GORT COMMUNITY SCHOOL was one of seven schools nationwide to be awarded as a Future Leaders Gold School.
By Adam Maloney
115 Transition year students played a part in the school claiming the major honours which they received in Croke Park on October 18th.
With over 300 secondary schools involved in Future Leaders Programme, 150 schools applied to be recognised as either a Bronze, Silver, or Gold school for their work, in which Gort Community School’s successful projects over the last year, claimed the school a Gold award.
Current Teacher in Gort CS and a National Coordinator for the GAA Future Leaders Programme, Eoghan Hanley said “fantastic work” is evident across the country and it was important to recognise their efforts. Both he and Colm Madden who also hails from Clare were involved in the project.
Eoghan told The Clare Echo, “The current fifth years organised a primary school blitz with over 450 primary school kids from North Clare and South Galway, Hurling & Camogie, it was massive success. And two massive events they ran last year, which were huge successes were the All-Ireland U-15 Hurling Super 9’s, and the All-Ireland U-15 Camogie Super 9’s. And then they had schools from all four provinces in both tournaments”.
Hanley who teaches French and Irish in the school explained that the Super 9’s event “were on two different days, and hundreds of people in attendance. TG4 came down and filmed both days. The President of the Camogie Association came down to the Camogie one and the President of the GAA came down to the Hurling one. You had all the best camogie and hurling teams in the one place at the one time”.
Students from Gort Community School presented multiple awards at the tournament including best goal scored, best point scored and best skill, along with All-Star jerseys and new school jerseys designed by McKeever for the best players and winning teams.
“In fairness to the students in Gort they did a fantastic job and for them to see it come together on the day, and to have hundreds of people coming just to see this tournament that they’ve organised. You’ve got the best hurlers and camogie players in the country, and the Presidents of the associations, it’s just brilliant, that’s something they will remember forever”.
