Council Honours St. Mary’s Longevity, Success and Community Contribution

St. Mary’s Basketball Club members with their Kerry County Council scroll at the civic reception in their honour at Castleisland Area Services Centre on Wednesday. Included are from left: Tim Egan, Síle Kenny, Liz Galwey, Eamon Egan, Bríd Kenny, Reidín O’Loughlin, Joan Nolan, Maurice Casey, Donal ‘Duke’ O’Connor, Aoife Nolan and Ned O’Callaghan.©Photograph: John Reidy

Castleisland / Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District Chairman Cllr. Breandán Fitzgerald (centre left) presenting the scroll to St. Mary’s Basketball Club members: Ned O’Callaghan, (left) and Donal O’Connor and Cllr. Bobby O’Connel. Back from left: Cllr. Michael O’Shea, Cllr. Jackie Healy Rae, Cllr. Charlie Farrelly, Cllr. Fionnán Fitzgerald, Eamonn Egan, chairman, St. Mary’s Basketball Club and municipal district Mange, John Breen. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Castleisland / Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District Chairman Cllr. Brenndán Fitzgerald (centre right) presenting the Kerry County Council scroll to St. Mary’s Basketball Club members. Included are, from left: Eamonn Egan, Ned O’Callaghan, Cllr. Bobby O’Connell and Cllr. Fitzgerald, Donal ‘Duke’ O’Connor, Castleisland Basketball Blitz founder and director and municipal district Manager John Breen at the civic reception for the club to mark the golden jubilee of the Christmas time event. ©Photograph: John Reidy 15-1-2020

Leading from the front: Donal ‘Duke’ O’Connor leading his club members and guests for a group photograph at the civic reception in their honour at Castleisland Area Services Centre on Wednesday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Reception proposer, Cllr. Bobby O’Connell (centre) with the Kerry County Council scroll which was presented to St. Mary’s Basketball Club’s Donal O’Connor (left) and Ned O’Callaghan at the civioc reception at the Castleisland Area Services Centre on Wednesday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

That’s a Cracker ! Castleisland / Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District Chairman Cllr. Brenndán Fitzgerald (right) showing the fruits of his photographic labours to fellow councillior, Bobby O’Connell (centre) with St. Mary’s Basketball Club members from left: Eamon Egan, chairman; Donal ‘Duke’ O’Connor, Castleisland Basketball Blitz founder and director and Ned O’Callaghan, tournament founder at a civic reception for the club to mark the golden jubilee of the Christmas time event. The reception was held at the Castleisland Area Services Centre yesterday. ©Photograph: John Reidy 15-1-2020

The highest civilian honour that can be bestowed in the county has been presented to St. Mary’s Basketball Club.

The club was honoured with a Civic Reception at Wednesday’s Castleisland-Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District meeting.

Kerry County Council acknowledged the club’s remarkable achievement in holding its 50th annual Christmas Basketball Blitz last month.

Over 40 Attended

Over 40 people, including committee members past and present, sponsors, the captains from the very first event and volunteers, attended the event which took place in the Castleisland Area Services Centre.

Cathaoirleach of the Castleisland-Corca Dhuibhne MD Cllr. Breandán Fitzgerald praised everyone involved in the club for their ‘outstanding contribution to the community.’

He noted the significant interest the competition has garnered since its inception and how it has grown throughout the years.

Cllr. O’Connell Nominated

Fine Gael councillor Bobby O’Connell nominated the club for the honour – and the impact the tournament has had on him, and on the wider community over the years, was evident throughout his emotional speech.

“It is a privilege and honour to bestow this on the basketball club. What the club did for us as kids can’t be put into words. It galvanized the whole community,” Cllr O’Connell said.

National Coverage for the Area

“The club is the most successful in Ireland, there’s no competition in any sporting organisation in Ireland as successful as the Christmas Blitz. It has come such a long way and it gets national coverage for the area,” he continued.

Councillor O’Connell, who played in the tournament in 1971, praised founding member and current tournament director Donal Duke O’Connor.

More Than a Sporting Event

Before the accolade was presented, John Breen, municipal district manager, praised the club for the social and economic contribution the blitz has made to the wider community.

Mr Breen said it was ‘more than just a sporting event.’

Receiving this civic reception was a huge honour for the basketball club, with St Mary’s PRO Liz Galwey saying they were ‘humbled and delighted’ and adding “it’s a huge honour to be acknowledged in your own town.”

The Driving Force

She also acknowledged Donal Duke O’Connor stating he is the driving force behind the hugely successful tournament.

Duke was joined by fellow founding member Ned O’Callaghan and current chairperson of St Mary’s BC Eamon Egan to accept the honour.

As for the man at the centre of the unique event, Donal O’Connor said that it was never the aim of the blitz committee to invite or put themselves in the way of honours like this – ‘but they do come and of course they’re welcome when they do,’ he said.

Community Reflection

“We’re very grateful to Kerry County Council for the honour we received here today and we look on it as a great reflection of the community in general.

“Events like this help enormously with the promotion for the blitz and from it we hope it will continue well into the future,” said Donal.

Thank You from St. Mary’s

Chairman Eamon Egan and the entire committee of St. Mary’s Basketball Club would like to sincerely thank those people who helped to ensure the success of the 50th annual Christmas Blitz.

They send their thanks to sponsors, volunteers, players, coaches, table officials, referees and all who attended over the five days.