Mayo pupils play in Croke Park

PUPILS from St. Anthony’s Special School, Castlebar, and St. Dympna’s Special School, Ballina, took part for the very first time in the M. Donnelly GAA Football for All interprovincial finals on Tuesday last in Croke Park.

This is the second year that these games have been held in Croke Park.

Over 140 players from all four provinces took part in this tournament which is a joint initiative between the national GAA for All committee in collaboration with the Irish Special Schools Sports Council (ISSSC).

Both Mayo schools are part of the Northwest Branch of the ISSSC and were also joined on the Connaught team by players from St. Joseph's in Sligo and St. Bernadette’s, Letterkenny.

The chairperson of the Connacht GAA Games for All Committee, Denis O’Boyle, expressed his gratitude to the pupils, their parents and staff of St. Anthony’s Special School, Castlebar, and St. Dympna’s Special School, Ballina, in representing Connacht GAA in Croke Park.

He thanked the Connacht GAA Council for their ongoing support. He also complimented Mayo GAA and its coaching and games committee chairperson, Padraic Carolan, who together with Co. Mayo Games manager, Billy McNicholas, provided GAA coaches to visit and coach at both schools in preparation for the interprovincial finals.

In this regard a special word of praise goes to Eoin Sweeney and to Martin Costello who coached both boys and girls teams from St. Anthony's and St. Dympna’s in the skills of Gaelic football and accompanied them to Croke Park. Eoin and Martin also assisted in the management of the Connaught boys and girls teams in what was a wonderful and most enjoyable day of Gaelic football and a very proud day for all the players from Mayo who represented Connaught GAA in Croke Park.