A Community Day success
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Ryan Byrne, Birdhill Soccer Club, with some of the club members after he won the kick-up challenge with a score of 72 at the Community Day at Birdhill on Sunday.Image 2 of 6
Participants in the Senior Men’s Category of the water carrying challenge at the Community Day at Birdhill on Sunday.Image 3 of 6
Grainne Delaney, Secretary of Birdhill Tidy Village Committee, presenting Caoimhe Barry, Castleconnell, with her prize in her category of the water challenge at the Community Day.Image 4 of 6
Best confectioner in class: Sadhbh Barry, Castleconnell, after receiving her prize in the confectionary challenge from Maureen Griffith at the Community Day at Birdhill.Image 5 of 6
Emily Monaghan from Ballina after winning her category of the water carrying challenge at Birdhill Community Park.Image 6 of 6
Young Cara Culhane in full concentration on the activities at the Birdhill Community Day.Community life returned to pre-Covid-19 pandemic days as hundreds attended the first Community Day in three years at Birdhill Community Park on Sunday.
An afternoon of fun, challenges, and social integration in an atmosphere of activities and attractions got under way just after 2pm on Sunday. During the following hours, the community mingled among neighbours and visitors from the adjoining areas to enjoy the perfect weather conditions, with the temperature slightly down on the record breaking degrees of prior days.
The Community Day was organised by Birdhill Tidy Village Committee, with Siobhan Larkin, Chairperson, on hand to welcome all and ably assisted by a team of committee members, including secretary, Grainne Delaney to run the programme.
Former Chairman, Denis Floyd, who handed on the baton to Siobhan Larkin earlier this year after a quarter of a century at the helm, was also present and delighted to see the resumption of the annual community event, which was initiated during his officership.
There was an opportunity to pick up some home reading, available free, a confectionary challenge for the young people to show their skill at decorating some confectionary, but the event that provided most of the thrills and ‘spills’ throughout the afternoon was a novelty water carrying contest.
With categories to suit the different age groups and genders, the contestants were challenged to see who could transfer the greatest volume of water over the 50 metre course within a three minute time slot using only a dessert spoon.
Beat the clock
The contest required a combination of speed and a very steady hand, which proved very difficult going for some, who endured plenty of spills over the course as they tried to beat the clock.
However, allegations of breaches of the rules didn't incur any penalty cards being issued by the referee and winners were declared in each category, with some tight calls as the volume of water transferred by each contestant being carefully measured to determine the winner.
Soccer players had their own challenge to undertake in a test of ‘kick-ups’, officially defined as a measure of “the skill of juggling with an association football using feet, lower legs, knees, chest, shoulders, and head, without allowing the ball to hit the ground”.
Ryan Byrne, Birdhill Soccer Club, got a rousing cheer from his colleagues when he won with a score of 72.
Meantime, there was tea, or coffee and confectionary freely available to enjoy and complimentary ice cream cones to help to cool down.