Derrylin O’Connell’s GAC’s inaugural cross-community summer camp ‘whose ball is it anyway?’ has been deemed a great success by all those that attended.

The summer camp is the first of its kind and the only government funded sports project in the county of Fermanagh. The camp was designed to facilitate boys and girl from the ages of 11 years of age to 16 years of age, to come together from both the Derrylin O’Connell’s GAC and the Enniskillen Rugby Club, to learn the skills of Gaelic football, hurling/camogie, handball and rugby, among others. For that reason, the name of the camp became “whose ball is it anyway?” The camp was attended by the President of the GAA Aogán Ó Fearghail, the IRFU Ulster Branch games development officer Chris Webster, the Chairperson of the Derrylin O’Connell’s Fintan McGovern, the President of the Enniskillen Rugby Club Norman Richmond and Leanne Maguire, secretary of Derrylin O’Connell’s and author of the summer camp.

The organisers would also like to thank the six specialist coaches who attended and made the the entire week possible, namely Aodhgan Murphy, Aisling Doonan, Fabian Burns, Patrick McCleary, George Richmond and Andy McCrea.

Funding came from OFMdFM and the EA (Education Authority) and without that together building a united community funding the cross community summer camp could also not have happened.

The organisers certainly feel that the aim of the camp to create new bonds and friendships between the two clubs, the participants and coaches was achieved. Moreover, they also hope that it sets a precedent for future camps of its kind to take place, to slowly but surely bridge the divides that still exist in our communities.