The Camogie Association and Connacht Camogie together with Atlantic Technological University (ATU) delivered a hugely successful newly expanded and revised Camán 4 Fun programme to young women in post-primary schools across Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim, and Roscommon during the last few months.
Camán 4 Fun presents the traditional Camogie model in a new way, focusing on holistic development, fun, and participation elements of the game through the Positive Youth Development Model.
ATU along with the Camogie Association have supported this programme with their knowledge and experience as well as providing each participating post primary school with their own vital sports equipment packs.
Marking the official launch of the initiative at the start of the year (2024), the ATU student engagement team visited numerous schools to present them with their equipment packs. The highlight of the programme was a Blitz in the ATU Sligo campus, where participating schools gathered for a day of Camogie, Zumba, and 'Pimp my hurley' activities.
This year, 12 secondary schools across the region were selected to participate such as Ballinamore Community School, Drumshambo, Leitrim, Lough Allen, Leitrim, Mohill Community College, Leitrim, Carrick Community School, Leitrim, Coláiste Ailigh, Donegal, Coláiste Muire, Ballygar, Galway, Presentation College, Headford, Galway, Mount St Michael, Claremorris, Mayo, Roscommon Community College, Sligo Grammar School, Mercy College Sligo. The overwhelming interest from schools underscores the potential for growth. Through strengthening the relationship between the Camogie Association, ATU and post-primary schools, the aim is to grow Camán 4 Fun even further in the coming years.
Dr Orla Flynn, President of ATU, says: “As a former camogie player myself I’m thrilled to see this collaboration and greatly encouraged to hear of the strong level of interest across Connacht and Ulster. It’s so important to keep our young women engaged in sporting activity, and team sports can have a very positive impact on confidence as well as physical and mental wellbeing. Given our commitment to gender equality in ATU we are delighted to work with these strong partners in The Camogie Association and Connacht Camogie to nurture and grow women’s sport”.
Brian Molloy, Uachtarán of the Camogie Association, added, "We are delighted to once again partner with ATU this year to bring the Caman 4 Fun initiative to Connacht. This wonderful initiative aims to increase participation in Camogie and introduce young girls to our sport in a fun and inclusive way. We are thrilled to see the uptake in schools for this year’s programme and would like to thank ATU for their continued support in promoting Camogie as a sport of choice for young girls”.
Eamon Geoghegan, Ballinamore Community School Leitrim, says: “Our TYs girls really enjoyed the Camán 4 Fun programme. Coming from an area where there are no camogie clubs, our girls were coming to it with a completely blank slate. However, with the right equipment supplied and great coaching, they took to it like ducks to water. They learned new skills and got to meet other girls who were in the same boat at the blitz in Sligo. The feedback from the students was very positive. So much so that they have started lobbying to have camogie included on their PE curriculum”.
