The All Ireland Go-for-Life Games were held in Dublin City University on Saturday 8th June. Eleanor Gaffney who coached both teams gives an account of the day:
Respond residents had two Go-for-Life groups taking part from Westlands and Airmount. Both groups had to go through a selection process to be considered for the games. These selection days were held in May and much to our delight five of the Airmount group and six of the Westlands group were chosen as finalists.
Three games were to be played at the games, Lobbers, Flisks and Scidils. Airmount were chosen to play Flisks for Waterford and Westlands were chosen to play Lobbers for Wexford. Each game was a target game where whichever team got closest to the target won a point, each team had to play for 6 minutes and at the end of that time the points were added up. The games got under way at 11a.m, broke for a wonderful lunch at 12.30 and finished up with the prize giving at 4.15.
The games were a great success, not because we came away winning any great awards, but because both groups did themselves and Respond proud. They residents played their hearts out and took on the spirit of the games by encouraging other players to do well and were happy whether they won or lost a round.
Westlands were the only team to beat Kilkenny at Lobbers on the day (all Hurley’s were taken off the Kilkenny players before they were allowed in the hall) Bridie Curran from Westlands won Spirit of the Games Award and Waterford, who had Noel Lanigan from Airmount on the team, came away with overall champions at Lobbers.
Congratulations to both Westlands and Airmount Go for Life groups for doing so well!