Emer visits St Laurence's on trail to Tralee

Kildare Rose Emer Fogarty visited her sporting alma mater, St Laurence's GAA Club, this afternoon where she was much in demand for photographs with youngsters in the club, writes Brian Byrne. And with quite a few of the parents and adult club officials too.

She was welcomed by Marcella O'Reilly, chairperson of the club's Ladies division, who recalled that the Fogarty and the Tallon families had long had a great involvement in the club.

Club President John Joe Walsh also took the opportunity to wish Emer well in the upcoming Rose of Tralee Festival. He spoke of how her grandfather Paddy had been one of his best friends. "He'd be very proud of you today, and so would your father Michael," he said, referring to the sad loss of her dad last year. "I know you're one of the favourites, and I hope you'll do well."

For her part, Emer confessed to being somewhat overwhelmed at the welcome from all the club members present. "It's really a privilege to not just represent Kildare, but also to represent this club. I've been blown away over the last couple of weeks by the level of support, people coming to the house, to the Coffee Morning."

She spoke of how she had started out playing in the club 'underage and playing against the lads, because there was no girls team'. "The boys all wanted to mark the girl, but I remember one day I scored a couple of goals and the young lad went home crying ... and that's when I realised that the girls can be as good as the boys." (Loud chorus of 'Yeah!!' from the legion of small girls present.)

She said that a lot of what she had learned on the football field she has been able to apply to her own life, and 'this is a lovely way to give back'.

Emer was then presented with a bouquet from Emma Flynn, representing all those 'girls who are as good as the boys'. (Again, Yeah!!)

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