Child Welfare and Safeguarding Webinar

Please find below information from the Child Welfare and Safeguarding Webinar recently presented by Child Welfare and Safeguarding Committee Croke Park.

Just a few updates before you read below

  1. Compliance with all Child Welfare and Safeguarding is a mandatory legal requirement. This means that all clubs must have a Children’s Officer by law and all adults who are involved with players under eighteen years of age must be in compliance with Child Welfare and Safeguarding regulations. This is the law of the land.
  2. Garda Vetting Policy has now changed to three years. All those previously vetted in 2016 to 2018 must now submit a new vetting application as well as all new mentors etc.
  3. The 3-year condition, within which a person was permitted to renew their Child Safeguarding Training, by either attending another face to face workshop or undertake the online safeguarding refresher has been temporarily extended to five years. This three to five-year extension is until the end of June 2021.
  4. Every Club Executive Committee must carry out a Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment and then publish a revised Child Safeguarding statement by 31 May 2021.

A template Risk Assessment document will be issued in April along with a Child Safeguarding Statement. The templates may be used to commence the process. A special webinar will also take place in April.

The Club Executive Committee must agree their Risk Assessment outcomes and Child Safeguarding Statement date/time to be recorded.

  1. The updated Garda Vetting List and Safeguarding 1 list is due very shortly from Croke Park. If you follow the Webinar you will note that the Ulster Counties had been completed by February 20th. Connacht is next to be sent out followed by the Munster Counties. I will send out the list to all clubs once I receive them.
  2. I cannot overstress the importance of having a good record of all matters relating to players under eighteen years of age in the matter of Child Welfare and Safeguarding. You will need it in the event of any engagement with outside statutory body on Child Welfare issues. Ensure that all matters are approved and minuted by the club adult executive committee. This includes the approval of everybody involved in whatever capacity with these players.
  3. These are very uncertain times for all of us. Many young people are finding it particularly difficult. I would urge all clubs to check in on these players and on other vulnerable teenagers in our communities and ensure that they know that support is available.

This is the link to the recording of the Webinar.

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTMyOWJlMmYtMmFhNi00NTVhLWIxNzMtZjc0YTQyNTI4ZGFh%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22ac45bc86-afd4-42a5-9fc3-3e87e1b77fce%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2256feba89-9c9e-4a91-8eee-7758ca583ad8%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d

The slides to go with the Webinar may be found in the Child Safeguarding Information 4MB attached file. You will also find the 50 answers to the Q & A session at the webinar in the Child Safeguarding Information 225KB attached file.

Below are details on a Study called ADAPT being carried out by NUI Galway on the effects of Covid19 on the lives of our teenagers. More details are available on this study in the first part of the webinar – both in the oral presentation and in the slides.

Le gach dea ghuí,

Eoghan O’Connor, Cork GAA Children’s Officer

 

ADAPT STUDY: how Adolescents Deal with and Adjust to Pandemic restrictions
About the study:
A team of psychologists at NUI, Galway and Trinity College Dublin are keen to understand
how the COVID-19 pandemic and the various restrictions that are in place, are impacting on
the lives of teenagers and how they have impacted on the wellbeing of teenagers.
What is involved?
Teenagers are invited to take part in 3 short surveys over the next 12 months. You need to
either be in attendance at secondary school or between the ages of 12-18 years.
If you would like to take part, please discuss this with your parent/guardian. Your parent or
guardian needs to complete a consent form.
Where can I find the Parent/Guardian Consent form:
Information for parents/guardians is available here. This website also contains a link to the
parent consent form:
https://www.adaptresearchstudy.com/study-information/information-for-parents
How do I complete the survey?
Parents/guardians provide an email address for you, as part of their consent form. Then we
ask you to keep an eye on your email, as we will send you a link to our survey by email. You
will also need to fill out a form which tells us whether you want to take part or not.
For further information see our website: https://www.adaptresearchstudy.com/home
Information for teenagers can be found here: https://www.adaptresearchstudy.com/studyinformation/information-for-teenagers

Dr. Caroline Heary, from the National University of Ireland is the study lead if you wish to
contact her (caroline.heary@nuigalway).

