We all love an interesting fact or hard to believe statement. Well here’s one. Three years ago, there was no ladies or girls gaelic football team in Clonard, or never had been in the one-hundred-and-twenty-year history of the club. Roll forward to the current day and you’ll understand why this is such a staggering statistic, as you witness the advances and achievements of the ladies GAA structure in Clonard.
Over the past three years various girls’ teams from Under 11 to Under 16 have competed finals, won trophies and represented their county, often in their maiden year, as great leaps of progress have been made each season. This year sums up this progress quite remarkably, both on and off the field of play, as the club adopted Croke Park’s ‘one-club’ policy by amalgamating with the men’s club as their achievements on the pitch continue to prosper.
The under 16 girls team top Division 5 unbeaten and contest a home semi-final in Clonard this bank holiday Monday evening against Drumbaragh at 7pm. The Clonard girls will be hot favourites to reach another final after a convincing win over the same opposition in late March during the league campaign. Should they win it a tougher test will await in the final.
The under 14 team are also guaranteed a semi-final, this time in Division 4, as they sit in third place after four convincing wins and two narrow defeats to Moylagh and Oldcastle. They play Slane in their final group match where a win could mean home advantage in that semi-final and an opportunity for revenge against Oldcastle. Should they overcome that tough challenge they would most likely face another revenge mission, this time against Moylagh.
The progress made on the field hasn’t gone unnoticed at county level as Clonard girls now proudly represent their county in the green and gold of Meath. At Under 16 level Louise Coyne has displayed all the attributes of an all-round gaelic footballer and lines out with distinction for Meath Under 16’s as they also contest a Leinster final. While neighbouring club Ballinabrackey may lay claim to her, there’s no doubting her Clonard roots from the Campbell family, with her very proud grandad, Finn, travelling the length and breath of Meath, and now Leinster, to support his granddaughter. His travels may take him further should they become Leinster champions.
At Meath Under 14 level the Clonard representation is even stronger as Kirsten Massey, Ella Reilly and Nora Clarke line out for the Meath Under 14 team, who compete in a Leinster final against Dublin. That’s one for your diary this Saturday in Clane with a 3.45pm throw-in. These three girls will bring plenty of club support with them and there won’t be many left in Killyon on Saturday afternoon as the Massey and Clarke contingent all head for Kildare. Also expect quite a few to make the trip from Cavan and Longford, as the Reillys are a family steeped in GAA tradition, with proud Dad Shane involved in coaching in Clonard for many years.
Last year saw the adult ladies team affiliate for the very first time. While their achievements so far have been moral ones, it has provided a wonderful social outlet and activity for the local mothers, friends, and sisters, who have attended and watched on from the sidelines for so long. Their day will come too no doubt, as they will be shortly joined by talented girls from the underage ranks and are destined to mature in to a successful adult team of the not so distant future.
We must also mention the youngest ones, as this year has seen another first in the ladies section as the Under 8’s and Under 10’s girls have joined the “Little Ladies League”, a newly formed LGFA non-competitive league setup to provide games for the youngest girls in the county. Considering the number of girls at this age bracket in the Clonard/Killyon area it has come as another welcome development for the club.
Yes, that has all happened in just three years, well done to everyone involved, Cluain Ioriard abú!
