Aldi Community Games is an Irish independent voluntary organisation and National Governing Body providing opportunities for children and young people to grow and develop in a positive and healthy way while experiencing a wide range of sporting and cultural activities. The National Festivals are held over 2 weekends every year, where between 3 and 4,000 children compete for their area, town, county and province. Aldi Community Games is sponsored by Aldi.
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"Community Games can be quite proud of its immense achievements in a wide range of interests and, indeed, positive community developments. Community Games is a truly developing organisation spreading good-will and healthy involvement for the benefit of all." Joseph Connolly, Founder and Honorary Life Patron (1922 - 2008).
History
Aldi Community Games were set up in 1967 - initially only in Dublin as a way to deal with the problems of the lack of leisure-time activities for young people. In the first games, 3,000 took part at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Santry; the following year it was 5,000 - today, over 160,000 children compete for the chance to make it to the National Festival. For most of the games history, the National Finals were held in Mosney, County Meath. However, as the former campsite became unavailable due to being turned into a residential area for asylum seekers, from 2009 onwards the Games were held at the Athlone Institute of Technology in Athlone, County Westmeath. This being the Jubilee year the Games return to Dublin to the state of the art National Sports Campus on 6th May and 18th to 20th August.
Events
The following are some of the sports and games that are played through Aldi Community Games:
Sports
Individual Events
National Festival
Young people from all over Ireland aim to qualify for the Aldi Community Games National Festival each year. These take place over two weekends generally.
In the individual events, one competitor from each of the 27 competing counties of Ireland qualifies for the National Festival. In the team events, one team from each of the 4 provinces of Ireland qualifies for the National Festival.
Where four teams qualify, semi-finals, a third-place play-off and final are played, except in draughts and chess where medal placings are decided on a league basis.
Theme song
"We're Singing as One" is the theme song of Aldi Community Games written, sung, arranged and produced by Colm O'Loughlin, a former competitor at the Games.
Past competitors
Many famous Irish people have competed in the games over the years and have very fond memories of Aldi Community Games.
I always enjoyed the Community Games in Cobh with my school friends and then the trip to Cork for the county finals. The ultimate though was heading off on the train to Mosney for the all-Ireland finals, I remember and still have my little accreditation pass, just like what you get in the Olympics for access to all you need and the big book with all the results from years gone by. That's where I set my early targets and goals for future years, by looking up athletes I knew and the times they ran at the Community Games finals each year before me.. Sonia O'Sullivan, May 2013