And just like that, another season of Gaelic games in the capital has come and gone. Thanks a million to all players, members, supporters, sponsors, and committee members for your commitment, contribution, and support to our wee club over the past year. 

After the relatively good fortune we've had on the COVID front over the last two years, we're not sure many people would've expected us to finish the season without playing in any competitive tournaments.  

Still, we enjoyed plenty in-house action over the season. With this year's New Zealand Championships cancelled, our teams across the four codes put their months of training to good use and played some in-house games over a couple of weekends in March to bring the season to a close. We already can't wait to see you all fighting fit for the 2022/23 season. 
 

Laura McQuillan (left), Rosie McDonagh (centre) and Noleen Donlon after the final game of the season – and their final game for the club – at Ian Galloway Park on 19 March.

Our annual awards night will take place on Saturday 9 April from 6.30pm at Whistling Sisters. While our teams haven't played in any national tournaments this year, we still have plenty reasons to celebrate another season of Gaelic games in the capital. And remember, we have a great many individual awards to present for both on-field and off-field performances. There will be music on the night, and we’ll have a banquet/buffet-style spread. In the meantime, check out the night's runsheet below, and see our award winners of yesteryear here.

6.30pm: arrival and drinks
7–7.45pm: banquet 
8pm: awards ceremony starts
9pm: band commences, and dessert platters are served

Our AGM is scheduled for Wednesday 20 April at 6pm upstairs in Whistling Sisters. We encourage all current members and anyone wishing to join the club to attend.

We'll be discussing the year gone, our plans for the coming year, and we're also looking to fill some positions on the committee. If you're interested in getting involved, flick a message to president@wellingtongaa.com.

The annual Australasia GFHA convention was held in Melbourne on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 of March. Club secretary Tiaré Verenitani and President Davey Rynne attended (virtually) on behalf of the club. Below are some of the key talking points from this year's convention.

Gerard Roe has announced that he is stepping down from his role as secretary of the Australasian GFHA by the start of next year’s convention. A recruitment process will start in six months to find a replacement for this position. We're sure Gerard will have a migthy send off, but, for now, we'd like to thank him for his decades of service to the association.

Victoria has offered to host the Australasian State Games in 2022. The tournament is provisionally pencilled in for Thursday 29 September to Saturday 1 October. The senior competitions will be nine a side, with squads of 14 permitted. For intermediate competitions, 11-, 13-, and 15-a-side formats will be considered.

States need to let the Australasian secretary know of their intentions to field teams by Friday 8 April. A decision on whether the games go ahead will made following that. So, if you're interested in representing Wellington and New Zealand at this prestigious tournament, let your coach know today.

The GAA World Games are due to be held in Ireland (in Waterford or Mayo) in July or August 2023. There's plenty discussion yet to happen around player eligibility and competition format, and we hope to know more in July when Croke Park announce the tournament rules.

The Australasia Gaelic Football & Hurling Association was founded in 1974 and will turn half a century old in 2024. Plans for the milestone are yet to be made, but Australasia GFHA's new public relations officer Pauric McGrath will propose ideas for the golden celebrations during the year.
 

We are joining thousands of people across Ireland and the world for sunrise on Saturday 7 May to walk in support of people affected by suicide and self-harm.

We'll gather at Odlins Plaza (outside Mac's Brewbar) at 6.30am before starting the 2.5km walk to Roseneath Memorial Park, and back to Odlins Plaza. You can support the walk by making donations/registering through the links below:

Make a full donation to Lifeline Aotearoa

Purchase a registered ticket (50% of the proceeds go to Lifeline Aotearoa; 50% to Pieta House)

We won't have the official merchandise for 2022, so we'll hand out t-shirts held from previous years. There's a limited supply so the t-shirts will be handed out from 6am on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you have any questions about the event, contact club secretary Tiaré Verenitani at secretary@wellingtongaa.com. We look forward to seeing you there.

With the majority of our players and members hailing from the opposite side of the globe, sadly, bidding farewell to dear friends becomes a common and inevitable occurrence. 

In recent months, several of our dedicated players and members over the last few years will be leaving these shores and heading back to the motherland. Thanks to each of you for your enormous contribution to the club over the years. You'll be missed dearly by all at the club, but, as they say, it's not a 'goodbye', but a 'see you later'. 

Players and members who are leaving soon/who have left in 2022 include: Michael Keegan; Noleen Donlon and Conor Tierney; Maeve Magennis and Michael Archer; Joanne Kiely and Tony Ling; Rosie and Ger McDonagh; and Gemma and Emmet Whelan, and family.

Emmet Whelan (right) presenting Brian Gahan of the Hutt Valley Irish Society with his Australasia hurling jersey from the 2016 World Games. Emmet, who has recently returned to Ireland with Gemma and family, has been in Wellington since 2013 and has been a central figure at the club, particularly for the club's hurlers. 

Unfortunately, the two remaining sessions of the kids Gaelic games season were cancelled due to inclement weather. Nevertheless, we're glad to have had another great season of Gaelic games for the young'uns. We'll be back again next summer and we hope to continue the growth of the games in the Wellington region. Huge thanks to our youth officer Siobhán Cotter who led the programme in Wellington this year, and to Dan Doyle and Donal Kavanagh who kept the games alive on the Kāpiti coast.

If you or anyone you know has kids who may be interested in playing, get in touch. Remember, you can also follow us on Facebook at Kids GAA Wellington and Kāpiti Kids Gaelic Football for more info. Lastly, thanks once again to Hutt Valley Irish Society for their incredible support of kids Gaelic games over the 2021/22 season.