History made after French trip
Wicklow Minors enjoy magical adventure in Rennes
LAST weekend, the Wicklow ladies Minor squad travelled to Rennes in Brittany, France.
Invited as part of the La Gallesie en Fete festival, it was the first time an inter county ladies team travelled to mainland Europe for competitive games.
On arrival however, their first function was for a coaching and meet and greet in College Cleuney and College Breguiny (both schools in Rennes). A wonderful experience for the girls who spent a few hours together with the Rennes players showing the young school children (aged between 14 to 16) drills and skills to help them increase their football abilities.
After the coaching session the girls were treated to a night out in the city of Rennes at the ‘Westport Inn’ where music, song and dance were the order of the night with Dominic joined by local musicians for a great session while the girls conducted street dancing classes on the Walls of Limerick.
The following day the tournament was played and there were wins for both Wicklow sides (Wicklow had divided their panel for the nine-a-side tournament) over both the Breton and French selections and the two Wicklow captains Nicole Walsh and Sarah Byrne lifted the trophy with great pride following a fine exhibition in the final where Wicklow could not lose with both teams having qualified for the final.
Great matches were played throughout the tournament and the skill and ability of the French teams was very evident in the closeness of the matches.
The Wicklow team were then invited as guests to the music and dance festival which is ‘La Gallesie en Fete’ where the girls learned their French dancing throughout the night.
Then on the Sunday, following a coaching session by some of the girls of local 8/10 year olds, the Wicklow side took on the French Champions Rennes in a 15-a-side game played in front of a large crowd. In what was a wonderful match the Wicklow side took the trophy amid great excitement.
Then both teams retired for a well earned rest at ‘The Fox and Friends’ pub where Eoin and his staff fed us and looked after us brilliantly before some presentations were made to Anna Marie O’Rourke who was our rock during our stay and who had put in so much work prior to our travelling, to Elena who was a fabulous help on the trip and to Jessica Chapel the chairperson of Rennes Ladies Football for her help during the stay.
A wonderful experience for the girls from Wicklow and one which will never be forgotten by them.
Thanks so much to a great group of girls who represented their families, clubs and county so well and to Dominic Leech, David Byrne, Marty Winterbotham, Joanne Katus, Joanne Kavanagh and Patrice Evans for looking after the squad during the trip.
Friendships were forged and memories made of a fabulous weekend in the beautiful city and area of Rennes in Brittany.
The girls would like to put on record their thanks to the following who kindly sponsored them in respect of their trip – Wicklow People, Wicklow County Council, Wicklow LGFA, LGFA, Paul Kavanagh, Gail Dunne, Baltinglass Credit Union, Carnew Credit Union, Blessington Credit Union, An Post and anyone who helped out in any way during the fundraising. It meant so much to the girls and their management to have been so well supported.
Wicklow squad: Sinead McGettigan, Aisling Winterbotham, Sarah Evans, Aoife Murtagh, Eva Roche, Annmarie Keegan, Amy Kavanagh, Zoe Armstrong, Molly Hodgkinson, Megan Healy, Aoife McTague, Aimee Maher, Keelin Stafford, Lucy Dunne, Kerriann Murphy, Emma Katus, Emily Hanafin, Jane Butler, Laura Butler, Caoilfhinn Kavanagh, Emily Hadden, Sophie Cronin, Lauren Byrne, Aoife Richardson, Sarah Byrne, Emily Deveney, Emer McNulty, Nicole Walsh, Katie Anne O’Neill,.