Article for ‘Síol’, an ERST publication

By nenaghcbsp Posted at August 23, 2012

On Wednesday 27th June 2012, the two 5th classes in Nenagh CBS Primary travelled to Kerry on their annual school tour. They were taking in Crag Cave in Castleisland, visiting the famous ‘South Pole Inn’ once owned by legendary Antarctic explorer Tom Crean (whom they had read about in Micheal Smith’s novel ‘Iceman’) and later in the day finishing with a splashabout in the Aqua Dome, Tralee.

But in between the visit to Annascaul and the indoor water park, they had some very important business to attend to. It had been arranged a few months previously that since the boys were going to Kerry on their tour, they would play two Gaelic football challenge matches against their namesakes in Tralee CBS Primary. A chance encounter on Twitter back in April, when Tralee CBS happened to become Nenagh CBS’s 100thfollower led to the arrangement of this fixture, a unique inter-county exhibition of Gaelic football at primary level, not linked to the Munster GAA’s ‘Primary Game’.

Putting the good word out for @cbstralee (our 100th follower!) to get to #C themselves. Only 7 more to go!
— Nenagh CBS Primary (@nenaghcbsp) April 11, 2012

Naturally the Nenagh boys were very excited about the prospect of testing their football skills against other CBS boys from ‘the home of football’. Tralee CBS couldn’t have been more accommodating. They arranged for the use of the excellent John Mitchel’s GAA grounds with whom they have strong community links and they laid on more than enough sandwiches, crisps and drinks for the entire Nenagh entourage. They didn’t even give out to the Tipperaryvisitors after they were late trying to find the field! They truly extended the ‘céad mile fáilte’.

The football games themselves were well-contested, played in a fine spirit and crucially everybody enjoyed themselves. The Tralee boys showed the skills that we have all come to expect from the Kingdom but the Nenagh boys acquitted themselves well and it was a wonderful experience for them. Tipperaryand Kerry have had some great football tussles at all levels in recent years and the boys from both schools can be proud that they have left their own little mark on that history.

A BIG ‘Thank You’ to @cbstralee and John Mitchel’s #GAA for looking after us so well today. A great exp for our boys. twitter.com/nenaghcbsp/sta…
— Nenagh CBS Primary (@nenaghcbsp) June 27, 2012

Nenagh CBS would like to thank Mr Coleman, Mr Costello, Ms Lynch and all at Tralee CBS for their hospitality. It was fantastic for two ERST schools to be able to forge a link through the unlikely medium of Twitter and for that link to be demonstrated through sport. Go raibh mile maith agaibh gach duine!


Reminder: We’re back to school on Monday 3rd September. Hope everyone has had a great summer. Looking forward to seeing everyone again.
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