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www.ladiesgaelic.ie | SPRING 2021 | 49 CLUB FOCUS: AODH RUADH TYRONE "Parents were running from here to there so the clubs got together and agreed on a youth programme, with everyone there on the same night (at Thomas Clarkes). "It's worked out brilliantly and we've worked together on some big fundraisers, including a 'Strictly Come Dancing.' A member of the historic county championship winning team in 2000 (alongside Jones), Dillon went on to manage the county's U16s, minors and senior teams at various times in the years that followed. A club founder member, Dillon's been heavily involved at various grades, serving as club secretary for a 20-year spell. After investing so much, Dillon, a former inter- county referee who's now Ulster LGFA Assistant Secretary and an LGFA All-Star committee member, stepped back for a number of years to recharge the batteries. Since returning three years ago, she's served on the club committee and is delighted with the progress that's being made alongside Thomas Clarkes. For many years, Dungannon had four Gaelic Games clubs in the area working independently of each other – men's football, Ladies football, men's hurling and camogie. Now, thankfully, that's all changed. As well as the aforementioned links to Thomas Clarkes, with key club figures from there assisting Aodh Ruadh, there have been others. "A brother on one team, a sister on the other," Dillon points out. "Cousins and all of that…there are people my age on the men's committee – they all have their own families, daughters and sons, and they want the girls to have the same rights as the lads. They're not playing any more – they're in committee roles and they don't see any separation between girls and boys." It's that softening of attitudes that's a key part of the motivation behind bringing Aodh Ruadh into the Thomas Clarkes fold. At local level, Aodh Ruadh have been there or thereabouts in recent times. The last appearance in a Senior Final was in 2014, when Aodh Ruadh were beaten by Carrickmore, but there's a long history of winning at underage level, and juvenile structures are strong. Inter-county players Emma Jane Gervin, Niamh Hughes and Meabh Mallon are TG4 All-Ireland winners with Tyrone, and stand-out players. These are good times for Aodh Ruadh – and there's the promise of further growth and development. Caroline McGrath, a force of nature within her club, has been youth officer for many years. Along with other tutors, McGrath rolls out Fundamental coaching courses for both boys and girls. Having lived through a spell where Aodh Ruadh borrowed pitches wherever they could, living out of the boot of the car and with nowhere to store equipment, there's now more stability and access to the Thomas Clarke facilities. Jones pays tributes to the efforts of Art McRory through the years in attempting to get both clubs around the negotiating table. And she believes that the general rise of Ladies Football in Tyrone has been another key factor in breaking down barriers. Jones says: "A lot of it is down to the promotion of Ladies Football – there are nearly as many Ladies clubs in Tyrone now." When Aodh Ruadh started off as a club, there was still an element of pulling in players from neighbouring clubs and parishes such as Donaghmore, Coalisland and Edendork. Now, the players playing underage football with Aodh Ruadh are generally all Dungannon players, while the proposed plans for the new clubhouse is another massive step forward. "My father and uncles helped to build the clubhouse in the 1940s/50s," Jones smiles. "'Iggy' Jones was my uncle – a big Hogan Cup schools star who went on to play for Tyrone. "So, my family are steeped in the history of the (Thomas Clarkes) club but I was playing for something else and somebody else. "When picking our club colours, we were conscious that the hurling club was red, and the football club green. We wanted unity, so we pushed hard for a red and green jersey, to pull the thing together." Victories in those battles, and the hard work of chairpersons and club committees over the years, has brought Aodh Ruadh a long way. The next steps are worth keeping a close eye on. Top image: The Aodh Ruadh Team. Above: Eileen Jones, left, and Martina Dillon during the TG4 Ladies Football All-Star Awards