White’s Cross GAA again ran their Vhi Cúl Camp at the Upper Glanmire Community Centre, White’s Cross. A sell out crowd of one hundred and twenty-five boys and girls, between the ages of five and thirteen years of age, attended the week long course.
The success of this camp over the years, according to camp-coordinator Conor Kelleher, is dominantly down to the team of Coaches and Assistants who work diligently and enthusiastically to ensure all participants benefit from the week’s activities. Thanks to Sile Burns, Paul O’ Donovan, Eoin Murnane, Colleen Foley, Brendáin Murnane, Paul O’ Sullivan, Elaine Harte, Hanora Mulcahy, Paul Harte, Edel Barry, Laura Barry, Mary Barry, Caitríona Harte, Joe Leahy, Alan Ramsay, John Ramsay, Ruari Murnane, Seamus Reid, Martin Reid, Lillian Whooley and Aidan Harte for their work this year. Thanks also to Ann Reid, Ger O Driscoll and Jennifer Thomas who made themselves available to do all sorts of errands during the week.
As always, White’s Cross GAA is very grateful to the Upper Glanmire Community Association for the use of its facilities for the week. This year a special word of thanks also goes to Old Cristians RFC, and in particular the O’ Connell family, for the use of their sports hall, on a wet Tuesday morning, when there was an equally bleak forecast for that particular day! A special word of praise also to the parents who helped transport children to and from this location that day.
Over the years a key highlight of the White’s Cross camps has always been the visits of inter-county GAA stars. In past years inter-county hurlers including Joe Deane, Tom Kenny, and even Clare captain Frank Lohan have visited the White’s Cross venue, while Graham Canty, Nicholas Murphy and James Masters represented the Cork footballers. This year was no different and was again a great place to be for the autograph hunters! As stated above, Síle Burns, vice-captain of the Cork senior Camogie side and Elaine Harte, goalkeeper of the Cork senior Ladies Football side were part of the coaching staff.
The final day of the Camp saw a host of visitors with Daniel Goulding, one of the heroes on the Cork side to beat Kerry in the Munster Senior Football Final, visiting in the morning. Daniel spoke to each of the groups and made comparisons between his own relatively-small club, Eire Og, and White’s Cross. That afternoon, a second member of the Cork football squad, Patrick Kelly, assisted presenting the medals and certificates to each of the participants. He was accompanied in making the presentations by another young Cork star, but this time one of the senior hurlers – Cathal Naughton. Thus on that final Friday afternoon there was a right frenzy for autographs on the new Vhi Cúl Camp kits the kids received at the start of the week!