Offaly schools to the fore at Diversity Games
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Peter Brosnan from Sport Ireland presents the 3rd/4th class boys winning trophy to pupils from Tullamore Educate Together.Image 2 of 6
Ciara Ni Cheilleachair (management committee member of Offaly Sports Partnership), and Cathaoirleach, Councillor Eddie Fitzpatrick presented intermediate relay medals to girls from Sacred Heart Tullamore (3rd), Tullamore College (1st) and Mercy College Sligo (2nd)Image 3 of 6
Offaly Olympian James Nolan (Head of Para-athletics with Paralympics Ireland) presents the intermediate boys winning trophy to pupils from Tullamore CollegeImage 4 of 6
Ciaran Cafferkey (Sport Ireland on the left) and Aine Hollywood and Colleen O’Rourke Devine (both from Sport Ireland on the right), with the Junior, Intermediate and Senior girls from Tullamore College who were overall winners in all three categories.Image 5 of 6
Ellen Byrne from Sport Ireland presents the 3rd/4th class girls winning trophy to pupils from Scoil Mhuire TullamoreImage 6 of 6
Ellen Byrne and Peter Brosnan from Sport Ireland and Councillor Robert McDermott (chair Offaly Sports Partnership) with a number of the children that contested the primary school para-athletic events.Offaly schools were to the fore at the recent Indoor Diversity Games and Para Athletic Festival in Athlone.
Six of the ten team categories contested were won by Offaly schools, while individuals representing Offaly schools were also notable by their numbers on the podium.
The Indoor Diversity Games, which is organised by Offaly Sports Partnership with support from Athletics Ireland, sees schools from several counties participate annually. The Games were originally designed to support more young people and children of an ethnic background to become involved in the sport. To date, at least five young people who participated in the Games have gone on to represent Ireland in international underage competitions.
This year the Games were expanded to include events for young people and children with impairments to participate in Para Athletics. Offaly Olympian James Nolan who is head of Para Athletics at Paralympic Ireland said he was delighted to be associated with the event and commended Offaly Sports Partnership for expanding the programme and making it more inclusive for all.
Two days of indoor athletics were held; the first for primary schools, and the second for post primaries. Minister Pippa Hackett opened the games on the first day, with Councillor Robert McDermott, Chairperson of the Offaly Sports Partnership. Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Councillor Eddie Fitzpatrick, was in attendance on the second day. Sport Ireland, Athletics Ireland, and Paralympics Ireland had representation at the games on both days.
The Offaly schools that participated in the Primary School events were St Marys Edenderry, St Patrick’s Edenderry, Mercy Primary School Birr, St Brendan’s Boys School Birr, St Rynagh’s National School Banagher, Scoil Mhuire Tullamore, Scoil Eoin Phoil Tullamore, and Tullamore Educate Together. The Offaly Post Primary schools were Ard Schoil Chianain Noafa Clara, Sacred Heart Tullamore, Tullamore College, St Brendan’s Community School Birr, and St Mary’s Secondary School Edenderry.
In the team competitions for primary schools, the overall winners were: 3rd/4th Class Girls – Scoil Mhuire Tullamore; 3rd/4th Boys – Tullamore Educate Together; 5th/6th Class Girls – Presentation Primary School Portarlington; 5th/6th Class Boys – Merlin Woods national School Galway.
In the team competitions for post primary schools, Tullamore College has great success claiming victory in four of six categories contested.
Post Primary Team Winners: Junior Girls – Tullamore College; Junior Boys – Moyne Community School Longford; Intermediate Girls – Tullamore College; Intermediate Boys – Tullamore College; Senior Girls – Tullamore College; Senior Boys – Summerhill College Sligo.