Mayo GAA club’s extraordinary year to feature on TG4 Christmas special

The pride and passion of the Ballintubber GAA club in winning their first ever Mayo Senior Football Title in 2010 is to feature in a special insightful documentary on TG4 this Christmas.  ‘Baile an Tobair – Bliain an Bhua’ relives the amazing journey of the Ballintubber senior football team from the desolate ranks of junior football a few years back to the exalted highs of Mayo senior football champions in 2010.
 
This intriguing story unfolds as the club in the shadow of Ballintubber Abbey celebrates its centenary also this year, having being founded in 1910.  ‘Baile an Tobair – Bliain an Bhua’ echoes and mirrors the life of every GAA club in the country with success and failure, heartbreak and jubilation, pain and passion all interwoven into one.
 
“This small rural close-knit community encountered tragedy and triumph in equal measures over the years but yet the bond that kept them going was community spirit and sport, “stated the programme producer Piaras Ó Raghallaigh from Maigh Eo Media.
 
“Baile an Tobair – Bliain an Bhua’ is about people, passion and the wonderful pride and loyalty they have for their club and community.  There is joy and sadness in this programme, there is celebration and camaraderie and there is a great sense of achievement also throughout,” he said.
 
‘Baile an Tobair – Bliain an Bhua’ features discerning interviews with newly appointed Mayo senior football team manager James Horan, club star Cillian Ó Connor and club members Michael Duffy, Tony O’Connor, Art Ó Suilleabháin and Nora Conroy. 
The programme also features archive footage of Ballintubber native Paddy Prendergast playing for Mayo in the early fifties when he won two All-Ireland senior football medals with his county in Croke Park.
Mayo GAA secretary Sean Feeney talks for the first time in ‘Baile an Tobair – Bliain an Bhua’ about the tragic drowning of his brother and club stalwart Ger Feeney during the year and how the club coped with his loss to go on to lift the Moclair Cup in his honour.
There is also great excitement captured in this programme as star players Cillian and Ruairí O’Connor bring the Championship cup to Ballintubber National School for the first time. 
‘Baile an Tobair – Bliain an Bhua’ will be broadcast on TG4 on Wednesday, December 29th at 7.15pm