Two Rebel clubs eye Club of the Year title

Two clubs from the Rebel county are in the running to take the prestigious title of AIB Club of the Year.

Glanmire Macra of the Seandún region, who came second in the competition last year, and Freemount Macra from the Avondhu region, join Devils Bit Macra from North Tipperary, Mountmellick Macra, Laois, and Limerick City Macra in the shortlist.

Hill 16 Macra, Dublin, and Naas Macra, Co Kildare, will battle it out for the Best Emerging Club title.

The AIB Club of the Year competition is designed to award the most dynamic and active clubs in the country. It is the highest accolade that a Macra club can achieve.

Clubs were judged on a number of different criteria, with the top 14 clubs in the competition shortlisted for interview by an adjudicating panel.

The final judging involves a multimedia presentation from the top seven clubs, with the winning club set to be announced at the Macra na Feirme annual conference in the Heritage Hotel, Portlaoise, at the weekend.

Last year, more than 1,000 young people watched as Berrings Macra of Muskerry, Co Cork, took the title at the annual conference in Tullow, Co Carlow.

Meanwhile, three Cork members are among the 11 nominees who will contest the final of the Best New Macra Member competition.

Also sponsored by AIB, the competition is designed to reward a member who is deemed by their club to have made a significant contribution to its development during their first year.

Laura Spillane representing Seandun’s Carrigaline Macra, Marian Brosnan of Avondhu’s Freemount Macra, and Adrian Grace of Kilmeen Macra in the Carbery region, will battle it out for Cork.

Laura Heverin of Waterford City Macra and Margaret Stanley of Devilsbit Macra, North Tipperary, have also made the shortlist.

Each of the nominees will be interviewed by an adjudicating panel at the annual conference on Saturday night.

Commending the thousands of members who work to improve their clubs and communities, Macr president, Kieran O’Dowd said: “The efforts of young people should be recognised and encouraged.

Anne Finnegan of AIB said: “AIB are delighted to continue our association with the AIB/Macra na Feirme Club of the Year Competition. The competition provides Macra clubs and their members the platform to showcase the real and significant contribution they make to both rural and urban communities throughout the country, and we are delighted to recognise this contribution”.