On Tuesday 23^rd and Wednesday 24^th of April over 170 students from ten Leitrim and Fermanagh schools descended on Leitrim village for two fun filled sports days.

The schools are part of the International Fund for Ireland and Leitrim County Council funded Goal for Peace Project which aims to integrate children from protestant and catholic backgrounds through the medium of sport.  Over the course of the two days the children rotated through various on the field activities designed to encourage teamwork.

This was the first Goal for Peace group event of 2013 and follows on from the work carried out during the paired coaching sessions which recommenced in January.  Each school on the project is paired with a partner school and they meet regularly to take part in team building games and coaching sessions led by Leitrim Community Soccer Development officer Damon Kearney.

The Goal for Peace project is currently in its third year and since the inception of the project the schools have taken part in 88 paired coaching sessions and ten group events.   In addition to the sports events the schools have been on Goal for Peace organised trips to Strokestown Park House, the Irish Famine Museum, Ulster American Folk Park and Zipit Forest Adventures.

 “The project has given children from differing backgrounds the opportunity to mix with fellow students in enjoyable environments.  Additionally the project has helped the schools form sustainable relationships that will mutually benefit their students, for example four of the schools on the project plan on going on joint school tours this year.   We are delighted with the progress the project has made to date and hope to continue to build upon the positive relationships formed thus far” said Goal for Peace project coordinator Gordon Burke.

Goal for Peace April Sports Days

Almost 180 students from the schools involved on the Goal for Peace project visited Strokestown Park House in County Roscommon over two days on the 22^nd and 24^th of October.

This was the first group event for the students from the ten schools on the 2012/13 school year.  The tour was split into two parts.  The students were firstly given a tour of the historic Strokestown House which was built in the 18^th century.  This gave the children a glimpse into the past as they learned about the history of the Pakenham Mahon family, how the family lived and how their sprawling estate was ran.  The students were guided through the main rooms of the house including the dining room, drawing room, bedrooms and the only remaining example in Ireland of a gallery kitchen.

The second part of the tour saw the students visit the Irish National Famine Museum.  The museum gave a background to the Irish famine and exhibits include original letters dating to the 1840s famine that were discovered in Strokestown House.  The museum also has various items on display including the gun believed to be used to shoot the landlord Major Denis Mahon in 1847 and a reproduced confession from the alleged assassin.  Other illustrations in the museum depict eviction scenes and the conditions on board emigration ships.

The museum tour attempts to draw parallels between the Irish famine and world hunger in present times. 

This Goal for Peace organised tour was a continuation on the theme of understanding famine and emigration that affected both of the main traditions in Ireland.  In November 2011 the schools visited the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, Co. Tyrone where they learned about the arduous journeys undertaken by the emigrants including those fleeing from the famine and the new life they made for themselves on arrival in the New World.

Goal for Peace visit to Strokestown House

Carrick Town F.C. played County Tyrone based Fintona Swifts F.C. in a cross border friendly game on Saturday 20^th October in Leitrim Village.  The friendly was organised by the International Fund for Ireland/Leitrim County Council funded Goal for Peace Project and it was the third game in a series of cross border friendly’s that took place since August.

In an entertaining game, both sides utilised an attractive brand of passing football with each team hitting the target on a number of occasions early on.  Carrick broke the deadlock mid way through the first half after an exciting passage of play led to their first goal scored by Ray Mulvey.

Fintona attempted to get themselves back into the game and at the start of the second half they went close to target on a number of occasions before an excellent strike by Jack DeLacey gave Carrick Town their second goal of the match. Fintona Swifts battled bravely but Carrick Town proved too strong for the visiting side and the game was effectively ended when referee John Barry awarded Carrick Town a penalty fifteen minutes from full time for handball.  Liam McTiernan dispatched from the spot to give Carrick a three goal lead. The game finished in a 3-0 victory for Carrick Town.

The FAI Development Officer for Leitrim, Damon Kearney said, “Both teams played in a positive manner with impressive passing and build up play starting from the back which was aided by the good condition of the pitch in Leitrim Village.”

