Ibane Ladies and Kilmacabea light up Croke Park on All-Ireland Finals day

WEST Cork was represented by the Ibane Ladies Gaelic for Mothers and Others and Kilmacabea LGFA U12s in Croke Park during last Sunday’s All-Ireland LGFA finals day.

Although no Cork teams were involved (Shane Ronayne’s side having fallen at the SFC semi-final hurdle), it proved a memorable day for two West Cork clubs’ players, mentors and supporters.

Ibane Ladies LGFA has been in existence since 2015 but has grown steadily at underage and adult level whilst catering for players from the Barryroe, Ballinascarthy and Timoleague parishes.

Ibane’s Gaelic for Mothers and Others initiative began last year but has proven an equally successful venture, culminating in the team’s Croke Park involvement this past weekend.

‘Gaelic4Mothers&Others’ is described by the Ladies Gaelic Football website as an innovative way to introduce mothers and other women to playing Ladies Gaelic Football.

The initiative sees women playing LGFA in a fun, non-competitive and social environment. It also provides an opportunity for women to get their recommended weekly exercise in a fun way while meeting other mothers in the area.

Demonstrating their skills during the half-time break in the All-Ireland senior decider, Ibane Ladies got to play Dublin club St Anne’s in an exhibition game on Croke Park’s hallowed turf.

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‘We started the Gaelic Mothers and Others team last year,’ Ibane mentor Karen O’Callaghan told The Southern Star.

‘The reason for starting this new team was because so many women were already involved in Ibane Ladies LGFA, bringing their kids to training, games and everything else.

‘We thought it would be good to get the mothers (and others) involved in the playing side of things as well.

‘It was in my kitchen that people first sat around a table back in 2015 and decided to run with the idea of a ladies football club.

‘Little did we think that we would be heading to Croke Park in 2023. It is an amazing thing and support from the local communities has been fantastic for our Gaelic Mothers and Others too.

‘We have 37 playing members, which is a huge number, and the excitement and opportunities, including playing at Croke Park, for women in the local area(s) it has created are fantastic.’

An unforgettable day of memories was also experienced by West Cork LGFA’s Kilmacabea U12s.

Some of the Leap club’s youngest footballers showed off their skills in an exhibition match against Donegal’s Niamh Micheál during the Dublin and Kerry final’s interval.

In front of a huge attendance, Kilmacabea’s emerging players also formed a guard of honour for the Dublin and Kerry players before the main event.

So, two West Cork LGFA clubs containing players of differing ages experienced memories to last a lifetime.

Ibane Ladies squad: Gillian O’Sullivan, Margaret O’Sullivan, Miriam O’Donovan, Aoife Daly, Bernadette Collins, Niamh Madden, Melissa Hurley, Mirela Harrington, Eimear O’Leary and Deirdre Griffin. Mentors: Karen O’Callaghan and Caoimhe Doyle.

Kilmacabea U12 LGFA: Lucy Forsyth, Siobhán O’Donovan, Caoimhe O’Brien, Ciara Jennings, Bridget Hurley, Maryjo O’Mahony, Aéla French, Nell Kinsella, Jemma Collins, Heather O’Donovan, Mia Collins and Chloe Connolly. Mentors: Donie O’Donovan and Kevin O’Brien.