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St Kevin's Primary School, Falls Road, Belfast

Gaelic Football Success

22nd May 2024

Report from Mrs. Devlin, PE Coordinator

It was a day great excitement in St. Kevin’s P.S last Friday 17th May when we received a visit from Padraig Mc Crory, a past pupil and world champion boxer. Padraig was in school to present a beautiful new kit to the St. Kevin’s Girls' Gaelic football team.

The school has been so fortunate these past few years to be working closely with our local Gaelic Football Club namely O’ Donnell's GAC, to promote Gaelic football within our school. The O’Donnell's coach who is providing the support on the ground is Mr. James Braniff. James provides in-class Gaelic football coaching to all year groups at different points throughout the year. He also undertakes after school coaching to prepare teams for competitions.

This year we had a P.6&7 Girls’ Gaelic football team and a P.6&7 Boys’ Gaelic football team who participated in the D championship. Unbelievably, and thanks to all the great work both at club and at school, the boys and girls teams made it all the way to the Championship Finals! As we were getting ready for the finals, coach James, as he is affectionately known, ran a fundraiser to buy new kits for the girls’ team. He approached local businesses to buy a ticket with the prize being to get the business logo onto the new shirts. In the ballot we were overjoyed that Padraig Mc Crory’s Hammer Boxing Club was the winner.

Padraig took time out of his busy training schedule to come last Friday to talk to the children, to sign autographs and to pose for photographs with our two brilliant Gaelic teams who had did us so proud getting to the finals in our first year back in competitions. Padraig also presented the girls teams with their new shirts. Mrs Finnegan, the Girls’ Gaelic Football coach said that the shirts look amazing and she is looking forward to a new set of girls wearing them next year in competitive matches.

Ms. Devlin, P.E. Coordinator at St Kevin's P.S. made a presentation to both James and Padraig on behalf of the St. Kevin's school community to express our appreciation and thanks for all they have done. We all look forward to coach James returning in the next school year to continue his coaching and promoting our Gaelic games and build on the great foundations laid this year.