Ladies Gaelic Football

50 | WINTER 2021 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie GAELIC4GIRLS N aomh Mhuire Ladies Gaelic Football Club is based in Oranmore Maree in South Galway and in the initial years after their formation in 2003, the club mainly fielded teams at Under 12 and Under 14. We spoke to Martin Crowe, chairperson, about their journey to date and the impact of Gaelic4Girls on their club. For the first few years, the club had to play all their matches away as they had no pitch of their own, with an average membership of 55 girls. Naomh Mhuire eventually got slots on the local pitches and a small, dedicated committee and coaches kept the club afloat and set the foundations for the future. In 2013, a group of coaches decided to look at their underage structure as it was felt it needed more focus and a development plan was discussed. Maura Conneally was development officer for Galway Ladies Football at that time and was extremely helpful, as was Noelle Gormley, who was Connacht Ladies Development Officer. In January 2013, the club was told that it was one of the clubs awarded Gaelic4Girls and it was the shot in the arm that the club needed. The local schools were visited by their underage coaches and a seven-week training programme was set in place for their Gaelic4Girls participants. A number of new coaches and players were encouraged in to help out and the coaching resources from LGFA were handed out. On their registration night, a total ON THEIR REGISTRATION NIGHT, A TOTAL OF 75 GIRLS TURNED UP TO TRY OUT L ADIES FOOTBALL FOR THE FIRST TIME!! AFTER THE 7-WEEK TRAINING, WHICH FOCUSED ON THE FUN SIDE OF THE GAME, THE GIRLS WERE THEN REGISTERED WITH THE CLUB.." GLENVEAGH HOMES GAELIC4GIRLS: WHAT'S THE IMPACT? of 75 girls turned up to try out ladies football for the first time!! After the seven weeks of training, which focused on the fun side of the game, the girls were then registered with the club. Naomh Mhuire got to play a few non-competitive mini blitzes with some local clubs in Galway. In that particular year, the LGFA annual activity day in Croke Park was designated to Gaelic4Girls clubs and the visit to Croke Park with their Gaelic4Girls is a memory that stands out with all their girls. The club travelled up on the bus with their new jerseys, their packed lunch and sun cream. The players met Sinead Burke from the Galway Senior Ladies team, who posed for photos and they enjoyed the opportunity to play on the hallowed turf in a mini blitz organized by LGFA. Everyone went back home with a medal

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