Tralee’s Meadowlands Hotel will be joined by a host of sports stars including soccer legend Paul McGrath and Cork’s Seán Óg Ó hAilpín to celebrate its 20thanniversary as a business with a weekend festival from 15th to 17th June and all in aid of Kerry Hospice Foundation / Palliative Care.
The Meadowlands Hotel has a long tradition of supporting sports organisations in Tralee and currently sponsors local GAA, soccer & basketball clubs, the Kerry GAA Ticket Van, The Chain Gang Cycling Club,Meadowlands Golf Society, Tralee Marathon, and Tralee Warriors Basketball Club, many of whom will play a role in making this a sport themed, fun-filled weekend of activity for young and old, and with every event raising funds for Kerry Hospice Foundation, a great local cause.
The festival, which will take place on the grounds of the hotel, will kick-off with a Coffee Morning on the Friday morning followed by a live Outside Broadcast from Raidio Na Gaeltachta. Friday evening a sports pub quiz with local teams represented with take place followed by live music by the Crowley’s in Johnny Frank’s bar.
The Chain Gang Cycling Club, celebrating 10 years, will be kicking off the festival on the Saturday with a Charity Cycle heading to Dingle and returning for a barbecue and celebrations early afternoon. On the hotel grounds, special guests will take on the Chain Gang in a turbo bike endurance challenge and the Tralee Warriors in a free throw challenge. Saturday will also see an entertaining day for kids with a Jump n Slide Bouncy Castle, along with fun inflatable and garden games. Guests can enjoy a 20th anniversary barbecue Saturday Afternoon.
The centrepiece of the festival is the 20th Anniversary Sports Gala in the Meadowlands Ballroom on Saturday night hosted by RTE’s Joe Stack and which features a Q&A with sporting heroes including Kerry’s Tomás O Se, Cork’s 2005 All-Ireland winning hurling captain Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, open water endurance swimmer Dingle’s Nuala Moore and former Ireland, Manchester Utd. and Aston Villa soccer legend Paul McGrath among others. The event tickets which are on sale at the hotel, will include the panel event, prosecco and canape pre-reception, a major raffle and live music with James Begley, Laurence Courtney and Friends.
The festival weekend winds down on Sunday with a 20th Anniversary Sunday Lunch Special and a traditional music session with the O’Shea’s.
The Meadowlands hotel, established by Paddy and Peigí O’Mathúna, opened on 19th June in 1998 and has grown in size, now employing over 60 staff and boasting 58 bedrooms, Johnny Frank’s Bar & Lounge, An Moínéar Restaurant and a 300 capacity events centre. Paddy O’Mathúna built his career in the fish processing industry with Iasc Ui Mathuna of Dingle and is originally from Ballferriter and remains to this day a proud supporter of his beloved club AnGhaeltacht.
Paddy commented, “We’ve come a long way with the hotel through economic highs and lows in the countyand this is about marking the milestone with our friends, staff and the wider sporting family we have adopted in Tralee over two decades. We are delighted with the efforts by everyone to bring the festival to life and we are inviting the Tralee public to help raise as much money as possible for Kerry Hospice Foundation who provide fantastic support to Palliative care patients in Tralee and the wider county.”
Check The Meadowlands Hotel Facebook page for a schedule of events or contact the hotel on (066) 718 0444 for enquiries.
Pictured at the launch of The Meadowlands Hotel 20th Anniversary Festival in aid of Kerry Hospice Foundation which takes place in Tralee 15th-17th June, is (L to R) Marc Ó Sé, Brian O’Se, Dave Elson, Peigí O’Mathúna of Meadowlands Hotel, Avril Hewett, Joe Hennebry, Maura Sullivan of Kerry Hospice Foundation and (back row) Dusan Bogdanovic and Kieran Donaghy
