By Michael Tracey – Carlow Nationalist

THE success of Clonmore GFC this year was celebrated at a special gathering in St Joseph’s NS, Hacketstown. The victorious junior team that won the football championship were given a guard of honour and standing ovation as they entered the hall.

It’s been a scrapbook year for Clonmore, with success at various levels. Players from winning U15, U16, U17 and junior C teams also attended.

There are strong links with the club and school, with the vast majority of pupils playing with the club, while there were many past pupils of Hacketstown NS on the team that claimed the junior championship title.

Some of the team members spoke to those gathered offering tips and words of encouragement. There were receptive ears, with the school due to compete shortly in in the Cumann na mBunscol finals, with some of the U15 Clonmore team involved in coaching.

In the run-up to the junior final, there was a Clonmore jersey day, while many of the pupils attended the final at Netwatch Cullen Park.

As a special treat, students were given no homework to mark the occasion.

Deputy principal Barry Murphy said it was important to celebrate the occasion.

“Pupils are seeing the reward of a lot of hard work through the year. They see that it takes a lot of work and training to get to that point, but the joy it can bring to the town and people locally when that hard work is rewarded.”