Gaelic games participation to benefit Ukraine refugees

TWO primary schools in South County Dublin will benefit from an initiative which aims to support Ukrainian schoolchildren to participate in gaelic games.

An Allianz and Cumann na mBunscol initiative will see schools in Tallaght and Lucan help with the integration of Ukrainian students into Irish life through a love of the national games.

Some 6,824 arrivals from Ukraine have enrolled in Irish schools since the escalation of Russian-Ukrainian War in February.

Of these, 4,794 Ukrainian refugee pupils are enrolled in primary schools.

Between St Dominic’s National School in Tallaght and Divine Mercy NS in Balgaddy, 18 Ukrainian children are enrolled.

St Dominic’s NS puts a heavy emphasis on gaelic games within the school as a social inclusion tool with upwards of 10 teachers facilitating after-school extra-curricular activities.

Together with the work of Thomas Davis Games Promotion Officer, Stephen Stewart, the primary school is flourishing in the country’s national games.

“We are using sport as a vehicle to help integrate pupils into our school here at St Dominic’s,” St Dominic’s principal Seamus Vaughan tells The Echo.

Eva, Carissa, Leah, Catherine, Vanessa and Jasmin

“We have quite a large diverse community of sport here around the school and the support and equipment that we’ve received from Allianz and Cumann na mBunscol will help us use sport, in particular hurling and gaelic football, to integrate the new pupils into the school.”

The nationwide initiative sees Allianz providing 26 schools across Ireland with 500 footballs, 200 hurls and 200 sliotars to aide in helping the new Ukrainian schoolchildren’s engagement with the sports.

In total, the twenty-six participating schools will help 383 Ukrainian schoolchildren join in local Gaelic game activities across the country.

These schools are playing such an important role in welcoming Ukrainian schoolchildren into our communities,” said Joe Lyons, Chairperson of Cumann na mBunscol.

“By joining these local GAA activities, we hope the Ukrainian children feel welcome in our communities and learn the skills they need to enjoy our national games.

“Ukrainian children have featured in Cumann na mBunscol activities already this school term, thus making new friends and integrating more easily in their new surroundings.

“We look forward to working with all of the schools involved and seeing these children flourish.”