Formal address of recognition for Daryl

Westmeath County Council honoured Special Olympics gold medal winning athlete Daryl Gahan with a formal address of recognition on Monday of last week.

Members of Daryl’s family and friends joined him at Áras an Chontae, and Cllr John Shaw, cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad performed the honours.

The recognition was to honour Daryl for his role as a member of the Irish team who came won the soccer championship at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin in June this year.

Daryl is the fifth of the nine children of Victoria Gahan and John Gahan, of Ennell Court. He is a Man United fan and a member of the Shoot 'n' Stars Special Olympics club.

At the homecoming in June Michael Keenan, coach at the club said that the talent and natural ability that Daryl has were significant assets to the Irish team: tall and fit, he moves at a speed not always seen in someone of his height and he is dedicated to his sport.

"He has every attribute they could want: he has speed, he has strength, he has shooting accuracy and passing accuracy," Michael said, adding that Daryl’s brother Jason plays with the Shoot n Stars club as well.

Daryl has been playing with Shoot n Stars for seven years, and has been on the club’s team that has twice won the Connacht Championship, which is how he qualified for the World Games.