Great turnout in Ballon to celebrate community centre’s tenth birthday
Mr. Happy having fun with Adbik Garkusha and Anastasia and Olexandra Mitrin
A DECADE enjoyed as a focal point of its community, Ballon came together recently to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Ballon Community and Sports Centre.
Over the years, the centre has been home to a host of clubs, groups and committees, many of whom came along to celebrate this important milestone for the centre.
Indeed, almost 300 people from the village and the wider area called in during the celebratory afternoon, with music, delicious food and a free raffle for everyone who came long.
“We’d an absolutely bumper event, a great turnout,” said Helen Castle from the centre’s committee and one of the organisers of the tenth anniversary celebration.
“We’d a brilliant afternoon, it couldn’t have gone any better,” she added.
Those attending enjoying music throughout the afternoon, while there were also performances from Kirwan Academy of Irish Dance, including the school’s under-12 céilí team, which claimed a world title earlier this year at Killarney’s INEC.
Wonderful dancing, too, from Dance Republic, the local dance school led by Robyn Curran.
A free barbecue was available to everyone who attended, with meat supplied by Michael McAssey and catering by Red Pepper. All attending were also welcome to enter a free raffle with lots of prizes up for grabs.
The anniversary celebrations were organised by Helen Castle and Gerry Maher, while on the day were speeches from chair of Ballon Community and Sports Centre Paul Kavanagh and Bishop Denis Nulty, while MC was Kathleen Fitzgerald.
All spoke about the importance of the centre in the community and the vital facilities it provides to so many groups and organisations, including the local camogie club, hurling club, Community Games, indoor soccer and lots of other community gatherings and occasions.
