Community Games is an organisation which embraces all the people - children, parents and older people - living in the immediate area and encourages them to come together and mix with one another in community activity. The idea was mooted in Dublin in 1967 when local individuals camE together and formed a group to deal with problems which were arising in the area through the meaningless pursuits of the children after school hours and during the holidays. They came up with the idea of providing games and thus the first local Community Games were staged.

In 1968 twenty-four different communities participated in the County Dublin finals and all staged their own local event to select the area representatives. The following year, interest grew still further and the concept spread to Limerick. The first inter-county finals were staged in Dublin in 1970 when Dublin and Limerick were joined by representatives from Louth, Kilkenny, Roscommon and Tipperary.

1992 marks the 25th anniversary of Community Games at national level but it also marks the coming of age of the movement in the parish of Fethard and Killusty. Community Games was inaugurated in Fethard 21 years ago by Tom Butler, Coolenure. He was an active member of B.L.O.E. at the time and invited the late Fr. Louis Gleeson, Sr. Eugenio and Breda Christie to Fethard to outline the activities of Community Games. A committee was formed where Tom Butler was assisted by Brother James, Sister Nora, Tom McCormack and the late Pat Ryan.

It the early eighties, the movement lapsed for a couple of years in the Parish of Fethard and Killusty. The credit for its revival goes to Noel Heffernan from Ballyvaden who was very active with the local judo club. Judo, Noel learned, was one of the activities of Community Games and on 21st March 1985 the National Development Officer along with some county officials paid a visit to the local schools. As a follow-up, a meeting was held in the Tirry Centre that same night and a new committee was formed to promote and develop the activities of Community Games at parish level.

The activities of Community Games cater for all children from the age of eight up to seventeen years. Along with the individual activities there is a team event for nearly every age group at national level. The competitors for all activities in Community Games must be under age on the 31st July and this date was adopted to give those with less talent a greater opportunity of taking part.

The local area is the basic unit in Community Games. Only children who reside in the local area are eligible to compete in Area Community Games and to represent their area in county competitions. The County Committee is responsible for promoting the aims of the movement throughout the county and has the power to make by-laws as it deems necessary, provided, of course, they are not in conflict with the existing rules or regulations of Community Games.

Most of the individuals who win at county level qualify for the national finals which, since 1973, have taken place in Mosney, Co. Meath. Winners of the county team events progress to the provincial finals with the winners at this level earning the right to participate in the national finals.

The emphasis is placed on participation, so in Community Games a competitor can only represent his or her area at county level in one individual event and one team event at provincial level.

The motto of Community Games is "Ens Sans in Corpore Sano" which means "A Healthy Mind and A Healthy Body." This year the Fethard and Killusty area is involved in Art, Athletics, Judo, Football, Hurling, Camogie, Soccer, Tennis and Volleyball.

The A.G.M. of Fethard and Killusty Community Games takes place on Monday February 16th at 8.30 pm in the Tirry Centre and it is very important that parents of young peoople involved and representatives of the various clubs attend this meeting.

Contact: Mrs Peggy Colville, Spitalfield, Fethard. Telephone: 052 31906.