Dublin Team named for opening game of 2019 NFL
- Feb 01,2019
LIDL NFL Div 1, Rd 1
Saturday 2nd Feb, 5pm
Dublin v Donegal
Croke Park
Mick Bohan has named his starting 15 for the opening game of the NFL.
Reigning champions, Dublin begin the defence of their title on Saturday evening when they welcome Donegal to Croke Park.
In total, Bohan has named eight of the starting 15 who began last September’s All Ireland final versus Cork. Absent from the side are Sinead Finnegan, Leah Caffrey, Sinead Goldrick, Noelle Healy and Sinead Aherne while Lauren Magee and Lyndsey Davey are named amongst the Dublin replacements for Saturday’s clash with the Ulster champions.
Coming into the starting line-up are, Emma McDonagh, Aoife Kane, Sarah Fagan, Jennifer Dunne, Kate Fitzgibbon, Eabha Rutledge and Siobhan Woods.
2018, Dublin minor Captain Sarah Fagan is being handed her senior debut this weekend and is a player who has been earmarked as “one to watch” for a long time by many people in Dublin LGFA circles. Fagan was a key member of the Clontarf team who captured the club Intermediate All Ireland title last December.
Five other members of last year’s minor team, Kate Sullivan, Hannah Leahy, Niamh Hetherton, Caoimhe O’Connor and Eimear Loughlin are also listed amongst the Dublin replacements. This is an indication of the huge amount of hard work that is being carried out at underage level in the Capital over the last number of years.
Also included in the Dublin replacements is 2017 All Star, Rachel Ruddy who returns to the Inter County set up having taken a year out last season to travel abroad. Another addition to the panel is former Irish soccer International and UCD Waves (now known as DLR Waves) footballer, Orlagh Nolan.
Ciara Trant will captain the side on Saturday in the absence of skipper, Sinead Aherne.
Dublin v Donegal: 1: Ciara Trant (St Brigids), 2: Martha Byrne (Cuala), 3: Niamh Collins (Foxrock Cabinteely), 4: Emma McDonagh (Foxrock Cabinteely), 5: Aoife Kane (Kilmacud Crokes), 6: Olwen Carey (Thomas Davis), 7: Sarah Fagan (Clontarf), 8: Jennifer Dunne (Cuala), 9: Siobhan McGrath (Thomas Davis), 10: Carla Rowe (Clann Mhuire), 11: Kate Fitzgibbon (Clontarf), 12: Eabha Rutledge (Kilmacud Crokes), 13: Siobhan Woods (Raheny), 14: Nicole Owens (St Sylvester’s), 15: Niamh McEvoy (St Sylvesters).
Dublin replacements: 16: Rachel Fleming (Kilmacud Crokes), 17: Rachel Ruddy (Ballyboden St Endas), 18: Siobhan Killeen (Clontarf), 19: Kate Sullivan (St Sylvester’s), 20: Laura Carolan (Castleknock), 21: Ciara McGuigan (Thomas Davis), 22: Eve Keogh (Skerries Harps), 23: Hannah Leahy (Scoil Ui Chonaill), 24: Niamh Hetherton (Clontarf), 25: Caoimhe O’Connor (Clontarf), 26: Lucy Collins (Na Fianna), 27: Eimear Loughlin (Cuala), 28: Orlagh Nolan (Ballinteer St Johns), 29: Lauren Magee (Kilmacud Crokes), 30: Lyndsey Davey (Skerries Harps)