Queen’s GAA Festival 2014 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 ACCOMMODATION – TEAM BOOKINGS
GAA Festival at Queen’s 2014 Andras House Accredited Accommodation
Ramada Plaza Belfast
Single occupancy £70.00 B&B per room, with Free WIFI & Free onsite parking Twin/Double £75.00 B&B per room, with Free WIFI & Free onsite parking Triple £90.00 B&B per room, with Free WIFI & Free onsite parking
View hotel details at www.ramadaplazabelfast.com
Holiday Inn Express
Single occupancy £60.00 B&B per room, with Free WIFI & Free onsite parking Twin/Double £65.00 B&B per room, with Free WIFI & Free onsite parking
View hotel details at www.hiexpressbelfast.com
Ibis Belfast Queen's Quarter
Single Room £60.00 B&B per room, with Free WIFI & on street parking Twin/Double £65.00 B&B per room, with Free WIFI & on street parking
View hotel details at www.ibisbelfast.com
Ibis Belfast City Centre
Single Room £55.00 B&B per room, with Free WIFI & Free parking Midweek Twin/Double £60.00 B&B per room, with Free WIFI & Free parking Midweek
View hotel details at www.ibisbelfast.com
Payment due 1 week prior to arrival Full group cancellation - 2 weeks prior to arrival or full charge applies A rooming list is also required 1 week prior to arrival
Booking:
For all team bookings please contact:
Francine Gormley Sales & Marketing Executive E: [email protected] 60 Great Victoria Street | Belfast | BT2 7BB T: 028 9087 8787 | F: 028 9089 1890 W: www.andrashouse.co.uk ACCOMMODATION – INDIVIDUAL BOOKINGS
GAA Festival at Queen’s 2014 Andras House Accredited Accommodation
Online booking codes for supporters, governing bodies and any other individual bookings:
Ramada Plaza Belfast
Single occupancy: £75 =GAARP1 Twin/Double: £80 = GAARP2 Triple: £95 = GAARP3
View hotel details at www.ramadaplazabelfast.com
Holiday Inn Express
Single occupancy: £65 = GAAHIX1 Twin/Double: £70 = GAAHIX2
View hotel details at www.hiexpressbelfast.com
Ibis Belfast Queen's Quarter
Single occupancy: £65 = GAAQQ1 Twin/Double: £70 = GAAQQ2
View hotel details at www.ibisbelfast.com
Ibis Belfast City Centre
Single Occupancy: £60 = GAACC1 Twin/Double: £65 = GAACC2
View hotel details at www.ibisbelfast.com
Further Details:
Francine Gormley Sales & Marketing Executive E: [email protected] 60 Great Victoria Street | Belfast | BT2 7BB T: 028 9087 8787 | F: 028 9089 1890 W: www.andrashouse.co.uk FESTIVAL ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES
Festival Programme Advertising:
A special Queen’s GAA Festival programme will be published to accompany the event. The Queen’s GAA Festival programme will cover all 4 competition weekends and will be available at each of the weekends.
Programme editorial will contain a minimum of 20 pages each on the 4 individual sports as well as feature articles on current GAA issues and personalities. It will also contain details on the community and cultural activity that will be taking place alongside the sporting competitions.
For every Weekend, teams who qualify will be asked to submit specific information to be included in an additional 20 page programme that will be distributed upon purchase of the main Festival Programme. Teams will be asked to submit details at least 24 hours following qualification for the weekend competition.
Full Page: 210mm x 148mm Half Page: 105mm x 148mm Quarter page: 105mm x 74mm
Pitchside Advertising
4 pitches at Queen’s Sport Upper Malone will host all of the games during the 4 competition weekends. The pitches that will be used for all Finals will be the Arena and GAA Academy pitch (see site map enclosed).
Advertising hoardings will be available at both sites. Any hoarding purchased will be in situ for the duration of the event. An opportunity for permanent pitch branding is available, but would need to be discussed separately.
Production and placement of the hording will be included in the rate.
Media Coverage:
3 finals at Queen’s GAA Festival will be covered live on TG4(2013 viewing figures were 140,000 for Fitzgibbon Cup and 100,000 for Sigerson Cup, 40,000 for O’Connor Cup)
All semi-finals of all four tournaments will be covered by TG4 in a repeated highlights format
Additional Information:
Conor O'Kane Direct Line: 028 9097 5189 Development & Alumni Relations Office Email: [email protected] Queen's University Belfast SITE LOCATION
Queen’s Sport Malone Playing Fields Dub Lane, Belfast BT9 5NB Tel: 028 9062 3946 GET INVOLVED
The 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.
We are looking for volunteers who are:
- Open and friendly - Enthusiastic - Motivated - Reliable - Have good communication and organisational skills
Volunteering Opportunities:
- Team Liaison - PR and Communications - Cultural and Social Events - Stewarding and Logistics
Benefits:
- Official GAA Festival clothing - Free passes to social events - Degree Plus and Millennium Volunteer Awards - Unique GAA experience
To become a Festival Friend please visit the Volunteering Section at
www.gaafestival.com 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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