Gabriels to honour club’s ‘03 All-Ireland winners

PLANS are underway to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Gabriel Rangers ladies’ football team that won the All-Ireland junior club championship in 2003, the county intermediate championship in 2005 and many other club achievements through the years.

The celebration will take place on Saturday, December 2nd at 12pm at the

GAA grounds in Ballydehob when the 2003 team will compete against a current selection of Muintir Gabriels, and the girls from the local Ballydehob and Schull primary schools will play in the mini games at half time.

There will be an anniversary dinner for the All-Ireland winning team, mentors and family at Schull Harbour Hotel at 7pm that evening. Dinner will be followed by live music and dancing, which is open to all members and supporters of Gabriel Rangers LFC, past and present. A great night of celebration and reminiscing is guaranteed.

It’s hard to believe it’s now 20 years since Gabriels won the 2003 All-Ireland junior final, beating Fingallians of Dublin by 1-22 to 0-8 in the decider. Helen Regan was captain of the Gabriels team. In the final Cork star Nollaig Cleary kicked 0-8, as did Claire O’Brien, while Deirdre Cotter (1-3), Clodagh O’Driscoll (0-2) and Emer Cleary (0-1) were all on target, too. The victorious 2003 Gabriel Rangers squad included Gretta Burchill, Christine Deasy, Ellen Regan, Siobhan Dineen, Mary Kelleher, Ann Regan, Kate Crowley, Deirdre Ward, Elaine Cotter, Deirdre Cotter, Clodagh O’Driscoll, Claire O’Brien, Claire Daly, Nollaig Cleary, Emer Cleary, Sinead O’Driscoll, Anita Hurley, Anna Ward, Aoife Coughlan, Verona O’Driscoll, Anita Johnson, Catherine Moynihan, Denise Hayes Maebh Westwood, Maria Cregan and Hazel Byrne.