The sun might not have been shining in Páirc na nGael on Saturday but there was still plenty of bright smiles to be seen as St Mary’s Aghagallon hosted their first ever GAA for All training session.
The Aghagallon All Stars was created as an inclusive team, designed for children with additional needs who are unable to take part in a typical team game. The idea was originally initiated late last year by a few interested parents, John Walsh and Bronagh McCavigan along with current senior player, Aaron Doherty, who all felt there was a need for this kind of group in the community. Aaron works within special education and has brought a great wealth of knowledge in relation to the two key aspects of this initiative, sport and inclusivity. Aaron said, ‘We believe that the introduction of our All Stars Team will be invaluable to many families in Aghagallon and our neighbouring communities. It is our aim to provide inclusive opportunities and to encourage the development of social skills and physical abilities through fun Gaelic games. We aim to make our sessions as fun and welcoming as possible for all.”
The new intative is already proving to be an extremely worthwhile venture. All Stars co-ordinator, Bronagh McCavigan, said, ‘We have been amazed by the popularity of the All Stars team. There are over thirty children registered with us so far, which just goes to show the need there is in the community for groups like ours. These kids will now have the opportunity to participate in GAA sports, to be visible in their community and to be a valued part of a club and team. This is priceless for them and their families.’
Club Health and Wellbeing Officer, John Walsh, stated ‘The support for the All Stars group has been phenomenal. We have over twenty coaches who have come forward to kindly volunteer their time to get the group up and running each week. We are so grateful to them and without them it could not happen. The support from the community, schools and from other clubs has also been amazing. We have forged some great relationships with other GAA for All teams in Ulster and beyond, and we are looking forward to meeting many more teams over the course of the year. We hope our group can inspire other clubs to take that leap and start their own GAA for All team.’
The St Mary’s All Stars train every Saturday morning at the Colane Road and there are lots of plans ahead. St Mary’s will go to their first blitz in Warrenpoint and to an activity day in Croke Park in August where they will meet other GAA for All teams from around Ireland. It’s an exciting time for the St Mary’s club and we wish them well with their endeavours with the All Star team.
