An Australian Paralympian with family from Clones has praised the facilities at the Peace Link.
Sarah Walsh visited the hometown of her mother Patricia and trained at the campus with some juvenile athletes.
With a bronze World Para Athletics medal, an Oceanic record and having represented her country at the Paralympics in Rio and Tokyo, Sarah Walsh has already made a name for herself in the T64 classification Long Jump.
All those honours were put to one side, when yesterday she graced the hallowed tartan track of the Peace Link Campus in Clones and took to the sand pit for some jumps.
Sarah is in Ireland for break between training calendars and was honoured at the Clones track with a small presentation to honour all her successes.
She posed for photos, ran and jumped with the younger members of Clones AC and spoke about her career so far.
Speaking afterwards, Sarah said it was a great experience for her.
"It was good fun. I haven't really done much training over the past few weeks so it was nice just to get out there and jump in the sand pit again. To have a facility like the Peace Link here is pretty cool for all the kids and everyone coming training and competing."
Sarah's mother Patricia is a Connolly from Annalore Street and says there was something very fitting about it.
"My mother, God rest her, was on the Community Forum Committee originally when that whole project was being thought of and put together. In her later years she even came out, I have video footage of her having a little run on the track there. She would have been delighted to see Sarah there this evening. The sun even came out for a little while - she was there smiling down on her."
Patricia added that it was an opportunity to give something back to those who are by far and away Sarah's biggest fans.
"I think it was lovely for Sarah to come back and just thank the people of Clones for the support that she gets from them, because its unrivalled the support she gets from Clones. The amount of people - she would never know what they look like - that message her and comment on Facebook posts I put and wishing her all the best."
