Famous names of horse racing join school fundraiser for autism unit
Three of horse racing’s famous name have joined forces to offer fans a unique souvenir that can be had for the right price.
An auction held by Leugh National School will see the famous Coolmore jockey silks go under the hammer, and what will undoubtedly be of interest to racing enthusiasts will be the signatures of trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore which adorn the donated prize.
Described by principal Louise McCullagh, as “a small country school, nestled into the countryside behind Thurles Racecourse”, Leugh National School has opened an autism unit with two special classes to teach pupils with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder in a mainstream school.
As part of this effort, the board of management is undertaking “a major building project” to create facilities for the pupils in ‘Réalta’, the school name for the ASD Unit.
However, while the development is part-funded by the Department of Education, the board of management and the school’s parents’ association still need to raise €40,000, so they are running a charity auction at their Greyhound Buster Night at Thurles Greyhound Stadium this Friday.
Ms McCullagh thanked John Magnier of Coolmore Stud for the donation, and said that the school is “very proud and excited to be auctioning the renowned Coolmore jockey silks”.
“The silks, in famous ‘Coolmore Navy’ have adorned many talented jockeys, crossing the line first, aboard some of the most exceptional racehorses in the history of the sport — Galileo, Yeats and Giant’s Causeway, to name but a few.”
