BALLINASCREEN GAC, founded in 1933, set up a women’s football team in 1998, and have grown from strength to strength since.
The club won back-to-back senior championships in 2018 and 2019, and boast a minors, U12, U14, U16 and senior team, with their U14s recently crowned league champions.
“There are over 25 clubs playing ladies football in Derry now which is good. It’s a fast growing sport and what Derry needs,” Barry Dillion, head of Ballinascreen women’s football stated.
“Our club would be very proud that we are four code club. We do men’s football, ladies’ football, men’s hurling and ladies’ camogie. Not every club has that and we like to think we are a true GAA club because we look after all facets of football and hurling.
“It’s a focal point for everyone in the Ballinascreen community to go to. There is a game for everybody, no matter male, female, age or ability.”
Dillion has plenty of experience coaching men’s, minors, county and university sides and took over the ladies section with a little bit of convincing from his daughters.
“I have six children and the two eldest are girls,” Barry stated.
“When they had grown into seniors, they came to me and said they had no senior manager and they put the pressure on me. They said ‘look daddy you always take the men’s team, now come do something with us’. That got me into that!”
It was a request that worked well with both daughters still in the senior squad, while also helping coach the younger age groups, and another playing U16s.
“There are countless people that do so much in the club. Karen Harkin runs the show since she has taken it on, she is the chair,” relates Barry.
“She helps me with the senior team and has done serious work over the last few years. Her and the likes of Tracey McKenna put serious work in the background to get all the structures right and to get everything ready for the girls.
“Coaching with me you have Ronan McKenna, a men’s senior footballer for our team.
“Our senior men do come and support the team and the fact one of them is coaching the ladies team adds a new level of professionalism and expertise.
“Ronan’s two sisters play, and he has the pressure at home too. The girls won’t be long standing behind the door when it comes to asking you to do something!”
Lots of players are dual players with Barry explaining the good relationship between camogie and football in the club which avoids players being overtrained.
Some of the key senior players, who were the younger players of the team that won the back-to-back championships, cross over with their county senior camogie team as well.
“They won the All-Ireland last year and are in Division One this year. The likes of Oonagh Barton, Rachel McAllister, Jackie Donnelly and Lauren McKenna are all serious athletes in camogie and football,” Barry added.
“Meanwhile the captains who just play football are Grace and Casey McKenna.”
The future is bright for Ballinascreen with their ambition to continue pushing their youth through into the seniors while continuing to create a safe environment where girls feel comfortable, with the aim to add some more trophies to the cabinet along the way.
Barry finished by picking out two players who he thinks will be ones to watch over the next few years: “Shannon McCorriston, who has just turned 17-years-old, has played minors two or three years and is a minor again this year, but plays senior as well as Derry minors.
“She is just a real talented livewire. She is a fantastic defender with great pace and energy, and she is as brave as a lion.
“In our seniors, one to look out for is Anna McDaid. She is one of our many dual players. Her father, Frances, is the camogie team manager and she plays both codes which just shows you can.
“She would be a Rolls-Royce for us. Her reading of the game, her drive, passion and the quality she has is huge. Even though she doesn’t play county, she is a county-standard player and I think people around Derry will know who she is in the next few years. She is definitely one to watch.”
