Well done to all the young 'Gaels, their parents and mentors who all took part in today's brilliant St. Patrick's Day Parade that made it's way through the Kilkenny Streets in what must have been the biggest and best there was to date.  

The O'Loughlin Gaels GAA & Camogie entry was a true community entry with not only children from the St. John's Park participating but also children from St. John's Snr, The Model School, Johnswell NS and St. John's Junior all joining up as the battalion made it's way from St John's Park down O'Loughlin Road to the Dublin Road to the official starting point. And as the group reached the crest of St. John's Bridge the crowd had swelled so much so that Rose Inn Street came to a standstill as the White & Green brigade funneled it's way to the official viewing stand at The Parade. There the group set up goals and played out what young Gaels do best...a match with the silkiest of skills. Johnathon Swift refereed...I'm not so sure Swift was a hurling man but he made a fair stab at refereeing under the added pressure of the large crowd!

A group of young St. John's Warriors, armed with shields made during the week by the pupils of St. Johns' Snr School,  looked after the Tom Walsh Cup as it made it's way through the street as a guest of O'Loughlin Gaels GAA....a guest by the way that is welcome anytime!!

It was a fun filled community effort, coordinated by Commander in Chief Stephen McCormack and backed up by a strong team from the Juvenile Section. Well done to everyone involved...we were the envy of all and can be proud of our contribution to arguably the best Kilkenny St. Patrick's Day Parade ever.

Thanks to our Sponsors MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre  & Ormonde Construction today. Thanks too to The St. Patricks Day KIlkenny team.  Thanks to all those who sent in photographs also and feel free to keep them coming in and we'll add to our gallery. 

Lovely Huring.

It was everything it promised ..not even the result of the Irel v Wales match could dampen the spirits of the 300 strong crowd that attended the Champions Dinner on Friday Night last. ..and that's not including the 'afters' crowd!!!

From 7pm they started to fill the large hall bedecked on White & Green by the hardworking Social Committee. The all-important Ireland v Wales rugby match was streamed live into the crowd via the six large screens set up around the hall that were later going to be used to keep the crowd close to proceedings as the night progressed. Not the result required at the start of a party.. but one man was grinning like the cheshire cat was Welshman Jason Acremen,, who accompanied his wife Marion - one of the guests on the night representing MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre, the club's juvenile Sponsors .  The result only temporarily dampened the crowds spirits as a quick review of the hurling championship in musical highlights ensured the party mood continued. 

Club Chairman Brian Murphy welcomed everybody to the club including special guests from the Co. Board - Chairman Ned Quinn, Vice Chairman Conor Denieffe and Secretary, Jimmy Walsh.  Brian also thanked our three main sponsors for their continued support - Pat Carroll is a valued sponsor of our senior teams while Marion Acreman Centre Manager with MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre represented our juvenile Sponsors who have been with the club since 2007. Also present were John and Margaret McCarthy from McCarthys Eurospar Newpark who are main sponsors to the club's Family Dog Night that's held during the Summer. Also welcomed were Fr. Purcell, Fr. O'Connor from St. John's Parish and Fr. Tommy Murphy one of the clubs co-founders along with Club President , Martin Hanlon. 

Co. Board Chairman Ned Quinn congratulated the club and players on the 2016 success and wished them well for the coming season before presenting the medals to each of the 33 strong panel of players.  Each player, introduced by John Joe Cullen was greeted with a rousing O'Loughlin Gaels cheer with the loudest cheer reserved for the final player to be called out..Martin Comerford. Captain Brian Hogan spoke of the desire amongst the players for success and impressed upon those present that that hunger be instilled into our younger players to compete for team places and hence build a stronger club.  Manager Aiden Fogarty thanked all for their involvement in leaving no stone upturned in the pursuit of last years success.

All fed (thanks to Alan Cullen and his team of caterers - beef or salmon should anyone ask), watered and 'medaled' , it was time to party, and Drops of Green got that show on the road with a fine set enjoyed by a very satisfied crowd that had grown since the beginning of the night. It was now well into the early hours of Saturday morning and the revelers were getting into the swing of things with DJ-Seanie D providing the sounds. The Tom Walsh Cup was not going to be left out of this one and must have had more dance partners on the night than Warren Beatty ever had! - because O'Loughlin Gaels GAA Club have the best party's. This reveler left to the sounds of the morning course...and also left behind some hardened revelers still inside.  If you missed it..it's your own fault because you were well warned...but if you did..you missed a cracker!!

A huge thanks to the organising commitee Brian Murphy, John Skehan, Paddy Greene, Eoin Lawlor, Margaret Hanlon, Eileen Cleere, Mary Deegan, Coleman Loughnane & John Joe Cullen.

Thanks also to the Bar staff on the night, the glass collectors, the decorators and the cleaner-uppers. (Often the same people!!) 

Well done to the players of course.... becuase no one will mind organising another one of those nights next year!! ..(..not even Paddy Greene!)

Thanks to Maurice Walsh Photography for helping to put this memory together.  It was shown at our Champions Dinner last night and enjoyed by everyone.  So here it is again for you to enjoy whenever you want......  

​Lovely Hurling