Stars collide as two Limerick sports champions swap silverware
TWO STARS collided in Limerick this Saturday as “the best hurler in Ireland” and “the best Irish dancer” swapped some hard-earned silverware.
Ahead of his league semi-final clash against Tipperary at TUS Gaelic Grounds, Gearóid Hegarty welcomed Kate Phelan at the Munster GAA Headquarters in Castletroy.
Both from Rhebogue, the two stars are neighbours as they live “yards from each other.”
The stars handed over each other's silverware to one another for a few photos with Kate posing with the Liam MacCarthy Cup and Gearóid handling Kate's towering world dancing trophy.
After the meeting, 11-year-old, Kate, told the Limerick Leader: “It was really funny. He’s really nice, and he’s really tall compared to me, I looked so tiny next to him!”
“I’m not sure how tall I am, but he’s really tall,” she laughed.
Limerick All Star hurler Gearóid is not the only one training for a big championship ahead, as Kate who is the Under 11 World Champion in Irish dancing, will be heading to Montreal, Canada, this April for a dancing competition.
The young dancer trains with the Flynn O’Kane Academy in Nenagh. On April 3, she’ll take the world stage in Montréal to defend her title against competitors from all around the globe.
Every day, Kate gets to train and do something that makes her “really happy” alongside her friends. Over the years, she took part in “a lot of competitions - hundreds of them.”
When asked about her routine, she noted: “I have to train really hard every day.”
Before “major” competitions, Kate also trains on the weekend.
In her spare time, the Limerick star loves to read. “I don’t have a favourite book, but I like reading David Walliams,” she said.