A Review of Dublin Ladies 2008
Its official! Young Girls are turning to Dublin Ladies Football Once again it has been a record year for Dublin Ladies Football.
Inthe Club scene we have 57 clubs playing Dublin Ladies Footballfielding 231 teams in competitions. Two years ago we started tointroduce football at U10 level. At present we have 3 divisions and 32U10 teams. 26 clubs now have U10 teams playing in our leagues andchampionships. These girls will be the foundation of our futuredevelopment. Our registration figures have grown from 4,400 to a record figure of5,175, which combines players, mentors and officials.
The appointmentof "eSportmanager" from Castlebar has been a huge development for theDublin Ladies County Board with regards to fixtures, results andleague tables. This year we have set up our own Dublin Ladies Footballwebsite, www.dublinladiesgaelic.ie. The Clubs have found this to bea excellent tool with regards to the day-to-day business of .
The County Board would like to thank Peter Hickey and Paul McLoughlin for all their hard work on the website. Dublin has had a very successful year. One of the main reasons forthis was the appointment of Lyn Savage as Dublin Regional DevelopmentOfficer. Lyn has organised the following courses: Fundamental Coaching Course Raising the Bar - Level 1 Coaching Course Grab Your Whistle, a course for trainee Referees Club Officer Programme Ready, Steady, Play: volunteer recruitment programme Gaelic 4 Girls Gaelic 4 Mothers 
Lyn has made herself available to all Clubs and organised many of theabove programmes within Clubs. The Dublin Ladies County Board wouldlike to thank Lyn for all her hard work, support and most of all forbeing there when our members needed her. Lyn Savage has been a breathof fresh air. The Dublin County Board would like to wish all theclubs, players, mentors and officials the very best for the 2009 season.
Dublin All Ireland Minor Winners August Bank Holiday,
Monday August 4th 2008, Breffini Park, Cavan. ADublin Ladies Captain Shona Barrett finally lifted aloft the AllI reland Minor Football Cup. The Junior Jackies were red hotfavourites to win the championship against Tyrone after somescintillating performances earlier in the competition. The final wastelevised live on TG4 which added to the pressure for the young Dublingirls to deal with, and it showed as they were slow out of traps. TheJunior Jackies led at half time with a 1-7 to 1-4. After thehalf-time team talk as quoted on rte.ie "the Junior Jackies ran riotafter the break and stormed to a 17-point victory with a powerfulsecond half performance. Dublin, beaten finalists last year, were toogood for the Red Hands, who were held scoreless in the second half". It had been a long and sometimes cruel journey for the management teamof Dave Cullen, Ann OMahony, Frankie Byrne & Martina Farrell. Thisparticular squad had been so close in the past in their quest to winDublins first minor title. In 2006 they were beaten semi finalistsafter extra time; in 2007 they were beaten finalists. So victory thistime around was even sweeter. This was very evident when the TG4cameras zoomed in on Dave Cullen and it was clear to see the big manin tears of joy and emotion. TG4 player of the game was Sinead Goldrick of Dublin.
Dublin Minor All Ireland Winning Squad 2008Hannah Tyrell (Round Towers Clondalkin), Rachel Nugent (Ballyboden StEndas), Aoife Burke (St Judes), Karen McGlynn (Skerries Harps), ShonaBarrett (St. Brigids), Sinead Goldrick (Foxrock/Cabinteely), Sinead OMahony (Skerries Harps), Niamh McEvoy (St. Sylvesters), Amy Connolly(Foxrock Cabinteely), Fiona Hudson (Fingallians), Natalia Hyland(Ballyboden St. Endas), Noelle Healy (St Brigids), Arlene Cushen (NaFianna), Sinead Cullen (Skerries Harps), Deborah Geraghty(Castleknock),Ciara Ryan (Scoil Ui Chonaill), Amy Ring(Foxrock/Cabinteely), Vicky Browne (Fingallians), Orlagh Egan (NaFianna), Enya Farrell (St. Brigids), Sinead Cumiskey(Parnells)Phillippa Green (Kilmacud Crokes), Rachael Byrne (ClannagaelFontenoy), Kirstie McArdle (Foxrock/Cabinteely), Shauna Gorman (Ratoath), Niamh Keane (Clann Mhuire), Alyssa Quinn (Kilmacud Crokes)
Senior Jackies make progress in 2008.The Jackies performed very well during their return to Division 1league football. During the campaign the girls remained unbeaten andmanaged to beat reigning All-Ireland champions Cork in Cork, but with3 drawn results the Jackies did not make the league play-offs. Thegirls & management had demonstrated during the league campaign theircommitment and determination to bounce back after a disappointingchampionship in 2007. In the Leinster championship final, the Jackieswere the underdogs as they took on Laois in Dr Cullen Park. Laois werelooking to win their third Leinster championship title in a row.Dublin had not won the Leinster title since 2005 when they won theirfour titles in a row themselves. The balance of power has shiftedsince 2005 firmly in the favour of Laois, thus justifying theirfavourites tag for this game. The half time score was 1-7 to 0-8 infavour of Dublin, the only goal scored was by Anne Marie Murphy in the7th minute. The goal itself was not the prettiest goal ever scored bya Dublin player as it was fisted into the net when the ball bouncedaround the Laois small square. But the goal in question was thedefining score of the game with the final score 1-15 to 0-15. TheJackies were once again "Queens of Leinster" as the Evening Herald headline stated.
