History was made at Ardoyne Kickham’s as their U14 ladies became the first team at the club, or indeed, North Belfast, to secure the U14A league title.
This is the first time any team from Ardoyne has won a Division one title.
The girls played against a good St Gall’s side and dominated it knowing that a win would secure the league title for the North Belfast club.
The girls have been focused and determined on winning the league following the disappointment of being put out of the semi-final of the Championship by the eventual winners, Moneyglass in June.
Ardoyne U14s have a panel of 31 girls, which is continuing to grow due to the demand of Ladies Gaelic football within the county and particularly within North Belfast.
From January, the girls have been motivated and encouraged by their coaches: Adrian Mullan, Orla le Mahieu and Brian McAllister to set goals, work hard, express themselves and work together as a team in Gaelic games.
The girls have trained hard to not only improve their footballing skills but have attended sports psychology workshops to have a positive mindset when playing off and on the field. The commitment and sacrifices this team has made now reaps the rewards of being the best U14 team within the county.
Antrim manager Emma Kelly presents the trophy to Ardoyne captain, Aideen McDonnell
They kickstarted their year by lifting the cup in the Winter League which is run by the Community Sports Network and Antrim LGFA.
They wanted to improve on their success from winning the shield in 2022 and set their target early on by going unbeaten in the competition.
The team started off strong in their league campaign in March and finished in August with 12 wins and just two losses, topping the table with 36 points.
Ardoyne Kickham’s held a presentation on Sunday, September 3 at their pitch, with the Antrim Ladies manager Emma Kelly presenting their league trophy to team captain, Aideen McDonnell.
This was a huge celebration for not only the team and management but their families and the rest of the club particularly the younger players who will now take inspiration from the U14s.
It was also a huge honour for Ardoyne Kickham’s to have two players, Carys O’Neill and Catherine McGarry, selected for the Antrim U14 county panel this year.
We hope the success of this team continues within the club for many years to come.
