2021

Christy O’Haire (1939-1996) was a player, referee and administrator – the 25th anniversary of Christy’s death occurs next week (September 5th, 2021).  He was synonymous with the GAA in Ballinrobe and Mayo throughout his life. The O’Haire Memorial Cup for Mayo secondary colleges ensures his memory remains alive for all those who knew and loved him. A native of Cregduff, Ballinrobe, he played colleges football in the 1950s with Ballinrobe CBS. He also played underage, junior and senior football with Ballinrobe from the 1950s through to the 1970s. He won O’Mara Cup medals in 1956, 1958, 1962 and ’967, and a cherished Mayo Junior Football Championship in 1958. In 1959, he played for Mayo at junior level. At club level, he also served as club secretary and was chairman at the time of his untimely death in Flanagan Park on September 5th, 1996. Within the club, he was an ever-present presence who cared only for the advancement of the club and its players – at time of crisis, he was a shrewd and calming figure. He coached teams at all levels to divisional and county success. Outside of Ballinrobe, Christy became a prominent referee. He was chairman of the South Mayo Board for eleven years till 1990. He was also involved with the Mayo Under 21 board when they won the All Ireland in 1974 and chairman when they claimed the title again in 1983. He was a selector with the 1989 Mayo senior team which reached the All-Ireland senior final and he also served as a selector with the Mayo minors in the 1990s. Christy loved his football and his commitment to underage development is honoured in the O’Haire Memorial Cup. In September 1996, when Christy died, Mayo were hot on the trail of All-Ireland glory, just as they are now. There was a real poignancy about the sight of so many green and red flags hanging from local buildings as Christy’s remains moved through the town. May this great servant of Ballinrobe and Mayo rest in peace. His contribution will never be forgotten.  

Ballinrobe GAA will use the new GAA online management system Foireann for all renewals and new registrations for the upcoming season. It is the first time that the GAA has brought all its associations under one umbrella, namely GAA, LGFA, Camogie and Handball associations. The vast majority of Ballinrobe Players and members will already have a username and password for Foireann. This is the Return to Play link used during the 2020 season to submit your Health Questionnaires. Foireann can be used by members to process Return to Play health declarations, membership payments and sharing of information relating to teams within a club. For Members who do not have an account with Foireann or new members we have information on how to set up your account, create a profile and complete registration.  New user of Foireann: If you a Club Member who is not involved in playing or are registering yourself or your child for the first time you will need to set up a Foireann account. Click on video below which outlines the steps involved in setting up an account. Then go to https://returntoplay.gaa.ie/   Once you have registered a Foireann account you are now in a position to create a profile. select your membership and complete the registration process. We understand that you may be the parent of a member, and not registering yourself.  That is fine, just follow the steps that work for your household. The first step is to register all those who want to be members. Adding Child: As the account holder, you are covered through the Profile Section. You then need to add your son/daughter and create their Profile to register. See Step 2 below to assist you with adding a child. Once you have everyone’s details submitted, please move to the Membership tab which will guide you to which membership package suits your household.  See Step 3 below. If you are registering your daughter, please select the LGFA option in the membership option for Youth Player for girls born from 2004 to 2012.    Existing Users of Foireann (Return to Play)  Foireann can be accessed through www.foireann.ie and entering your username and password. Many of you will have used this system in 2020 for Return to Play – Health Questionnaire. If you need you can reset your password to gain access using the forgot password process. On entry to the site, you will be presented with a Dashboard and will see a list of options on the left-hand side of the screen. Updating Your Profile In order to make the most of the Foireann, you will need to update your profile using the tabs on the left-hand side of the screen. The system is user-friendly and the more information you include from the outset, the more adaptive it will be going forward. Step 1: Update your Profile  You should complete the basic details on your personal profile as requested, much of it will already be in place from your Return to Play data from last season. Medical Information Remember to include all relevant medical information, which may be needed in case of emergency. This information will only be visible to members of the Executive Committee who use it as part of their specific roles, e.g., Secretary or Children’s Officer Club(s) The most important part of this section is to align your profile with Ballinrobe, which can be done by using the drop-down menus. Communications Finally, tick all relevant boxes relating to communications you wish to receive from the club during the year. Note that if you do not give permission for Club Communications, you accept that you will not receive information relating to the AGM by email.     Step 2: Create your Family (if needed) Completing this section correctly is vital if you wish to take out a family membership with the club. You will need to add additional Parents / Guardians and Children – updating their profiles as you did your own. See Step 1. When adding additional Parents / Guardians, they will be notified and requested to confirm and update their profile and accept the invite.  Please wait until the additional Parent/Guardian has accepted the invite so all Family members are linked, and then complete your registration for Family membership. You many need to log in at a later stage to complete. When you move forward to complete your family membership, it can only be done by pre-populating information you have already provided to the system. It is your responsibility to ensure that each member of your family has a Foireann account and that you have linked your family together.   If you have any further queries on creating a Family please click on this link https://gmssupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/categories/360002833679-Families   Step 3: Membership Once all the above has been completed you are now in a position to set up your membership for the 2021 season. For our Ladies Club, please select the LGFA option in the membership for girls born from 2004 to 2012 and likewise any LGFA Coach needs to also select LGFA. All female non-players in a family should tick GAA (not LFGA) when editing their profile You will see the following Membership options on the screen. Please select the membership option which best suits and make the relevant payment. Membership Types: Type Cost Notes Adult Player €100 This is a Full Membership that entitles the person to play and to vote at the AGM Student Player €60 This is a Full Membership and entitles the person to play and to vote at the AGM. You will be asked for proof of your student/apprentice status Non-Playing Adult €50 This is a Full Membership and entitles the person to vote at the AGM. Adult Club Ballinrobe €150 Available to Players & Non players. This is a Full Membership. Club Ballinrobe includes: * 1 x €100 Ticket for Mayo GAA Development Draw * Entry into Weekly Club Lotto Draw * Voting rights at the AGM Youth Player (1st Child) €60 Player under the age of 18 on 1/1/21 This membership