All-Star win for Ruth and Aughagower Handball Club

All-Star win for Ruth and Aughagower Handball Club in GAA National Draw


Anton McNulty

The Aughagower Handball Club were celebrating a very unexpected victory recently when they sold the winning ticket in the GAA National Club Draw.
The odds of the west Mayo handball club selling the winning ticket were very much stacked against them with over 100,000 tickets sold by 865 clubs from all around the country in this year’s draw.
The winning ticket bought by Ruth Moore from Brickens, Claremorris was pulled from the hat at this year’s GAA National Congress. The top prize consisted of a package for two including All-Ireland Football Final tickets, All-Star banquet tickets and airline tickets for the 2015 All-Star tour complete with hotel accommodation and match tickets.
A native of Clonlara, Co Clare, Ruth works in Allergen in Westport and bought the winning ticket from Aughagower club member Shane Heraty last January.
“Shane was selling tickets and I bought one ticket off him, just the one. To be honest I had forgotten all about it until I got the news,” Ruth told The Mayo News. “I am over the moon, it is a once in a lifetime prize to be won.

Looking forward
“I would be [a GAA fan] but I’m originally from Co Clare so I’m more of a hurling fan but I have lived in Mayo for the past 15 years. My husband [Thomas] and son [Tadhg] are big into the football and play for Eastern Gaels. They go to all the Mayo matches and they are probably more delighted. We are looking forward to the summer now,” she laughed.
Ruth said that when she bought the ticket she never thought she would win a prize given the long odds and the fact she said she never won anything big like this before. The family were looking forward to the All-Ireland Final tickets and hope it will be a successful summer for the Mayo footballers.
As a hurling fan, there was a bonus for Ruth when this year’s All-Star tour will involve the hurlers and the all expenses trip is expected to be to Texas.
Gus Heraty of the Aughagower Handball Club said they were delighted to sell the winning ticket and congratulated Ruth on her prize. The club sold 1,100 tickets which raised over €10,000 for the club and said the National Club Draw was a great asset to clubs.
“It is brilliant for the club that it sold the winning ticket and is great publicity for the club. The draw is for all GAA clubs including handball and is a great support for us,” he said.
There was further success for a Mayo club with Davitts GAA Club selling the second highest number of tickets in the country with 1,629, just behind Dublin club Na Fianna who sold 1,693 tickets. There were 15 separate prizes in the draw but neither club sold a winning ticket.