A local sporting group’s been celebrating a significant birthday.
Kilkenny Judo Club has been on the go for six decades with a number of success stories during that time.
Anthony Delaney says they’ve found their own hub telling KCLR News; “We were founded in 1964 in the Boys Club in Patrick Street, we’ve moved various premises and we’re now in the Friary Hall, we were in the Friary for years but we’re back in it again and it’s really good”.
They’ve had a lot of leading participants with Anthony noting; “Back in 1974 two of the fellas Richie Hogan and Paddy Dwyer represented Ireland in the World Championships and in 1984 Kieran Foley represented Ireland in the Olympics, we’ve had a few All Ireland champions”.
He adds those who get involved tend to stay involved, but they’d love more to try it out, in particular young women, saying; “They come in the children and we treat them to games, they like it there’s discipline in it, so they keep coming back anyway, I have 17 children at the minute and four adults, we find it hard to get teenage girls and we’re trying through the Women in Sport Programme but it’s very hard so we’re hoping to get the schools and see can we send somebody to come down to come into us, I have one girl that’s it, Judo is for everyone”.
