A round-up of the club’s community activity during the month of April.
Down Syndrome Futsal
Dundalk FC, in conjunction with the League of Ireland and FAI, has launched the club’s first ever Down Syndrome Futsal team.
The squad is busy training ahead of our first ever blitz which will be held in Gormanston Collage, Co Meath on June 9th.
Training takes place every Monday from 6pm-7pm in the Youth Development Centre at Oriel Park.
Dundalk Schoolboys League Collection
The Dundalk Schoolboys League U13 representative squad with Stephen Donnan and Ciaran Shevlin
The Dundalk Schoolboys League U13 representative squad held a bucket collection before the Louth Derby game with Drogheda United on April 1st to raise funds for their upcoming trip to the Galway Cup tournament.
Along with games for their respective clubs, and inter-league fixtures with DSBL, the boys are working tirelessly to raise the funds needed for Galway with all of their parents chipping in too wherever possible.
As well as the bucket collection, the lads held a Bikeathon in the Marshes Shopping Centre and a quiz night in Uncle Tom’s in Blackrock.
Save Our Homeless Dundalk
1903 Supporters Club member Jimmy McEneaney
The 1903 Dundalk FC Supporters Club and Dundalk FC were delighted to support Save Our Homeless, Dundalk with a recent bucket collection at the game with St Patrick’s Athletic at Oriel Park on April 12th.
Committee members from The 1903 and volunteers from Save Our Homeless braved the elements to help raise a grand total of €1,200 from a combination of buckets and a 1903 raffle.
Save Our Homeless was the 1903’s Charity Partner for last season and the organisation looks forward to supporting more local charities in the new future.
Glenmuir U10 Girls
The Glenmuir U10 girls team
We welcomed Glenmuir’s U10 girls team to Oriel Park to act as flag bearers and take part in the Half-Time Mini Games during the Louth Derby with Drogheda United on April 1st.
Dundalk FC Easter Camp
Jamie Gullan, pictured with some of the participants at the Dundalk FC Easter Camp
Our Easter Camp this year was hugely successful with each of the kids who attended thoroughly enjoying their activities.
The children were delighted when they got to meet members of the first-team squad and staff on the final day of the camp and were presented with free tickets for the match against St Patricks Athletic.
Keep an eye out on our social media channels in the coming days for the launch of our Summer Camp dates.
The Trí Little Birds School Football Programme
L-R: Local school principal Tom O’Connor, Fiona Devenney from sponsor Devenney’s, Dundalk FC FSR officer Aoife Burns and FAI Regional Development Officer for Louth, Mick Neville, at the launch of The Trí Little Birds School Football Programme
The Trí Little Birds School Football Programme is a pilot programme, held in conjunction with the FAI’s Futsal In The Yard, that will see 15 schools participate until the end of June.
The aim of The Trí Little Birds School Football Programme is to deliver an inclusive football programme to primary schools that is aimed in a non competitive way focusing on the aspect that football is fun, promoting respect and understanding, promote wellbeing and positive mental health and learning important team building skills that can then be applied to their classroom and other areas in their life.
The programme was created by Dundalk FC FSR officer Aoife Burns and Dundalk FC Official Matchday Programme contributor, and local primary school principal, Tom O’Connor.
You can download a free PDF copy of the booklet here.
National Learning Network Coffee Morning for SHINE
Dundalk FC’s Brian Gartland, Aoife Burns, Paul Doyle and Sam Durrant, pictured with Cormac Woods (area manager NLN), Kieva Bradley (Fresh Start Instructor) and NLN students Ethen, Dean, Robbie and Belinda
On Monday, April 15th, the National Learning Network held a coffee morning in aid of SHINE, at its Dundalk location.
The National Learning Network and SHINE support individuals by delivering a variety of programmes and services to support the promotion of wellbeing and to reduce the stigma around mental health.
Dundalk FM hosted their morning show from National Learning Network’s premises on the Ramparts and the event was a huge success.
Sam Durrant and Paul Doyle, along with Head of Football Operations Brian Gartland and FSR Officer Aoife Burns, were delighted to attend a brilliant initiative.
St Nicholas Monastery School Sensory Room Funds
Members of the parents association from St Nicholas Monastery School
We welcomed members of the parents association from St Nicholas Monastery School to Oriel Park for a bucket collection before the game with St Patrick’s Athletic on April 12th.
In total, they raised €625 which will go towards the development of the school’s new sensory room.
Castletown Belles U10 Girls
The Castletown Belles U10 girls team
The Castletown Belles U10 girls team acted as flag bearers and took part in our Mini Games during the match with Bohemians on April 26th.
Established in 2016, Castletown Belles is the only all girls football club in the North East of Ireland.
Irish Life Coffee Morning
Mayowa Animasahun, Cameron Elliott and Dundalk FC FSR Aoife Burns, pictured with Paige Gernon and staff from Irish Life
Every year, staff at Irish Life in Dundalk nominate two charities to raise funds for and the organisations that were chosen this year were The Down Syndrome Centre North East and Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.
On April 26th, Paige Gernon of Irish Life took part in a Staff Charity Walk where she walked from 8am to 4pm, covering over 46 kilometres, to raise funds for both charities.
Irish Life held a coffee morning to celebrate Paige’s achievement and players Mayowa Animasahun and Cameron Elliott were on hand to lend their support.
