Killester Special Olympics
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Welcome to Killester Special Olympics Basketball Programme

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Killester Special Olympics Basketball programme was set up in 2003, following the World Games in Dublin. It has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with now over 50 athletes attending team training  and skills level.

Killester Special Olympics Basketball Programme is an integral part of Killester Basketball Club


Notice of Annual General Meeting

The Committee of Killester Special Olympics will hold their AGM on June 1st at 8pm. This meeting will take place over Zoom. All athletes, families and volunteers are invited to attend and participate. Session coaches will be in contact with further details and a link to access the meeting in the coming weeks. 

Basketball 4 Ukraine
Killester SO selection participate in Social Basketball Fundraiser

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Our Mens and ladies selection were delighted to participate in the Social Basketball Marathon Fundraising event in Bayside on Saturday April 2nd. It was such a well organised event, and our athletes really enjoyed the opportunity to play against many social teams. 

​We were delighted to be joined by our  friends Finn, Se and Luke for the matches. 

Such a worthy cause, and as of Monday, April 4th, close to €10,000 has been raised for 3 charities involved in humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Well done to the organisers of the event and all those who contributed. 

Game, Set, Match
Ladies and Mens B welcome their Wicklow friends for the first time in 2 years

All roads led to Bayside on March 25th for the first matches since our return to activities. Our Ladies and Mens B sides welcomed their friends from Blue Dolphins in Wicklow to mark the joyous occasion. 
Our Ladies side got the proceedings underway, by dusting off the cobwebs of the backboard with some excellent baskets early in the first quarter. Blue Dolphins brought their best and were not left pointless for long. It really was an excellent game and a great way to get back in the swing of match play.

Our Mens B were up next against another strong Blue Dolphins team, who really kept our Men on their toes for a thrilling match. It was a wonderful occasion to welcome spectators back to Bayside for the first time too. All left well entertained after the dazzling Double Header. There will be no rest for the wicked for the next few weeks in Killester while we knuckle down to training for the upcoming Regional events in May. 
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Return to Activities Update
February 2022

The Committee have recently received updated guidelines from Special Olympics, which reflect guidelines issued by Sport Ireland regarding the reopening of Sporting Activities. We have considered the guidelines and would like to make all athletes and their families aware of their procedure going forward.

From February 18th, It will no longer be a requirement to present a digital covid certificate, providing evidence of vaccination, to attend training with us. 

Athletes attending training for the first time or attending again since our return to Bayside are required  to fill out a new self declaration form and a covid code of conduct form and return them prior to training.
Each week, we will continue to train in our established training bubbles, as below:
Skills, Mens C: 7.00 to 7.45
Ladies : 8.00 to 8.45
Mens A, Mens B: 9.00 to 9.45

We ask that you continue to respect these times and do not attend early. We will continue to ensure the hall is ventilated, while training materials will be sanitized regularly. 
Athletes are asked to wear masks entering and leaving, and sanitize their hands regularly.
Coaches will wear masks throughout the session.

As with all elements of returning to activities, it is important for each family to make decisions which are best for them. We would ask however, that if athletes experience any symptoms related to COVID 19, that they would not attend training. Each week, our session lead Coach will continue to check in with each athlete to ensure they are feeling well at the beginning of each session.  

The Committee will continue to monitor these arrangements, and further updates will be issued if needs be. Should you have any questions, please contact your session coach. Further information on the updated guidance from Special Olympics can be viewed here

It has been wonderful to see training happening again within this new normal. The Killester Committee and Coaches are looking forward to a bright season ahead for all of our Athletes. 


If you would like to join us for the first time, click here for our contact details.

Back to where we belong...on the court!

⭐  Our Killester stars shine as brightly as the sun ⭐
during our first training session outdoors

You could not dampen the smiles of our Killester athletes, as they returned to training for the first time in 14 long months on Saturday, May 29th at our new outdoor home in Holy Faith, Clontarf. The Committee have been working hard behind the scenes, to ensure a safe return to training, and with the help and cooperation of our wonderful athletes, we pulled it off! Even the weather was on our side, with the best sun shining day anyone could ask for.

Our Mens teams trained first in their pods, under the guidance of Coaches Martin, Eugene and John. They got straight to work on shooting, passing and dribbling drills. Our Ladies followed, getting back into the swing of things, with fundamental movement, passing and shooting drills. As you can see from the photos, everyone had a blast and were delighted to be reunited with their teams. 

The Committee is so thankful for the effort of our athletes and their families, following COVID protocols and maintaining distance on the court to develop a new normal of training. Huge appreciation must also be expressed to Holy Faith, who have given us a new temporary home for our return to training. It is such a beautiful facility, we are very lucky to have the use of it for the next few weeks. 
While we are not in a position to welcome all of our athletes back just yet, we are hopeful, that with the consistent easing of restrictions, we will all be back together soon. For now, we will continue to schedule zoom sessions on Fridays for those who cannot return before the summer. 

Return to Activities Update
May 19th, 2021 

We are delighted to announce that we will be in a position to return to a limited schedule of activities outdoors under strict Special Olympics and Government Guidelines. Coaches have been in contact with all teams who can be facilitated at present with details.

For return to activities information, please click here

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Our Mens C Athlete Philip celebrated a very special birthday during lockdown

Click here to read all about it


Skills Athletes In Training

Our Skills Athletes work every bit as hard on improving their basketball skills as do our teams. From dribbling to passing the to shooting are all practiced on Friday nights from 7pm to 7.45pm. 
Some athletes go one-on-one with the coaches and some take part in the C Team training and, by the end of the season, they all make great progress.
It is from this group that athletes progress on to teams which is always great to see.



Killester Special Olympics is affiliated to Special Olympics Ireland Eastern Region
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