GAA/JOBBRIDGE

The GAA aims to provide meaningful internships, which will enable interns to grow in competence and confidence as they develop their capabilities, on the basis of experience and reflection.

JobBridge is a new National Internship Scheme that will provide work experience placements for interns for a 6 or 9 month period. The aim of the National Internship Scheme is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills. The scheme will also give people a real opportunity to gain valuable experience to bridge the gap between study and the beginning of their working lives.

The GAA has always placed on emphasis on Social Capital – Scáth a Chéile – and Civic Contribution. The JobBridge initiative has provided the GAA with the means to make a contribution and to provide unemployed individuals with the opportunity to utilise the skills that they have learned during training or education in a practical work environment for the first time, or, indeed, to enhance the skills that they have already gained through previous employment.

The GAA/JobBridge Internship Scheme will provide unemployed individuals with the opportunity to develop and advance their skills in a practical work environment. In conjunction with the JobBridge initiative the GAA may be able to offer up to 200 internships, at any one time, in the areas of Games Development and Administration.

The first phase of internships as part of the GAA/JobBridge scheme have gone live today at www.jobbridge.gaa.ie and www.jobbridge.ie – both links are available on the Leitrim GAA Website.

24-Oct-11 by Colette Fox – PRO

Ballinaglera is the venue next Sunday (23rd October) for the 2011 Junior C Championship Final.

Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher and Cloone provide the pairings after they recorded semi-final wins over Mohill and Bornacoola respectively.

We wish both clubs the best of luck in the final.

18-Oct-11 by Colette Fox – PRO

Dromahair were crowned Junior B champions on Saturday last when they defeated neighbours Glencar Manorhamilton by the slenderest of margins (0-10 to 1-8).

This was a very entertaining final which had the large following of supporters from both clubs on the edge of their seats right up until the final whistle. Dromahair had the better of the exchanges in the first half and they led at the interval 0-5 to 0-2. They got the ideal start to the second half when they finished to the back of the net and pointed from play to leave seven points between the sides. For the remainder of the contest the Manor men dominated but their efforts to claim victory or at least force a replay just fell short. Well done to Dromahair on their fine win.

17-Oct-11 by Colette Fox – PRO

Race for the Park We are having our fair share of Opinion Polls about the race for the Park. Ultimately, the people will decide very shortly and there will be a new name on the door of the Áras. In the run up to last Sundays Preliminary Rounds of the AIB Connacht Intermediate and Senior Championship games in Pairc Sean, local GAA opinion polls would have forecast a Leitrim double. Unfortunately the Leitrim public did not have the opportunity to decide the winners, it had to be sorted on the field. Melvin Gaels did deliver and in style, with established stars like Man of the Match Emyln Mulligan blending with new kids on the block like the highly impressive Peter McGowan to do the business for Kinlough and for Leitrim. Their march to Connacht glory has certainly begun on a high note, with the added bonus of a Leitrim home venue for the Semi-final clash with the Mayo champions Davitts. Undoubtedly that will be a major hurdle to overcome, but the hunger for a Connacht title will surely spur on the Gaels, so the noses will be to the grindstone until Sunday November 6th, when the whole county will rally to the support of the men in blue and white. Achieving four county senior titles in a row is no mean feat, so it looked fairly odds on for Glencar Manorhamilton to get the better of Sligo champions Tourlestrane and earn another tilt at St. Brigids of Roscommon. But form seemed to go out the window and despite the promptings of the large home support, Manor only seemed to perform in fits and starts and we saw just flashes of the free-flowing play of many other displays. Things looked good when six points up, but Tourlestrane showed every bit as much hunger for success as the Leitrim champions did and nobody could complain about the end result. The inquests will go on around the Market Square in the coming days, but nothing can detract from what has been achieved by the players to date, so any disappointment will have to be tinged with respect and acknowledgement for the massive efforts of all concerned. The half time score relayed from Hyde Park that Leitrim Gaels Juniors were level with Creggs lifted Leitrim hearts and hopes of a possible treble on the day, but it was not to be, as Creggs held out for a three point victory. So the race for the Park – for Croke park – is now in the sole hands of Melvin Gaels. Opinion polls may fancy them, but the Gaels realise only too well that what matters is what happens the next day and the day after and the day after that again. It is a long road, with the next test on 30th October. Go n-éirí libh, Gaeil na Meilge.

17-Oct-11 by Tommy Moran