Croom honours Colm O’Regan and Helen Galvin with memorable GAA weekend
The weekend also included another special moment when Tim Murphy and Seamus McNamara presented Croom’s John Galvin Jr. with his well-deserved Munster Football Hall of Fame Award
CROOM GAA was filled with sport, friendship, and community spirit last weekend as the club hosted the annual Colm O’Regan Memorial Hurling Tournament and the inaugural Helen Galvin Memorial Ladies’ Football Tournament.
The two-day celebration brought together players, coaches, families, and supporters from across Limerick and the wider province to remember two much-loved people who left a lasting mark on Croom GAA, Croom LGFC and the local community.
The Colm O’Regan Memorial Hurling Tournament welcomed Ballyhea of Cork, Clarecastle of Clare, Ballinahinch of Tipperary and Patrickswell of Limerick for an excellent day of underage hurling.
The young players produced plenty of skill, determination, and sporting competition, with enjoyment and friendship remaining at the heart of the occasion.
It proved particularly memorable for the home side, as Croom emerged victorious and retained the Colm O’Regan Memorial Trophy for the second successive year.
Members of the O’Regan family were present throughout the tournament and took part in the medal presentations. Colm’s wife, Noreen, and his brother, Noel O’Regan, presented the trophy to the winning Croom team, providing a fitting and emotional conclusion to the day.
Now in its 11th year, the tournament honours a cherished member of Croom GAA who served the club in many roles, including a remarkable 37 years as Club Treasurer. Colm also contributed greatly to the development of the club grounds and to several community initiatives.
Remembered for his warmth, humour, storytelling, and unwavering commitment to Croom, his legacy continues through the tournament held proudly in his memory.
The following day, the focus turned to ladies’ football and the Helen Galvin Memorial Tournament. Croom welcomed teams from Adare, Dromin-Athlacca-Banogue, Ballinacurra Gaels and Mungret St Paul’s for a wonderful day of football.
Once again, there was no shortage of skill, effort, and sportsmanship on display. Croom completed a remarkable weekend for the host club by winning the tournament and becoming the first recipients of the Helen Galvin Cup.
The Galvin family attended the event and presented the medals and memorial cup to the victorious Croom team. Their presence added greatly to an occasion celebrating Helen’s life and the contribution made over the years. Helen, who sadly passed away in December 2025, devoted many years to supporting Croom GAA and working tirelessly behind the scenes. In 1998, she played a pivotal role alongside other club stalwarts in establishing the Croom ladies’ football team, creating opportunities for local girls to play and develop within their own community.
Helen represented everything special about a Gaelic games’ community, family, friendship, loyalty, inclusion, and a willingness to give freely of one’s time for others. The inaugural tournament was a fitting celebration of her life, her contribution, and the values she held dear.
At a time when recent media coverage has highlighted some of the challenges surrounding integration within the wider Gaelic games’ family, Croom is demonstrating what can be achieved through local leadership, mutual respect and a shared sense of purpose. The coming together of Croom GAA and Croom LGFC did not begin with this tournament weekend.
Long before the first sliotar was thrown in or the first football was kicked, both clubs had been working successfully to create a genuine One Club environment, one in which boys and girls, men and women, hurling and football are equally valued and supported. That spirit was evident throughout the weekend.
The two tournaments were organised and supported collectively, the facilities were shared proudly, and volunteers from across both codes worked side by side. One Club is not simply an ambition in Croom, it is already alive, working and growing.
Great credit is due to the many volunteers who freely gave their time over the two days. From preparing the pitches and facilities to organising fixtures, refereeing games, coaching teams, taking photographs, and providing food and refreshments, the weekend’s success was built on an extraordinary collective effort.
The club’s state-of-the-art facilities were presented in outstanding condition and received high praise from Munster GAA Council Chairman Tim Murphy and Limerick GAA Chairperson Seamus McNamara, both of whom attended during the weekend.
Their compliments reflected the pride, commitment and countless voluntary hours invested in the Croom throughout the year.
The weekend also included another special moment when Tim Murphy and Seamus McNamara presented Croom’s John Galvin Jr. with his well-deserved Munster Football Hall of Fame Award.
The prestigious honour recognises John’s outstanding contribution to Gaelic football and his immense service to Limerick throughout a distinguished intercounty career. It was fitting that he received the award in Croom, surrounded by his family, friends on a day that ultimately honours his mother, Helen.