Wheelchair hurling scheduled for Gormanston
Plenty of drama and entertaining action is promised at Gormanston College on Saturday 7th July when wheelchair hurlers from the four provinces will compete in a sport that is growing in popularity.
Wheelchair hurling teams are made up of six players and four substitutes and gives both men and women an opportunity to become involved in the sport.
"Wheelchair hurling was the brainchild of Timmy Maher way back in 1998. Timmy, a teacher in a special school for children with physical disabilities, introduced “a small hurley” after observing the children playing a wheelchair game with a ball and tennis rackets. Thus began an innovative direction of inclusion in GAA games, something special was unleashed," commented Brian Carberry the St Vincent's clubman who is part of the Leinster Wheelchair Hurling Committee.
The wheelchair hurling concept facilitates those with disabilities to fully participate in GAA games and open our games to people of all abilities. This ethos is part of the GAA’s wider inclusion strategy which states that disability is not a barrier to sport.
Wheelchair hurling teams are made up of six players and four substitutes.
"The rules have been revised and adopted to a similar standard of our field games. Men and women of all ages can and do participate on the same team," added Carberry. "Teams are selected on a provincial basis and compete for League and Championship honours and fixed to play on a rotational basis in each province. This year the 7th July the 2nd round takes place in Gormanston College , being the Leinster provincial venue.
"Training hubs rather than clubs are evolving within the provinces, with a stead y uptake of players and involvement of volunteers.
"However in Leinster, Wheelchair Hurling really got a kick start with the appointment of a “Games for All” committee three years ago by provincial Council Chairman John Horan (now Uachtaran). John threw the full backing of the council into supporting the committee with finance and resources.
"Following a number of meetings with Local Sports Partnerships and the Irish Wheelchair Association and in consultation with the then Leinster GAA Coaching committee chairman Jim Bolger, now provincial Chairman, a training hub was set up in Kilkenny and later in Portlaoise. This opened the door for numerous players from the south of the province to become involved.
"This has paid dividends already with a number of our players gaining “All star” recognition and Leinster winning the Martin Donnelly Interprovincial Championship for the first time in 2016 and again last year," added Carberry.
The St Vincent's clubman underlined how efforts are being made to make the game available to as many people as possible.
"As a provincial committee we are endeavouring to maximise our player base through ongoing meetings with local sports partnerships, Sport Ireland, Irish Wheelchair Association and Leinster coaching staff. We are keen to have an active data base of wheelchair users (male & female) who may be potential players," he explained.
"To this effect we are providing coaching at summercamps for children four to fourteen years of age through the Occupational Therapy section of the Louth/Meath branch of the HSE in Drogheda and the Local Sports partnership and Irish Wheelchair Association in Muirhevanamore sports centre, Dundalk. In Navan through the Sports partnership we have coached on their “Have a Go Camps” also.
"Our aim is to have a provincial wide representative from every county on the Leinster panel, and possibly in time a second Leinster team.
"We are very grateful to Martin Donnelly for his ongoing support and sponsorship of our games."
There are no Meath players on the current Leinster team but the hope is that Helen Mullery, of Slane, the daughter of Meath Co Board treasurer Jim Mullery, could represent the county in the near future. Helen Mullery is also on the Leinster Wheelchair Committee.