Cooley Kickhams are winners of the Louth County award Texaco Support for Sport initiative

Caption: The Texaco Support for Sport presentation to Cooley Kickhams GFC members was made at the Club’s grounds in Carlingford. Pictured with them were Texaco Branded Distributor, Barry Finley (fourth left) and Valero Commercial Sales Manager, Frank Webb (second right).

Cooley Kickhams Gaelic Football Club has been chosen winners of the Louth County award in this year’s Texaco Support for Sport initiative.

The club was presented with €5,000 to help fund a programme designed to offer GAA and exercise sessions to children with additional needs.

Founded in 1887, Cooley Kickhams GFC is situated in the scenic Cooley peninsula where its home ground is located at Father McEvoy Park.

With an extensive range of facilities, the all-inclusive club believes in providing access to sport, recreational, educational and social activities to every member of its wider community.

Now in its third year, the Texaco Support for Sport initiative – organised by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand – sees a fund of €130,000 set aside annually for allocation in equal amounts of €5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis.

Previous Louth winners were Ardee St. Mary’s GFC (2021) and Ace Athletic Club, Drogheda (2022).

Congratulating the winners, James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited referred to what he called “the important contribution” that sports clubs make within their communities and throughout Irish society as a whole.
“Our initiative provides vital funding to clubs that have an important place in, and seek to enhance their contribution to, their local communities”, he said.

“Since its inception, we’ve distributed almost €400,000 to a wide variety of sports clubs throughout the country which has greatly helped them to continue to play an essential and positive role in their communities, something of which we are very proud.”

Overseeing the judging process was Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, former Irish rugby international and broadcaster, Donncha O’Callaghan.

Commenting, he said,

“As adjudicator, the most uplifting aspect of the Texaco Support for Sport initiative is that it gives clubs rare access to funds which are not linked to popularity, membership size or success.”

Describing Cooley Kickhams as “a fantastic club which puts significant emphasis on inclusivity’, he went on to add:

“Cooley Kickhams GFC All Stars programme is a new programme that focuses on giving those with additional needs the opportunity to play GAA.

“The club’s success in this initiative shows how determined its members and their committee are to purse plans and projects that will underpin its success going forward.”

Entries for the 2024 Texaco Support for Sport initiative will open in the Autumn.