Memorable time for Thurles CBS Harty Cup panel spent at St Mary’s in Belfast

Homelessness Awareness week took place for ERST schools all over the world on the 18th of November. The Thurles CBS Harty Panel missed this opportunity to support people in need on this date but decided that they would support this cause at a later date.

The Westcourt Centre for Social Justice and Cormac Mac Airt have worked with ERST schools developing awareness around social justice and advocacy. Following the Harty Cup panels preliminary round win on the 6 th December the boys decided they wanted to do something to help people in need.

Using contacts in ERST Thurles CBS reps contacted St Marys CBS in Belfast and asked for the use of their fabulous facilities. To say the response, we received from St Marys was incredible was an understatement.

In ten days, the boys ran a “Bake Sale” collecting €1000 for the Westcourt Centre and all the plans for our overnight sleep out in the St Marys sports hall were pulled together. Thanks to the many sponsors and supporters of Thurles CBS that generously supported this journey.

Mr Paddy Linden from St Marys was brilliant from day one in supporting our plan. Not many people would undertake 52 students with such short notice. When we reached Belfast, Stephen and the St Marys canteen staff took great care of us and we are so grateful.

Mr Brendan McComb, Principal, Mr Donagh Finnegan and Mr Paddy Linden welcomed us warmly and made us feel at home. It was a sign of every welcome we received on the trip from staff and students alike. Some of our students swapped jerseys with the St Marys boys as did some staff.

Our Dillon Quirke Thurles CBS Fun Run jersey was a big hit with some of the St Marys boys.

Such lovely exchanges marked the trip with a common bond amongst both schools with our Edmund Rice ethos and GAA interests.

Having met Antrim legend Neil McManus at the Croke Park Coaching Conference a few weeks ago where Neil was a keynote speaker and CBS Thurles also gave a presentation, a connection was made.

Thanks to Neil who called in to speak to the boys with very little advance notice. Neil is Antrim hurling team performance coach and continues to hurl at the highest level with his club, Ruairí Óg Cushendall.

After an inspirational talk the boys presented Neil with a Masita school Harty Cup jersey. After this the boys got to use the fabulous facilities on site, and they did not disappoint.

A floodlit 4G training pitch and two sided astro hurling wall, two pristine hurling pitches, state of the art gym, as well as indoor hall and swimming pool. Some of our players played a highly competitive game against St Marys Foresters Cup squad trained by Mr Tony Austin and Mr Dermot McVeigh.

Thanks to the two men for facilitating us. Our other boys had a training session and internal game followed by a pool session.

After dinner the boys met Cormac MacAirt from the Westcourt Centre. The Westcourt Centre is on the site of the former St Marys CBS school and Cormac gave a presentation of the issues, causes and statistics relating to homelessness.

St Marys are well established in their promotion of Social Justice and are currently collecting food and items to support people need of support.

Our boys presented Cormac with the cheque for €1000 which he will use to support outreach work with homeless in Belfast.
Day two began with an early morning run around the St Marys site overlooking Belfast and breakfast.

Mr Paddy Linden, past pupil and teacher in St Marys gave the boys a guided tour of the Falls Road and West Belfast. The boys viewed the famous murals on both sides of the peace wall and made numerous stops.

The names on the buildings in the Westcourt Centrewere very familiar to us. Westcourt in Callan is the homestead of Blessed Edmund Rice.

The boys heard stories of Fr Alec Reid from Nenagh and past pupil of Nenagh CBS and the work he did as a peacemaker from Clonard Monastery.

On returning to St Marys for lunch, gifts were exchanged. St Marys presented a beautiful hurl to us adorned with photos of St Marys successes on the hurling field. Mr McComb, Mr Linden and Mr Finnegan were presented with Thurles CBS Harty Cup jerseys as mementos of the amazing reception that we received.

Robbie Ryan spoke on behalf of the panel to thank St Marys for their hospitality and particularly, Paddy for making the trip one to remember long after they leave the school.

Both schools have plans to build on the relationship between built up and we hope to host St Marys students long into and future and for other CBS boys to experience a similar journey to this lucky group of boys.