Founder of Corrib Shamrocks to be special guest at Salthill National 5s

Date Published: 14-May-2013

Keith Kelly

The founder of a schoolboy soccer club, which dominated the local football scene for a number of years, will be the special guest at this year’s Carlsberg Salthill National Fives, the 37th running of the hugely popular 5-a-side tournament.

Br Justin Madden was a teacher in St Patrick’s National School on Lombard Street when he founded Corrib Shamrocks in August 1973 to allow soccer players in the school’s fifth class to continue to play together.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the club, former players have organised a club reunion which will be held in the Galway Bay Hotel on Saturday June 1, the Saturday of the Salthill Fives, and with Br Justin returning to Galway for the reunion, the organisers of the Salthill Fives have asked him to be their special guest at the tournament.

The Fives will be held in Salthill Park on Saturday June 1 and Sunday June 2, and consists of three categories; the ‘Open Age Competition’, the ‘Buyback Competition’ and the Over 35’s Section’.

The introduction of the over-35’s category in 2011 saw great rivalry spark among teams that would have met on the pitch when the tournament originally began, and former members of Corrib Shamrocks will be entering a team in the Over 35 section, and will play in the old club colours of green and yellow.

“Salthill Park will play host to ever growing 5-A-Side teams, with over 130 teams from all over Ireland due to enjoy a series of fast-paced games in the hope of walking away with the coveted Carlsberg National Fives winner’s title and a fantastic cash prize,” said tournament director, Denis Burke.

Registration for teams is now open. Cost of entry for a team of seven for the Main Fives Tournament is priced at €100, and €80 for the Over-35’s category. For further information or to enter a team, visit www.salthilldevon.ie or call Denis on 087-7442877. For enquiries about the Corrib Shamrocks 40th Anniversary Gathering, contact Martin O’ Neill on 086 2508743.