Ulster event concludes Provincial ESB Minor Championships sponsorship launch

The Ulster Council of the GAA and ESB marked the official launch of the Ulster ESB Minor Football Championships for 2007 at an event in the Armagh City Hotel.

ESB became the first ever sponsor of the Minor Championships in 2005 and this launch marked the beginning of the Provincial series. The launch was attended by representatives of ESB and the Ulster Council GAA, along with well known figures from GAA circles in the Province. The Ulster event is the fourth provincial launch of the 2007 season.

John Power, Head of ESB Corporate Affairs praised the work of all those involved in GAA for the contribution they make to our national development. He added that many ESB staff are involved in the GAA at local, county, provincial and national level. The ESB sponsorship of the Minor Championships is a driver for the development of the game at provincial level, the sponsorship fits with ESB's other support programmes in Hockey, Athletics and Rugby at developmental level.

The official launch of the 2007 provincial Minor Championships is designed to heighten awareness of Minor Hurling and Football. The Minor Championships are seen by many as a key developmental stage in maintaining the high standard of competition in the Senior Championships.

The ESB Minor Championships entails more than 75 inter-county games of football and hurling with thousands of under-18 players participating.