Castleknock GAA star wins at Irish Traveller Pride Awards

THE first in-person Irish Traveller Pride Awards since the beginning of the pandemic featured winners from across the country, with Castleknock’s Catherine Reilly scooping the Sport award at the award ceremony at the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield on Tuesday, July 12.

The Traveller Pride Awards are the opening event in this year’s Traveller Pride activities which will take place nationally and locally over the next fortnight generating huge positivity within the Traveller community and helping to build better relations between the Traveller and settled communities.

At the age of 14, Catherine was the youngest single award winner on the day, at a ceremony featuring a plethora of young winners from an innovative mental health campaign in Meath to student activism in Galway.

Catherine has been playing both Gaelic football and camogie with her local GAA club, St. Brigid’s in Castleknock since she was seven years old.

On May 2 last, Catherine captained her team – on which she is goalkeeper – to victory in the under-15s All-Ireland Féile camogie championship.

Catherine is the first Traveller girl to represent and captain her local club to Féile success and she has inspired other Travellers to participate in sport and do it with pride in who they are and where they come from.

Catherine pictured with Dublin Footballer, Hannah Tyrrell. Pic: Tommy Clancy

One of the youngest winners, Catherine said that winning a Traveller Pride Award was the icing on the cake for a special year for her.

“Captaining my team, St Brigid’s in Castleknock, to both the Dublin and All-Ireland Féile Championships in camogie was really special and somewhat unusual as many don’t associate Travellers with sporting success,” she said.

“Winning the Traveller Pride Award for Sport was a massive surprise for me and caps off what has been a brilliant year.

“It has definitely made me even more determined to continue playing for my club in both football and camogie and we’ll see where the journey takes me in future years.”

Launching Traveller Pride Week and the Traveller Pride Awards, the Minister Roderic O’ Gorman TD, said:

“Traveller Pride Week is a fantastic opportunity to come together and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Traveller Community and their ongoing contribution to Irish society.

“The array of talents, skills and dedication displayed at the Awards are impressive and inspiring.

“Congratulations to the winners and to all those who participated.”

Speaking at the awards presentation event, Geraldine McDonnell, one of the organisers of Traveller Pride Week and the Awards, explained their significance to the Traveller community.

“The Traveller Pride Awards are one of the highlights of Traveller Pride Week which provides an annual focal point for celebrating Traveller culture and life in Ireland – both nationally and locally.

“The Awards highlight and recognise individuals and groups who have made a particular contribution to the community and to wider society and they also serve to challenge many of the racist stereotypes that are unfortunately still too common amongst many members of the settled community,” Geraldine McDonnell said.