Across the month of October the North Midlands Community Rugby team in conjunction with Kildare County Council and Kildare Sports Partnership ran a very successful ‘Games on the Green’ programme.
The event took place at venues in estates across Kildare Town and Sallins. Over five days, some 70 kids participated in the sessions, in a fun and safe environment.
The opening day of the programme was on the expansive six-acre green in the Bishopsland Estate in Kildare Town where the Cill Dara CCRO (Club Community Rugby Officer) Paddy Behan led the session with assistance from Joe Carbery (North Midlands CRO), Luke Ingleton (MU Barnhall CCRO), Paul Brady (Portlaoise CCRO) and Paidi Mahon (Portarlington CCRO), along with Cill Dara RFC club volunteers.
Behan was thrilled with the success of the event saying, “I’m delighted to see such a great turn out from the local community and looking forward to seeing them out in their local rugby clubs in the coming weeks.”
The following day the show moved on to the Castlefen Estate in Sallins, with Naas CCRO Mick Cahill taking the reins. Cahill supported by Carbery, Mahon and Bernard Robinson (North Kildare CCRO) saw lots of fun had on the day.
“Hopefully when we return next Spring these sessions will help us carry forward the momentum from last May where we had big numbers out across the course of the programme here.”
These sessions were repeated again the following week and culminated in an impressive turn out in Ruanbeg Manor in Kildare Town over the midterm where the North Midlands CCROs, along with a large crew of Cill Dara RFC volunteers organised another great afternoon for all of the kids involved.
Afterwards, North Midlands CRO Joe Carbery thanked the staff and volunteers for running the sessions, the clubs and local community for supporting them and the County Council and Sports Partnership for facilitating this programme.
Finally, the North Midlands Community Rugby team would like to wish the very best of luck to former Portlaoise CCRO Paul Brady who departed for pastures greener over the midterm.
Paul who was in his sixth year in the role was a stalwart of numerous ‘Games on the Green’ programmes over the years with both Kildare and Laois County Councils.
