Historic event for Sciath na Scol tomorrow at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh

It will be a very important day at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh tomorrow in the history of Sciath na Scol.

They will host the inaugural Rebel Réalta Sports and Activity Day, a special event dedicated to promoting inclusion and active participation in GAA for children with additional needs.

The event will take place from 10am to 2pm. Rebel Réalta have engaged with the special schools, with plans to expand the programme to mainstream schools in due course.

Sciath na Scol chairperson Dave Collins is delighted to have got this project up and running.

“What we’re trying to do is promote an inclusive day for children with additional needs, this is a start," he says to The Echo.

“What we do in Sciath na Scol has been very successful, but there definitely has been a gap. So, the whole notion, I suppose, is to give these children with additional needs, an equal opportunity insofar as we can.

“We have been thinking about this for 12 months or so. We put a very good committee together consisting of a number of our officers, and Liam Weir, who was a previous officer. They have worked on this to get it off the ground.

“A huge thing in my view is the fact that it’s happening in this fantastic stadium at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Huge thanks to Kevin O’Donovan and the Cork County Board for making this happen. 

"Kevin was rightly supportive of it from the word go and was always determined to help make it happen."

Collins hopes to expand the event going into the future on what is a very exciting new chapter.

“Clare ran an equivalent one and it was very successful,” he said.

“The difference, I suppose, Clare has something like 110 primary schools, Cork would be pushing 400. So, we don’t know what we’d be able to cope with, or what we’d have to do. It’s a start, and that’s the whole reasoning behind it.

“What we’re about is affording these children with additional needs that maybe have been neglected in things like sports down through the years, affording them the possible opportunity of coming and doing some sporting activities. GAA based if it’s appropriate for the children, but fun sporting activities too.

“The whole plan is that this becomes an annual event. Like, with sponsorship, we’ve been absolutely pushing an open door. There is going to be money available from the Munster Council as well. When Clare had their event, the Munster Council said they would give equal finance to any other county who wanted to pursue such a thing.

“The other sponsors include ICS, Ashdale Catering, Réalta Technologies, Spar Mount Oval, Rebel Óg and Pharmacare.

“Ashdale Catering, who are one of the food companies supplying the primary schools at the moment, have come in and are going to sponsor the food on Thursday. Spar Mount Oval then will be supplying stuff like jelly, sweets and so on that hopefully might enhance the day a bit.

“We’re pushing an open book with the sponsorship. Huge thanks to everybody involved. It has been a great effort, a lot of serving teachers regularly met during the summer holidays to try and get this going.” Collins concluded.