Laois school chosen to participate in Lidl's #SeriousSupport Schools programme

Coláiste Íosagain Portarlington has been chosen as one of 26 schools in Ireland to participate in the Lidl #SeriousSupport programme.

Supported by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and delivered by Youth Sport Trust and their specially trained athlete mentors, the programme is designed to educate teenage girls about the positive mental and physical health benefits of playing sport.

The programme also aims to increase participation and reduce drop-out rates for teenagers in the sport. Twenty-six schools across Ireland will have the opportunity to benefit from the programme along with receiving a brand-new set of jerseys for their school team.

The athlete mentors of the Serious Support programme, all of whom are current or former inter-county ladies Gaelic football players, are committed to using sport to transform the lives of young people. The mentors will introduce students to the programme’s values of Respect, Trust, Responsibility and Recognition. Taking place over the course of two visits to each school, the programme will be delivered via workshops and team-building sessions.

The stellar line up of LGFA intercounty players delivering this year’s programme are; Ann Marie Doran (Wicklow), Eilis Ward (Donegal), Laurie Ryan (Clare), Méabh de Búrca (Galway), Orlagh Farmer (Cork), Samantha Lambert (Tipperary), Therese Scott (Monaghan), Aisling Hanly (Roscommon), Anna Galvin (Kerry), Cathy Carey (Antrim), Deirdre O’Reilly (Cork), Leah Caffrey (Dublin), Lucy Hannon (Galway), Niamh McEvoy (Dublin), and Shannon McQuade (Fermanagh).

Complete list of winning schools participating in the Lidl Ireland #SeriousSupport programme:

Carlow: Presentation De La Salle, Bagenalstown

Cavan: St. Clare’s College

Clare: St. Patrick’s Comprehensive School

Cork: Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí

Donegal: Magh Ene College

Dublin: Castleknock Community School

Galway: High Cross College

Kerry: Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine

Kildare: Holy Family Secondary School Newbridge

Kilkenny: Loreto Secondary School Kilkenny

Laois: Coláiste Íosagain

Leitrim: St. Clare’s Comprehensive School

Limerick: Limerick Educate Together Secondary School

Longford: Mercy Secondary School

Louth: Ardee Community School

Mayo: St. Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina

Meath: St. Peter’s College, Dunboyne

Monaghan: St. Louis Monaghan

Offaly: Sacred Heart School

Roscommon: St. Nathy’s College

Sligo: St Attracta’s Community School

Tipperary: Our Lady’s Secondary School Templemore

Waterford: Waterpark College

Westmeath: Loreto College Mullingar

Wexford: Gorey Community School

Wicklow: St. Kevin’s Community College

The school have also collected over 200 stamp cards in Lidl which means that they've secured four sets of Lidl sponsored jerseys for the school. The school posted to their Facebook page to give their thanks to the locals of Portarlington for their support.