End of an era
By Billy Horan, Club PRO The weekly Monday night Lotto draw has been Ballinrobe GAA Club’s primary source of revenue for the past 23 years. Treasurers invariably acknowledged their indebtedness in annual reports and further club improvements could be contemplated. The current economic reality, however, has blunted the impact of the Lotto as a fund-raising medium and the 50:50 draw has become the more inviting financial source. Ballinrobe GAA Club bowed to the inevitable, holding its final Lotto draw in Inch’s Bar on Main Street on Monday night, January 4, and the new approach will be ushered in John O’Hare’s Bar, Cornmarket, tonight (Monday, January 11) at 10.30pm. Gary Keane, Killimor, The Neale, was the final jackpot winner. His selection of the numbers 6, 9, 12 and 16 gained him €19,000 in the draw held on Monday, August 17, 2015. The demise of the Lotto was fittingly noted by the holding of a special draw and the lucky entrants were: Des May, The Neale Road (€500); Jerome Varley, Cross (€500); Joe Mulroe, c/o Art’s Bar (€250); Tracey Finnegan, Castlebar (€250); Fionn O’Loughlin, Clonbur Road (€250); Fergal O’Loughlin, Killoshine (€250); Shane Kelly, Ballinrobe (€100); Hilary Flannery, Rahard (€100); Martin Browne, c/o Cummins’ Hardware (€100); Joan Shaughnessy, Kilmaine (€100); Denis Kelleher, The Neale Road (€100); John Tiernan, Convent Road (€100); Michael Keane, Carrowkeel (€100); Elaine Macken, Main Street (€100); Iarla Reilly, Castlebar Road (€100); and Pat Guckian, Abbey Street (€100). In-house winners: Ita Cawley, Monica Niland, John Niland, and Willie Connolly. Spot-prizes, sponsored by Inch’s Bar: Denis Kelleher and Kathleen Fahy.
