thelilywhite.com : oriel travel club

OTC Information Point

More than a bus, the OTC is no more...

Monday 5th January 2009 saw the end of the Oriel Travel Club. 12 years to the month after the concept first became a reality. Over those years, countless people were able to travel to away games because of the travel club. Trips were always run at a reasonable fare, without unnecessary delays and safely enough for families to use the service.

What many people may not realise though, is the other side of the travel club. For many of us who travelled on these buses, our fellow travellers became very close friends and even like a second family. When you got on the travel club bus, it never mattered who you were or what you did. All that mattered was your love for Dundalk FC and that you wanted to support the team. It was an inclusive club, any new members were welcome to be a part of the group if they wanted to be.

On my own first trip, I remember being welcomed onto to the bus and into the group. The game was against Finn Harps, in Ballybofey, in the first season that the travel club had been running. Before we got off the bus some of the people who had been travelling a bit longer told us where there was good food to be had, if we wanted to join them to eat. There was a real sense, right from the beginning, of being included and taken care of.

That set the tone for the entire lifetime of the travel club, countless friendships were made over the years which will last long into the future. These are that special breed of friends who will really be there for each other when it counts. That is what most of us will miss about the travel club, it was never just a bus.

  • Committee 2008

  • Contact Details

  • Membership Fees and Fares 2008 (unchanged)

    		• Membership Forms Membership Fees

      Fares
      (non Cobh)

      Fares
      (Cobh)

      Adults/OAP:
      (over 18)

      		 Adult/Family

      €15/€6

      €15

      €20

      Juveniles:
      (16/17 yrs)

      		 Juvenile

      €12

      €10

      €15

      Child:
      (under 16)

      		 Adult/Family

      must use family form

      €5

      €5

      Family:
      (1-2 adults + 0-5 under-18s)

      		 Adult/Family

      €25

      sum of individual fares

      Rules/Restrictions:
      All those wishing to travel with us must first become OTC members. This can be done by filling in a membership form and returning to any committee member. Membership forms are available from committee members, or may also be downloaded and printed by clicking the appropriate link in the table above.

      Child: Anyone under 16. Children may only join as part of a family membership, and may only travel if accompanied by an adult from that membership.
      Juvenile: Anyone aged 16/17. Juveniles may travel unaccompanied, but must first provide consent from a parent/guardian. This can be done by filling in the specific Juvenile membership form before joining/travelling for the first time.

      Age will be determined at the time of taking up membership, and must be accompanied by proof.

  • OTC Activity in 2008

    • Statement by the OTC Committee, 18th September 2008

      The Oriel Travel Club has run buses to all Dundalk FC away matches with only a couple of exceptions since the 1st of January 1996.

      The Travel Club has operated on a loss making basis throughout this entire period with the shortfall between bus fares and bus hire costs being made up for by fundraising by the committee.

      Following Dundalk's relegation in 2002 it became increasingly difficult to operate. With fewer supporters travelling to away games it meant bigger losses on running the buses, however, we managed to come through this period relatively unscathed.

      2006 and 2007 saw an upturn in the fortunes of the Travel Club. With Dundalk challenging for promotion and more people travelling to away games the Travel Club ended the 2007 season in what appeared to be a comfortable financial position.

      2008 however has proved to be financially disastrous for the Travel Club. Although there are still large crowds travelling to away games, many supporters who previously used the Travel Club buses prefer now to use other methods to travel to away games. One game that illustrates this perfectly is our recent cup game in Bray. It is estimated that in the region of 500 Dundalk supporters travelled to this game however only 28 people chose to travel on the Travel Club bus. Exactly half of these were juveniles or children. This meant that only 14 adult members used the Travel Club bus with the result being that a bus that would in previous years have yielded a profit ended up making a loss of €200.

      The fall in the numbers using the Travel Club buses coupled with the rise in bus hire prices has meant that losses have spiralled to an unacceptable level and a level that can no longer be bridged by our fundraising activities with the result that the financial position of the club has become very precarious.

      With four away games left to play in Monaghan, Wexford, Waterford and Kildare we would like to assure supporters that we will do everything in our power to run a bus to each of these games.

      The Travel Club has always operated on the basis that we pay for each bus on the day of the game and we have never owed anything to any bus company. However it has become impossible to continue to operate on this basis and we are left with no option but to make the decision that after our final game of the season away to Kildare the Oriel Travel Club will cease to exist.

      We would like to apologise for the inconvenience that this will cause to the small band of supporters who have used our buses through the years and who still use them but we really have no choice in this matter.

