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2005 International Rounders Event hosted at Cookstown venue!

The best of Ireland's female Rounders players will be on show this weekend, at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena, Loughry College, Cookstown, and to sharpen their focus they will face serious challenges from a well organised England team and one of the best Wales panels to play the game.
The event will be all the more interesting because differences between the English NRA rounders game and the Irish code are still too great to present a game with common rules.   Each team will play each other in the Irish code and there will be several sessions of NRA rounders with as many players as possible from all sides getting involved.
A new competition trophy will be presented to the winners in the Irish game with winners and runners-up medals to be presented.

Details of the England and Wales players are in the post and not available for this issue.  However the Ireland players were called to a team session in Dublin last weekend and it is now certain that the following All Stars will field on Saturday and Sunday 2nd. and 3rd. July.
Jenny Ó Brien, Grace Doyle and Ann Marie Gardiner (Bagenalstown, Ceatharlach), Áine Brady and Andrea Barber (Erne Eagles, Cabhán), Laura Eagers, Lizzie Maguire and Jacqueline Donnelly (An Tinile, Átha Cliath), Carmel Moloney and Chantelle Cole (Cuchulainn, Ceatharlach) and Fionnuala Ní Thúatain (Naomh Mhíchíl, Doire). Top pitcher Elaine Costello is not available and next in line Nicola Clarke is on holiday.  Nicola's sister Louise usually steps into her shoes and may be asked to be the initiator on Saturday. A handful of other All Stars are on stand-by with Pauline Ó Hagan (Ní Ryan) of St. Martin's, Doire, somewhat likely to be called onto the team.
The Scottish games groups have other events this weekend and they have sent an apology for their non availability this time round.
This International first (There never has been a meeting in which more than two National sides played competitively before.) has been built around the annual Gary Kelly Cup tournament hosted by Derry's Cumann Naomh Mhíchíl, for club teams (or schools or county selections).  This tournament has been growing in popularity in the past four years, having been played every year since 1987.   This is the first time the competition has been played away from the N. Mhíchíl home ground at Tullynure, Lissan, but the support provided by Cookstown District Council has helped greatly in the setting up of suitable playing areas at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena.  The Gary Kelly Memorial Cup competition has attracted teams from Connacht, Leinster and Ulster, but this season's competition will include an NRA playing club, Canterbury Belles, from St. Helen's, near Liverpool, in England.
Last year's finalists, Cuchulainn from Ballon in Carlow, will not be fielding, but another Carlow side, Bagenalstown will make their first appearance in the event.  St. Martin's, Desertmartin will field their usually very sporting team, and the very eager Wolfe Tone's, Kildress, ladies will be very welcome.  The host club will field two teams probably with a possibility still alive of the Kelly family putting a good nine together for the weekend.  Carrickmore's promise of a ladies team for this competition has not born fruit, with other commitments occupying key players.  However there is renewed interest from former and new players from Gortalowry, and other parts of Cookstown, their presence may help put a second Tyrone team on the playing field.  Gary Kelly Cup holders, An tinile, are expected to be near full strength, but they may struggle to retain their title with the absence of their All Star pitcher Elaine Costello.   Cavan's Erne Eagles from Mullahoran and Gowna have lots of experience and commitment in and to the game, and are expected to put up a strong challenge to their opponents in the Gary Kelly Cup competition.
They are going well in the All Ireland Championships and will seek a good result in all their matches.
With these sides bringing with them their top officials, there will be available the top handful of referees in the country, and this should contribute to lots of action and a well run schedule of matches.
The visit by the overseas teams will present an opportunity to play and observe the very best in NRA rounders, which will be familiar to most patrons.   The mission of the England officials will be to exhibit their code to a wider audience, and they will have something to write about when they return to their homelands.   Wales has often been the poor relation in the NRA world, but their enthusiastic acceptance of this opportunity to travel and to play the Irish code, will enhance their image and reputation, both in Ireland and in Wales.
When the trophies are [presented around 5.30 pm on Sunday evening the next momentous question will be 'When and where will we have the return matches?' There will be a lot of talking and travelling before those questions are answered, and with all of the National units struggling for finances, as well as profile, some serious thinking and talking must be done.  The outcome will most likely be influenced by the availability, or lack, of financial support.   A little moral support from all quarters would be a big help, especially from parent Associations which claim to be promoting all aspects of their respective charters.

The history of International rounders is not one of regular or frequent matches, but there have been very memorable trips by Ireland teams and Irish Clubs to England, Wales and Scotland, and even to France.  Several England and Wales sides have visited Ireland for most enjoyable tournaments in which the fair play and sporting conduct of all players has been exemplary, and the social get togethers have been worthwhile too.  On top of the under age exchanges on the field and of the current cooperation between sides, the climate presently looks ripe for development of International competitions, and with the baseball and softball worlds acknowledging the contribution Ireland has made in the history of both those games, and their awareness of the network of successful clubs in Ireland, contacts between the American based codes and the native versions have started a move which should bring all sides much closer together at least on the long term.   The Irish 'parish' structure and fair play elements compliment the regulatory and professional elements of the 'new' codes.
We wish the organisers of this weekend's Gary Kelly Cup and the International Rounders Tournament every success in this event and in all future events, and join with GAA President Seán Ó Ceallaigh's in hoping that the games will be "most enjoyable, sporting and rewarding"