Pictured: Cian Galvin’s GAA Future Leaders Class
TY students from Ennis are aiming to pass the tradition of the GAA down to the next generation.
Clare hurler and secondary school teacher, Cian Galvin’s Future Leaders TY class in Ennis Community College and Ghaelcholáiste an Chláir are gearing up to facilitate a blitz through Irish for all Gaelscoil’s in County Clare on May 12 in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chísóg. The blitz includes two of our cherished Irish traditions, GAA and Gaelige.
In speaking with The Clare Echo, Galvin explains to us what the Future Leaders is, “The Future Leaders Program is a TY initiative, it’s for all TY students and the whole idea is that they organise a series of events throughout the year, and it’s all about promoting GAA in the school and the county.”
This is the class’s second event, the first being in December, “it was an indoor hurling tournament with the sixth class from the Gaelscoil (Ennis) and it was a huge success.”
Galvin and his class plan on an even bigger success with the coming blitz, “we have bigger and better plans now for the blitz in Cusack Park, so hopefully it’ll be a hit.”
A factor that is of immense importance for not only teachers, but also students is that these events are ran as Gaelige.
Gaelcolaiste students, Chloe and Roxanne, speak on the importance of Irish in GAA sports. Chloe remarks, “it’s an Irish sport so it’s good have some of the language in it as well.”
The two Ennis natives share a passion for GAA with Chloe playing Camoige for Eire Óg and Roxanne, Ladies Football with The Banner, this is a passion which the Future Leaders class was able to help foster.
However, the class is not just for GAA players, Mounir Boushaib an Ennis Community College student, expressed his little experience in GAA before joining Mr Galvins’s Future Leaders Class, “Before this I never played or watched matches, I was more of a soccer person but after I did the GAA Future Leaders I started watching some matches on the TV, so it was great.”
The Future Leaders strive to make the GAA something that everyone can be involved in. the preparation of this blitz enables every student to be able to contribute in some way, with more experienced players coaching and refereeing the games and students with less experience can score count, organise and plan other events to go with the blitz.
