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14 | SUMMER 2020 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie RISE OF WATERFORD W hile the cancellation of the latter stages of the Lidl National Football Leagues brought teams' early season competitive action to a premature end, it did give some counties a little breathing room with the spectre of relegation gone for another 12 months. When a halt was called after five rounds of Lidl NFL action the relegation picture was far from clear in Division 1 where four points separated the bottom five teams in the league, which included heavy hitters Dublin and Donegal. Playing in their first top-flight season for 13 years, Waterford were one point clear of basement side Westmeath. The two teams were due to meet in their next game, with the loser facing the likely prospect of the drop. After a long climb back to the peak of the game, Waterford Ladies footballers were probably happy to have that particular pressure value released. In his first season in charge, manager Ciarán Curran led his team to success in the Lidl Division 2 final last season against Kerry. It just so happened that he was the man in charge at the time and after years of progress under the leadership of Pat O'Brien and Pat Sullivan it was only a STEADY PROGRESSION HAS BEEN KEY FOR WATERFORD LADIES DECLAN ROONEY speaks to Waterford Manager Ciarán Curran and Captain Karen McGrath. matter of time that the once kingpins of the game made it back to the top flight. "If you track the progress of Waterford Ladies Football over the last number of years, under Pat Sullivan and his management team, winning the Intermediate Final in 2015, being promoted up from Division 3 to Division 2, us getting back to Division 1 and competing there was an extension of that progress," said Curran. "The curve has been an upward curve in recent years thankfully. And now that we are in Division 1 you are hoping that by playing the better teams that as a result you are improving as a group. "Last year I was delighted with the brand of football on the way to that final. Look, everybody knows the traditions in Kerry in terms of Ladies Football, so to win the league final in Parnell Park was a fantastic boost for the girls. "But all we have achieved, it has been a gradual process over a number of years with various different management teams, to be fair." Following years of Kerry dominance in the Senior Championship, Waterford finally made their big breakthrough with All-Ireland success in 1991, their first appearance in the final. In the ten All-Ireland finals that This page clockwise from top left: Ciara McManamon of Mayo in action against Karen McGrath of Waterford. 2. Lyndsey Davey of Dublin in action against Roisin Tobin of Waterford 3. Aishling Hutchings of Cork in action against Kellyann Hogan of Waterford 4. Waterford players huddle Next page clockwise from top left: Grainne Kenneally celebrates with the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup 2. 2012; The Waterford team before the Intermediate Championship Final 3. Michelle McGrath, Waterford 4. Michelle Ryan of Ballymacarbry 5. The Waterford 1994 Jubilee team 6. Maria Delahunty of Waterford lifts the Division 2 cup