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Cúl Camp applications close on Friday, March 5

A chara,

This is a call to clubs who are considering hosting a Kellogg’s Cúl Camp. Rebel Óg Coaching are seeking expressions of interest from clubs for summer 2021.

This must be submitted by Friday, March 5.

 National policy of the GAA is that clubs will only get permission to run a camp if the first camp is an official Cúl Camp.

On the form below you are asked to pick a preferred and alternative date, there are no guarantees of your club receiving these dates. It will be done on a first come first served basis with a capacity of 15 camps per week.

Some background information to help inform your decision is as follows:

  • Camps to run over 5 days with no exceptions for week of August 2nd.
  • Coach : participant ratio of 2:10
  • All coaches must be 18+, garda vetted, safeguarding course & foundation coaching course completed.
  • Camp fee is €65 with all kits being home delivered at an additional cost of €7.80.
  • The kit/bag will be identical to that distributed at the 2020 camps.
  • Rebel Og Coaching will supply one suitably qualified coach or head coach to each camp venue but coordinators will still need to be provided by the clubs.
  • Covid restrictions are likely to be in place which will limit capacity. Sanitation stations will have to be set up along with Health Questionnaires being completed by participants daily.

If your club has no co-ordinator at present, we recommend that you put in your underage secretary’s  name to avoid disappointment with your dates.

This can be added/changed at a later date.

FORM LINK :

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3W7nQCLAdaYM8hdrHsUmI9_lAaNJTL7lDrMcxkE3ve-cyvQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

 Our County Coordinator is Paudie O Brien and if you have any queries, please e mail paudie.obrien.gda.cork@gaa.ie

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Message to U8 coaches from Cork GDAs

Could you please pass on the link attached to all head coaches working with the U8 age groups and down.
We will be sharing specific content for these age groups in the coming weeks whilst in lockdown. Weekly correspondence will be shared with the coaches on various topics such as Online Coaching, preparing to return to the pitch, getting ready for Go Games as well as workshops on topics specific to the age groups.
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ONLINE COACHING OF CHILDREN – GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

The temporary postponement of our games, training, and coaching sessions during the Covid pandemic has undoubtedly impacted on many of us and in particular on our underage teams and the children and young people* in our Clubs, i.e. those under 18 yrs. of age, including their families.

It is however always gratifying to hear that despite the restrictions that may be placed upon us we have developed a number of new resources and services to offset some of this impact that includes the use of communication platforms enabling us to deliver live or recorded training programmes, Officer Training, Safeguarding Training, numerous webinars, and the live online coaching sessions** for players of all age groups.

Live online coaching sessions for children are particularly welcomed and will assist children to maintain their links with the Club and participate in much valued physical activity.

We should however always be cognisant of the fact that some children, for a variety of reasons, may not be able to participate in these online activities or may find them unsuitable to their needs.

With the correct guidance and good practices in place, we wish to support all such initiatives, so that coaches and units may deliver live online coaching sessions in a safe and enjoyable environment, through the use of secure online communications. This online coaching guidance for children and young people under 18 yrs. has been developed following consultation with statutory authorities, the Gaelic Games Associations, Games and coaching personnel, volunteer coaches, and parents. In addition to the online coaching sessions, we encourage the use of pre-recorded online resources, accessible at https://learning.gaa.ie/coachingresources.

This Guidance forms part of our Code of Behaviour (Underage).

Good practice and safety requirements

• Online coaching sessions should be conducted via the Microsoft Teams platform which is our preferred platform option for such purposes – other equivalent tools do exist but are not covered by GAA/LGFA/Camogie governance mechanisms

• Signed consent from a parent is required prior to the child participating in any Club or County online coaching sessions

• It is not permitted to take screenshots of individual children or groups of children who are participating in live online coaching sessions

• Coaches who deliver a coaching session as part of an in-school activity may be required by the school to use the school’s preferred platform. In some instances, this may not be our preferred Microsoft Teams app but as this is a school-based or school-approved activity this will be permissible

• Approved Association skills challenges/competitions/charity events should be facilitated in line with the Skills Challenges Protocol available https://www.gaa.ie/api/pdfs/image/upload/gujvmtqymbj1a6pzovws.pdf

Microsoft Teams

• Microsoft Teams is a virtual communication platform hosted on Microsoft Office 365. It enables a range of services such as video conferencing, messaging, and file storage

• Teams is free to use platform and can be accessed by anyone with an email address.

