New Accents on the Pitch in Newry

Yesterday (Tuesday 22nd June 2010) saw the final day of the Ladies Gaelic Football Gaelic4Mothers programme in Newry in conjunction with the Peace 3 Challenge of Change Project and Newry & Mourne District Council.

Running for six weeks, the project brought together mums from the Newry area to learn the basic skills of Ladies Gaelic while at the same time meeting mums from different ethnic backgrounds to themselves.  As an added bonus to the programme the Ulster GAA added a Well Woman message to the programme where each week the mums were given advice on health issues such as healthy eating, smoking, and cancers.

Speaking of the success of the programme Sheena Tally, Ladies Gaelic Football Development Officer for the Ulster GAA and organiser of the programme said “Working with Challenge of Change and Newry & Mourne District Council on the Gaelic4Mothers programme gave us the opportunity to reach out to the ethnic minority populations in Newry and give them a taste of Gaelic Games.  Each week the participants were introduced to the skills of the game in a fun and easily understood way so that everyone could get involved.  Hearing different accents calling for the ball on the pitch shows that our games really can be inclusive of all; I just hope that some of those who took part in the programme will now continue to play with the Newry Mitchells club here in the town”

All the mums who took part in the programme received a special designed Gaelic4Mothers jersey as well as a Well Woman Pack and certificate as a memento of their time.  For more information on the Gaelic4Mothers Programme please contact Sheena at sheena.tally.ulster@gaa.ie

Notes:

• Pictured are some of the mums who took part in the programme along with Sheena Tally (Ladies Football Development Officer with Ulster GAA), Caoimhe Sloan (Coach for the programme from the Newry Mitchells club), Aisling Rennick and Deputy Mayor Charlie Casey (Newry & Mourne District Council) and Justyna McCabe (Challenge of Change Project).
• For further information contact Sheena Tally on: 028 37517 180