Richard Hart reports from Ballymacarn Park:
Ballynahinch RFC rounded off an outstanding playing season across all levels with two major events held at the Club over the weekend to mark in style, the end of the Club’s 60th Season.
Formed in April 1954, Ballynahinch RFC played its first match in the 1954/1955 season and the Club Council decided that it was important to mark the 60th Season for the club in a way that the membership and the local Ballynahinch community would remember for a long time.
On Friday night, 600 guests, members and players gathered in a wonderfully bedecked executive marquee for a Gala Ball. Situated in front of the Clubhouse, the guests enjoyed for a champagne reception on arrival before taking their seats for a three course gourmet meal, followed by a fundraising auction and entertainment from the Supreme Dream Girls, flown in especially from Atlanta USA to the delight of those gathered. The charity partner for the evening was the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children and the star auction prizes for the evening were two Emma Rice (nee Spence) paintings, which had everyone bidding! The evening was MC’d by Ballynahinch RFC Chairman and raconteur, Philip Gregg.
On Saturday evening, with a huge mobile stage set up in front of the marquee, almost 1,800 people gathered to watch local Country music stars, Country Harmony, Triona and 16 year old rising star Tiernan Heffron, perform as the supporting acts to the highlight of the evening, Nathan Carter, who got the whole crowd, young and old up on their feet dancing and singing as the sun set on a very picturesque Ballymacarn Park.
A huge vote of thanks has to go out to the Ballynahinch RFC Organising Committee for their fantastic efforts on putting on two such wonderful events on two consecutive evenings and arranging the logistics to support those events. The Ballynahinch RFC membership and the local Ballynahinch community will be talking about this weekend for a long time to come! Well done to all involved.