• An online coaching session must be created by the use of an official @gaa, @lgfa, or @camogie account as this will enable more control and provide greater security when delivering a session e.g. use an existing person’s or officers @gaa, @lgfa or @ camogie account.

• There is no charge to a Club when they use the official @gaa, @lgfa, or @camogie account

• Features available to the meeting host include the following:

o The host does not have the ability to turn off an individual’s camera but may turn off all cameras as required

o The chat functionality cannot be turned off during a Teams coaching session

o Parents must submit the email address to the host coach, on behalf of their child, to enable the issuing of an invitation to them

o It is this email address that shall invite parents to avail of the coaching session for their child

o The email address of a person under 18 yrs. shall not be accepted for such purposes

o Attendees can be muted/ unmuted

o Attendees can be removed from the meeting

• Children should be instructed not to use the chat function unless directly engaging with the coach.

For more information on Microsoft Teams please see the Teams users guide https://www.gaa.ie/api/pdfs/image/upload/lg8bomcg2tray2dtu56s.pdf

Setting up and delivering a coaching session

• An official @gaa.ie, @lgfa, @camogie address must be used to set up the online session on behalf of the coach. Please contact the Club Secretary or Children’s Officer to facilitate this

• Each event must have an individual and newly created invitation

• The coach(es) should have their camera and microphone on at all times, except during breaks or in exceptional circumstances • Children should join the session with their microphone mute and their camera off and should only turn these on at the request or under the direction of the coach in charge

Coaches

• Coaches must receive permission and use an official existing email address from their Club or County, as relevant, to deliver online coaching sessions

• At a minimum 2 coaches (or 1 coach and 1 nominated responsible adult) are required to deliver a coaching session in accordance with agreed supervisory ratios

• One person, delivering the online coaching must be nominated as the lead coach

• It is the lead coach who must act as the point of contact for each coaching session and shall also be the responsible person should it be necessary to make administrative or disciplinary decisions in relation to the delivery of the coaching

• If the young people participating include both male and females the coaches/nominated responsible adults must also include a male/female presence

• At a minimum, coaches must have achieved a Foundation/ /FUNdamentals level coaching qualification, must be satisfactorily vetted, and have attended relevant Child Safeguarding Training

• The responsible adult, if not a qualified coach, shall be deemed a Supervisor of Children. and must be satisfactorily vetted and must have attended relevant Child Safeguarding Training recognised by our Associations

• Coaches must keep a record of each participant at online coaching sessions

• Coaches and any nominated responsible adults must be in membership of their Gaelic Games Association

• Misbehaviour or conduct of an inappropriate nature may result in the offending person being removed from the session by the lead coach

• Coaches delivering an in-school coaching activity may be required to avail of the platform and existing procedures adopted by the school

Delivering the coaching session – good practice

• During underage online coaching for children and young people the coach should have their camera and microphone on at all times, except during breaks or in exceptional circumstances

• Children should join the session with their microphone mute and their camera off and should only turn these on at the request and with the permission or under the direction of the coach or if deemed necessary when asking a question

• While a camera ‘off and mute’ rule applies to children participating in the session it is recommended that the coach would occasionally request the children, as a group, to turn on their cameras for a short period of time, as this will enable the coach to be aware who is in attendance. Any such instruction will be under the guidance of the lead coach in charge

Children attending the coaching session

• Children participating in online coaching sessions must be in membership of the Club or unit

• Participants must be appropriately dressed when participating in the session • Children who are unwell or injured, should not participate in an online coaching session

• Misbehaviour or conduct of an inappropriate nature may result in the offending person being removed from the session by the lead coach

• Children may not seek to turn on their camera or microphone unless requested to do so by the lead coach

• A ‘chat’ function is available as part of the Microsoft Teams function that may be utilised by the participants or their parents, with the permission of the lead coach

• Children should be instructed not to use the chat function unless directly engaging with the coach.