Dublin Senior B progress In the second tier championship, the Aisling Mc Ging Cup, Dublin werefinalists again as in last year against Cork. On this occasion theJackies pushed the Cork girls all the way. At half time it was 0-7 to0-4 in favour of the Jackies. The game was very close, nip and tuck,with Cork getting a goal near the end of the game which settled it.The Jackies gave a good account of themselves on the day and it wasremarked by Uachtarán CPG na mBan, Geraldine Giles that the Dubs hadimproved greatly since last years final. The final score was 1-13 to0-11, with Cork winning the cup back to back since the cup was introduced.
Development Squads In 2008
Dublin ran development squads for girls aged 11-13 were girlscan develop their skills and work within a panel of players of asimilar skill level in a fun environment. The various squadsparticipated and accounted for themselves well in various Leinstertournaments, taking home some silverware along the way also. Foxrock Cabinteely VHI All Ireland Junior Championship winners.Foxrock Cabinteely a club only founded in 2005 after an amalgamationof two clubs collected the VHI All Ireland Junior Club Championshiptitle in December 2007 after overcoming West Clare Gaels 1-11 to 0-8in Toomevara. The Foxrock Cabinteely bandwagon rolls on as the girlswere crowned Dublin Intermediate Championship winners in 2008 and willplay in the senior championship in 2009. The question is how will the new kids on the block fare out against the established senior clubs?
Roll of Honour Senior Championship Winners Ballyboden St Endas
Intermediate Championship Winners Foxrock Cabinteely
Junior A Championship WinnersSt Marks
Junior B Championship WinnersSt Margarets
Junior C Championship WinnersSt Maurs
Junior D Championship WinnersLucan Sarsfields
Junior E Championship WinnersBallyboden Wanderers
All Ireland 7s win
A Dublin team were finally crowned All Ireland Champions in the annual"7s" tournament held in Naomh Mearnog/St Sylvesters. This year thehosts won the title with a win over near neighbours Fingallians inthe semi finals, and a win over Clann Eireann of Armagh on a scoreline of 2-7 to 2-5 in the final. Na Fianna of Dublin also won the shield final, again a first for a Dublin club.
Feile Report
The Feile this year was deemed a great success with over 500 girlsparticipating over the festival weekend. Ballyboden St Endas won theDivision 1 final against St Brigids after a close battle withBallinteer St Johns in the semi final. In the Divsion 2 final KilmacudCrokes overcame Skerries Harps. Both clubs went on to proudlyrepresent Dublin in National and Leinster Feiles. St Sylvesters alsorepresented Dublin in the Leinster Féile as leaders of the U14 division 3 Dublin league.
Two Jackies nominated for All Stars.
Dublin Ladies had two girls nominated for All Star awards for 2008.Sinead Ahern of St Sylvesters and Dublin, who was also awarded theIrish Independent/Lucozade Player of the month for July. Along withSinead was current Dublin captain and Naomh Mearnog player DeniseMasterson who was nominated after some commanding performances forDublin from centre back. Both girls play in the amalgamated NaomhMearnog/ St Sylvesters team, which also picked up this years AllIreland 7s title.
Kick Fada
In the 9th annual MBNA Kick Fada, Dublin took away the silver & bronzemedals. Dublin Senior goalkeeper Cliodhna OConnor was piped insudden death by Mary Sheridan (sister of Joe Sheridan) of Meath, bothplayers kicked 42 meters but in Cliodhnas final attempt her kicknarrowly sneaked by the upright handing the title to Mary Sheridan.Fellow Dublin and Naomh Mearnog club mate Emma Dunne took away thebronze medal. Both girls are already practising for next yearscompetition and hope to go one better. Current Dublin Ladies SeniorManager, Gerry McGill also participated in the mens tournament andwas eliminated at the 55m marker. It was a good thing Gerry, a notedgoalkeeper himself was able to beat the girls distance or he wouldhave had a hard time from the girls at Dublin training! A specialmention also to Cliodhna for her trojan work in helping coordinate theDublin region of the "Run for Africa" fund raising charity initiative in 2008.
In 2008 we launched a technology solution from eSportsmanager whichincorporates our fixtures and website needs. The solution has becomethe foundation of our Association; for fixtures, photos ,andinformation flow to players, parents, mentors, delegates, media andreferees. Its also a beneficial tool in the promotion of our games.Also introduced was a social networking site on Bebo, where players ofour games can obtain photos and share opinions with people of a commoninterest. The website address is www.dublinladiesgaelic.ie and thesocial networking site is www.bebo.com/dublinladiesg
Our Annual Golf Classic took place in Portmarnock Links in glorioussunshine in May. Team OConnor from Naomh Mearnog captained by BartOConnor father of Dublin Senior Goalkeeper Cliona OConnor lifted the new cup presented by Dave Mc Cabe of Round Towers Clondalkin.Team OConnor narrowly edged out the St Brigids team on a count back,with both teams finishing on 95 points. Dublin Ladies Chairperson,Camillus Kilpatricks team finished with the lowest score of the day.As Camillus picked up the consolation prize it drew great applausefrom the audience. As remarked by a player from Kilmacud Crokes, "AhCamillus, he was a handy hurler but not much of a golfer, which is unusual"
Dublin Ladies would like to thank the following sponsors of DublinLadies Gaelic Football:- Elverys Sports (County Teams), ONeillsSports (Annual Gala Evening), Stacks Pharmacy (First- Aidrequirements), eSportsmanager (Senior & Intermediate Club ChampionshipFinals), Bandwidth Telecommunications (Juvenile Championships),Everbuild Building Products (Féile)
