OFFALY football hero Roy Malone has issued a last minute plea for GAA supporters to support this week’s fundraising golf classic by the Offaly Association in Dublin.
The classic takes place on Friday, September 2 in the Palmerstown House Estate in Dublin and proceeds will go to the Offaly GAA County Board and the promotion and development of Gaelic games in the county.
It is their second big golf classic for Offaly GAA and a handful of tee times are still available while sponsorship will be accepted up to the day of the event.
Fifty teams have entered so far and last year’s classic raised over €23,000. The classic will become an annual event and is one of the Offaly Association’s main events of the year.
25 years on from scoring two sensational goals in Offaly’s 1997 Leinster Senior Football Championship final win over then All-Ireland champions Meath, the Rhode man has taken to the fairways himself in recent years.
He won the captain’s prize recently in the Offaly Footballers Golf Society, although he was quick to state that the publicity he got was out of kilter with his achievement. An 18.5 handicapper, he plays out of New Forest Golf Club and was previously a member of Castle Barna before that closed a couple of years ago – “I have my good days and bad days, but more bad days,” he smiled. He played in the Offaly Association golf classic last year in Dublin and enjoyed the whole day, meeting with exiles from the county living in the capital.
When Roy was in his playing heyday in the mid to late 1990s, Offaly GAA was on a high – he won a Leinster senior and National Football League medal in 1997 and 1998 while the hurlers won All-Ireland senior titles in 1994 and 1998. The fortunes of both codes plummeted dramatically after that and Malone is delighted to see the light at the end of the tunnel once again.
He was thrilled with Offaly’s win in the All-Ireland U-20 Football Championship last year and really admired the way the minor hurlers competed this year, stating that they were robbed in the All-Ireland final defeat by Tipperary.
He is a fan of the new County Board under chairman Michael Duignan and he spoke this week about the importance of fundraising and supporting what they are trying to do.
“The County Board are trying to put in more coaches, more development, more infrastructure. Events like this are vital for the existence and development of coaching in the county. The last couple of years have shown we can compete. It has given a great lift and optimism to the county. The U-20 win completely changed the mindset in Offaly.
“With changes at County Board level and what they are trying to do, getting more coaches and more paid coaches into clubs and schools, it all takes money. That is money well spent, the County Board is directing it wisely and they have a plan in place. Money is needed and the Offaly Association has always been great.”
Malone saw their work at first hand himself when he lived in Dublin several years ago. “They were always there,” he reflected, adding: “Any time there is any sign of positivity in Offaly, people back us. There are great Offaly people in Dublin, many in the corporate and business end and they are great supporters.”
He works with Roadstone himself, a company that the Grogan’s from Ferbane were pivotal in for decades while the current commercial director is a Kinnitty man, Donal Rigney. They have a team entered in Friday’s event and Malone urged people to support it.
“It is an important event, a great fundraiser. They have good people on the committee. Jennifer Guinan. Paul Mulvehill, who I used to play with and many more. The County Board has a plan going forward on what they want to do and to try and address the gap between ourselves and the top teams. There is hope there now with the footballers and hurlers. When people see green shoots like that, they love to get behind the county and support and sponsor. It is important to keep that tradition going of backing football and hurling in the county.”
The format will be a scramble, with teams of 4 competing for a range of excellent prizes. All participating teams must include at least two players holding current Golf Ireland Handicaps.
The association would appreciate all support, either through team entries or sponsorship. Details can be obtained from:
Jennifer Guinan; Chairman; Email: [email protected]
Fintan Lalor – 087 2306085; [email protected]
Liam Fleury – 087 6169192;
Or any of the following committee members: Locky Murphy, Ray Flannery, Tom Mangan, John Neylon, Liam Hogan, Aidan McCormack, Alan Gilson, Paul Mulvehill, Darragh Scully, Donal Cunningham.