WORLD boxing champ Carl Frampton dropped in on a Co Down primary school this week to highlight positive themes for Integrated Education Week.
Bridge Integrated in Banbridge - which is attended by Frampton's daughter Carla - welcomed the boxer to two assemblies where he met all the children.
To help the school celebrate the theme of `harmony' for Integrated Education Week, he told pupils about growing up in Tiger's Bay in north Belfast at a time when trouble between communities was obvious and recounted becoming involved in boxing at the age of seven which he said allowed him to channel his energy positively into sport.
The boxing champion said boxing gave him the chance to meet people from both communities, train in different gyms and develop friendships beyond his immediate home environment.
He told the children that this helped to prevent him developing a bitter attitude towards those of a different religious and cultural background, which was a problem for young people in both communities at the time he was growing up.
Frampton's wife Christine is a Catholic from the Poleglass area of west Belfast.
Showing them his IBF belt, Frampton said there is a very healthy level of respect in boxing for your opponent for the courage it takes to get into the ring with someone else, which was why he hugged Scott Quigg at the end of the fight.
Principal Teresa Devlin said it was "our total privilege and pleasure to be able to welcome Carl Frampton into school this week".
"He was so humble and gave very generously of his time to our children," she added.
