THE trip of a lifetime is just around the corner for the Gaelic For Mothers and Others (GFMO) team at O’Donovan Rossa as they prepare to depart for a ‘Festival of Football’ in New York next month.
GFMO is an initiative run by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) to introduce mothers and other women to ladies football in a non-competitive, fun and social environment which provides physical and mental benefits.
Ladies football is still in its infancy at Rossa having only been established nine years ago and the GFMO team was a catalyst for the establishment of a senior team at the club.
On October 10, the 19-strong squad plus two coaches will depart for the blitz in New York where 35 teams will take part, the bulk travelling from Ireland with several from England also set to make the trip across the pond.
Upon arrival, they will settle in before a ‘high-intensity interval training’ workout followed by a 5k run/walk around Central Park on Friday, but to balance it out there is a social gathering that night before the football begins on Saturday. Sunday will be a day to take in the sights before travelling home on Monday.
Rossa will be the only team from Antrim making the trip and Mairead Rogan, a player on the team and one of the founding members, says all are looking forward to what will be a long weekend to remember.
“We just decided to apply for it and as the only Antrim team heading out, we are really proud to represent our county, but also to represent our club - it’s such an honour,” she said.
“All of the money for the trip was raised by ourselves as we needed it for transfers and various other things when we get there, so there was a spinathon in the Kennedy Centre, our annual home tournament and also a Last Man Standing.
“That has covered all of our costs as it will be a trip of a lifetime and how better to celebrate a decade of ladies football in the club than by flying the flag for Rossa in New York?”
It all hasn’t gone as smoothly as they would have liked as one member, is unable to travel as it stands due to inexplicably being denied a visa to travel despite not having been in the United Staes in the past.
An interview with the US Embassy has yet to receive a decision with a number of local politicians and even from President, Mary McAleese pleading her case.
“Clodagh is one of our founding members and remains hopeful she will go, but the decision could happen any day and even right up until the morning we depart,” Mairead explained.
“We are reaching out to anyone for help if they can give it because as a group, we have raised so much for charity in the past and Clodagh has been at the forefront of it all, yet as it stands, won’t be able to go.”
The hope is for this issue to be resolved in a timely fashion considering the world put into making this trip a reality.
They have been backed by The Roddies, which has sponsored jumpers, while Fiona Shannon’s ‘Shannon World Fitness’ has sponsored the playing jerseys and Signature Works helped with t-shirts to ensure they look the part throughout their trip.
It is a payoff for all of the work they have done over the years to develop ladies football in the club and also to give an outlet for those mothers and others to remain involved in sport, the age profile from late 20s through to early 60s.
Throughout the year, there are blitzes organised and with that, developed a camaraderie between players and clubs, so its benefits can’t be understated and Rossa’s trip to New York is fair reward for that.
“We are a club that doesn’t have any ex players because our senior team is only nine years old,” Mairead outlined.
“Gaelic For Mothers really formed that senior team as there were a few of us you played and then there was an U16 team that had about six players.
“We wanted the girls to play, so the likes of myself, Brona Bell and Maureen Stewart all played to form the senior team and once up and running, we went back to Gaelic for Mothers.
“The whole Gaelic For Mothers concept is fantastic as it provides so many benefits in terms of physical and mental fitness as it’s a real social outlet.
“Some wouldn’t consider getting up to go training on a Sunday morning, but it’s such a laugh and then you get to connect with so many different clubs.”
