Leinster U/15 Hurling Tournament:
On Saturday 31st Aug Bellefield GAA Grounds are honoured to host the Michael Foley U/15 Leinster Hurling Tournament Final at 4pm.
Now in its sixth year the Michael Foley Memorial U/15 Leinster Hurling Tournament has become one of the most prestigious and challenging underage hurling tournaments in Leinster with many of its young stars going forward to take their place on County Minor/U/21 and Senior teams most notably our own Conor McDonald, Liam Ryan, Kevin Foley, Darragh Pepper,John Bridges,Donal Shanley,Bill Eviston,Padraig Foley to mention a but a few.
This competition goes from strength to strength and preliminary games will be played at both Pairc Garman and Farmleigh as well as Plate and Shield Finals with the Cup Final at Bellefield – home of the Rapparees/Starlights and Michael`s home club and now the home club of his daughters Michelle, Ciara, Eimear and Maedhbh and his son Kevin.
Michael Foley was one of our finest Clubmen not only playing for the Club at all levels and in both codes but also donning the purple and gold at U/21 and Senior for the County and when his own career finished like the true stalwart that he was he became a selector with the Rapparees Senior hurling team and managed with his co-selectors to get his side to the 2001 County Final. Unfortunately, victory eluded them on the day regardless of Micks trojan efforts. Despite his busy lifestyle and indeed in later years despite his terminal illness Mick became a mentor with our U/12 hurling team – giving back to the youth of the club what he had received himself – a love of hurling and football and a loyalty and commitment to his team mates. This team also made it all the way to the final and this time despite being very ill Mick had the pleasure of seeing them win the title and his son lift the cup.
Tremendous credit is due to the Michael Foley Bursary Committee including Micks family and friends who lobbied both CountyBoard and CrokePark for permission to set up a prestigious competition in his memory.
Michael was an all round sportsman playing gaelic football and rugby but it was the game of hurling that stole his heart and became the love of his life after his wife Terri and his family and this U/15 Leinster Tournament has proved to be a most fitting tribute to him.
It has treated us to a feast of hurling, glimpses of future stars and moments of greatness over the past five years none better than 2010 when Wexford beat Kilkenny in the Final and Kevin Foley – Mick`s son and Wexford`s Captain lifted the Cup to the joy and delight of all at Bellefield.
A truly special and treasured moment, giving all present the feeling that the script had indeed been written in Heaven.
Since then Wexford have gone on to do the hat trick winning both the 2011 and 2012 finals with many of those players now on the Wexford U/21 panel we would very much like to wish them every success in their quest for All Ireland glory.
May we witness the same level of skill and excellence in this year`s Tournament that we have in the past and as Michael himself might put it
`May hurling be the winner`.
Loch Garman abu and God Bless you Michael.
Maria Nolan
