Last Friday night (17 June) marked the re-launch of the South Galway Athletic Club (SGAC) in the Lady Gregory Hotel in Gort.

Over 60 people gathered to celebrate the re-launch of a club that had been dormant for a number of years.  Under the direction of the executive of Siobhan Kelleher (chairperson), Margaret Walsh (secretary) and Martin O'Driscoll (treasurer) the new club already boasts 75 adult members, with work underway to add a juvenile section before the end of the year.  A link to the old club was forged with stalwart Dan Casey being selected as president of the new club.

The club has already begun organising for a 4M road race near Kilcolgan in mid-August.  The race promises to be a fantastic event with Kilcolgan Castle selected as race HQ and the course being challenging but very scenic.  It's a long while since a race in Galway has been run over 4M.  We have to go back to Thomas and Mary Porter ploughing a lonely furrow out in Killimor, what seems like decades ago :).  There are currently 11 affiliated clubs in Galway, of which this will be the 8th to run a road race over the last 12 months.

There is a vibrant Fit4Life section in the club.  The club also has a very popular Facebook page, which can be found by searching for "South Galway AC" there, of course.

Proceedings started last Friday night evening with an impressive presentation by Siobhan Kelleher, followed by a rousing speech by special guest speaker, Ciaran O'Catháin of the AAI, followed by a few bon mots by Galway County Board Chairman, Andrew Talbot. Last but not least, the speeches were topped off with a few words from Margaret Walsh. There were representatives from most local clubs include Clare River Hariers, Craughwell, Loughrea and Athenry.

We all look forward to see the royal blue of SGAC on the highways, byways and fields of Galway and further afield in the weeks, months and years to come.