Carrick Town V. Fintona Swifts Friendly

Two cross border pre-season friendly football matches took place in August involving clubs from Counties Leitrim and Fermanagh organised by the Goal for Peace Project.

On Wednesday 8^th of August, Manorhamilton Rangers were welcomed to Lisbellaw, Co. Fermanagh to take on the current Fermanagh & Western League Division One champions, Lisbellaw United. 

In an entertaining game, Lisbellaw United dominated most of the possession in the first half and created more goal scoring opportunities making life difficult for the visiting Manor Rangers team.  In the second half Manorhamilton Rangers worked hard to get back into the game and strung together a number of good passages of play.  The home side however proved to be too strong on the evening and ran out 4-1 winners in a match that produced some top class finishing from the Lisbellaw United strikers.

On Saturday 11^th of August in Leitrim Village, Enniskillen based Derrycharra United played Leitrim Villa in another exciting encounter. 

The game was a close affair played at a lively tempo with each team employing an attractive attacking style of passing football. Players from both teams demonstrated high levels of fitness during the game as both sides strove to gain the upper hand.  Derrycharra United created more chances in front of goal but the Villa back four defended well throughout.  Derrycharra had a busy pre season and this was their third match in a week, however at the end of the ninety minutes they had played well enough to secure the win with a score line of 2-1.

The FAI Development Officer for Leitrim, Damon Kearney said, “The games were keenly contested and the teams displayed great sportsmanship and manner throughout.  The high standard of football produced by the players will lead to a promising season ahead for all the clubs”.

Goal for Peace Project Co-ordinator Gordon Burke stated, “We were delighted to facilitate the organisation of these friendly games.  Part of the Goal for Peace Project involves building cross border and cross community links with clubs from Leitrim and Fermanagh.  These matches were part of the pre season preparations for the football clubs and we wish each of the clubs involved in these friendly games every success in their respective leagues this season”.

All four clubs involved in the friendly games begin their league campaigns this month in both the Sligo Leitrim & District and Fermanagh & Western leagues.

Cross Border Football Matches

In June 2012 the ten primary schools from Leitrim and Fermanagh took part in a cycling sports day in Leitrim village as part of the International Fund for Ireland/Leitrim County Council funded Goal for Peace Project.  

On Wednesday 20^th of June during National Bike Week, 150 children from eight Leitrim schools and two Fermanagh schools completed various bicycle courses that were set up by the Safer Cycling Company.  The cycling courses were designed to build confidence and help develop the skills and abilities of the students.  Training was also given to individuals learning to cycle a bicycle.

The cycling sports day was the last Goal for Peace event for schools involved on the project for the 2011/12 academic year.  Over the course of the year the schools took part in five group events.  These events included the visit of coaches from the award winning Arsenal in the Community department to the region in October 2011 and again last May.  The Arsenal coaches led football sessions and delivered education workshops on cultural and religious diversity during their visits.  In March the schools made a trip to Zipit Forest Adventures in Boyle, Co. Roscommon where they completed various high wire and obstacle courses.

The project also facilitated a trip to the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh where the students learned about what life was like for people in both Ulster and America during the 18^th and 19^th centuries and the journey that was undertaken to the New World by the two million people from both protestant and catholic backgrounds. 

“We were keen to deliver a variety of different events for the schools to take part in.  The project promotes the message of integration and awareness of different religions and cultures and one of the aims of the Goal for Peace project is to help bring together primary school children from different faiths through sport particularly football. 

The project has helped to create links with the Protestant and Catholic schools and has received positive feedback from the teachers.  We are pleased with the progress the project has made this year and we are hopeful that we can continue to build on the relationships formed going forward” stated Gordon Burke, Goal for Peace Co Ordinator.

Schools take part in Bike Event

The Goal for Peace Project, funded by the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) and Leitrim County Council welcomed two Arsenal in the Community coaches to Leitrim this week.  This is the coaches’ second visit to the county having previously come to Leitrim in October 2011.

