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22 // Ladies Gaelic Football Association By Emma Du•y weekend of highs and lows, ups and downs, unexpected results – and some not so much – and really high quality football. The 2018 Gourmet Food Parlour O'Connor Cup weekend did not disappoint. Capped by a pulsating final between old rivals DCU and UL with just a single point between the sides at the end, it pulled the curtain down fittingly on a brilliant few days in Abbotstown and IT Blanchardstown. The run-up to, and qualification for the weekend itself must not be forgotten. The top players in the country wearing their college jersey with pride and going head- to-head for those coveted semi-final spots on dark, cold winter nights. College football is special, and each and every player who tries their hand at it will tell you that. Leaving those inter-county and club rivalries to one side to pull on the same jersey and work together towards one common goal is welcomed by all. It's something which everyone enjoys and looks back fondly on in the years that follow. That incredible bond coming to the fore with unforgettable memories being made, both on and o" the pitch. On the contrary then, there's facing o" against your best friends, teammates in inter-county and club set-ups, even sisters clashing. We saw it in the O'Connor Cup final as the Kelly family's loyalties were well and truly divided. Niamh's DCU came out on top while the weekend ended in disappointment for Grace and the then- holders UL. It was the final many had wished for and became a reality as the North Dublin outfit progressed in the battle of the capital in the semi-final, while UL beat their Munster rivals UCC to set up a fiery decider. One which will be remembered as 'The Aishling Moloney Final,' it had it all. The result looked almost settled while the Tipperary star was in the sin-bin. Cork's Eimear Scally showed her class with some pristine free-taking as DCU fell behind with 14 players on the field. But then came Moloney into the thick of the action after serving her time to spark her side to life. Straight on the ball, she was involved in the attack which resulted in a DCU penalty. Sarah Rowe scored from the spot and moments later, captain Moloney fittingly hit a sensational late winner as they were crowned champions for the first time since 2011. The scenes afterwards said it all, and showed exactly how much college football means to these players. As the winners celebrated, every emotion under the sun was on show. Complete elation, tears of joy and some of sadness as Rowe explained: "Things have been tough for management with Peter Clarke, and that emotion stood to us in the end. We did it for him and we did it for each other." In the middle of it all, Niamh went straight to Grace to comfort her - a lasting picture, well and truly hammering home what it's all about. For me, that final was the pinnacle of the weekend but it was a memorable one from start to finish, right through the grades from Lagan to O'Connor. The Giles Cup threw up an interesting final, pitting DCU and WIT against each other – last year's winners and the reigning Lynch Cup champions who had stormed through the higher division. It was the Waterford outfit who conquered on the day, their clinical finishing and admirable work as a unit before the posts proving vital as the final whistle sounded. Another standout performance from the weekend came from Armagh and University of Ulster Jordanstown's Aimee Mackin in the Lynch Cup decider. Having impressed the day before, the 2017 All-Star forward again caught the eye, and was more than a handful for Sligo IT to deal with on a darkening evening. She clocked o" with some superb goals and impressive points to her name, several of those scores still topics of conversation the following day in Abbotsown for the three final deciders. Even in the early stages of the weekend, the Donaghy Cup, Moynihan Cup, Lagan Cup and O'Connor Shield final threw up some tense but exciting encounters. That willingness to work for one another, to work as a team towards one common goal was a theme that shone throughout the weekend. Win together or lose together, that bond remains. Not to repeat myself too much, but rather to emphasise: college football really is unique. Playing alongside girls from A Unique Jealousy A A UNIQUE JEALOUSY PEIL Spring | Issue No 1 | Volume 14