      We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has assisted us throughout the years, everyone who were members, everyone who supported our fundraising activities, all past committee members, the bus companies who supplied our buses and in particular Gerry Pepper who was our regular driver over the last two seasons and who did a great job.

      It is with much regret that we have had to make this decision to terminate the Oriel Travel Club but in the present circumstances there is no other option open to us.

      Signed Brendan Conachy, Chairman, For and on behalf of the Oriel Travel Club committee.

      Official OTC pins

      The Oriel Travel Club have produced some pins, which are on sale from Oriel Park souvenir shop and from any committee member

      Bargain of the year at just €3!

      Danceheads

      The craze that swept America, is sweeping England and is newly arrived in Ireland.

      On 12th July, in Dundalk's Park Inn Hotel Dancheads arrives in Ireland with a bang. Don't miss out, be part of it!

      Tickets available from committee members or at the door on the night - admission €20

      Click here to see more and stay tuned for more details!

      Easter Egg Raffle 2008

      The Easter Egg Raffle draw was held after the series 2 league match v Monaghan in Oriel Park on Thursday 13th March.

      Winners:
      Sean Culligan
      Michelle Connor
      Mary Conachy
      Lesley McConnon
      Mary Mackin
      Patsy c/o Oriel
      Geraldine Holland
      Darren Norton
      Margaret Curtis
      Gerry Kearney
      Saoirse McConnon
      Dominic Keating
      Andrea McQuillan

      OTC AGM, Monday 25th February 2008

      The Oriel Travel Club AGM took place in the Enda McGuill suite on Monday 25th February at 8.30pm.
      Membership and fares are to remain as per 2007.

      Condolences were offered to the family of deceased OTC member and Dundalk fan Neil Ross.

      The OTC announced that any member of the OTC found causing trouble at any game, home or away, inside or outside the ground, will be banned from the OTC. This decision is made in support of the club's efforts to stamp out the troublesome element who seem to have attached themselves to the club.

      There were a number of ins and outs on the OTC committee.
      Noel Rice has stepped down from the committee during the latter part of the 2007 season.
      Up for re-election this year were Paul Thornton, Kevin Corrigan and Andrea McQuillan. Paul Thornton has decided not to stand for re-election.
      Co-opted and up for formal election to the committee were Paul McCormack and Maeve McQuillan. Paul McCormack has decided not to stand for election.
      All of this meant that Noel Rice, Paul Thornton and Paul McCormack have left the OTC committee. The OTC would like to thank these three men for all of their hard work in the previous seasons, and wish them well in their future.
      Kevin Corrigan and Andrea McQuillan were re-elected, and Maeve McQuillan was formally elected to the committee.
      Ronan Corrigan was also proposed and elected to join the committee, with Pauline Thornton unable to commit now but stating her intent to join later in the year when some prior commitments have been met.

      Gerry Matthews has communicated with the OTC his difficulties in meeting the financial shortfall at the club. He has asked to meet with the OTC, which the OTC are willing to do at 48 hours notice. Some of the OTC members present felt that the sum requested from the OTC as a donation was unreasonable, the sum works out at 75 times the OTC surplus for 2008. Perhaps Gerry is unaware of how much OTC members already spend in supporting Dundalk FC at every game around the country?

      The weekend trip for the coming season has not been decided as yet, but will be discussed in the coming weeks and will be announced when known.

  • OTC Activity in 2007

    • Easter Egg Draw, 29th March 2007

    • OTC AGM, Monday 5th March 2007

      The Oriel Travel Club AGM took place in the Enda McGuill suite on Monday 5th March at 8.30pm.
      The OTC outlined detailed of memberships for 2007, shown above. Fares will be announced before the first away game.

      Condolences were offered to the family of recently deceased OTC member and Dundalk fan Michael Myers.

      The OTC Chairman, Brendan Conachy, also called for better communication in the club between boardroom and terraces. It is expected that the new Promotions Officer Paul Johnston will fulfill this role in time.

      The weekend trip for the coming season has not been decided as yet, but will be discussed in the coming weeks and will be announced when known.

  • OTC Activity in 2006

    • Phillip Hughes presentation,
      league goals record in 2006

      At the first game of the 2007 season, the OTC made a presentation to Philip Hughes for beating the League goals record last season.

      Noel Rice of the Travel Club presented the shirt that Philip wore in Galway when he beat the record, which has been signed and framed to be displayed in the Lilywhite Lounge. This was received by Tony O'Kane.

      Michael Conachy presented Philip with a boot to mark his breaking of the record with 21 goals last season.