The Kilkenny LGFA County Board have organised a blitz for primary school girls this week. It’s been two years since the girls in Kilkenny have had the opportunity to represent their school in a team sport. For most of the girls this will be their first time getting to wear their school jersey and the excitement has been mounting leading up to the event. St. Aidan’s N.S. in Kilmanagh are one of the 26 schools taking part in the blitz, that is being spread over two days in a few venues to adhere to covid guidelines. Principal Robbie Byrne commented ‘We are delighted that the Kilkenny LGFA county board have gone to the effort to organise this blitz. It means so much to the girls, in particular to our three 6th class girls (pictured above) as this will be their first and most likely last time to play girls football for their school.’
Unfortunately this is the case for most sixth class girls who missed out on school competitions due to covid. The younger girls will hopefully have plenty more occasions in the future but as this will be the older girls only chance to play football for their school it makes the blitz even more momentous. In Kilmanagh they are very keen to make it as memorable an event as they can for the girls and all 15 players were gifted a pair of bespoke school crested football gloves to wear on Monday. Robbie remarked, ‘We want to make this a special day for the girls. They were presented with their school jersey and a pair of gloves to keep on Friday in school. It was remarkable to realise that, due to there being no school games in so long, some of the younger girls hadn’t understood the school even had jerseys and thought they were going to wear school bibs to the blitz.’
Thankfully the school jerseys of Kilkenny will be resurrected this week and worn with pride and happiness by primary school girls from all over the county in this fun focussed football blitz. The emphasis is on participation and there will be no finals on the day. Hopefully the blitz will also result in participation of some of these girls in their local LGFA clubs. In kilmanagh, since preparing for the blitz and playing girls football a lot more in school the past few weeks, 5 girls have registered with their nearest club, John Lockes in Callan. Hopefully the weather will be kind this week for the spread out blitz but we are sure that even a bit of rain wouldn’t dampen the spirits or enthusiasm of the girls.
Blitz Poster
The 2021 St. Aidan’s N.S. Girls Football Team
