Co Kildare is celebrating return home of victorious athletes after Special Olympics Ireland Games

Celebrations are in full swing in Co  Kildare  with several jubilant Special Olympic Champions home triumphant.

Team Leinster have returned home with a haul of 369 medals from the 2018 Special Olympics Ireland Games in Dublin, including  Jude O’Keeffe, Naas, and Clare Murphy, Athy. 

 276 local Team Leinster athletes competed in the Special Olympics Ireland Games between Friday, June 15,  and Sunday June 17, last.  A total of 1600 athletes from the four corners of Ireland took part in the Games, which are one of the largest and most prestigious sporting events to take place in Ireland in 2018.

Leinster athletes competed in 13 sports and Motor Activities Training, including Athletics, Aquatics, Badminton, Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Equestrian, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Kayaking, Pitch & Putt and Table Tennis.

Selected athletes from these Games will go on to represent Team Ireland at the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi.

The 2018 Games were supported by 600 coaches and official delegates and 2,500 volunteers, with thousands of spectators turning out to cheer on athletes in venues across Dublin.