Ballinasloe & District Youth Club
Next Event (Youth Club)
8 – 9.30 pm
Friday 21st March
Youth Club Meeting
Clonfert Family Centre
Ballinasloe
H53 NX59
Clonfert PTAA Council are also running a Children’s Art Competition and Schools’ & Youth Clubs Quiz Competitions at this time. See www.creideamh.ie/ptaa-art and www.creideamh.ie/paa-quiz for details.
Interested in joining our club?
Our club is open to all young people between the ages of eleven and sixteen years in the greater Ballinasloe area who are open to becoming Young Pioneers. Currently we have fourteen members.
We meet fortnightly, usually on a Friday evening in The Clonfert Family Centre, Brackernagh, Ballinasloe. Sometimes our fortnightly time and /or venue changes owing to a special event, e.g. Cinema Outing, Drumming Workshop etc.
Adult Leaders request that new members be accompanied by an adult family member for their first two meetings … and for longer if that is the preference of your young person.
For contact details for adult leaders please see end of this page.
Regular Meeting Activities
Welcome newcomers
Scripture Reflection & prayer time
Workshop with guest / educational activity / planning of event, e.g. next outing
Game Time (most of the meeting)
Meeting Schedule August ’24 – June ’25
All club meetings on Fridays (fortnightly) 8 – 9.30 pm
23rd August
– 2024/2025 Planning Workshop
30th August
– 2023/2024 Pioneer Youth Achievement Awards Celebration
We received our 2023/2024 Pioneer Youth Achievement Awards and celebrated our good work throughout the year. We also presented a special award to our ‘Dad of the Year’, Damien Staunton. Special thanks to Mrs Sheila Walsh for presenting the awards to us.
13th September
Appointment of Club Officers
Sophia is our new Leader, and Francis our new Deputy Leader. We wish them well during their term of office.
27th September
– Introduction to 2024/2025 Youth Achievement Awards (see below)
& making of Rosary Beads for Legion of Mary
11th October (Outing)
– Cinema Outing.
We went to see Transformers One, after a trip to Supermacs!
Our adult leaders and some of our parents enjoyed the outing too!
25th October
– Pioneer Witness Workshop with Mrs Frances Egan, PTAA President.
We welcomed our president, Mrs Frances Egan, and enjoyed a Pioneer Witness Workshop with her , and with some of the adult volunteers who support our club.
8th November
– We shared a drumming workshop with some family and friends.
22nd November
– Creative Arts Workshop with Mary Rose Finlan Heavey
This was one of our best meetings ever! We got to think about family life in London during World War II and the challenges people had to work through. We also got to act out some scenes. Thank you Mary Rose! Sorry we don’t have a photo to share. We had so much fun we forgot to take one!
28th November
Our Adult Club Leaders, Auriene, Elizabeth, Sean, Josephine, and Justin (behind camera) met with facilitator Kevin McGeeney to review the year and to discuss how best to support us grow the club next year.
6th December
– Advent and Christmas Wreath Making Workshop and preparations for Christmas Mass and party
20th December
Christmas Mass and Social Get Together
Thanks to Frs John Naughton (Pioneer Spiritual Director) and John Garvey for presiding at Mass.
We were also glad to be joined by family members, adult pioneers and members of other Church groups, e.g. Knights of St. Columbanus and St. Vincent de Paul.
10th January
– To be decided
14th January
Our thanks to Gerry Prior, Foróige’s Galway Regional Officer (seated, centre), for our two training sessions in preparation for our affiliation with Foróige in March 2025. This picture was taken following our second session which focussed on Safegarding.
24th January
– Making St Brigid Crosses with Sean Kelly as fundraiser for Ballinasloe Social Services
7th February
–
15th February (Retreat)
– Connaught Young Pioneer Retreat Day
Each year we participate in a retreat that is also open to other Young Pioneers. This year we returned to Donamon Castle, Donamon, Co. Roscommon, where we received a warm welcome from the Divine Word Missionary priests who live there, and from Sr Cooey Fowler OP, from the New Forest Region of Portsmouth Diocese in England.
Our thanks to Sr Cooey and to Fr Bart Parys SVD for a lovely retreat experience.
21st February
– Quiz Night with Victoria Staunton
Thanks to Victoria Staunton (parent) for organising a lovely quiz night which was very enjoyable. We were also delighted to welcome some new Young Pioneers and their adult family members who joined us on a ‘come-and-see’ basis.
Congrats to
7th March
– Drug & Alcohol Awareness Initiative
21st March
–
4th April
11th April (Thursday)
– Clubs & Schools’ Quiz Night
18th April
–
2nd May
–
16th May
–
30th May
–
13th June
–
27th June
– Pioneer Feast of Sacred Heart Celebrations
* denotes special events. See below.
Additional Information (Forthcoming Meetings)
Contact Justin on 087 6171526
Pioneer Youth Achievement Awards 2024/2025
OUR PHOTO GALLERY
Club’s Summer Outing 13th August 2024
Our first Summer outing took place incorporated a visit to St. Peter & Paul’s Church, Athlone, a trip on a Viking Boat from Athlone to Clonmacnois, a visit to the monastic ruins of Clonmacnois and related audio-visual presentation, visits to Eddie Rockets and Athlone Castle. We are grateful to everyone who assisted and supported us.
Irish Red Cross Basic First Aid Training, Friday 26th April 2024
We are most grateful to Damien Farrell, Irish Red Cross, for providing a wonderful Basic First Aid course to Youth Club members.
