Community Games launches a full programme of events for 2023 in Carlow

LtoR Phyllis Farrell, Community Games Director, Paul Doogue, Chairman Carlow Community Games, Mayor of Carlow Fintan Phelan, David Hoysted Community Games CEO, Cllr Brian O'Donoghue Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, Gerry McGuiness, Community Games President, Jane Walsh Community Games Communications Director

Community Games came together with Carlow County Council in the beautiful surrounds of the newly refurbished The Exchange building in Carlow town to announce Carlow as the new home for three of the larger finals. SETU, with their range of top class facilities and running track, will be the home for the athletics and outdoor teams national final events after their successful management of the athletics finals in 2021/2022.

Community Games is delighted to be back with a full programme of events for 2023 following the covid break. An estimated 160,000 children will take part in Community Games events across the year from all over the Rep of Ireland with an estimated 9,000 children making it to National Final events throughout the year.
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LtoR Paul Doogue Chairman Carlow Community Games, Emma Lucy O'Brien Visual CEO, Mayor of Carlow Fintan Phelan, Gerry McGuiness Community Games President, Cllr Brian O'Donoghue BA, Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, David Denieffe Vice President SETU Carlow

​The VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art and George Bernard Shaw Theatre will be the home for the highly acclaimed Community Games Arts National Finals where children from all over Ireland will represent their County in a host of events from Art, Handwriting, Model Making, Music, Singing, dance and much more. This lively and colourful event will be open to the public with lots of entertainment on offer. 

Cllr Brian O'Donoghue Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council

​Cllr. Brian O'Donoghue  - added ‘As Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council it’s a source of great pride for me, the council and the County at large to be the new home of some of the largest Community Games finals.
A partnership between the local authority and community games makes absolute sense. We proudly put forward the councils own Visual and George Bernard Shaw Theatre, our world class contemporary art centre as a fitting host and as a University town, our county town is ready and able to host and welcome all our guests and huge thanks must go to Veronica Campbell and all at SETU Carlow. It is my hope that this partnership can be reflected across the whole country in the years to come.

​Speaking at the announcement in the Carlow Exchange building, Mayor of Carlow Fintan Phelan said the following ‘This is an incredibly exciting time for Carlow with the arrival of three large Community Games National Finals for the next three years! As Mayor of our Town I am looking forward to welcoming young people and their families from all across our Country to Carlow, they won’t be disappointed with what we have to offer in particular the excellent facilities in the South East Technological University and Visual Carlow’.

Vice President of SETU Carlow David Denieffe saying a few words at the annoucement in Carlow which sees SETU and VISUAL Carlow host 3 of the major Community Games National Finals for the next three years

Gerry McGuiness President of Community Games also spoke at the announcement and thanked Cllr. Brian O'Donoghue Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council and Fintan Phelan Mayor of Carlow for their valued support and all the hard work done behind the scenes to bring these very large events to one County. The facilities on offer and the support of all the host venues has made this move a seamless one and I am personally looking forward to welcoming the larger Community Games family to Carlow later in the year. 

​David Denieffe – Vice President South East Technological University was in attendance at Carlow Exchange and shared the following -
‘We are delighted that Carlow has been chosen as the home for the Community Games Arts, Athletics and Outdoor Team National Finals. At South East Technological University we are building a great relationship with Community Games after successfully hosting the Track and Field Championships in 2021 and 2022. We now look forward to growing this partnership by adding the Outdoor Team events to the list of events hosted on our state of the art facilities at our South Sports Campus.’

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LtoR David Hoysted Community Games CEO, Gerry McGuinness, Community Games President, Emma Lucy O'Brien, CEO and Artistic Director, VISUAL, Niall Scully, Finance Manager, VISUAL, Derek Blanche, Events @ Front of House Manager, VISUAL, Michael Florin Cahill, Theatre Manager, VISUAL

David Hoysted CEO of Community Games acknowledged the ground work done by everyone in Carlow County Council and by Carlow Community Games in bringing these large events to Carlow and complimented the facilities on offer and the support they provided for the 2022 Arts Finals in Carlow College, St.Patricks, The Visual and Athletics finals in SETU. We look forward to this new collaboration making the 2023  even larger.

Nerilie Duffey said Carlow College, St Patrick's is proud to be one of the host organisations for the Community Games for the coming years. The College has a long history of working closely with community groups and promoting arts and culture within Carlow. We are looking forward to welcoming the range of events that will be hosted on our campus.
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Emma Lucy O’Brien – CEO & Artistic Director, Visual Carlow made the following valid points  ‘The health and happiness of our communities relies on initiatives like Community games, as a cultural experience it recognises the importance and interconnectedness of physical, mental and social wellbeing. VISUAL is very proud to be one of the host organisations for the coming years and looks forward to working with the Community Games team and to welcoming thousands of participants from all over, to Carlow.’

Paul Doogue - Chairman of Carlow Committee Games

​Paul Doogue - Chairman of Carlow Committee Games closed the announcement by saying ‘Carlow Community Games are honoured for some of the National finals to be held in Carlow for the next three years. As chairman I’d like to welcome everyone to Carlow and looking forward to seeing all of you’ 

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2023 promises to be a very busy year for Community Games with an estimated 9,000 children expected across National Final events representing their County in everything from Soccer to Singing to Swimming to Skittles. Find out how you can get involved at www.communitygames.ie/counties

​The full 2023 calendar of Community Games National Final events for is now available at www.communitygames.ie/calendar with details for all National finals including Indoor team events, swimming and more.

Carlow Community Games LtoR Mairead Breen, Dick Fitzgerald, Liam Lyons, Paul Doogue, Barry Byrne, Mayor of Carlow Fintan Phelan, Stephanie O'Neill and Eileen Lyons

LtoR Donal McNally Director of Sport SETU, David Denieffe Vice President SETU, Gerry McGuiness Community Games President, David Hoysted Community Games CEO, Paula Hickey, Sports Office SETU