GAA Club fly new flag outside clubhouse which was designed by 10-year-old Mia
By Hayden Moore
A FLAG designed by a primary school student to promote and celebrate Ballyboden St Enda’s ladies’ football and camogie players has been raised outside the clubhouse on the Firhouse Road.
Through their ‘Design A Flag’ competition, Ballyboden received over 30 entries from players in the juvenile section of the club.
The O’Connell family bubble cheered on as the flag was about to be raised at Pairc Ui Mhurchu on the Firhouse Road
10-year-old Mia O’Connell’s winning design depicting a young camóg and ladies football player with the tagline Mná Buadáin Abú was then scaled up and made into a full-size flag.
At a special socially distanced presentation last week, the O’Connell family bubble cheered on as the St Colmcille’s student raised the flag outside the club for the very first time.
“When we first saw the flag we were really happy with how it turned out, Mia was absolutely delighted,” Mia’s mam Adrienne told The Echo.
“Her grandparents were there, myself and Paddy, her dad, were there and her brother Daire was there as the flag was raised on Saturday morning.
“With the pandemic there is very little to get excited about and when we found out Mia had won the competition, it created such a buzz right down through our family – it was a great initiative.
“It’s the first flag for the ladies’ section and that’s what makes it all the more significant
“When we saw it flying high at the top of the flag pole, it made us so proud and honoured knowing that Mia did that and that it was going to be there for years to come.”
Mia, who plays for the Boden Under 11s, along with her brother Daire, who is in the Academy, is the next generation of their family to play for the club.
Following in the footsteps of her father Paddy and aunty in playing with the club, Mia has left her mark on the club through her unwavering creativity and grá for art.
Mia will now shift the focus of her creativity to the field as outdoor underage training recommenced from Monday.
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