Longford’s Clonguish ladies back to defend title in Paidi O Se football festival

The six team competition sees Clonguish up against Kerry’s Corca Dhuibhne, Meath’s Ratoath GAA, Newbridge Sarsfields of Kildare, Galway’s Caltra GAA and Ballyroan Abbey GAA, Laois.

As sporting events emerge from the aftermath of Covid restrictions, the GAA community at large will be delighted to hear that the famed Gaelic football club tournament is back. Dedicated to keeping the spirit alive of the famed Kerry footballing legend Páidí Ó Sé, the festival is a celebration of all that is great about the club game on and off the pitch.

14 counties across the four provinces of Ireland will take part in the 33rd edition of the Lidl Comórtas Peile Páidí Ó Sé, with 20 adult men’s and ladies club teams at senior and junior level coming for a weekend of competitive football and social events at Páidí Ó Sé’s pub in Ventry, West Kerry.

Some familiar faces will be lining out over the weekend including Ratoath’s own radio and TV sports broadcaster Aisling O’Reilly as well as The Corona’s frontman Danny O’Reilly with Dublin’s Templeogue Synge Street GAA.

The football festival, which was cancelled due to Covid-19 in 2021, is supported by Lidl Ireland, McKeever Sports, EJ Menswear, Kerry County Council Tourism Unit, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Lee Strand Milk, and has attracted over 17,000 club players since it was founded in 1989.

Comórtas Chairman, Pádraig Óg Ó Sé said; “You can’t keep a good thing down. We are thrilled to get back on our feet and maintain Páidí’s vision to host a major GAA club gathering in West Kerry every year. When restrictions opened up, we received a flood of interest from clubs including senior title holders Clonguish wondering would we be going ahead and we are pleased to have secured club representatives from all over Ireland in a matter of weeks.”

Pádraig Óg Ó Sé continued; “A special mention is due to Lidl who are in the fifth year of their partnership with us and who have contributed enormously to promoting ladies’ football in the country having recently extended their LGFA sponsorship up to 2025.

"We are grateful to our local partners Lee Strand Milk, Kerry County Council Tourism Unit and Údarás na Gaeltachta who are backing us also to continue with the Comórtas, which has become a big benefit in terms of local tourism. We are also delighted that fashion retailers EJMenswear of Sligo, who are related to the Ó Sé family, as well as McKeever Sports are partnering up with us to ensure it will be a weekend to remember.”

Michael Collins, Sales Operations Manager with Lidl Ireland said; "We are delighted to continue our partnership with this year’s Comórtas Peile Páidi Ó Sé for a fifth year. We are committed to supporting and promoting women in sport and this sponsorship ties in with our overall strategy, having recently announced an extension of our partnership with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association through to 2025 which brings a total commitment of €10 million investment in 10 years of sponsorship.”

Full details available on www.Paidiose.com

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