Fingal Council support Leinster safe restart of cricket

Cricket Leinster and Fingal Council today unveiled it has partnered to provide additional support for Fingal clubs to not only restart, but to do so safely and have junior coaching sessions as the centrepiece of relaunching cricket for all in the region.

Sadly, while senior cricket has a road map, the COVID-19 shutdown means the loss of all schools’ cricket in Ireland, and this is a particularly hard loss for Leinster, leaving many young cricketers who would have participated in the union's competitions (Leprechaun Cup & Super leagues) without cricket this year.

Rather than waiting until the new school term, the Cricket Development Manager for Fingal & Cricket Leinster will be offering the Fingal clubs free coaching sessions for their young cricketers. This will be delivered alongside integrated support for on-going Fingal club junior plans, strengthening the club's links to the local schools and the opportunities for the club officials to discuss their development plans for 2021.

Fingal County Council principal sports officer Marion Brown was delighted to support the programme adding “Fingal County Council welcomes this fantastic initiative created by Cricket Leinster. We encourage all the Fingal clubs to take up these coaching opportunities and to make them memorable and productive days for their junior members. Cricket Leinster has put forward an impressive education and engagement plan with the clubs to enable them not only to restart, but to show that it is done safely. Fingal Council welcomes these plans to support club’s restart, junior development, community engagement, inclusive work and as a result the council put their full public support behind these plans”.

Brian O’Rourke CDM with Fingal was pleased by the initial feedback from Fingal clubs. “We are delighted that from the initial idea, we have received such passionate support from all involved. This shutdown does not change our goals, it just strengthens our resolve to make cricket a sport available to all in Fingal, played and practised using the best facilities available to us. All the sessions will be run adhering to Government social distancing guidelines and full health and safety measures will be in place. We have developed and communicated coaching plans with our clubs to help minimize the damage done by the shutdown. Added to this, and to make up for the loss of contact time this summer, we have a plan in place already to run a six-week series of indoor competitions at Gormanston College during October & November, with more plans to be unveiled later in the year”.

The confirmed coaching schedule involving full-day activities, starting on Monday, June 15^th is as follows:

Monday: Balbriggan CC

Tuesday: North County CC

Wednesday: Rush CC

Thursday: The Hills CC

Friday: Phoenix CC

Saturday: Malahide CC