Ladies Gaelic Football

46 | AUTUMN 2021 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie CLUB FOCUS ASK ANYBODY INVOLVED IN TERMON LGFA ABOUT THE SECRET OF THE CLUB'S SUCCESS, AND YOU GET A LOT OF THE SAME ANSWERS By KEVIN EGAN D evoted volunteers and coaches, including those who brought the Termon club into existence in Donegal nearly 30 years ago, have been succeeded by a new generation of people that are determined to see the club thrive into the future. There's a huge level of support for the club from the wider community in the area, passionate football people who love nothing more than to see those who represent their parish succeed on the field. Of course, there is the quite significant factor that this is a golden generation of players, stars of the club and county scene that have left an incredible legacy on the sport, not just in Donegal but all across Ireland. Geraldine, Nicole and Shannon McLaughlin, Róisín Friel, Olive, Therese and Roisin McCafferty, Emer and Bridget Gallagher and Evelyn McGinley are just some of the players that went on to represent Donegal, having learned their trade in the maroon and white colours of their home club. Yet there's one other hidden ingredient that can't be forgotten either. "Madness," is how Róisín Friel describes it. Friel, who made her debut for the Termon adult team in the county junior final of 2003 as a 12-year-old, is currently laid up with Achilles tendon injuries in both feet, but that doesn't stop her from continuing to contribute as part of the club coaching group, and as Donegal fixtures secretary. "When I started playing, it was a world away from county finals, Ulster titles, and all the rest of it. I remember playing Ardara in a match at one stage and losing by something like 9-12 to 0-2, and there were plenty of hammerings like that," she recalls. "But we loved it. The girls would all tell you about the bond that was formed in 2014 when we won the All-Ireland club title and that's true certainly, but it was there long before that. We love playing, and even when the club was playing junior and intermediate, we always believed that we'd get there, even if there was no sign of it happening at the time! "We kept going, girls kept travelling from Dublin, from Galway, even flying in from abroad for games, and when you see where we are, up the corner of the country, it makes no sense. It was incredible though, and you'd never think twice about it, this club means so much to us," she says. Winning the club's first ever senior Donegal championship in 2010 by a single point seemed like an historic breakthrough in its own right, but by then another teenage star was rising in the club – Geraldine McLaughlin. She grabbed a goal in the dying moments of their Ulster final against Donaghmoyne to secure a famous 3-6 to 0-13 victory, and that result was enough to ensure that the sights of the club and the players were set even higher from then on. They failed to defend their county title the following year, but went on

• Cover