A message from the Chairperson,

Our football club has reached record membership numbers this season with over 630 players registered. These massive numbers provide excellent opportunities and for the club as we head into 2019.

I want to pay tribute to the volunteers that donate their time freely and without whom, we would not exist. Our coaches, executive committee, development committee, tournament officials, parents, thank you. I am proud to be involved with a club that can offer all the benefits of team sports and exercise to such a large number of members. A new initiative in 2018 was our Football For All programme. It has been a great success and thank you to the volunteers that have made it possible, especially our dedicated coach that shares a surname with the new Ireland football manager, and who would not appreciate being mentioned!

Our club‘s main sponsor is The Galway Clinic. Over the years we have formed a great relationship that facilitates the club to improve the physical, mental and social health of the communities of Maree and Oranmore through sport. A big thank you to the board and staff at The Galway Clinic and I hope we can look forward to working together for many years to come.

I wish to thank our friends in the community development associations in Oranmore and Maree who provide the facilities we currently use, to allow every team to train every week and play home matches, including the St Columba’s Credit Union sponsored invitational tournament that brings over 500 people to the village of Oranmore each Sunday.

The club now has full planning permission to build a full size 4G pitch in Maree. An application for a Sports Capital Grant was made n October where we applied for a maximum €150,000 allocation. We should hear back in March. If successful we expect the work on the new pitch to start soon after that. A special mention to all the people who contribute to the members draw, you have been fantastic. We are exploring ways to acknowledge your support permanently in the new development, such as a wall of names or other permanent structure.

If all our plans for 2019 come to light, we will need more volunteers to help ensure the future of the club. We have previously formed a fund raising committee and we are looking for volunteers to bring ideas and support fundraising, I hope you can help.

This time of year can be difficult for some people and our thoughts are with members, family and friends who has lost loved ones this year, or who find themselves in difficulty. Our thoughts are with you. We are a close community and happy to help anyway we can.

On behalf of everyone from Maree Oranmore FC, I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year. Here’s to continued success in 2019 to all involved.

Yours in sport

David Watterson, MOFC Chairperson