Seminar to celebrate links with The Greatest

Ennis will celebrate its links with The Greatest when it holds the second annual Be The Best That You Can Be seminar at Glór next Wednesday.
Muhammad Ali, the three-time World Heavyweight Champion, was named the first Honorary Freeman of Ennis in September 2009 in recognition of his career achievements and his ancestral links with the Clare county capital. 
Over 15,000 people watched him receive a civic reception before embarking on a drive through the streets of Ennis and a personal visit to the ancestral home of his great-grandfather, Abe Grady.
Next Wednesday, 500 secondary-school pupils will attend a seminar featuring motivational talks and workshops concentrating on music, sport, relaxation and drug awareness. Speakers will include TV presenter and clinical psychologist David Coleman and Ian Taylor, the youngest Irishman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
The event is being hosted by Ennis Town Council and Clare Youth Service. According to Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Peter Considine, “On September 2, 2009, Muhammad Ali visited Ennis, an occasion that will go forever go down as a landmark moment in the history of the town.
The event attracted thousands of people from all over Ireland and beyond, while the international media put Ennis in the spotlight for the day.
It is important County Clare celebrates its connection with one of the greatest sporting icons of all time and what better way to do so than hosting an event around Muhammad Ali’s own conviction of being the best that you can be.”
“Muhammad Ali is the most recognisable man on earth and remains a magical figure, known and loved throughout the world.
“We are honoured that he accepted the council’s offer of becoming the town’s first Honorary Freeman, which we deemed to be thoroughly deserved in light of his unrivalled sporting achievements on the world stage and his contribution to educational and charitable causes through his global fundraising foundation, the Alltech-Muhammad Ali Centre Global Education and Charitable Fund,” added Mayor Considine.
Speaking about the seminar, Ennis Town Clerk Leonard Cleary stated, “The audience will be 500 second-year pupils from the town’s second-level schools.
“Muhammad Ali founded the Muhammad Ali Centre in Louisville, Kentucky, whose mission is to promote respect, hope and understanding and to inspire adults and children everywhere to be as great as they can be. This is the second year of the seminar and its main aim is to instil the confidence and self-belief that will inspire each person to be the best that they can and want to be.”
Chief executive officer of Clare Youth Service, Margaret Slattery, commented, “Muhammad Ali founded the Muhammad Ali Centre in Louisville, Kentucky, whose mission is to promote respect, hope and understanding and to inspire adults and children everywhere to be as great as they can be. 
“We are delighted to be jointly hosting this seminar with Ennis Town Council and see it as a significant contribution to inspiring young adults as they begin to make difficult decisions on their career paths for the future. 
“I know that the speakers will relate their own experiences so as to encourage and instil confidence in each student attending on the day. I am sure the seminar will have a lasting impact on those in attendance,” Ms Slattery continued.