Howzat!

THIS year, cricket in Ireland gained more attention
than ever before, when a rollercoaster World Cup run in India saw some
fantastic performances proving how this country really belongs alongside the
elite.

The real magic moment for Ireland came when they beat
England, a win that made the front and back pages of newspapers across the
land.

There’s nothing quite like beating England to capture
the sporting public’s imagination! And this heightened exposure has seen a big
rise in the numbers playing throughout Dublin.

As a result it has also helped lead to the appointment
of myself as

‘Cricket in the Community’ development officer by South Dublin
County Council.

I was appointed to the role at the start of November,
after having been involved in cricket development for three years that involved
working in schools in the local area.

The post came about following discussions between
Leinster Cricket and the Sports & Recreation Department in South Dublin
County Council.

The sports officer at the council, Alison Silke, said
she was delighted with the appointment of the new position.

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Since those amazing scenes of Kevin O’Brien hitting
the fastest World Cup Century of all time, there have been healthy signs of
growth in the local area.

Adamstown Cricket Club entered the Leinster Leagues
for the first time this year and experienced strong success alongside the
foundation of a vibrant youth section.

Their beautiful home ground in Corkagh Park has become
a welcome addition to the Leinster club circuit. Tallaght Cricket Club has also
been making their first tentative steps towards a permanent home and is also
hoping to be entering into the leagues as soon as they can.

Participation has been increasing with all of the
above schools partaking in development sessions and in tournaments such as the

‘hard-ball’ national school tournament
that attracted 38 entrants last year.

With all this in mind I am delighted to have been
given the opportunity to help drive the growth of the game during what is a
truly amazing period for cricket here in Ireland. The wonderful achievements of
the Irish side at the cricket World Cup have given the game a really good
profile here in Dublin and across Ireland and there are people everywhere now
wanting to give it a go.

Having worked in the local schools already I see, not
only the fun and enjoyment that boys and girls get in playing the sport, but
also the remarkable amount of talent in the schoolyards. It’s definitely
possible that we could find the next Kevin O’Brien or John Mooney right here in
Tallaght.

Cricket’s introduction has proven equally popular with
students, parents and teachers alike. Teachers have noted an improvement in
behaviour coinciding with the cricket sessions starting at school, whilst the
boys and girls taking part have been amazed at just how much fun the sport is
with everyone in the class getting to try all the different skills of cricket
including batting, bowling, throwing, and catching.

If there are any schools that are interested in having
some introductory sessions in the schoolyard, or there are any other
individuals or groups looking to get involved or who would like any further
information, go to www.cricketleinster.ie or contact me directly at
andrewleonard1@ gmail.com