Parents/Guardians***

• Parents and guardians have a central role to play in supporting the participation of their child(ren) in our online coaching sessions

• The child’s parent must complete a consent form on behalf of their child and submit same to their Club so as to enable their child to participate in an online coaching session.

• Parents shall receive an email inviting their child to participate in the coaching session. This invite may not be shared with any other person(s)

• Parents must undertake to be present or in close proximity to their child while they are participating in the coaching session

• Parents may avail of the ‘chat’ function on behalf of their child if deemed necessary

Clubs/County Boards

• Register and access the FMS/ABC Have a Ball Resources on GAA Learning site https://learning.gaa.ie/coachingresources where additional coaching and skills resources are available to download

• Register and access the FMS/ABC Have a Ball Resources on GAA Learning site https://learning.gaa.ie/coachingresources and the GAA Activity Planner https://learning.gaa.ie/planner/ where additional coaching and skills resources are available to download

• Review the delivery of coaching sessions by their nominated coach

• Note that the parental consent form submitted to enable a child to participate in online coaching has a 12 month recognition period

• Ensure that the content and delivery of all coaching sessions and uploaded recordings are age-appropriate for the participants. To achieve this, each session should be targeted at a specific age group

• Agree on a realistic number of attendees at each session

Injury fund/insurance

• Please note that the provisions of the GAA player injury fund and the LGFA Injury Fund do not extend to cover participants in online coaching. Camogie Clubs are advised to liaise with their broker on any specific cover that applies to them

• Participation in any physical activity has inherent risk and it is the responsibility of the parent /guardians to ensure they have cover in place should their child sustain an accidental injury whilst participating in online coaching

  • Children and young people refer to any person under 18 yrs. of age. Referred to as child hereafter
  • ** Online coaching denotes training and coaching sessions online for children. *** Parent denotes parent or guardian. Referred to as parent(s) hereafter
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GAA demographics webinar – Practical advice for clubs and counties

The GAA’s Community Development Committee, Urban and Rural, is holding a webinar next Tuesday, March 2, from 7 to 8.30pm, which will focus on two areas that can have a significant impact on our Clubs and communities: 1) Demographics, 2) The County Development Plan process. The webinar will focus on how Club and County Committees can respond to these influences.

REGISTER HERE:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hrxFrNSvpUKfwz6H4bd_zkMBbboVayVBmRHxYVDWS4BUMVlJQlZJWVhIUDhXOVVLRk9CN0lQRklBMC4u

You will receive the link to join before the meeting.

What You Will Learn

Part 1 – It is critical for Club and County Committees to identify and understand the impact of demographic changes on Clubs. This webinar will highlight demographic trends and demonstrate how Clubs can utilise their resources and the new Geographic Information System (GIS) toolkit to manage the impact of demographic change.

Part 2 – The webinar will also highlight the impact of Local Authority Planning on our communities and outline how Clubs can engage with this planning process to mitigate some of the effects.

It will be presented by Colm Cummins (Chairperson of the Community Development Committee, and Secretary of the Offaly County Committee).

Notes

  • This webinar is for Club and County Officers.
  • County Officers should join via the Learning Portal as per all webinars to date this year.
  • You must be logged into the Portal before the enrolment link will work. Login at: https://learning.gaa.ie/login
  • You must be a member of the Learning Portal to enrol. Here is the registration guide if you are a first-time user: Revised GAA Elearning Registration Guidelines.pdf

Le meas,

GAA Officer Development Team

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Covid-19 update from GAA president

As you will be aware by now, the Irish Government yesterday published their “Covid 19: Resilience and Recovery 2021” plan. There is no immediate change for sport outlined in the plan and as per our last communication to you, it is clear that no on-field activity will be permitted – even at inter-county level – until Easter at the earliest.

