Community spirit alive and well in Drumbaragh

North Meath Gaelic football club Drumbaragh club are in the line to scoop an All-Ireland title - without kicking a ball in anger. The junior club are in contention for one of “The Spirit of the Club†awards, an All-Ireland competition promoted by the Star on Sunday newspaper, O'Neills Sportswear and TG4. Clubs throughout the country were invited to enter the competition outlining what made them a little extra special. It was at that stage that Drumbaragh vice-chairman Paul McManus sat down and wrote a 200-word piece on the combination of factors that, he felt, made his club distinctive. Subsequently, he received a call telling him that Drumbaragh had won the Leinster title and would now go into another stage of the competition against teams from Ulster and Connacht. Part of their prize for taking the title was €1,000 worth of sportsgear as well as €500 to be used by the club at its discretion. In the piece he wrote for the competition McManus described what the club was about, that it was very-much community-based. He also outlined how the members of Drumbaragh had bounced back from the tragic, devastating deaths of two promising young footballers, Colm Cooper and Michael Carry. “I wrote that while we wouldn't be the best club in the world, and that we wouldn't have the best team in the world, it's a great, little club all the same,†he explained. “It's had its fair share of trouble over the last couple of years, we had a couple of tragic losses, over the past five years we have lost two young players. “In 2005 we lost Colm Cooper, he was one of our best players on the u-21 team and we went on to win the u-21 championship that year and I felt that showed the type of club that it is.†McManus also wrote on how a sturdy esprit de corps was displayed in the way the club and members of the local community joined forces to raise funds for the construction of the local school hall. With no support coming from the Department of Education people got stuck into not only raising funds, but physically working on the project to ensure the children had the facilities they needed. Other changes have taken place in the club which suggests it is looking to the longer term. “The committee has been changed recently and it's fair to say the average age of the committee is about 30. We have a lot of young fellows who are holding office on the committee as opposed to the way it was. There is a rejuvenation of the club as a result,†said the vice-chairman. As part of their preparation for the All-Ireland final, the TV cameras will be visiting Drumbaragh to take some footage of the work that has taken place in the club. It is also expected that club members will be interviewed to give their reasons why they feel Drumbaragh should get the All-Ireland title. According to McManus on-going efforts will continue “to bring the community into the club.†It's not so much about unearthing young footballers, he adds, it's about letting the young people of the area know the club is there for them and they can be part of it. However, before that there is the All-Ireland title to be worked towards with the eventual winners expected to be announced on St Patrick's Day. TG4 viewers will be invited to text in their choice of who should get the overall title. Drumbaragh have also appointed a new manager, John Mulvaney who has had previous experience coaching at club and inter-county level in Cavan.