Connolly goes for GOAL

GALWAY legend Joe Connolly has been busily spreading the gospel of hurling.

The former All-Ireland SHC winning captain last month traveled to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and although he had only one sliothar and no hurley, he found a piece of wood to give a demonstration of some of the skills of our national game.

The local kids, whom Connolly went out to see on behalf of the GOAL aid agency, were more than keen to join in.

“We went out there originally with a number of GAA jerseys from all different counties, and there was only one sliothar in the bag, but there was no hurley, so I just picked up a piece of wood, and started showing the kids some of the moves,” he recalls.

Even in Kenya, Connolly received a stark reminder of who was currently ruling the hurling world. “We gave GAA jerseys to all the kids who were watching me hurl and they were all keen to try it out. And there was one small kid who was outstandingly good, far better than all the rest. And what jersey did he have on? The Kilkenny shirt. Even in Nairobi, Kilkenny came out tops,” laughs the man famous for his victory speech, when accepting the McCarthy Cup, in 1980.

“You come back from a place like that, totally convinced of the good work charities like GOAL and all the NGOs are doing right there at the coal-face.

“I have never seen such poverty and neglect in my life. Their philosophy is not to blame the perpetrator, but help the victim. And the work they are doing is incredible.

“Even with all the poverty and neglect, and the number of children orphaned, many of them by Aids, there was such life in all these children. And you would be very keen to see how they get on later in life.

“I never saw such eagerness to learn, they all wanted to learn more and more about hurling.”

GOAL are currently helping 12,000 people in Nairobi and have been active in the city since 1992, when it established an East African base. They have set up a new educational programme for street girls, which the ex-Galway captain visited, along with a juvenile correctional centre, a mobile clinic and a school for boys.

“What really opened my eyes and touched me was the kids I saw in the Rescue Centre that GOAL set up. Because there are some children orphaned by Aids in Nairobi, the kids tend to get into gangs or prostitution as young as seven or eight and this centre is trying to keep the kids away from this. And you meet some wonderful kids, children whose faces will stay with you for a long, long time.

“So much is being done by these dedicated people and it is not expensive, I appeal to anyone that can spare a few euro to make a donation.”

Those wishing to contribute to the GOAL Kenyan programme can call [phone] to make a credit card donation.