We will be seeking clarity on certain aspects of the provisions on sport in the new Government document and while the document does envisage the return of inter-county games at Level 4 and of some club games in Level 3, it remains impossible to plan a revised Master Fixtures calendar for 2021, as there is no indication at this point of when these Levels may kick in. The exercise is further complicated by the need to align our plans with whatever is permitted by the NI Executive for Counties and clubs in that jurisdiction.

In the interim, and despite any speculation you may read or hear to the contrary, we would again reiterate that the GAA has not decided on what competitions may or may not be facilitated in any revised national fixture programme for 2021. Such decisions will be a factor of how much time is ultimately available to us, both for an inter-county season and for the broader participation levels that will be necessary for a meaningful club season at both adult and underage levels.

The next signpost on the road for society is likely to come in the week leading up to Easter. We will again communicate directly with Counties and Clubs at that point and once Government makes clear whether they see any further relaxing of restrictions (for example allowing inter-county training or games) being permitted.

We also want to assure you that we will publish a revised National Fixtures calendar at the earliest possible opportunity.

We thank you again for your patience and understanding of a very trying situation and we look forward with optimism to the resumption of GAA activities at all levels later in the year.

Is muidne,

Seán Ó hÓrain

Uachtarán

 

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‘Building stronger clubs – securing our future’

The Munster GAA Club Development Programme is a new and exciting initiative that recognises the pivotal role the club plays in all aspects of the GAA.

It is designed to assist and support clubs in developing a structure which empowers volunteers, delivers appropriate coaching inputs, and enhances the club structure to cater adequately for all members.

It will engage with both the adult and juvenile sections. Launching the project Munster GAA Chairman Liam Ó Loineacháin encouraged all county boards and clubs to engage in the programme stating that: “It is our plan to deliver this vitally important programme to each and every club in the Province.”

Every club participating in this initiative will receive a minimum of three visits. It is vital that all sections of the club engage in the process (adult committee, juvenile committee, coaches, officers, administrators, parents etc.).

Games Development Administrators (GDAs) will work closely with other support groups in the county and province to ensure all areas of expertise are made available to the clubs throughout the programme.

An initial audit of all clubs will provide the necessary information to deliver a programme that is suited to the specific needs of every club.

While we would prefer to deliver the programme ‘Face-to-face’, there is a specially adapted ‘on line’ version which ensures that it can be delivered during the current Covid restrictions.

The programme will examine and develop the seven pillars of a successful club: Coaching and Games Development; Volunteers and Recruitment; Communications and PR; Health and Well Being; Finance and Fundraising; Social and Community and Organisational Structures and Governance.

Chairman of Munster GAA Coaching and Games Development committee Gearóid Ó Riain stated that: “While the targets are ambitious, we are confident that we have the programme and the personnel to achieve our aims.

“Our vision is that everybody has the opportunity to be welcomed to take part in our games and culture, to participate fully, to grow and develop and to be inspired to keep a lifelong engagement with our association.”

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Online coaching sessions for juvenile teams

  1. Next Monday night at 8pm, we (Rebel Óg coaching) will host an information webinar for club coaches who may be interested in doing online coaching sessions for their juvenile players. It is proving a very popular alternative for lots of clubs around the country as a method of engaging their club players during the lockdown.
It is primarily aimed at Coaches of 5–10-year-olds, but obviously, all coaches can join as a lot of the content will be relevant.
Topics include:
  • How do we set up online Coaching sessions?
  • Are there regulations we need to be aware of?
  • What medium should we use?
  • What type of content can we actually do online indoors?
  • What are the benefits of actually doing this?
  • Live Questions & Answers.
For any mentors interested, please complete the form below and they will be sent the link Monday afternoon, in advance of the workshop.
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Cork GAA announce sponsorship deal with Sports Direct

Cork GAA are delighted to announce a five-year sponsorship deal with Sports Direct. This partnership will see Sports Direct support our men’s Senior Football and Hurling teams, as well as Minor and Under 20 teams in both codes.

As part of its partnership with Cork GAA, Sports Direct will be providing all panels with personalised access to its full range of boots, an arrangement that will also extend to all members of the backroom teams.

