Currin have been named as the Ulster winners of the inaugural GAA ‘Off the Booze and On the Ball’ initiative. The scheme challenged members of the Association to abstain from alcohol for the month of January 2012 and in doing so seek sponsorship to go towards their local GAA club.

The initiative is being driven by the Association’s Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) Programme – a joint initiative with the HSE that aims to reduce the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol and other substances.

National Coordinator of the ASAP programme, Colin Regan, and the Monaghan ASAP Officer, Cathal Hand, launched the initiative at the county convention last December with the support of the Monaghan County Chairman Paul Curran and Monaghan footballer Conor McManus.

Currin, who received a special merit award from the county board to mark their promotion to senior football in their 125^th year in 2011, embraced the ‘Off the Booze and On the Ball’ campaign. Currin had 15 participants, who raised a total of €2,057.50. The club gave their players an extra incentive to participate by putting 50% of the money raised towards training gear and equipment.

On the last Saturday in January, the home-based Currin participants took part in an 8km run from Clones to Scotshouse.

They will now be invited to Croke Park for a presentation and the club will receive a training session from a high-performance coach or a sports nutritionist, a boost for the Sons of St. Patrick as they prepare for the senior league.