September 2024 Sunset in Ballybunion…phot0; Alice Moylan

The Onward March of Ladies’ Gaelic Football

Ballincollig Under 13 squad. They won their summer league by a point against Éire Óg, and everyone got some game time.

Anne (mentor) and Cora (player) in their new kit.

They have just taken delivery of these sweatshirts for the squad and mentors from their new sponsor, Ford.

This year, 2024, LFGA is 50 years old and now there is talk of integration with the GAA.

Ladies Gaelic Football is one of the most successful women’s team sports in Ireland. It has 200,000 registered members.

Photo; Anois Photography

Kerry are the current senior champions and they are brilliant ambassadors for the sport.

LFGA was only set up in 1974 in the teeth of much scepticism from certain quarters in the GAA. The GAA only recognised it as a separate but related organisation at its congress in 1981. Men’s clubs were asked to “co-operate where possible’ with the ladies’ teams.

The story from there on is a mixed one. Some clubs are excellent, welcoming the girls and sharing facilities with them for training and matches. Other clubs not so much.

Three major developments greatly helped the organisation.

In 1986 the All Ireland LFGA final was played in Croke Park for the first time.

TG4 began live coverage of ladies’ games in 2001.

A huge boost for the game came in 2016 with Lidl coming on board as sponsor.

Onwards and upwards, ladies!

(Information from Hayley Kilgallon’s book, Unladylike, a history of the LFGA, )

Remember the Bad Old Days?

Sometimes you could use left over wallpaper or saved wrapping paper. Children of today with their free schoolbooks and wrapping services don’t realise how lucky they are.

Still Promoting the Book

Tomás and Aisling take a first look at Moments of Reflection.

David Sheehan and Mary Fagan look at Moments of Reflection in The diocese of Kerry studio in Tralee. I recorded an interview with Mary, which will be broadcast on Horizons on Sunday next, September 15 2024.

A Fact

Identical twins don’t have the same fingerprint.

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