Eleanor Murray wins TV3's 'Local Legend' competition

Local swimming champion Eleanor Murray has been named as TV’3 Local Legend following a public vote.
Eleanor, from Readstown, Trim, was among eight other monthly finalists vying for the title and was thrilled when she was announced as the winner at the end of yesterday’s Ireland AM programme.
A daughter of Tom and Liz Murray, Eleanor is a Leaving Cert student at Scoil Mhuire and also works part time at Aura Leisure Centre in Trim.
Emma Donegan, Operations Manager at Aura Trim, nominated Eleanor as a local legend for the the inspirational role which she plays in the community as a young woman with Down’s Syndrome, through her work as an Aura employee, her sporting achievements and her academic achievements in a mainstream school. Local Legends presenter Noel Cunningham visited Aura Trim last October to interview Eleanor, her parents and Emma Donegan, when she was named as a monthly finalist.
On Monday’s Ireland AM, Eleanor and the eight other finalists were interviewed before the voting lines opened and this morning, Eleanor returned to the TV3 studios where she was interviewed along with Ms Donegan.
As well as the honour of winning the title, Emma also receives a week’s luxury Mediterranean cruise on the courtesy Royal Caribbean.
Eleanor’s father Tom has thanked the local community for voting for Eleanor and said she got a huge vote and won the competition by a “country mile”.
There was more good news for Eleanor this week when she received confirmation that she has been accepted on a sports management and coaching course in Dunboyne Insitute of Further Education next September.
Eleanor has a busy year ahead and straight after sitting her Leaving Cert in June, she travels to Limerick to compete in the national finals of the Special Olympics and in November, she travels to Mexico for the World Down Syndrome Games.