Launch of 2013 Kilmacud Crokes All Ireland 7's Competition
One Direct Kilmacud Crokes All-Ireland Hurling Sevens 2013
This year’s All-Ireland Hurling Weekend will begin, as it has for the last forty one years, on All-Ireland Saturday morning in Stillorgan, Dublin where many of the country’s top club hurling sides will compete in their own All-Ireland tournaments.
For details of the 2013 Senior, Shield and U13 draws and fixtures click HERE
The One Direct All-Ireland Hurling Sevens, organised by Kilmacud Crokes G.A.A. Club and kindly sponsored by One Direct, was launched in Croke Park on Tuesday 27th August by Martin Skelly, Chairman Leinster Council.
Since its inception in 1973, this competition been graced by some of the greatest players and teams hurling has known. Names such as D.J. Carey, Jamesie O’Connor, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, John Leahy, Donal Og Cusack, Ollie and Joe Canning, are just a selection from the All-Star recipients that have taken part in the tournament. Proud club sides from all over the country, including Sarsfields (Cork), Feakle (Clare) and last year's winners Mullagh (Galway) have all claimed the One Direct Cup, one of the most coveted prizes in club hurling.
Sevens Saturday is now as much a part of the All-Ireland weekend for many hurling followers as the trip to Croke Park itself. The day is about more than winning and losing. It has become a focal point for conversation, celebrations, for memories and the great tales of the heroes and characters of the game.
The Sevens form of the game emphasises good accurate striking, maintenance of possession and clinical score-taking. The All-Ireland Sevens games are invariably high scoring and physically tough encounters with the latter stages of the tournament being as tightly contested as any championship final.
In addition to the main tournament a Shield Competition is also run, catering for teams from the non-traditional hurling counties and the U13 11-a-side, that has unearthed many a great Féile na nGael star a year in advance. In all, Kilmacud Crokes will play host to 56 teams and a total of 96 games will be played on the day.
Among the many guests in attendance at today’s launch were former Cork and Clare greats Donal Og Cusack and Ollie Baker who are looking forward to the epic battle their counties are preparing for on 8th September. Also, looking forward to the 7’s competition were Dublin mentor and Tipperary man Richard Stakelum, his fellow county man Tommy Dunne as well as Dublin and Kilmacud Crokes senior hurlers Niall Corcoran & Ryan O’Dwyer.
At the launch of the event in Croke Park on Tuesday David Egan, Managing Director of One Direct, said “it is a great honour for One Direct to sponsor the Kilmacud Crokes All Ireland Hurling Sevens for a second year. We are very proud to be associated with such a well-respected GAA event that encourages so many players to represent their clubs and communities at a national level with such enthusiasm and pride. On the 7th, we look forward to a fantastic sevens competition - full of competitive spirit, sportsmanship and hopefully as good a day as last year.”
Peter Walsh, Chairman of Kilmacud Crokes Hurling Committee added “we are delighted to invite all hurling supporters to our five venues to sample the great spectacle of sevens hurling. If you want to witness top quality hurling played at breath taking pace up close, Kilmacud is the place to be on All-Ireland Saturday”
The 2013 One Direct All-Ireland Hurling Sevens will be held on Saturday 7th September, spread over 5 venues in the Stillorgan area, including Glenalbyn, UCD, Deerpark, Silverpark and Bray Emmets, with games starting at 10.30 a.m. The final will be played in Glenalbyn at 6.30 p.m.
For further information contact:
Colm Maher, Marketing/Communications Officer - 087-2755074; colm.maher@citi.com
Brian Geraghty, Competition Secretary - 087-2312378; brianpgeraghty@eircom.net
For details of the 2013 Senior, Shield and U13 draws and fixtures click HERE
