The GAA's All Star football tour to Dubai later this month will feature several members of Kerry's All-Ireland winning team. While the travelling party is still being finalised, it is expected the majority of players from the 2006 and 2005 All Star selections will feature in the tour's exhibition game on January 27th.
Tour sponsors Vodafone were left slightly red-faced a year ago when the then All-Ireland hurling champions Cork weren't represented by a single player on the tour to Singapore. Kerry gained six All Star awards in 2006, and four in 2005, and at least five of those players have committed to the tour, which runs from January 23rd-28th.
There will be the inevitable withdrawals due to injury and other commitments, including Tyrone's Philip Jordan, who won an All Star at wing back in 2005. It's the second All Star tour to Dubai after the similar football tour six years ago, hosted by one of the GAA's largest overseas clubs, the Dubai Celts.
GAA president Nickey Brennan recently defended the purpose and value of the tour, despite the large number of defections in previous years: "Clearly there is the issue of counties going on holidays of their own at this time of year, but we still feel it's an opportunity to bring our players away. Vodafone are very keen to do it too, and so the trip is still an important element to the overall awards scheme . . . we're already looking at a couple of locations for the hurling trip in January of 2008."
Elsewhere, several of the country's leading GAA clubs were honoured yesterday as part of the 2006/'07 AIB Community Challenge. Ballinderry Shamrocks and Crossmaglen (Ulster), Rhode and Moorefield (Leinster), St Brigid's and Loughrea (Connacht), and The Nire and Toomevara (Munster) were named as the overall winners for their respective province in the provincial championship stage of the competition, with each club receiving €1,000 towards club equipment and development.
Clubs were judged on the support shown in their community in the run-up to each of their games, and the support of their fans at every match. The judging panel comprised Cork's John Allen, Galway's Michael Meehan, Armagh's Tony McEntee and Offaly's Gary Hanniffy.
The winners are entered in the overall Community Challenge, where they could win prizes ranging in value from €1,000 to €5,000 towards club equipment, based on the same criteria. Cork club Erin's Own also received a special "Beyond the Call of Duty" award, based on the efforts of club secretary Tom Kavanagh.
Crossmaglen, Moorefield, St Brigid's, Loughrea and Toomevara also have the opportunity to increase their prize-money, as all five are still in contention for the All-Ireland club championships, and the top supporters' prize of €5,000.
Crossmaglen have welcomed back the injured pair of Aaron Kernan and Francie Bellew ahead of their semi-final with St Brigid's next month. Both missed the Ulster final win over Derry champions Ballinderry Shamrock's.
There were fears full-back Bellew would need an operation on his shoulder while wing back Kernan recently had the plaster removed from his broken arm.