Arsenal in the Community coaches spent three days with the project and undertook a variety of activities to reach out to individuals who enjoy the game and understand its unique power to bring people together.  On their first day, the coaches led a coaching clinic in Manorhamilton.  They demonstrated a number of drills and coaching games to the participants including shooting, ball control and reaction drills. 

Jack Ironside, one of the Arsenal community coaches said:  “The key to these drills is that they are simple to pick up but are suitable for youth and adult teams.” 

Damon Kearney, FAI Development Officer for Co. Leitrim assisted the session added: “Football coaches can easily adapt the drills to suit their own particular players in their respective teams.”

On Monday 28^th and Tuesday 29^th May the Arsenal community coaches held a workshop and coaching session for the ten schools involved in the Goal for Peace Project.  Eight schools from Leitrim and two schools from Fermanagh came together in Leitrim Village over the course of the two days where they were given coaching led by the Arsenal in the Community coaches.  The students rotated through various stations on the pitch designed to improve passing, shooting and control skills.  Over the two days the children also completed a social inclusion workshop which included discussions on the various nationalities and cultural background of players in the Arsenal squad who all come together to play football in a team. 

Jack McNicholl from Arsenal in the Community said: “This workshop helps students understand how people from different cultures, religions and nationalities can work together to form a successful team on the pitch.”

The coaches also made a visit to Carrick on Shannon Community School where they gave a presentation to transition year students.  The presentation gave students an insight into the work Arsenal carries out in it local communities.  The students were also given information on the Arsenal Gap Year Internship, a programme run by Arsenal in the Community that gives students taking a year out before starting college an opportunity to get involved in coaching in schools and community projects in locations such as Kenya, Barbados and Israel.

During the trip, the coaches also travelled to Drumshanbo where they gave a talk on some of their education programmes, in particular the Arsenal Double Club which teaches both academic subjects teamed with soccer skills to primary and secondary schoolchildren.

Goal for Peace Co-Ordinator, Gordon Burke said “We were delighted to welcome the Arsenal in the Community coaches back to Leitrim.  Arsenal has been highly successful in developing sports based social inclusion and education programmes in London and further afield.  The coaches visiting us are involved in implementing many of these projects and some of their work has similar goals to our own. 

We felt it was important to build on our relationship with the Arsenal community coaches which will help children from the schools in Leitrim and Fermanagh advance their soccer skills and at the same time improve their awareness of religious and cultural diversity.”

The coaches that visited Leitrim are vastly experienced in rolling out a variety of community initiatives and their organised work at the Club has been in place for over 25 years, even though Arsenal’s good work in its community dates back to its earliest beginnings. 

Since 1985 over one million participants have benefited from various Arsenal in the Community schemes.  The department has a number of full-time and part-time staff as well as volunteers that help implement these programmes in both primary and secondary schools and the wider communities of London and often well beyond. 

For further details on Arsenal’s work in its community visit www.arsenal.com/community.

Arsenal in the Community Coaches visit Leitrim

The Goal For Peace project in association with the FAI are holding a Club Committee/Structures Workshop on Wednesday 16th of May from 7pm-9pm in Leitrim County Council, Carrick-on-Shannon. The workshop will focus on drawing on where their club is presently while also looking at the areas of Committee, Structure, Volunteer Roles and Club Constitution.  This workshop will look at basic management of committee and sub committees and define their role within the club. 

This promises to be informative with an opportunity for clubs to ask questions and share ideas with Paul Martyn from the FAI.  Paul is returning to Leitrim to lead the workshop and follow on from previous workshops held in 2011 on Volunteer Recruitment and Fundraising for Clubs. Again this workshop is open to all members of your clubs.

The workshop is designed for people running the clubs (the committee) or anyone interested in becoming involved in the running of a sports club. This workshop is free and open to all sports clubs to attend.

To attend the above workshop – Please contact Gordon Burke on 071-9620005 ext.152 by 5.00pm on Monday 13th May.

