A special event for people living with dementia has been held in Co Donegal.
The 'Sporting Memories' initiative brings together a range of personalities involved in the GAA, along with memorabilia from inter-county and club games, to aid reminiscences about matches and events of the past.
Several former Donegal players and management personnel were involved in the gathering, which was organised by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, (ASI), in conjunction with the GAA.
Around 2,500 people are living with dementia in Donegal and the event had a particular emphasis on providing a support for them and their carers.
The Alzheimer Society said the programme aims to improve health and wellbeing, as well as countering depression and loneliness.
The ASI’s Community Engagement Manager, Cathryn O’Leary, said the memories created by great sporting occasions lead to a sense of identity and place for people.
She said events like these rekindle moments from the past and, as a result, help reconnect people with joyous moments they have experienced.
An exhibition of photographs, match programmes, jerseys and audio-visual footage was specially gathered for the initiative.
It is hoped the programme can be rolled out to clubs around the county in the coming months, to ensure it has as broad an appeal as possible.
Ms O’Leary said that by triggering memories people can be returned to a place of immense happiness, as they recall events that still resonate, decades later.
Among those attending the gathering were a number of people involved in Donegal’s first All-Ireland football final win in 1992, including team manager Brian McEniff and players Anthony Molloy and Declan Bonner.
Mr McEniff said that while he had little in the way of physical mementos from his extensive playing and managerial career, he was glad to have vivid and happy memories of his decade’s long involvement in the GAA.
He said events like the one staged in Letterkenny provided an opportunity for friends to gather and swap stories, in the hope that they would bring some recollections back to those who attended games over the years.
Cora Harvey of the Donegal GAA Health & Wellbeing Committee said the event highlighted the importance of supporting and assisting people who were ageing or living with dementia in the county.
As well as using sporting cues to stimulate memory, organisers hope it will help improve communication and promote a sense of belonging in local communities.
A dedicated handbook has been developed by the ASI to help other sporting organisations that might be interested in replicating the initiative.