Today’s announcement also sees the release of our new Cork GAA jersey, designed and manufactured in collaboration with O’Neills. The jersey celebrates the three core pillars of club, school and county under Corcaigh that together form the foundation of Cork GAA. It is the clubs, schools and county teams and the army of volunteers contained within that constitutes the unique fabric of Cork GAA.

Speaking at today’s launch, Sports Direct Managing Director Leonard Brassel said: “We are incredibly proud to begin this journey with Cork GAA. Cork is a unique place in Ireland and boasts a proud history within the GAA. The People’s Republic of Cork is known for its passionate support of both football and hurling and all of us at Sports Direct share this passion for Gaelic Games. Over the past three years, we have been Official Supporters of 5 grassroots clubs and, this year, we will extend this grassroots support to incorporate six additional clubs, bringing the total to 11 clubs nationwide. We are delighted to take the next step from club sponsorship to county sponsorship and look forward to working with Cork GAA over the next five years celebrating their dedication and passion in support of the further development of Gaelic Games in Cork.” 

Cork GAA Chairperson Marc Sheehan commented: “We are delighted to welcome Sports Direct on board as the new sponsor of Cork GAA. We are really looking forward to working with them and seeing the teams back in action in this fantastic new jersey in the future.”  

Cork GAA CEO Kevin O’Donovan noted: “We are delighted to welcome Sports Direct to the Cork GAA family. We look forward to a growing partnership with them over the coming years and look forward to seeing the teams wearing their new strip in the near future. The commercial relationship with Sports Direct is part of Cork County Board’s wider One Cork initiative, which will drive future success for Cork GAA both on, and off, the field. By putting the three pillars of club, school and county together on the jersey, we want to show every player of every age that they are part of this shared future.”

The newly-launched jersey is now available exclusively through Sports Direct Ireland online https://ie.sportsdirect.com/

 until stores across the country re-open. The jersey will remain exclusive to Sports Direct for the first three weeks after stores re-open, before becoming available in sports retailers nationwide. Fans can also purchase from our kit partners O’Neills at www.o’neills.com. Customers who purchase via Sports Direct will receive a €10 voucher off their next Sports Direct purchase. 

We are delighted to work with Sports Direct as we embark on a new journey. Further exciting activation will be unveiled nearer to the championship season, enabling GAA fans across the Cork to get behind our hurling and football teams.

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Rebels’ Bounty update

Please note the following updates in regard to Rebels’ Bounty, further to consultation with clubs.
Many thanks to all clubs who are now up and running with significant uptake of online sales.
The first draw will now take place on Thursday, March 25th. This will incorporate three monthly draws, for January, February, and March, respectively. Hopefully, this will allow sales to continue in clubs where registration/membership nights might be delayed due to the current Covid-19 restrictions.
Ticket sales for Rebels’ Bounty 2021 will close at 5pm on the evening of March 25th, when the draws for January, February, and March will take place with 90 prizes to be won. There will be no further entries to the draw for Rebels’ Bounty 2021. We will be asking clubs to update their membership well in advance of this to facilitate a smooth run-up to the first draw.
Direct debits will run in early February for the January draw so it would be important to have these membership records updated by then
Following feedback from clubs and further consideration by the committee, the use of club names on tickets is now prohibited.  As clubs reach their quota, these tickets would essentially be free entries, which would undermine the ethos of the draw. All tickets must be charged at €100. In summary, all tickets must have the names of individuals/members (or two in the case of a shared ticket).
As the timing of the draw has been revised, so has the schedule for reconciliation of accounts and payment to/from clubs. This will take place biannually on May 20th and September 20th. On these dates, accounts will be settled. If there is an excess due to or from the board on May 20th depending on online sales and quotas, it will be settled at that point.
Promotion is now underway with ads in the Irish Examiner and on RedFM. Various ads etc are also available for social media.
Due to demand from clubs, a further print-run of brochures will follow and additional brochures will be available from the office.
The office team has phoned all coordinators over the last few weeks and the support team of board officers has followed up with a significant number of clubs subsequently. The office will continue to liaise with coordinators throughout the selling period.
Any queries, please email rebelsbounty@gaa.ie
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