Club Committee/Structure Workshop

The Goal for Peace project in association with Leitrim Sports Partnership recently organised a Capital Funding/Facility Development Workshop in Carrick on Shannon.  The workshop which took place in the Leitrim County Council building was held on 3rd April. 

The purpose of this workshop was to assist local sports clubs and community groups in putting together effective applications for sports facility development, this workshop provided clubs with informatin on the aims of the Sports Capital Programme.  The workshop helped familairise applicants with preparing and submitting applications.   The workshop which was given by Ann Marie Maher also gave prospective applicants practial advice and information on how to complete the official form and outlined the various attachemnets required to be submitted.  

James Duffy from the Leitrim Development Company also outlined to those in attendence information on potential grants available to sports clubs interested in incorporating energy saving aspects to their club community facilities.

Capital Funding/Facility Development Workshop

On Monday March 26^th and Wednesday March 28^th the ten protestant and catholic schools that are involved in the Goal for Peace Project completed the Zipit Forest Adventure course in Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle, County Roscommon.  The schools, eight from County Leitrim and two from County Fermanagh took part in the course over the two days.

Almost 160 students conquered the course which involved moving from tree platform to tree platform by negotiating obstacles such as rope bridges, cargo nets and climbing walls before flying through the air on zip lines.  “The trip to Lough Key Forest Park gave the children involved on the project the opportunity to mix in a fun environment. The students displayed enthusiasm and confidence during the two days in overcoming a range of obstacles.  By working together and offering encouragement to each other along the way the students easily managed to complete the various Zipit courses” stated Gordon Burke, Goal for Peace Project Coordinator.  

The schools that took part in Zipit were St Marys’s Boys School, Scoil na Maighdine Muire, Scoil Mhic Diarmada, Drumnamore NS, Newtowngore Church of Ireland NS, Hunt NS, Gortletteragh NS, Masterson, Belleek Controlled Primary School and St Columbans Belcoo. The Goal for Peace Project which has proved very popular with participating students so far have scheduled two more school group events between now and the end of June.

The Goal for Peace Project, led by Leitrim County Development Board is funded by the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) and Leitrim County Council.  The project is currently in its second year and has two core strands, a school involvement program and a club involvement program.

On the club development strand, the project has scheduled two club workshops between now and May.  The first workshop on Club Development and Club Structure will be held on 25^th of April.  The workshop will focus on Committees, Structure, Volunteer Roles, and Club Constitutions.  The workshop will be given by FAI Club Development National Co-Ordinator Paul Martyn.  If you are involved in a sports club in Leitrim and would like to attend the workshop, please feel free to contact the Goal for Peace project at 071 9620005 Ext:152 or email gburke@leitrimcoco.ie before 18^th April.

Goal For Peace Goes to Zipit

The 160 children from the ten Protestant and Catholic primary schools in Leitrim and Fermanagh came together on the 17^th November 2011 for the second Goal For Peace group event of the 2011/2012 year.  The schools travelled to the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, Co. Tyrone.  

The Folk Park gave an authentic glimpse of what life was like for people in both Ulster and America during the 18^th and 19^th centuries and the journey that was undertaken to the New World by 2 million people from both protestant and catholic backgrounds.  During the tour the children were guided through three sections.  The Old World depicted life in Ulster during the 18^th and 19^th centaury including buildings and costume from the period and the day to day life of people living their lives.  The second segment of the tour gave the children the opportunity to see conditions the immigrants faced on their journey to America by going aboard a replica of an immigrant ship.  After this the pupils experienced what life and conditions were like in the New World by visiting authentic replicas of American homesteads during the period and getting a sense of what the new arrivals experienced once they reached their new home.

The trip to the folk park was a great success enjoyed by all the children that attended.  It helped the children understand the historical and prevailing issue of immigration experienced by both traditions.  It also helped the children to understand the strong links that were formed between America and Ireland as a result of immigration.

Schools Visit Ulster American Folk Park