Sinéad Brennan is just back from East Africa, where she was coaching Gaelic football in some severely disadvantaged places.
Sinéad plays football for Crettyard Ladies and coaches the U-12 girls’ team, but recently took her coaching talents outside the parish.
She teamed up with former Kilkenny hurler Aidan Fogarty for an unforgettable experience.
“I’m the health club manager in The Newpark Hotel Kilkenny,” Sinéad said. “They heard an interview on the radio about Uganda GAA and were keen to go further than just making a donation.
“I was asked would I fly to Uganda and coach Gaelic football as they know I’m hugely into GAA. Newpark sponsored myself and Aidan Fogarty to go and they raised €20,000 to build a clubhouse and pitch for the kids to continue playing.
Sinéad spent ten days in Kampala and Moroto/Karamoja, where she organised a blitz with four different schools and then visited each of the schools for some individual coaching.
“The kids found both hurling and Gaelic football through TikTok and YouTube and began making their own equipment from twine and any materials they could get hold of.
“We were sent a videos of them playing both sports prior to heading over and we couldn’t wait to get out there.
“They were remarkable,” she said. “They already had a good idea of the skills when we got out so they were happy to learn the drills from our training sessions.
“The kids were full of energy and so willing to learn – they would’ve stayed going all day if they could.
The influence of the GAA in east Africa was evident from the beginning of Sinéad’s adventure; and she was delighted to be able to soak up the Ugandan culture herself.
“We were so surprised as we expected to be the ones teaching our culture but we were greeted by song and dance in each school we went to – which was a fabulous was to engage with the kids. We were so grateful to get to experience so many different areas of Uganda,” she said.
Back playing and coaching in Crettyard, Sinéad came to terms with the magnitude of her visit.
“The entire trip was full of mixed emotions,” she said. “Although the kids live in hugely disadvantaged areas, some playing football with no shoes and others wearing one while their sibling wears the other, they were expressing so much happiness and joy to us.
“It wasn’t until I go home that it all really hit me,” she said. “I’m so grateful to have gotten this experience and would absolutely go again.”
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