The excitement was palpable this morning as the pupils and staff of KNS donned the blue and gold for 'Tipperary Day'.
We were honoured to welcome past pupils Eoin Horgan and Shane Buckley back to Scoil Mhuire. Eoin and Shane are both members of the All-Ireland winning Tipperary Minor Hurling team. The lads brought the Munster TWA cup and the All-Ireland Irish Press cup with them and this further added to the excitement.
It is always a very special day for a school when past pupils return to share their success with the current pupils. Not that many years ago, Eoin and Shane would have been the ones welcoming their heroes, and here today they were the celebrities.
Mrs Tierney recalled the heart stopping Munster final when, following full and extra time, Tipperary and Clare remained level. This led to penalties - that was no problem for our Eoin, Tipperary goalie, who not only saved penalties but scored one himself also. The All-Ireland final proved to be just as tense with Tipperary winning through following a last minute goal to claim the title of All-Ireland Minor Hurling Champions.
Mr Moran reflected on the boys as pupils in the school, and spoke of how they displayed their talents on the pitch at school on many occasions. They both represented their school in Cumann na mBunscol finals in Semple Stadium and are now representing their secondary schools on Harty cup teams.
Shane encouraged the pupils to work hard at their chosen sport and to stick with it no matter what. He spoke of how important it is to do what you enjoy and of the importance of new friendships developed through sport. Eoin advised the pupils to get out every evening with the hurley and sliotar as this would help them to develop their skills. He agreed with Shane that you have to work hard and stick with it, a point which was also made by Mr Moran.
All the pupils had an opportunity to have their photo taken with the two boys and the silverware, followed by renditions of 'Óró sé do bheatha 'bhaile' and the Tipperary anthem 'Sliabh na mBan'.
A great day was had by all, and we wish the lads continuing success in their sporting career. We look forward to welcoming them back to KNS in the future. Maybe some of our current pupils will have that chance some day too.
