It was indeed a proud night for Beale GAA when we received  the MacNameeGAA Club Publication of the year in Croke Park on Friday for our book, ”Sand in our Boots”. Four years ago, in The Feale Bar, Catherine Ellis, Bríd Griffin, Jimmy Buckley, Liam Browne, Paudie Mulvihill, John Hennessy and Tom Allen formed our History Committee, and with due diligence and passion, set about charting the club’s origins back to the late 1890s. At the official launch in Cliff House, last October, legendary GAA commentator, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh described the book as “one of the finest club history books I have ever seen” and those words were rubber-stamped on Friday in Croke Park when the club won this prestigious award.  On the night of the launch, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh had recommended putting the book forward!

The MacNamee Award is the icing on the cake and Beale GAA joins the ranks with Radio Kerry’s Weeshie Fogarty, last year’s Hall of Fame recipient and Tommy O’Connor who received the 2015 award for best GAA publication for his book on North Kerry hurling. We received invaluable advice and support from both Weeshie and Tommy when researching on our publication. We are deeply indebted to everyone in the community and beyond who contributed in any way to this fabulous publication. “Sand in our Boots” is on sale in Danna’s Newsagents and Joyce’s Newsagents in Ballybunion and in Woulfe’s Bookshop and Easons in Listowel.

Mixed fortunes on the playing pitch at the weekend as our Minors clinched the opening points in the County League, Division 6A, against Ballylongford/Asdee. Beale were winners on a scoreline of 4-9 to 2-12. Beale Minors play Ballydonoghue on March 4^th and host Castlegregory on March 11^th. Our final round game will be away to Moyvane/Tarbert on March 25^th.

Beale Seniors lost out to Tarbert in the North Kerry League, Division 1A, in Ballybunion on Sunday. We were rather sluggish in the opening quarter as Tarbert picked off their scores. A goal gave us a spurt and we went into the interval with a one-point cushion, 1-5 to 0-7. The second half, however, belonged to our opponents, as we lacked urgency and they tagged on the scores. At the final whistle, we were four points adrift, 1-7 to 1-11. Next up is the last round on March 5^th when we travel to Brosna for an early throw-in at 12 noon.

Beale Seniors kick off the County League, Division 4, on March 19^th when we travel to Keel. The following weekend we play host to Tarbert in Páirc de Staic, Ballybunion, and then we travel to Lispole on April 9^th for the third round game.

The annual Beale GAA social will be held in Kilcooley’s, Ballybunion, on Friday, March 3^rd. Tickets available from The Railway or The Bunker. On the night a special fund raising monster raffle will be held in aid of the ‘Night for Trish’ fund raiser, in memory of Trish Flavin who lost her young life in January. All proceeds in aid of Trish’s five children.

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