Gort to vote for GAA ‘All Stars’ in online poll
By Tommy O’Callaghan
Gort Community School are to host novel ‘All-Star Awards’ to honour the best hurling and camogie players to have donned the school colours.
As part of the school’s 25th anniversary celebrations, shortlists of past hurling and camogie players have been drawn up with a vote to determine the best 15 from each team. The winners are to be announced at an online event on 25 May.
The event has been organised by Transition Year students from the GAA club as part of the Future Leaders programme, along with teachers Colm Madden and Eoghan Hanley, who is also the National Coordinator of the GAA Future Leaders programme.
Gort Community School celebrated its 25th birthday in 2020, and the GAA club in the school wanted to mark the occasion.
“With COVID, the students had to think outside the box,” said Hanley.
“It’s a way to connect with the south Galway and north Clare community. It is very hard to connect with the community when it’s not in person.
“That’s the nice thing about doing a project like this. Selection is based on the players time time playing with the school.”
There has been a strong response to the vote in the community, with the organising of the event very much driven by the students. The winners will be revealed on the club’s YouTube channel with a special show.
“We’re going to have Transition Year students presenting the show so it will be students on camera, on sound, and editing on the night,” said Liam Shearer, chairperson of the GAA club who, along with his Transition Year classmates, is managing the event.
“It’s good that the students got free rein to put our ideas into plan and it’s great experience for all the students, like our club secretary and treasurer, to try these roles in the school,” said Shearer.
Gort Community School opened in September 1995, with the All-Star shortlists including some prominent members from former Clare and Galway teams.
A number of national names in Gaelic Games including Michael Donohue, Iarla Tannian, and Heather Cooney are all former pupils and are shortlisted.
The vote will close on May 15 with the YouTube show announcing the teams airing tendays later.
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