Latest news with #Laoise
Irish Independent
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘They just thrive with it' – Dublin family's joyful Special Olympics journey
Mark Beddis's daughter Aoibh (8) is currently involved in the organisation's young athlete programme and his other daughter Laoise (13) has graduated from it. Mark (50) from Malahide, north Dublin, said: 'We've had nothing but wonderful experiences with the Special Olympics.' The programme is designed for children with intellectual disabilities from the ages of four to 12 to engage with play-based physical activities that build fundamental movement skills such as running, catching, throwing, and balance. We were trying to find activities for the girls to do, and this was one thing they could do It sets them up for lifelong participation in sport, building confidence and fine motor skills, something that the Beddis family have experienced firsthand. The family got involved in the programme in 2020, which was challenging, but the Saturday mornings online broke up the week for the family. Mark said: 'We were trying to find activities for the girls to do, and this was one thing they could do. We still have the yoga mats, bouncing balls and all kinds of stuff in the house.' Once normality returned, the two girls joined in person, along with getting involved in basketball in Donabate. Laoise then eventually graduated from the programme and joined their local athletics club. 'They just thrive with it. It really has made them stronger, fitter, healthier and more confident and brought so many more friends into their lives. We often visit the Down Syndrome Centre in Swords. But from bringing the girls to the programme in Donabate, it has opened up another huge amount of friends for them. Aoibh is a bit shorter, but she plays amongst much bigger kids, and she runs like a lunatic and steals and bounces the ball 'It's also taken the girls to the next level to help them find their sport. They are both amazing at basketball, and very different as well. ADVERTISEMENT 'With Laoise everything's exactly the same all the time; she likes routine. She'll stand there in front of the basketball hoop at the free throw line and just put them all in, nine times out of 10. She had an incredible skill level. 'Then Aoibh is a bit shorter, but she plays amongst much bigger kids, and she runs like a lunatic and steals and bounces the ball. 'We went to a Special Olympics tournament in Cork, which was lovely to spend time with all the families. And then, of course, we weren't sure whether Aoibh would be able to do it, because she's so small. 'She's only half my size. But she ran around with six foot four guys, robbing the ball of them - no bother on her at all.' The girls have learnt skills that they can rely on for the rest of their lives, from throwing a ball to doing star jumps. Their balance has also improved, which can be a major challenge for some children with intellectual disabilities. Not only have Aoibh and Laoise benefited from the initiative, but so has their sister Róisín (11). 'Róisín does not have a disability, but she comes along and helps sometimes. She might show off a bit that she can do something and then help them do it, holding their hands on the balance beams, or setting the hurdles up, or whatever is needed. She's always made to feel welcome.' Laoise also helps out sometimes, after graduating from the programme herself, a testament to its success. Being involved in the Special Olympics has also enhanced Mark and his wife Ruth's (45) lives. 'I meet up with the dads' group for pints about twice a year. I'm hoping in the future we'll get out more together, but we also have a WhatsApp group going as well.' 'You know there's always someone there going through the same battles that you are. Sometimes you do get worried and stressed about things, but you will find someone else has probably actually been through the same problem you've had and gotten out the other end of it. 'My wife also goes out with some of the mums, even on trips away.' But the Special Olympics has been a part of the couple's lives, long before they had children. Ruth was a volunteer at the 2003 Games when it was held in Dublin and Mark, a pharmacist, was part of a temporary pharmacy set up in the Olympic village, also in Dublin in 2010. 'I remember the CEO [of Special Olympics Ireland] Matt English showing me around the village. I never thought this would be a personal thing, but my God, it stuck with me how wonderful it was, and the skill levels, which were astonishing. A recent report on the young athletes programme, it was found that before getting involved, just over 50pc of children mastered any fundamental movement skills. After an eight-week targeted intervention, there was a significant improvement in movement and object manipulation skills.
Irish Examiner
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
When Meath call came, Bryan Menton could not resist retirement U-turn
When Bryan Menton got a call from Meath coach Conor Gillespie last autumn, he presumed it was a fact-finding mission. "I genuinely thought he was ringing me to ask about young players in Ashbourne, about who were the up and coming lads on the scene," recalled Menton. "I thought they were happy for me to be retired on my armchair." Menton hadn't played for Meath since the Andy McEntee era ended in 2022, missing Colm O'Rourke's two seasons as manager, but new boss Robbie Brennan figured he was still the best midfielder in Meath. Menton, for his part, didn't take much convincing, reasoning that it was probably the last time he'd get such a call. He has been a key figure throughout Brennan's reign so far, starting all nine of their league and Championship games and, crucially, helping them to claim a landmark win over Dublin last weekend. Menton was part of the panel in 2010, when Meath previously beat Dublin, but didn't play so this was his first experience of actually defeating the auld enemy. "It was definitely burnout," said Menton, explaining why he retired in the first place. "It was an intense kind of six years with Andy there and I kind of saw a clean break opportunity. "I was genuinely retired until I got the call back and at 33, turning 34, that call isn't going to come again. It was very tempting because I liked the setup, I liked the youth that was coming through, so I was absolutely willing to give what I had." Menton recalled that call from Gillespie, a former Meath colleague. "He said he was interested in me coming back and deep down I was really happy with the set up for Meath so it didn't take too much convincing," said Menton. "In fairness to Laoise, the other half at home, she said, 'You're going back, this is the last time you'll be asked'. She could tell by me that I was itching to go back and to give it another go." Asked if it was a regret that he'd never beaten Dublin when he initially 'retired', Menton shook his head. "It wasn't a regret when Dublin were that strong," he reasoned. "I wouldn't say it was a regret, it was more disappointing at the time that we weren't able to beat them. "But Dublin were not only very strong in Leinster - they were maybe the best team in the history of the GAA. It was an unfortunate era to be playing them." Menton said he was confident when he looked around the dressing-room ahead of last weekend's provincial semi-final. "There is a lot of talent in Meath, an awful lot, and you can see it in the young lads coming through," said Menton. "They have really good attitudes too. "They are willing and able to step up straight away, the likes of Eoghan Frayne being captain so young. Himself and Ciaran Caulfield, they were 21, 22 years of age and they are in the captaincy, vice-captaincy roles. "So there is massive talent coming through. I won't be able to play with a lot of them probably but I'll take it one game at a time."
