SINCE their formation in 1995, the St Canice’s Ladies Club from Dungiven has grown from strength to strength and now has 290 registered players.
The Ladies’ Club were part of St Canice’s GAC during the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons before the first standalone Ladies’ Committee was formed in 1997/98, with Tara Cooke (McVey) the Chairperson.
The Senior Ladies’ team won the inaugural County Championship in 1995, the Evelyn McGonigle Memorial Cup. This meant even more to the club because the Cup was dedicated to the mother of the their young manager, Gregory McGonigle, who is now manager of the Armagh Ladies side who are playing in the All -Ireland Senior Championship semi-final on July 20.
The club followed that success, becoming Senior League winners in 1996 and 1997 before winning again in the Intermediate League in 2001.
With the success, many more players have joined. Between 1995 and 1997, 37 senior players were registered for the club, but now on top of the 290 they have 38 registered non-playing adult volunteers and 200 girls, aged under 5 to under 14, registered for their LGFA Summer Camp.
Chairperson Tricia Harkin described the club as a community where generations of family get involved with her own mother, known as ‘Ma Cooke’, involved from the start and club secretary until this year.
”I was one of the first players on the first team in 1995 and I’ve always had a love for the sport and once you’re finished players we moved on to coaching and committee roles,” Tricia said.
“There are 5/6 of us who have moved onto that committee or coaching role.
”The club has definitely progressed, a lot of our time is for developing players it’s not necessarily about winning at all costs. It’s about giving every child the opportunity to play regardless of ability.
“We have fantastic volunteers, parents, supporters, and players and their sustained support has enabled our club to grow and develop greatly in recent years and we are extremely proud of being an integral part of the Dungiven community.”
When asked what the aims for the future were, Tricia stated: “Originally, to provide football for young women who yearned to play Gaelic, just like the lads.
“Now our aim is to continue to provide and promote Ladies Gaelic in our community, to develop all our players and to focus on improving key skills while having fun and forming friendships, from underage up with our dream to have our own pitch with female facilities.”
Trish emphasised: “Girls over 12, from Drumsurn, Banagher, Foreglen and Drum are welcome to join us when they are too old to play for their local GAA Clubs. As a club, we are extremely proud of being an integral part of the Dungiven community and beyond.”
And, finally, Tricia, joked: “The men’s team are very good and very kind and we get what we ask but we are always saying to the young girls to marry a rich farmer with plenty of land who will give us a field! It would be lovely to have our own facilities.”
