Young Westport athletes feted at Civic Reception

The outstanding achievements of three young Westport athletes were celebrated at a Civic Reception held in their honour on Friday last. Hundreds of supporters turned up in Westport Town Hall to acknowledge the talents of 17-year old Eoghan Jennings, who qualified for the 2026 Junior Australian Open Boys’ Single Tennis Championships and 15-year-old twins Holly and Freya Renton, who regularly win gold and silver medals at national and international cross-country running and track events.

Cathaoirleach of Westport Belmullet Municipal District, Cllr Peter Flynn, told the gathering that the Civic Reception award was the highest honour available and that the achievements of the three star athletes were in lesser-known sports normally dominated by athletes in the east of the country, yet despite this, all had excelled in their chosen fields.

He added that not long ago, both Westport Tennis Club and Westport Athletic Club were struggling to survive but that today, thanks to community support, the town is enjoying the benefits of three amazing new tennis courts and a top-class tartan running track. He told the three awardees: “You are just at the start of your journey and I have no doubt you will go far in the world, but regardless, what you have achieved to date is outstanding, well done.”

Director of services with Mayo County Council, Joanne Grehan, listed out some of the many sporting achievements of the athletes during their young lives to date and said the council was happy if in some way it could help through its support for local sports facilities, telling them: “You are putting Westport, Mayo and Ireland on the map and we are so proud of you.” 

Accepting the award, Eoghan Jennings said it was a great honour that means a lot to him and thanked all from his school at St Gerald’s College in Castlebar which had been so good to him and so flexible regarding the amount of school time he missed through tennis, with special thanks singled out for principal Shaun Burke, as well as his coach, Garrett Barry and the many coaches who have helped him along the way. Special mention also went to the genuine people of Westport, “who look out for you and really care how you’re doing”, and most of all he wanted to express his thanks to his parents, Padraig and Ciara, and family for all their support and the sacrifices they make for him and his tennis.

Joanne Duffy of Westport Tennis Club said Eoghan had shown remarkable progression at every junior level from Under-12 up and that it was his ability, years of dedication and hard work that had brought him to the international standard he has now attained, adding: “He is a role model to our next generation of players and is very generous with his time to our junior players and shows, with effort, dreams can come true.” 

Director of Services Joanne Grehan said Mayo County Council was also delighted to recognise the achievements of Freya and Holly Renton who were the talk of the running world for their ongoing medal-winning performances at national and international level. Their success is rooted in talent, dedication, hard work and commitment, she said, noting their most recent success in the Under-16 Girls’ National Cross Country Championships last November where Freya won gold and Holly placed third while locally, Freya also won the 2025 Western People Mayo.ie West of Ireland Mini Marathon.

Both girls spoke happily to the audience, describing the Civic Reception award as such an honour that means so much. They recalled joining Westport Athletic Club from the age of eight and discovering quickly they could “run fast” before going on to win their first All-Ireland title at age nine and never looking back since then. 

Thanking their coach Hilary Hughes for being so encouraging, their training partners who keep pushing them, their supportive friends and above all, mum and dad Bryan and Philippa, also runners, siblings Jack and Aoife, their auntie, teacher Jennie Cadden and “90-year-old granny and grandad sitting here in front, our biggest supporters”, they also paid tribute to the Club Development Committee at Westport AC “and for the track that has made such a difference.” 

Finishing on a high note they expressed the hope of bringing “a European and an Olympic gold medal back to this small town of Westport, thanking the community for all its support, adding: “We are so proud to represent you.”