobody had a programme, and the lack of same was criticised at the end of the match report in the following week’s ‘Wexford People’.

The involvement of Four Roads made it particularly disappointing, as they had shocked Abbeyknockmoy of Galway in the final in late 1988. Of course, that can’t be repeated nowadays as the Roscommon Senior champions compete in the Intermediate grade instead, although it was interesting to see that Abbeyknockmoy did get revenge of sorts on Four Roads by beating them in the 2015 Connacht Intermediate final. Next up for the club which midfielder Michael Coleman put on the map is a clash with Bennettsbridge of Kilkenny in the decider.

I never did get to the bottom of why a programme was absent for that All-Ireland Club semi-final in 1989. I was too young at the time to ask, but by highlighting it here at least some collectors might scratch that particular game off their list of wants!

DIRECTORY OF COLLECTORS: The first edition of the directory of collectors is attached in another Microsoft Word document. Thanks to all those who took the time out to forward their details, and it’s not too late for others to follow suit. I intend to attach this directory every month, so any additions or amendments will be accommodated. Hopefully it will help collectors in their quest to establish new contacts or liaise with people with similar interests. PROGRAMME OF THE MONTH: Let’s face it, a lot of G.A.A. programmes are rudimentary, run-of- the-mill affairs, but every now and then something special is produced that would adorn any collection. It may be for a pitch opening perhaps, a county final, or a special anniversary or celebration.

And that’s where the ‘programme of the month’ section comes in to play! If you come across an informative, well-researched and designed programme that stands out from the rest, then please feel free to submit it for this particular category. I think that anyone who puts an extra-special effort into producing a very good programme deserves some credit from collectors, so your submissions for ‘programme of the month’ are eagerly awaited.

One offering stood out like a beacon for me in January amid the endless supply of teamsheets. I haven’t actually managed to physically get my hands on a copy yet, but I’m referring to the 76-page full-colour programme edited by Ger Corbett and produced for the Thurles C.B.S. All Stars v. Tipperary bicentennial exhibition match played in The Ragg on January 17.

This is a real collector’s item as it features a wealth of contributions from past pupils and star hurlers in a series of ‘Those were the days’ articles, including the late Billy Quinn who sadly passed away earlier this month. These are incorporated into features on the school’s proud Dr. Harty Cup and Croke Cup history and various special pieces, and the programme is excellently illustrated with photographs of the teams and players of past and present.

It retailed at €4 and I’m told that some copies are still available. Please contact Theo Lloyd, Thurles C.B.S., Rossa Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary with any queries.

TALKING POINT: Picture the following scene which ought to be very familiar to all collectors: after arriving at a venue, your first concern is securing a programme so you immediately seek out the sellers after passing through the turnstiles. Often times the sellers are teenagers strategically located in groups of two or three.

You approach the nearest and normally ask for more than one copy, because that’s part and parcel of life as a collector. And whether it’s four, five or 15 you need, that puzzled expression from the seller never gets old. ‘What, you want five?’ you’ll be asked by a youngster now looking at you as if you have two heads.

Next is the tricky part for the seller as he or she tries to work out how much five programmes at €3 each amounts to. Honestly, the poor multiplication skills of our youth when they are put on the spot never ceases to amaze me! Often it’s the second seller in the group who has to ‘do the maths’ and explain the transaction in full to his colleague. ‘He wants five, he’s giving you €20, so give him back a fiver.’

Eventually it’s all sorted and you proceed to find a seat, happy in the knowledge that your programmes are purchased and you can now enjoy the game. However, here’s the question, and the reason behind this particular piece: does it necessarily have to be that way? Should a collector have to purchase multiple copies of the programme when there is a good chance that many will be left over afterwards? Many collectors have arrangements with programme producers whereby they are given the unsold boxes afterwards. That’s the position for me in Wexford, and I know it’s a similar story for Jim Whelan in Kilkenny. Jim told me a story of great relevance to this piece, relating to last year’s Allianz Hurling League semi-finals in .

When he went to collect the left-overs afterwards, his contact informed him that one person had bought 14 programmes earlier in the day! Quite clearly that was a collector, but his identity remains a mystery to Jim whose simple point was: ‘he could have saved himself a lot of money if I had known; I could have given him any amount of programmes afterwards’.

I’d be very interested to know how other collectors handle the purchase of programmes, particularly when they need multiple copies, and how many readers are in a position to collect the left-overs?

