A wonderful day of friendship, fun and family took place in the clubhouse yesterday when crowds gathered for Ed Gunning's President's Lunch. It was a memorable occasion enjoyed by everyone in the room and will long be remembered by all fortunate enough to have attended.

In a moving and brilliant address, Ed Gunning spoke about the sense of 'family' in Ballina RFC and pointed out the numerous 'legends' in the room. He said the sense of togetherness and stability in the club set it apart and made it the wonderful entity it is. He spoke about the pride and humility he felt in his term as President of Ballina Rugby Club and said he had a treasure-trove of golden memories from a very special year.

Master of Ceremonies for the event was club chairman, Alan Rowe who spoke about the vitality and energy running through the club right now. He said that youthful energy is now merging seamlessly with the experience and passion already in Ballina RFC, to create a hugely exciting future for the club.
Alan spoke about Ed Gunning's wonderful presidency and the sense of gravitas, respect and hard work he brought to the role. The Chairman said, Ed had written his own chapter in the history of Ballina RFC.

The upcoming centenary in 2027 was also highlighted and Alan spoke about next Saturday's gathering in the club where all are invited to a special coffee morning where historic pieces of memorabilia will be on view. Anyone with medals, pictures, paper cuttings, jerseys, caps and various items from 100 years of rugby in Ballina is asked to bring them along on the day.

The Clubman of the Year award was then presented to a man who has given so much of himself to Ballina Rugby Club for more than three decades. John Raftery has been a central figure in everything positive around the club and his good counsel has benefitted so many in good times and more challenging situations. The announcement of John's award was welcomed joyously by one and all and added to the positivity and excitement of the event.

A big thankyou to everyone who supported the event and helped make it one of the great days in the long and proud history of Ballina RFC.