News

Hosted by Special Olympics Athlete Leader Anita Forde, the event brought together key voices, including Matt English (CEO), Karen Coventry (Director of Sport), Dr. Sarah Meegan (DCU), Declan O’Leary (Sport Ireland), and Dr. Hayley Kavanagh herself. Their insights highlighted the immense strides the programme has made.
Including the launch of the Young Athletes Activity Guide and some deeply moving stories from past participants like Anna Kilmartin and Elliot Higgins Porter, who exemplified the transformative power of the Young Athletes Programme.

Prestigious horse-racing event the Irish Champions Festival played host to some Special Olympics Leinster champions on 14 September, as MEP Nina Carberry welcomed our Leinster equestrian athletes to the Curragh Racecourse as her special guests.

400m Gold Medallist Emma Costello from Special Olympics Club Navan stars in The National Lottery Good Causes Awards advertisement 'You Made This Possible' which is being aired over the coming weeks on national television.

An interclub football blitz day in Salthill on 28 September was a storming success featuring 41 athletes across seven teams from three clubs, with great skills and camaraderie on show throughout.

Eleven athletes from across the Connaught region attended the All Ireland Athlete Leadership Forum on Saturday 21 September in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise.

Friday 20 September became the highlight of the year for Roscommon Special Olympics Club when they took on the local Garda Síochána in their much-anticipated annual football match.

Special Olympics is all about our athletes and volunteers, so it’s important to hear directly from the athletes themselves!

The Eastern Region Athlete Leadership Committee is a group of passionate athletes with an ambition to grow and develop the athlete leadership programme. Each athlete comes from a different club, with a variety of experiences and ideas!

The 2024 Special Olympics Ireland Volunteer Awards was a celebration of the beating heart of Special Olympics. Without the contributions of volunteers in clubs and at events year-round, our mission to transform lives through sport wouldn’t be possible.

The All-Ireland Athlete Leadership Forum brought 115 athletes from across the five Special Olympics Ireland regions together at the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise on Saturday 21st September to learn new skills, improve their leadership capabilities, benefit from each other’s experiences, make new friends and connect with old ones.

Dundalk Special Olympics Club is the proud winner of September 2024’s Gala Retail’s Gifts for Clubs Cash prize!

Dundalk Special Olympics Club was set up to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sport for children and adults with a learning disability.

Badminton Ireland and Special Olympics Ireland are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote inclusivity. This creates a pathway and further opportunities for badminton players with an intellectual disability to join Badminton Ireland clubs and take part in Special Olympics activity.