Of course, there’s a certain element of risk involved in waiting until after the game to get the unsold copies. What if it’s a sell-out? That may be a rare occurrence, but it does happen. For example, no programmes were left after last year’s Wexford Senior hurling final between Oulart-The Ballagh and St. Martin’s. And of the 76 G.A.A. programmes listed on the DBA website for 2015, five are marked ‘sold out’ - for the record, Brosna v. Rock in the All-Ireland Club JFC semi-final; Donegal v. Mayo in the NHL Division 2 play-off; Roscrea v. Kilmacthomas in the All-Ireland Schools SH ‘C’ final; Monaghan v. Tyrone in the NHL Division 3A final; and Cavan v. Kildare in the All-Ireland MFC quarter- final.

In my own case, I always buy a minimum of four or five programmes, and I’ve never been left in a position where I didn’t have enough due to sell-outs. It’s important to stress too that collectors are not free-loaders and shouldn’t expect to get programmes for nothing; but if you buy some beforehand, then I see nothing wrong with getting your hands on left-overs afterwards, especially if they’re destined for the bin otherwise which is often the case.

That leads me to another point: wouldn’t it be wonderful if we, as programme collectors, were to form an unofficial lobby group as such to implore Co. P.R.O’s and others involved in programme production not to throw away left-overs? Imagine how easier it would be if Co. P.R.O’s had a list of programmes available to buy at the end of each year, just like DBA or the Ulster Council?

Unfortunately, we need to ‘shame’ some of them into doing their jobs properly. Here’s an example: I have e-mailed every Co. P.R.O. for the past two years looking to buy their county final programmes. Some were excellent, such as Colm Beirne in Roscommon who is on the mailing list for this bulletin, but at least one-third of P.R.O’s completely ignored my e-mails. The clue is in their job title - public relations - and as a former incumbent of that role in Wexford, I am amazed and annoyed in equal measure with the incompetence of some office holders. They give the good ones, and we have several to be fair, a bad name.

In my ideal world, I’d be able to contact every Co. P.R.O. to obtain a list of match programmes available to buy and their prices. Alternatively, with most County Boards having fully-staffed offices, it could be done through that medium with items advertised on their official G.A.A. websites. Perhaps we should formulate our thoughts on this, and then write to P.R.O’s and programme producers to get them on board. After all, it would be an additional revenue stream for County Boards as well. What do you think? Let me know and if there’s consensus we can plan our next move.

Is there some aspect of programme collecting that irritates you, that you feel could be improved, or that you would just like to get off your chest? If there is, this ‘talking point’ section is designed for you. I’d like to hear from collectors with any genuine grievances, and perhaps by outlining the situation and getting reaction from readers we can come up with solutions. Any topic to help us in pursuing the hobby we love will be considered, so don’t be shy!

FUTURE EDITIONS: The plan, as outlined in my initial correspondence, is to compile a bulletin for release on the last Friday of each month. If anyone wishes to contribute to the content, the deadline will be the Tuesday before the publication date. Here is a full list of publication and deadline dates for the rest of the year:

• Volume 1, Number 2: Friday, February 26 (deadline: Tuesday, February 23) • Volume 1, Number 3: Friday, March 25 (deadline: Tuesday, March 22) • Volume 1, Number 4: Friday, April 29 (deadline: Tuesday, April 26) • Volume 1, Number 5: Friday, May 27 (deadline: Tuesday, May 24) • Volume 1, Number 6: Friday, June 24 (deadline: Tuesday, June 21) • Volume 1, Number 7: Friday, July 29 (deadline: Tuesday, July 26) • Volume 1, Number 8: Friday, August 26 (deadline: Tuesday, August 23) • Volume 1, Number 9: Friday, September 30 (deadline: Tuesday, September 27) • Volume 1, Number 10: Friday, October 28 (deadline: Tuesday, October 25) • Volume 1, Number 11: Friday, November 25 (deadline: Tuesday, November 22) • Volume 1, Number 12: Friday, December 30 (deadline: Tuesday, December 27)

CONCLUSION: That’s all folks for the first edition of this information bulletin. I know that all of you had no real idea what to expect, and I hope that at least you will now have a clearer picture as my initial mention of a newsletter may have created some misleading images in your head.

All it is really is a forum for sharing ideas, opinions and information. The more people that contribute, the better, so please have a look at some of the topics covered and feel free to e-mail me - [email protected] - with material for Number 2. And also a reminder: some collectors do not have access to e-mail, so if you’re corresponding with anyone in that position, perhaps you would be good enough to print off a copy of this and send it on with your next batch of programmes. The collecting community is a small one, so it’s important that nobody is missed and with your co- operation we can ensure that all of our colleagues get to see this bulletin.

In the meantime, happy collecting, whether you’re a newcomer starting out in this wonderful world or somebody searching for a handful of elusive programmes from the dim and distant past. Enjoy the games between now and the end of February when ‘Programme Plus’ will return!

Mise le meas,

ALAN AHERNE