Local News

Welcome to the local News. Here you will find stories from in and around wellington involving local Irish people.

Dominant Wellington take both national men's and womens gaelic football titles

Wellington Men - NZ 7s Champs 2009

Left to Right : Paul Cotter, Davey Rynne, Stephen Freeman, Barry Duffy, Justin McDermott, Daithi O'Connor, Paul O'Hare (missing from pic is Rohann De Silva)

Wellington Ladies - NZ 7s Champs 2009

Back Row LtR Emma Foley,Yvonne O'Sullivan ,Michelle Smyth, Anna Kennedy, Marian McGuinness, Leah Purcell, , Mattie Ryan (Manager)
Front Row LtR Niamh Kennedy, Eilis Furlong, Caroline Mullally, Elaine Duffy, Nikki Kennedy, Lisa Morris, Catherine Cotter.

Dominant Wellington take both national men's and womens gaelic football titles

Dominant Wellington take both titles
18 March 2009

Wellington makes a clean sweep of national titles at St Patrick's Day gaelic football 7's championships in Auckland.

Wellington Hutt Valley Gaelic Football Club made a clean sweep of national sevens titles on Sunday last by winning the senior men's and ladies competitions. The competition took place in Auckland on Sunday and pitted the Wellington teams against 9 other teams including 7 from Auckland, one from Taranaki and a team from Fiji.

"This was a unique achievement for Wellington Hutt Valley Gaelic Football club to win both the ladies and the men's competitions," said Columba Cryan President of Wellington Hutt Valley Gaelic Football club, "we had gone to this competition over the past few years and lost out narrowly so it's a wonderful feeling to have won so comprehensively in both codes."

The men's team faced strong competition throughout the competition but played a high quality of Gaelic Football and they faced Auckland club Celtics in the final. They won the game in comprehensive fashion on a score line of one goal and ten points (13 points in total) to no goals and four pints (4 points in total).

"The most satisfying thing about this win was the fact that we are a small close knit club in Wellington made up of a great mix of Irish, Kiwis and other nationalities who trained hard and have earned this title," said Wellington player Justin McDermott. "We are very proud to have represented Wellington Hutt Valley and that we are able to bring home the silverware."

The ladies final was an all Wellington affair with the Wellington team 'Rebellious rebels' defeating the other Wellington ladies team 'The scandalous scallions' by three points. Earlier in the day the two Wellington teams edged out 3 Auckland sides in the qualifiers. "The strength of ladies gaelic football in Wellington is obvious given our two teams contested the final. It just great to win and bring this title home, we are all so delighted as we have a great mix of Kiwis and Irish girls so it's a great feeling," said Wellington ladies player Emma Foley.

The cups were presented to the winning Wellington Captains on Sunday the 15th March and big celebrations were held yesterday St Patricks Day, Tuesday 17th March in Wellington. For more information on Wellington gaelic football club please visit www.wellingtongaa.com.

Cork reigns supreme in Mar 09 World Push Up Championships


Paul 'Cocosteel' Cotter and Orla 'The Mailwoman' Carmody take out the men's and women's 2009 World Push Up Championships respectively.  Both humiliated the opposition and each champion has indicated their intention  to defend their title in 2010.   See www.pushups.co.nz for all the details.

Irish Voices on Paperback

Karen Hansen has always been interested in ‘personal history’- the vernacular accounts of unremarkable people.

So often these normal, humble people feel they have nothing in particular to share but, as is evident from this book, Karen has drawn together a fascinating collection of personal accounts from Irish immigrants to New Zealand.

Her collection of interviews grew from a few stories that intrigued her into a diverse an invaluable record of recent history that has had very little written about it.

Her Book can be bought at http://www.nzbookshop.co.nz/local-nz-histories/irish-voices/prod_272.html