TWO local clubs joined forces in the name of reviving underage participation in the GAA with a free summer camp. Over 70 local children took part, many of whom experienced Gaelic games for the first time ever.
Old Christians and Ballinacurra Gaels, in partnership with the Limerick County Board, the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, and the Southill Hub, hosted the camp across Rathbane and Ballinacurra.
The GAA fun day was part of a broader push to rebuild underage structures and secure the long-term future of both clubs.
Games development coordination James Ryan, a former Limerick senior himself, played a key role in the wider regeneration project, aim to help Gaelic games flourish in the city’s south inner core.
The area is one of six urban zones identified for development by the Munster Council, which this week appointed a new officer to oversee the initiative.
“Today’s initiative came from the two clubs to run a camp. What we are basically trying to do is increase participation in the area,” James said. “It’s been a massive success; we’ve had about 70 kids up here, many playing hurling and football for the first time.”
This successful event followed a series of initiatives led by the Rathbane-based clubs, first driven by Old Christians with nearby schools.
“About 12 months ago we identified that we only had a handful of kids coming in the gate,” said Phil Madden, club treasurer and lifelong member.
“We decided in the springtime that we would approach the five DEIS schools in the area and run a blitz up here during the summertime. The principals and staff bought into it, and we had 350 children up here.”
Like many inner-city clubs, Old Christians have seen numbers dwindle in recent years, with their underage academy close to collapse — despite Limerick’s golden run at senior level.
“Because we are such an underprivileged regeneration area, a lot of the kids around here cannot afford stuff; they don’t have the opportunity to get out and about and away from the screens. Opportunities like this give them the chance to open their eyes; if only a fraction stay, then it’s a job well done.”
by Éanna Mackey
