Last opening ceremony at Mosney

THE 2008 Community Games national finals kicked-off at Mosney on Saturday for the last time after 35 years at the Meath venue. Since 1973 the finals have become synonymous with the Mosney Holiday Camp, but from next year on they will be staged at Athlone IT, for three years at least. Last year the Community Games organisations were told that Mosney would no longer be available and they set about looking for a new venue which ultimately brought them from Meath to Westmeath. Behind the scenes were the many volunteers who made it all possible from the official launch on Friday night to the closing ceremony which will take place at the Meath venue for the last time next Sunday evening, 5.30. The rain on Saturday couldn"t dampen the enthusiasm of the youngsters who took part in the games and over two weekends of action up to 3,000 athletes from the 32 counties will participate in a range of sports including long puck, ball throw, hurling, Olympic handball, futsal, mini-rugby, basketball, tag rugby, soccer, long puck and ball throw, Gaelic football and athletics. Meath"s first and only gold medal on Saturday was won by John Cooney in the gymnastics event. The first Community Games finals were held in Santry in 1968 and to mark the 40th anniversary a commemorative booklet was published and made available to those who braved the wintry conditons on Saturday. President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Brian Cowen sent their best wishes. The games officially got underway with an opening ceremony on Friday night and the action started early on Saturday with the swimming competition at the National Aquatic Centre. A number of other locations close to Mosney were also used to stage events. Throughout the years, the Community Games organisation has been sustained by an army of volunteers from various parts of the country with many returning to Mosney year after year. Rosemary Gleeson, who has given long service as secretary of Meath Community Games, said that Mosney holds many happy memories for people who have participated in finals over the years. 'Next weekend sees the curtain fall on Mosney for the last time on the playing fields, the indoor sports hall, the discos, the chalets, the hurdy-gurdys all of which provided huge entertainment for children resident there for those weekends,' she said. 'Children from the 32 counties will compete in Mosney next Saturday and Sunday. Their aim will be to win a medal there, but this year they will be especially hoping to win as these medals will hold very sentimental memories for them for years to come.' Gleeson also paid tribute to Joe Connolly the founder of Community Games who is now 86 and living in Dublin. She said his contribution was immense in setting up what is now a well established feature on the Irish sporting landscape.