A ‘cracker’ of a weekend is set to take place in Ballaghaderreen from December 15th to 17th inclusive, when the town will be treated to a ‘Christmas Cracker Weekend’, organised by the Ballaghaderreen GAA Club.
The fun begins on Friday, December 15th, when the Danny Byrne band perform at The Brusna Inn. From a few miles outside of Newry, the three-man band is known for their high-energy modern folk music, and currently travel the UK and Ireland regularly to perform. Their performance kicks off at 9 pm, and the band will be followed by a DJ on the night, who will play until late. Tickets are on sale for just €20 online at bit.ly/46m3cen, in The Brusna Inn, or directly from any of the committee members.
Following on from the music on Friday, the next evening, Saturday, December 16th, will see another exciting night take place at The Brusna Inn, with the Brusna Bingo Bonanza kicking off at 8 pm. Described as the “ultimate Christmas party night”, the event sets out to provide attendees with the opportunity to have fun and dance the night away at your table, all as you mark your bingo card off! The tickets for this event are limited, so be sure to book in advance to secure your attendance. The event is also strictly Over-18s only. Tickets are on sale now for €25 at bit.ly/47GG37s, in The Brusna Inn, or directly from any committee member.
The final event taking place as part of the Ballaghaderreen Christmas Cracker Weekend this year is the Ronan Regan Memorial Tractor Run, being held on Sunday, December 17th. The run will start at 1 pm, with a cost of €20 per entry. Registration will take place on the day, with tractors, bikes, vintage vehicles, and trucks all welcome. Also, at 5.30 pm, a children’s tractor run will take place, during which the local kids get a chance to share in the fun and take to the streets in their bikes, trikes, etc.
Proceeds from the Friday and Saturday event will go towards Ballaghaderreen GAA Club, but the money raised on the Sunday will also go towards Aoibheann’s Pink Tie, the children’s cancer charity.
Speaking to the Roscommon People this week, David McHugh of Ballaghaderreen GAA Club said that it promises to be a “lively” weekend.
The tractor run in Ballaghaderreen has become an annual event for the town ever since the first one took place to great success in December 2021. The event was renamed ‘Ronan Regan Memorial Run’ last year following the passing of local man Ronan Regan shortly after the first run, with the recipient charity being chosen by Ronan’s family.
“But this is the first time the other events are happening”, said David. “We thought we would do something different, something to bring a bit of life to the weekend and to the town around Christmas.
“Hopefully, there will be a good amount of people who want to come out and show support. It should be a great weekend”.
Finally, on behalf of the GAA club, David wished to express a big thanks to Kathleen Horan and all at The Brusna Inn for accommodating the club and for helping to make sure the events go ahead smoothly.
For more information and to keep up with updates, find the Ballaghaderreen GAA Club on Facebook.
