Connaught Regional News

This month, meet 2 of our amazing Connaught athletes!

The selections for Team Connaught took place on Thursday 4th September in the Connacht Hotel, Galway.

On Saturday 6th September we held our Coaching Young Athletes coaching course in Belmullet, Co. Mayo. Our newly re-established Erris Special Olympics Club are eager to get back involved with Special Olympics and will be starting our Young Athletes Programme in the area. 

We are delighted to announce that the Connaught Regional Athlete Leadership Forum is back for 2025! It’s on Saturday 22nd November at 10:00 am at The Connacht Hotel, Galway. Please save the date. Further information will be sent to clubs in the coming weeks. 

The first Special Olympics Connaught Young Athletes Festival took place on Saturday, 21st June at the Kingfisher, University of Galway.

Incredible energy and excitement at our Inter-Regional Kayaking Qualifiers at Lough Rynn over the weekend 14th & 15th June.

It was the first-ever Doubles Event and Unified Doubles Event! Thanks to Capital Grants funding, we were proud to launch some of our new doubles kayaks — bringing a fresh wave of inclusion and opportunity to our athletes.

The atmosphere was electric as athletes from across the regions showcased remarkable skill and talent on the water. Their focus, technique, and teamwork made it clear that the level of competition is stronger than ever.

A special thank you to Moira Aston, CEO of Canoe Ireland, for joining us on Saturday and to the many volunteers that supported the event on both days.  A special thanks to the Civil Defence and the mainstream kayaking clubs that provided safety cover on the water.

All Regions Golf Event-Portmarnock 

On the 30th June, all regions came together at Portmarnock & Jameson Golf Links.

Sligo Fairways Special Olympics club travelled to the event and competed in the Level 4-Individual Stroke Plat, 9-hole competition. The course was challenging but all the athletes completed it which is a testament to their determination and courage.

The awards were presented by members of the Board of Special Olympics Ireland and Golf Ireland

Regional athletics event

The regional athletics event took place on Thursday 5th June at the Knocknarea Arena, ATU Sligo.  It was great to see so many of the special schools taking part again.

Thanks to the volunteers that help run the event, a special mention to the Mercy College TY students that were invaluable on the day. Check out some of the images from the day!

Special Olympics Ireland is proud to congratulate South Galway Lakers Special Olympics Sports Club, who were named the winner of the Sports Award at the Galway Cathaoirleach Awards last Friday evening.

Shortlisted alongside a host of exceptional local sports organisations, the club’s win came as a wonderful—and very welcome—surprise. Representing the Lakers on the night were senior athlete Bryan Dolan, his mother Geraldine, and Head Coach Mairéad Daly, who were, by all accounts, utterly stunned when South Galway Lakers was announced as the winner.

What a brilliant day of bocce action we had on Sunday, 18th May at Castlegar GAA Club in Galway, as the Connaught Regional Qualifiers rolled into town!

97 athletes from 9 Special Olympics clubs across the region came together to compete, connect, and give it their all on the court. Despite the soaring temperatures (not ideal for an indoor sport! ), the focus, skill, and determination shown by our athletes was nothing short of exceptional. Read more about the incredible athletes taking part!

Leisureland Galway played host to an incredible showcase of talent and sportsmanship during the recent Connaught Regional Swimming Events for Category 2+3 athletes. The events were held across two important days — Divisioning Day on 30th April and the main Competition Day on 7th May

A total of 106 athletes took to the pool, demonstrating not only their impressive swimming abilities but also their dedication, perseverance, and team spirit. The atmosphere was electric, filled with cheers, encouragement, and proud moments for athletes, families, and supporters alike. Read more about this fantastic swimming event.

A Regional Basketball Qualifying Event took place on 22nd March in Knocknarea Arena, ATU, Sligo. 

Special Olympics athlete John Kelly celebrated his 13th birthday recently with his family and his 6th class friends from Strandhill National School.

The 2025 Spring Swim Meet at Kilcornan turned out to be very competitive but enjoyable experience for all the athletes from Team South Galway, Tribes Senior and Junior Special Olympics Club.

The inter-regional badminton event took place in Gormanston sports complex on Sunday 2nd March.

The Connaught Annual Regional Meeting took place at the Connacht Hotel, Galway on Wednesday 26th March, featuring a great turnout of athletes, coaches, volunteers, parents and guardians.

Tuam Headford Special Olympics Club was founded in 2006 as a dedicated swim club.

The club expanded its horizons by introducing gymnastics in 2010 and today, operates as a multisport club offering swimming, gymnastics, and the Young Athletes program.

The club stands out for its diversity, boasting a wide age range of participants who bring their unique energy, talents, and enthusiasm to every training session and competition.

Athletes from three clubs attended a Grading Day on the 22nd of February in Salthill Devon FC grounds. Clubs in attendance were, Galway Football SOC, Shooting Stars SOC and Loughrea TC. Following an exciting afternoon of matches and lively banter, each club received a pack, with a variety of football equipment which has recently been sponsored by the FAI, through the Football for All Programme.

John McNaboe, RDO Sport thanked the FAI for the equipment and their continued support of the Special Olympics Football programme. “We have had a strong relationship with the FAI for a long number of years and they have always been very supportive in any way they can. This new equipment will give a great boost to our clubs and athletes as they prepare for their advancement event later this year”.

2024 was a year of achievement, new beginnings, and positive developments for Connaught Special Olympics.

A very successful Connaught Regional Bowling event took place on Saturday 9th November at Mayo Leisure Point, Castlebar.

Sligo Regional Sports Centre played host to a Category 1 Swimming event on Wednesday 13th November featuring 24 athletes. 

Thanks to Mairead Daly, South Galway Lakers Special Olympics Club, for organising a fun-filled juvenile basketball day on Saturday 30th November. 14 athletes took part and had a fantastic time! 

On Thursday 5th December the Connaught Regional Motor Activities Training Programme (MATP) took place at Creggs National School. 

Team South Galway hosted a fantastic fun filled Christmas Cracker inter-club event on Sunday 1st December. 

We are delighted to announce that Sligo Special Olympics Young Athletes Club is November's winner of the Gala Gifts for Clubs competition and has won €500 in cash.

An interclub football blitz day in Salthill on 28 September was a storming success featuring 41 athletes across seven teams from three clubs, with great skills and camaraderie on show throughout.

Eleven athletes from across the Connaught region attended the All Ireland Athlete Leadership Forum on Saturday 21 September in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise. 

Friday 20 September became the highlight of the year for Roscommon Special Olympics Club when they took on the local Garda Síochána in their much-anticipated annual football match.

Patricia Larkin, Health Messenger and athlete representative on the Connaught Regional Committee, was interviewed on Friday 8th November on Galway Bay FM for the Community Matters Series with John Morely.  She spoke about her love, and long involvement in Special Olympics, her role as a health ambassador and her time in Berlin at the World Games.

Seven badminton athletes from Loughrea won two silver and three bronze medals at the East Midlands Super Regional Badminton Championships at University of Derby Sports Centre, England on 26th and 27th October.

On the 24th Of October 18 Special Olympics athletes gathered for Swing Golf at LUASCA Golf, Oranmore, Galway to experience the unique thrill of virtual golf at a golf simulator event.