STANDARDS HIGH AT NEW HOME OF SCHOOLS SPORTS
PRIMARY SCHOOLS from throughout the county came together for their annual sports day.
The event which had, over the years, become synonymous with Bree, took place at the Enniscorthy Sports Hub. Some said they missed the village field day feel of the Bree event while others welcomed the move to Enniscorthy with its proper track and field facilities.
With the crowds streaming in from early in the day, it wasn’t long before that carnival feel for which the event is renowned took hold of the arena. Strong sunshine and a warm breeze got to work on the damp grass and before long the banks all around the track were filled with hordes of reclining spectators.
Brightly-clad children - from Kilmore to Kilanerin and from Rosslare to Rosbercon - darted about the place like giddy nectar-drunk hoverflies. At some point the teachers realised that trying to corral those in their charge was akin to herding feral cats on Mount Leinster and they gracefully retreated to the coffee van for a pick-me-up.
Athletics Wexford Chairman, Paddy Morgan, surveying the scene, reckoned this was the biggest attendance he had ever seen at the event. Meet Director, Pádraig McManus, was no less taken aback by the impressive turnout.
With something over half of the county’s primary schools represented at the competition, albeit including all of the bigger ones, he intimated that any serious increase in the number of schools taking part would sorely test the organisational skills of even the most organised.
As it was, the day ran along smoothly enough with the only big bottleneck being the relays, such was the number of teams taking part. In general the standard of competition was high and the events well run.
Every bit as important as the competitive action was the event’s social side. How often do the county’s schoolchildren get to meet up in a friendly, fun and healthy environment such as this?
Here’s hoping this iconic and much-loved sports day beds down in its new home and continues for many years to come.