Cathal Brugha

Yesterday afternoon our men’s team hosted a little tournament as a warm up for the Irish Senior Cup. This proved very helpful and was a very fun watch!
We’d like to give a huge thank you to the teams who travelled, Bridgefield, Otters and Scotland Selects, we hope you enjoyed yourselves and what Belfast had to offer!
We’d also like to thank the table officials and referees for taking the time on a Saturday to come over and help out, our men’s team really appreciated it!

With the cup only a few weeks away our senior men’s team are having a tournament to prepare! If you want to watch some great polo head over to Lisnasharragh on Saturday :)

Yesterday in Galway the draw for the Irish Senior Cup was made, Cathal Brugha Men and Ladies will be in Group B and playing in Bangor with the competition commencing on the 21st of May!

Our players of the Month for March go to none other than Aine Griffiths and Leon Short!
Both of them played brilliantly during the under 16 cup and have shown real determination throughout the season, both in training and in matches as Aine and Lyon have been not only playing under 16 but also under 19 as well as division 2

Well Done guys and enjoy your vouchers! Also a massive thank you to Jake for sponsoring this month!!

Our under 16’s played a brilliant tournament last weekend over in lisnasharragh, unfortunately no medals to be won but both our girls and boys put the effort in and gave it their all.
Well Done!

Wally Clarke RIP

It is with great sadness that I must report the passing of Wally Clarke, a Cathal Brugha Club elder, who was a legendary figure in Irish aquatics, held in the highest esteem by everyone throughout the water polo and swimming community in Ireland and beyond. We send our sincere condolences to the Clarke family, who are in our thoughts and prayers at this very sad time.

I always looked forward to meeting up with Wally for a coffee at Forrest side Shopping Centre and whilst people scurried past us busily doing their shopping, I would listen intently to Wally’s tales of yesterday, when water polo was played 7-a-side in the old Falls Baths, leather water polo ball, players standing on the bottom, rough games and rivalries in abundance. Wally would mention names like Delargy, Gilmore, Burns, Ogle, Smyth, O’Neill and others, all of whom held ‘superstar’ status within the history of our Club….never mentioning his own prowess as a Brugha player at both Junior and Senior level.
There are many stories I could relate about Wallys water polo and swimming experiences, but here’s one for the history books.
In 1963, Wally was a young Treasurer of what was then the Ulster Branch of the Irish Amateur Swimming Association and funds were low, so Wally decided to book Belfast’s Ulster Hall with the intention of running a fundraising event for the Branch. The only date available was during the Christmas period in 1964….more than a year away, but Wally decided to take a chance and placed the Ulster Hall booking anyway. The Hall was booked but Wally didn’t have an act to perform, so he took a chance and booked a then little-known folk group….the event turned out to be the first time that the Dubliners ever played in Belfast! The night was a sell out and the Ulster Branch bank manager was very happy!
When his playing career ended, Wally went on to hold every single senior administration post in Irish Water Polo and Swimming, including serving as President of Ireland Water Polo, and had a seismic influence on aquatics throughout the country. In 2011 Wally was elected as President of Swim Ireland and in 2018 he was inducted into the Swim Ireland Hall of Fame.

No one in Irish aquatics could ask for a greater contribution to our sport from an individual person.

Yes, throughout his life Wally Clarke served his Club and Country with distinction, making many lifelong friends along the way, of which I am proud to say I was one.

Rest in peace Wally

Phil Kelly
Cathal Brugha Swimming & Water Polo Club

Swim Ulster Swim Ireland Ireland Water Polo

In honour of international women’s day we’d like to dedicate this post to our ladies and girls teams old and new. Our team is one huge family and it couldn’t be more apparent with our women’s team that consists of cousins, sisters, mothers and daughters all playing together.

Happy International Women’s Day!!

Congratulations to our players of the month Anna McCullough and Caolan Cassidy. Both our players have shown great dedication, determination and improvement since the beginning of the season and we couldn’t be more proud