Mar aon le cursaí ceoil agus drámaíochta,
cuireadh béim ar spórt ó thús na scoile. Sa chéad bhliain, nuair a bhí na
páistí i naíonáin bheaga, móra agus rang 1 thosaigh na ranganna snámha. Ó
shin i leith téann gach páiste sa scoil ag snámh ar feadh téarma i rith gach
bliain. Mar thoradh ar na ceachtanna seo bíonn ionadaithe ó Scoil na gCethre
Máistrí ag snámh i gconaí sa "Connaught Schools Gala gach Deireadh Fómhair,
agus go mion minic san Irish Schools Swmming Gala i Mí na Samhna. Ba é Gearóid
Ó Conchubhair a snámh ar son na scoile don chéad uair i 1991 agus tá an traidisiún
a thosaigh sé ag dul ó neart go neart ó shin. Chomh maith leis na comortaisí
idir scoile bíonn dhá ghala inscoile againn freisin nuair a fheictear cumas
na bpáistí uile ag snámh.
The first year also saw the purchase of
the first PE equipment, following the receipt of a £500 grant towards sports
equipment. Since the purchase of gymnastic mats, hoops, soft balls, and bean
bags the school’s supply of sports equipment has grown steadily to reflect
its importance in our curriculum. Today the school has equipment for Gaelic
football, volleyball, rounders, basketball, hurling, uni-hoc, indoor football
and gymnastics.
In 1993 the school began the first of the
after school sport training sessions, and basketball was the first team sport
in which the school entered competitions.
In 1994 Scoil na gCehre Máistrí took part
in a gaelscoil basketball competition, playing Gaelscoil Dara in Galway and
Gaelscoil Mhicil Ciosóg in Ennis, in both home and away fixtures. The school
was fortunate to win this competition in its first year. Stars of the boys
team of that time were Gearóid Ó Cuinn and Seán Mac Craith, while the girls
were well represented by Sarah Ní Shé and Sarah Aingléis among others. Basketball
has continued to play an important part in our school, and has been developed
even further by Pól Ó Casaide. Basketball training is held each Wednesday
between 3 and 4 p.m. and all children from third class upwards have an opportunity
to participate. The school now takes part in local basketball tournaments
and in an annual national Gaelscoil competition held in the National Basketball
Arena in Tallaght.
In 1994 Seán Ó Cuana began training the
first Gaelic football team. This was a girls’ and boys’ team comprising
of children from second, third and fourth classes. Their first match was played
against the Marist Boys N.S. and while the Marist won the football, we had
just begun a tradition of Gaelic football that was to grow and grow.
Since this beginning various teachers have
all given of their time and energy to develop Gaelic football within the school.
Órla Ní Chuinneagáin, Lorraine Ní Ghairbhith, Breandán Ó Ruanaigh, Máire Uí Mhurchú and Mícheál Pleamoinn have all trained teams over the years for the
school. Their combined efforts ensure that all children from first class upwards
have the opportunity to train for Gaelic football once a week.
These years of hard training came to fruition
last year with the senior girls team, trained by Mícheál Pleamoinn winning
the local Mini Sevens competition and the senior boys team, trained by Brian
Mac Giolla Phádraig, reaching the semi finals of the 15 a side Cumann na mBunscoil
competition, and the finals of the mini sevens. These achievements were crowned
when three pupils, Clodagh de Brún, Tracy Ní Mhaoláin and Alan Ó Neill represented
their school and county by playing in Croke Park on various occasions over
the summer of 1999.
Cuid eile de spórt sa scoil is iad na turais
chuig cluichí na hIarmhí a eagraíonn Mícheál Pleamóinn do na daltaí. Ó 1995
is nós le dream daltaí agus tuismitheoirí ón scoil a bheith i láthair ag cluichí
shinsir na hIarmhí agus tacaíocht a thabhairt dóibh. Dómhnach i ndiadh Domhnaigh
fágann bus lán le gasúir an scoil le taisteal chuig na cluichí seo. Is cinnte
go gcuireann foireann na hIarmhí fáilte mhór rompu agus an brat mór iontach
atá acu.
This year saw the introduction of hurling
into the school as an extra curricular activity. Each Friday boys and girls
from second class upwards can be seen practising hurling, and despite the
lack of a local tradition in hurling it is our hope to foster the obvious
love and enthusiasm for hurling that exists among the children.
Leanfaimid ar aghaidh ag beimniú chursaí
spóirt, ag súil go mbeidh gach páiste in ann taitneamh a bhaint as spórt amháin
ar a laghad sul a bhfagann siad an bhunscoil.