IS THAT A REAL BEARD HARRY?
Young Dylan Mahon from Grangerath had the measure of Prince Harry when he gave his beard a tug to see if it was real! Dyan met the prince at Croke Park during the royal visit.
SNOW White sang, ‘someday my Prince will come’, and for five local children he turned up last week in Croke Park!
Mikie McHutcheon, Hayden Ruddy and Walter Kieran, who all attend the ABACAS school in Drogheda, Mikie’s sister Honor and Walter Mahon all met Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Wessex last week, and it looks like little Walter especially stole her heart.
The children were there as part of the St Colmcille’s GAA Healthy Club Project for All, and the projects founder Ken McHutcheon says the day was magical in so many ways.
‘ The club and this special group of children were chosen to be ambassadors of the GAA and to show how St. Colmcille’s as a community and club show inclusion for all and to involve children with special needs in sport,’ explains Ken, who started the group in May 2017 with Gwen Lanigan.
Mikie, along with his sister Honor, who’s goes to Gaelscoil an Bhradáin Feasa, made a special presentation of a hurley and sliotar to Harry and Meghan on behalf of the GAA at the end of the event, and we got to talk to them, and they were so down to earth, we’re all still over the moon”.
Ken and Gwen decided to set up the unique project to do something special for the students of ABACAS and show that sport should be inclusive to all.
‘As far as I know, there are only two or three other clubs in the country who are running inclusive coaching, and it has proved very popular,’ says Ken, who lives in Grangerath with his wife Lyndsey and family.
When Ken introduced the Duke of Wessex to his own little prince, he explained he was non-verbal and wouldn’t talk back.
‘ That’s when Harry got down on one knee, at Mikie’s eye level, and spoke to him. He was very grounded, and normal to talk to,’ adds Ken. ‘We were all just chatting away to Meghan, and it was all very natural. I have to say a big thank you to all the families for making it a day to remember.’