WEST Belfast soccer club Cumann Spoirt an Phobail have announced their 2016 Girls squad will wear a brand new kit during their upcoming season inspired to raise awareness for Type One diabetes.
The club founded in the heart of the West Belfast back in 2007 has been one of the fastest growing football clubs in the city, with Irish language and inclusivity at the heart of their foundations.
Daithí MacGabhainn and Maisie Murtagh pictured in the brand new kit
The brand-new kit was launched in honour of those who battle daily with Type One Diabetes, including the 2016 girls captain Maisie Murtagh.
Last week, Belfast Media caught up with Hugh Murtagh, the coach and lead manager of the 2016 girls side to find out more about the launch and what it means to highlight the condition.
"When putting together our new kit for the coming season we wanted to do something different," said Hugh.
The 2016 Girls squad from Cumann Spoirt an Phobail
"We want to try to make a difference at the same time.One of our team captains Maisie Murtagh has been living with Type One diabetes for a few years now and is still thriving at a very high level on the pitch, so for us it was a no-brainer to show our support to her as a group and add the diabetes awareness logo to our kit."
Alongside Maisie and her fellow teammates at CSP, they also wanted to include Bunscoil an tSleibhe Dhuibh student Daithí Mac Gabhainn in their campaign. Daithí recently received a life-changing heart transplant. The 'Daithi's Law' logo was also added to the kit as part of their awareness campaign.
"It was a no-brainer for us to add Daithi’s logo to our jersey," said Hugh.
"The work his father Máirtín has done, we are delighted to have them on board alongside the Type One diabetes logo to show our support to these two young Gaelgeoirí, and as the team coach, myself and Máirtín were both in the same class and part of the first class in Bunscoil an tSleibhe Dhuibh over 30 years ago. We have a longstanding friendship and now that shows with our children Maisie and Daithí."
The 2016 girls squad are currently the only all-girls team within Cumann Spoirt an Phobail, and coach Hugh believes this gives them a chance to use their playform to empower the girls both on and off the field.
"We are extremely proud to be the only girls squad currently operating within Cumann Spoirt an Phobail.
"Our goals for the squad are to give them a pathway to develop and realise that they can make a living in the future from doing what they love on the pitch but first and foremost our priority is empower these girls to be confident and strong young girls and women in the future.
"The Irish language is a huge part of our squad also as we have multiple girls who attend the Bunscoil and Gaelscoil na bhFál who communicate with each other strictly in Irish during sessions along with coaches who are former Irish medium students, as well as that some of group's parents are currently taking Irish language classes in the evenings at Bunscoil an tSleibhe Dhuibh."
Last Thursday's launch saw not only Daithí in attendance, but the current Lord Mayor of Belfast Róis-Máire Donnelly who attended to present the new jersey with the team.
"Róis-Maire Donnelly is an inspiration to our girls having grown up in the same area, so it’s great to have her here showing up for them and letting them see that there is no limits to what they can achieve in the future.
"Having the Lord Mayor of Belfast present around the squad helps reinforce to our girls that through hard work, talent and determination they can also be leaders and inspire the next generation of young girls from our community."
The kit's craft was down to the creative spark of team member Maisie Keatings, who drew up the designs for the 2016 girls kit with a black base with the top half of the kit emblazoned with red and white abstract vertical stripes.
The kit was also sponsored by local business woman Eileen McKernan from Eileen’s Beauty and Nails, who has been a massive supporter of the girls having already been the proud sponsor of the player of the month award.
Cumann Spoirt an Phobail will be hoping to thrive in the upcoming season with their 2016 girls squad who will be dawning their new kit in the coming weeks.
