INAGH’S Tara Rynne has been honoured with a prestigious award from the GAA.
On Friday, Tara was one of the eleven recipients for Gradaim an Uachtaráin 2023, the prestigious annual awards where the President of the GAA acknowledges outstanding commitment and long service across the club and county network. The awards which were broadcast on TG4 are a cross-section of people who have shared the common theme of making an inspirational impact on their code and also their club and community.
Tara received the Education Award. She joined the staff of CBS Ennistymon after graduating from the University of Limerick in 2013. Immediately, the PE and Maths teacher began working with Michael Clohessy who had championed sport in the CBS for many years. Tara enthusiastically took on the role of coach, trainer and manager of the various football and hurling teams.
She is passionate about sport and has worked tirelessly to develop football and hurling, adding hugely to the strong GAA tradition in the school. “Students coming to us are probably around the age where they are maybe thinking of giving up sport or they have lost interest or it is too competitive for them, being a PE teacher one of our main aims is to try include everyone in the PE class, we help them to become physically active and stay physically active for the fun of it and for enjoyment with their friends, it is very important that people are open to partaking in sport at some stage”.
A positive rapport with the students in general allows Tara to support the student’s wellbeing in discreet and practical ways. Her leadership and contribution to their wellbeing was very evident during Covid lockdown when she was among the teachers supporting the boys with online challenges.
There have been many successes over the years culminating in Munster success in both hurling and football in 2022, only to be narrowly defeated in both All -Ireland finals.
The school is now competing at B grade in football and C in hurling, a tremendous achievement for the North Clare school which has a student population of just over 220 boys.
Numerous past pupils have and are still playing for the county who have been coached and nurtured by Tara at the CBS. “GAA is part of everything we do every weekend, every month, every year, we’re always out playing matches, going to matches, it’s part of what a lot of people in this locality are made of,” she said.
Ms Rynne added, “There’s a real sense of community about CBS Ennistymon, everybody is like one big family here, when we go to the matches there is huge crowds there to support. Playing sport is part of our history here”.
Tara has become the first female member of Munster Post-Primary Schools GAA core Committee. She is the PRO and as part of this role she is developing the promotion of our games through the GAA Future Leaders Journalism module. The Munster Post Primary schools GAA has developed a gold, silver and bronze accreditation awards system to encourage our aspiring Journalists at student level in our schools. Tara is very much involved in this initiative.
On the field, Tara was captain of the first Inagh/Kilnamona team to win the senior camogie championship in 2016. She was part of the Inagh side crowned All-Ireland Junior champions in 2011 while she won an intermediate ladies football championship with St Joseph’s Miltown in 2015.
GAA President, Larry McCarthy said, “The success of the GAA has always been down to the people who, through their loyalty, selfless dedication and commitment, have invested so much to ensure that for almost 140 years the Association has gone from strength to strength”.
