THE draws for the 38th Féile na nGael Festival, sponsored by Coca-Cola, were held 'live' in The Heritage Hotel, Portlaoise last Monday week, April 21st and there was a large crowd present.
Féile na nGael National Secretary Pat Doherty ensured the draw process ran smoothly, assisted by Laois/Offaly Féile na nGael Chairperson Tom Jones and Secretary Pat Leogue.
The following are the Divisional and semi-final draws (Please note that Laois/Offaly Host Clubs are listed first within each section of all the Hurling & Camogie Divisions and the Visiting Club they will be hosting is listed next in brackets. Meanwhile, Kilkenny Host Clubs in Hurling have yet to be finalised as Kilkenny competitions are still ongoing);

Division 1 Hurling
Section A: Kilkenny Host (Wexford); Kilkenny Host (Tipperary).
Section B (All visiting teams based in Laois): Cork 1, Clare, Waterford, Cork 2.
Section C: Birr (Dublin 1); North Tipperary Host - Roscrea (Kilkenny).
Section D: St Rynagh's (Galway); Kilcormac/Killoughey (Limerick).
Semi-finals: Winners Section B v Winners Section A; Winners Section C v Winners Section D.

Division 2 Hurling
Section A: Kilkenny Host (Down 1); Rathdowney/Errill (Derry 1).
Section B: Borris-in-Ossory/Kilcotton (Antrim 1); Camross (Carlow 1).
Section C: Clough/Ballacolla (Kerry 1); Portlaoise (Westmeath 1).
Section D: Tullamore (Wicklow 1); Ferbane/Belmont (Kildare 1).
Section E: Coolderry (Meath 1); Shinrone (Dublin 2).
Quarter-final: Winners Section E v Winners Section A.
Semi-finals: Winners quarter-final v Winners Section C; Winners Section D v Winners Section B.

Division 3 Hurling
Section A: Abbeyleix (Mayo 1 - Tooreen); The Harps (Kerry 2).
Section B: Seir Kieran (Antrim 2); Kinnitty (Meath 2).
Section C: Castletown/Slieve Bloom (Roscommon 1); Colt (Westmeath 2).
Section D: Rosenallis/Clonaslee (Carlow 2); Shamrocks (Dublin 3)
Semi-finals: Winners Section B v Winners Section C; Winners Section A v Winners Section D.

Division 4 Hurling
Section A: Kilkenny Host (Longford); Kilkenny Host (Wicklow 2).
Section B: CRC Gaels (Derry 2); Drumcullen (Roscommon 2).
Section C: Na Fianna (Armagh); Clara (Kildare 2).
Section D: Ballyfin Gaels (Down 2); Ballypickas (Tyrone).
Semi-finals: Winners Section A v Winners Section D; Winners Section B v Winners Section C.

Division 5 Hurling
Section A: Portlaoise 2 (Louth); Timahoe (Monaghan).
Section B: Mountrath (Cavan); Clonad (Fermanagh).
Section C: Brosna Gaels (Donegal); Westmeath Host - Southern Gaels (Mayo 2 - Belmullet).
Semi-finals: Winners Section C v Winners Section A; Runners-up Section C v Winners Section B.

Division 6 Hurling
Section A: Edenderry (London); Ballinamere/Durrow (Warwickshire).
Section B: St Joseph's/Ballylinan (Sligo); St Paul's (Leitrim).
Semi-finals: Winners Section A v Runners-up Section B; Winners Section B v Runners-up Section A.


Division 1 Camogie
Section A: Ballyragget (Galway); St Lachtain's (Dublin).
Section B: Burgess (Kilkenny); Silvermines (Wexford).
Section C: Thurles (Cork); Toomevara (Clare).
Semi-finals: Winners Section A v Winners Section C; Runners-up Section A v Winners Section B.

Division 2 Camogie
Section A: Camross (Waterford); Kilcormac/Killoughey (Armagh).
Section B: Naomh Bríd (Derry); St Brigid's (Limerick).
Section C: Tullamore 1 (Down); St Rynagh's (Antrim).
Semi-finals: Winners Section B v Winners Section C; Runners-up Section B v Winners Section A.

Division 3 Camogie
Section A: Shinrone (Wicklow); The Harps (Roscommon).
Section B: Drumcullen (Kildare); Birr (Westmeath).
Section C: St Sinchill's (Meath); O'Moore's (Carlow).
Semi-finals: Winners Section A v Winners Section B; Runners-up Section A v Winners Section C.

Division 4 Camogie
Section A: Clonad (Monaghan); Portlaoise (Donegal).
Section B: Clonaslee (Kerry); Tullamore 2 (Sligo).
Section C: Lusmagh (Mayo); Seir Kieran (Warwickshire).
Semi-finals: Winners Section C v Winners Section B; Runners-up Section C v Winners Section A.

The official launch of Féile na nGael Laois/Offaly 2008 takes place in The Heritage Hotel, Portlaoise on Tuesday, May 13th.Guest speakers on the night will be GAA President Nickey Brennan, Camogie Association President Liz Howard and Handball President Tony Hannon, while many other well-known GAA personalities are also expected.

Féile na nGael, the national festival of Hurling, Camogie and Handball for boys and girls under 14 years of age, returns to Laois and Offaly after it was first jointly hosted by the counties, two decades ago in 1988/’89.

The 38^th Féile na nGael takes place over the weekend of Friday, June 20^th to Sunday, June 22^nd, 2008 with the streets of Portlaoise and O’Moore Park being the centre for the Féile parade and the hurling & camogie finals, respectively. In 2009, Birr will play host to the parade and finals.

Féile na nGael is sponsored by Coca-Cola Bottlers (Ire) Ltd. and they have been sponsors since the festival’s inception in 1971.

25,000 boys and girls from all 32 counties, London and Warwickshire will participate in this year’s Féile na nGael and the visiting teams will be hosted by local families and engage the host club in hurling, camogie and handball games.

Féile na nGael places great emphasis and importance on proper participation, presentation, punctuality and sportsmanship. It involves the whole community - clubs, schools, social and cultural groups, Gardaí, bands, civic and religious authorities and families. It helps to bond communities, forge friendships, provide educational opportunities and unearth new leaders.

This year’s Laois/Offaly Féile na nGael Executive Committee is chaired by Tom Jones, with Paddy Scales as Vice Chairperson and the Secretary is Pat Leogue.