Offaly school unveils new sports jerseys designed by students as part of recent sponsorship

An Offaly school is celebrating a major boost to student sport and school pride after they received a brand new set of school sports jerseys.

Gortnamona National School received the bespoke jerseys recently which marked an exciting milestone for pupils, teachers, and the wider community.

The design and pattern of the new sporting attire was decided through a competition which all the students participated in.

As a result, the design ideas from three students were chosen for the new jerseys.  The winners of the competition were Ryan Finneran, Liam Conroy and Freya Dunne who all contributed to the unique look of the finished product. 

Blue and white have always been the traditional colours of Gortnamona NS while the gold and green on the goalkeeper jerseys were chosen to signify the school being a proud part of the Kilcormac/Killoughey community.

School principal Elaine Flynn described the arrival of the jerseys as a "wonderful day for the children" noting that wearing a team jersey can help build confidence and belonging.

She said: "These jerseys represent teamwork, pride, and participation, they give our pupils a sense of identity whenever they represent the school."

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Members of staff and students praised the generousity of Brian and Jacinta Newton from Newton Plant Hire who funded the new school jerseys as part of their sponsorship.

Teachers have already reported that the new jerseys have boosted enthusiasm among pupils. They say that the students are eager to wear the kits during training sessions and upcoming competitions while younger classes are even more excited to one day represent the school.

With the new jerseys on board and ready for action, the school is preparing for a busy sporting calendar which will include badminton, soccer and the Cumann na mBunscol hurling championship.

Throughout all these upcoming sporting events, staff are hoping the kits will inspire participation and teamwork while strengthening school spirit.

They acknowledged that as the children lined up for a group photo in their new colours, the pride was unmistakable.

The staff added that this pride and excitement served as a timely reminder that in Irish primary schools, sport is about far more than just winning, it represents community, confidence, and belonging.