Medal success for Cavan athletes in Berlin
First time Breffni Blues Special Olympics Club athletes have competed on global stage.
Two Breffni Blues Special Olympics Club representing Team Ireland at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin have done both their country and county proud.
Bowler Angela Cleary from Killeshandra and kayaker Philip Eoghan Comerford from Ballinagh will be returning home from competing with impressive haul of medals to show for their efforts.
The latest saw Philip Eoghan claim bronze in the 500 metre competition earlier today, Saturday, June 24.
He had earlier earned silver in the 200 metre kayaking competition on Thursday.
Angela meanwhile claimed Bronze finisihng third overall in the Doubles bowling event on Wednesday.
She placed sixth in the Team event before that, and came in fourth in the individual competition after that.
Both are members of the Breffni Blues Special Olympics Club based in Cavan.
It is the first time the local sporting organisation has had athletes attend the World Games.
Angela (29) was joined out in Berlin earlier this week by her mum Bernie, dad Peter, and their granddaughter Mya Rose.
Born in Chelsea, England, Angela has been involved with Special Olympics for seven years and Berlin is her first World Games.
The bowling team were trained by Head Coach Veronica Murray, now in her fifth World Games, and who in 2020 won a Volunteer of the Year award with Special Olympics from the Federation of Irish Sports. Veronica is assisted by Michael Mason, a coach with South Dublin Strikers bowling club for the last 22 years, and head coach for the last eight years.
It was also Philip Eoghan's first time competing on the global stage.
The 34 year old has been active in Special Olympics with Breffni Blues Special Olympics Club since 2016, in bocce, golf, and athletics to various levels of national success, and is now competing in his new chosen sport.
The Team Ireland kayakers are trained by Head Coach Declan O’Connell who coaches the Mallow Special Olympics Club, assisted by Esther King and Cathal Ruane.
The 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games runs from June 17-25.
It is the first time the country has hosted the games, with around 7,000 athletes and Unified partners attending from approximately 170 countries to compete in the 24 sports listed.
Around 3,000 coaches and 20,000 volunteers are also in attendance, and the events are taking place at 15 different venues from the Olympiapark Berlin to the SC Brandenburg and the Wannsee.