Busy season in store
THE 2017 club league is about to begin for Sligo Ladies with all divisions ready for battle. Keith Gilroy, Sligo Ladies, chairperson, said it’s going to be another season to look forward to at the League launch last Wednesday evening in The Embassy. The former PRO said: “I’m chairperson this year, there’s a lot of work in it but I’m really enjoying it,” Keith told the Sligo Champion. “I’m PRO with Connacht too so it’s full on but I’m enjoying it. This year I suppose when taking the chair, one of the main things I wanted to highlight is the profile of ladies football. We’re the fastest growing sport in Europe and we had the biggest attendance for a ladies sport in Croke Park last September, but it’s not being reflected through the gates and on the sidelines on Sunday mornings.
“I think that’s down to people not being aware, not knowing about the sport, because anyone that you do get to games really enjoy it and are surprised by the standard. Like when you’re involved in Ladies football and you see the commitment these girls are putting in, it’s the exact same commitment as the men are putting in. Our county girls are travelling from Galway, Dublin, elsewhere every week for training. They don’t get expenses like the men do, they don’t get their football boots, so it’s for the love of the game that they’re doing it and the standard it s there. Sligo were a kick away from an All- Ireland final last year, so the standard is there,” he added.
Keith said with regard to trying to sort out the expenses, the WGPA ( Women’s Gaelic Players’ Association) was set up in 2016 and they are being recognised by Central Council. “There was a million euro given to Ladies Football and Camóige by the Government for 2017 and that’s been split up between the counties to improve the standards of training facilities and bringing in strength and conditioning and heightening what’s available to the girls who are putting in this commitment,” the Chairman pointed out.
At inter- county level, the fruits of the players and backroom teams labours have been making headlines in recent years. Keith said: “We’re there or thereabouts you know. We were beaten by Down in a quarter final who went on to win the Intermediate All- Ireland. Then we were beaten by Waterford who also went on to win an All- Ireland and last year Kildare beat us in a semi final and went on to win. We won the League Division 3 in 2015 and this year we met Clare in a winner takes all, for the Division 2 semi- final.
“This time this last year we were facing into a relegation play- off in Division 2, so we have improved and we have concreted our place in Division 2 and hopefully we can push on from there,” Keith explained.
He says much credit must go to Sligo Ladies manager Paddy Henry and his backroom team. “Paddy came in in 2006 and in eleven weeks won an All- Ireland Junior Title. He came back in 2015 and won a National League title with us. First Connacht title he won last year and we are pushing on for the All- Ireland now. He’s brought in Liam Murray as Strength and Conditioning, Catriona Connolly is back goal- keeping coach, Margaret Davey is there, Liam Naughton has come in this year from Eoghan Rua so there’s a good team there, Aisling Ewing is involved there. The results are being seen on the pitch.
“I now we had a bad result losing to Laois and Cavan in the League but you learn from the losses and we will bounce back.”
With regard the club league itself, Keith says there should be plenty of competitiveness across all the Divisions this year. “I suppose the last number of years it’s been Geevagh and St Nathy’s, St Nathy’s v Geevagh, it’s always nip and tuck there. But you have the likes of Eoghan Rua who have won the Intermediate League and Intermediate Championship last year and they are coming up into Senior this year and they are going to put the cat among the pigeons this year I think.”
He said some clubs are not at the level they could be at because they need to improve their underage structures.
“It’s very hard to constantly keep at that level unless you have a good underage structure and I just feel certain clubs haven’t had that in the last number of years and they’re going to suffer.
“The likes of Eoghan Rua, Nathy’s, Geevagh, they have that structure behind them. They have the U12, 14, 16, Minor so it’s working well for them and they’re getting the results on the pitch.”
Keith also praised the likes of Coolera/ Strandhill who are fielding their first Ladies side in over a decade. “It’s the first time in ten years Coolera/ Strandhill has an adult team and it’s great. They played their first game and although they lost to Shamrock Gaels, it is great to have them back at adult level.”
Keith said the recognisable players who have been tremendous ambassadors for Ladies football within the county also deserve praise. “You have the likes of Noelle Gormley, Stephanie O’Reilly, Bernice Beirne, Laura Ann Laffey, Karen Maloney, Ruth Goodwin, you know all these Senior girls who have put in an awful lot of miles over the last couple of years and it’s paying off for them now but it’s also good for the young girls to have someone to look up to.
“We’re putting an awful lot of work into development this year, we’ve Kathleen Kane taking over development and we’re pushing U10s and U12s and that programme is going to be run over the coming weeks. So we’re really confident and looking forward to the 2017 season at club level,” Keith added.