2024 Retreat Day with Young Pioneers of Clonfert and Elphin Dioceses
Saturday 6th April 2024
We had a wonderful retreat day in Donamon Castle, Donamon, Co. Roscommon. Our thanks to Sr Kathryn Press ASCJ, Bishop Kevin Doran (Elphin Diocese) and Fr. George Agger SVD and confreres, Divine Word Missionary Community, Donamon Castle, for giving of their time and expertise.
This was a very new experience for many of us … our first experience of a retreat day. We enjoyed Sr. Kathryn’s games, scavenger hunt, inputs and discussion questions. The retreat offered us lovely opportunities to speak to God and to listen to God and also to grow in friendship with one another.
We also enjoyed sharing our lunch and break times and celebrating Mass with Bishop Kevin and Fr. George.
Here are some pictures from our time together.
PTAA (Clonfert Diocese) Schools’ and Clubs’ Quiz Competitions 21st March 2024
After a break of many years the PTAA Clonfert Diocesan Council hosted diocesan-wide quiz competitions that were open to all Primary Schools, Youth and Sporting Clubs, including Pioneers, GAA, Camogie and Foroige in The Emerald Ballroom, Ballinasloe, on Thursday 21st March. Our club was delighted to take part and enjoyed participating with teams representing schools and other clubs from around the diocese.
Winners 2024
Club Winners 2024
School Winners 2024
Results:
Diocesan Schools’ Competition
First – Scoil Uí Cheithearnaigh, Bháel Átha Na Slua Foireann 1
Second – St. Kerrill’s NS, Gurteen
Third – Creagh NS, Ballinasloe Team 1
Fourth – Newtown NS, Ballinasloe
Ballinasloe Faith Area Competition
First – Creagh NS, Ballinasloe Team 2
Second – Scoil Uí Cheithearnaigh, Bháel Átha Na Slua Foireann 2
Third- First – St Catherine’s NS Aughrim
Clubs’ Competition
First – Ballinasloe & District Pioneer Club Team 1
Second – Padraig Pearses GAA Club, Woodmount, Ballinasloe
Third – Ballinasloe & District Pioneer Club Team 2
Club Bowling Night Out 15th March 2024
Christmas Celebration Dec. 15th 2023
October 2023 Outing
On Saturday 21st October we went to Galway to see the play ‘The Boy who lived with Dogs in the Blackbox Theatre, visited Galway Cathedral and dropped into the Galway Arts Centre to see an exhibition called ‘I see you like this.’ We are delighted to share the following photos from our outing.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to our day, especially the volunteers and artists of the Babaro Arts Festival.
Frequency of Meetings / Other Activities
Our club normally meets every second Friday evening, usally 8 – 9.15 pm, with extended break at Christmas and during July and August.
there are also occasions when we undertake special workshops etc. and the timing of these are determined by the availability of the person who is helping us.
Young Pioneer Daily Prayer & Pledge
Lord, for your sake,
for the recovery of problem drinkers
and victims of substance abuse,
to make amends to your Sacred Heart
for the intemperance in all our lives,
I promise not to take alcoholic drink
until I am at least 18 and
to keep off drugs for life. Amen.
Club Membership
Reserved to Young Pioneers between the ages of eleven and fifteen years who reside in the Clonfert Diocese and / or Greater Ballinasloe area (30 kilometre radius).
The club can facilitate sixteen members. Currently (6th January 2024) there are ten.
Young Pioneers are welcome on a come-and-see basis. Parents /guardians must have a brief in-person meeting / telephone conversation with a Club Leader / Member of Supervision Team and complete a temporary membership form in advance of their child participating in any activity/ meeting. Please contact Justin if no Team member is known to you.
Adult Leaders
Activities & Membership Co-ordinator
Justin Harkin
087 6171526
/ pioneers@creideamh.ie
Safeguarding Officer
Sean Kelly
086 1647970
Parent Representatives
Auriene Nascemento
Angela Somers
Supervision & Care
Ms Josephine Carroll
Ms Elizabeth Campbell
Ms Ann Gately
Important Documents
The following documents are available via email or WhatsApp in Word and PDF format. They can also be acquired before or after any club meeting.
- Application Form
- Club Members’ Code of Behaviour
- Adult Leaders’ and Supervisors’ Code of Behaviour
- Safeguarding Statement
Young Pioneer Registration
Young Pioneers between the ages of ten and seventeen years who are living in a parish of the Clonfert diocese who are not already registered with the PTAA, subject to the consent of a parent / guardian, are welcome to register.
Registration allows for participation in Pioneer competitions and special events and inclusion in a texting service that shares details of such activities.
Completed forms should be forwarded to:
Registration
PTAA Clonfert Diocesan Council
c/o Justin Harkin
Clonfert Family Centre
Brakernagh,
Ballinasloe,
Galway.
H53 NX59
pioneers@creideamh.ie
087 6171526
Oversight
The PTAA Clonfert Diocesan Council seek to support and are charged with the oversight of the Ballinasloe & District PTAA Youth Club and of other Young Pioneer Activities on behalf of the PTAA.
The current members of the Council are Sean Kelly (Clontuskert), Niall Duddy (Killimordaly-Clooncagh), Ann Gately (Laurencetown-Kiltormer), Francis Donohue (Duniry-Abbey) and Fr. John Naughton (Portumna).
Other Enquiries
Please contact Justin Harkin on 087 6171526 / pioneers@creideamh.ie
Photo Gallery
Expression of thanks
Our thanks to St. Grellan’s (Ballinasloe & District) Council of The Knights of St. Columbanus for a financial contribution towards the establishment of our club and to Ballinasloe-Creagh parish and the Clonfert diocese for access to parish and diocesan facilities at less than commercial rates.
Updated: 08/10/2024