Monthly Update: May & June

May and June were busy months, which is why this blog is arriving a little later than planned. That certainly does not mean they were no less fun! As summer arrived in Nijmegen, so did deadlines, exams, holidays, and for some of us, the bittersweet reality of preparing to say goodbye to Nijmegen. Luckily, training continued until mid-June, and we still managed to squeeze in plenty of great memories before the summer break.

After the busy month of April, which was filled with Gaelic football and social activities, May was a bit more chill. It was also the month when the students among us studied (or should have studied) for their exams at the beginning of June. This month also brought our first training session in temperatures above 30 degrees. I now personally understand why this sport originated, and is mostly played, in Ireland. Gaelic football is much better played in the cold and rain than during a heatwave.

On the 30th of May, we had our last tournament before the summer break. The tournament was in Luxembourg, so it included an overnight stay, which is always great craic. The tournament was very, very successful, and yes, I know I wrote "very" twice, but it really deserves it. The lads won all four of their group games, won the semi-final, and made it to the final. They played absolutely insane but sadly lost the final. One of our players, Colin, was even named the Men's Player of the Tournament! To add to the already successful weekend, the ladies also played brilliantly and won the Shield. We left the tournament with our bags a little heavier, filled with memories, pride, and quite a few trophies. Safe to say, we officially labelled it a successful tournament.

With the end of the Gaelic football season before the summer break approaching, June was filled with a lot of lasts. Just like the Gaelic football season, the pub quiz at Tierney’s also takes a summer break. At the beginning of June, some of us joined the last pub quiz before the holidays. Despite having a very smart team, we did not win. But I mean, we can't win everything.

Unfortunately, we also had our last training before the summer break (cue the boo noises). Since many of us were heading home for the summer, it was a slightly sad one. Of course, we made it a fun training by mixing things up and playing rounders instead of our usual drills. We did not play for too long, though, and soon found ourselves in the canteen with a well-earned drink. Some of us continued the evening in the centre of Nijmegen.

Although it was our last training, it wasn't the last time we saw each other. At the end of June, we still had the legendary NGFC Gala to look forward to! That evening deserves a blog post on its own. Between the unforgettable moments, questionable dance moves, and the hundreds of photos we took, there's simply too much to fit into this one. Stay tuned!