Dunnamaggin LGFC

Welcome to Dunnamaggin LGFC

CLUB HISTORY

The Grass Roots

In November 2014 the Dunnamaggin school's football team won the Kilkenny Ladies Gaelic Football Roinn D schools' final. The chairperson of the Kilkenny Ladies Gaelic Football county board advised the two teachers Carina Langton and Roseanne Connolly, who were over the school's team, that a club should be set up in the area on the back of this success.

It had previously been decided by Dunnamaggin hurling club that the setting up of a local Ladies Gaelic Football club should be part of their strategic 5 year plan.  The hurling club, through the club juvenile secretary Denis Walsh, facilitated the formation of a committee of 7 local people to form such a club. This committee was proposed and agreed upon in February 2015 in the old school hall in Dunnamaggin and the wheels were set in motion for the formation of a ladies football club in the area to be called Dunnamaggin LGFC. The founding committee members were William Mulhall (Chairperson), Joe Sheridan (Vice Chair), Áine Walsh (PRO), Anne Davis (Registrar/Treasurer), Vicki Whelan Fox (Secretary/Children's Officer), Jim Hickey (Dunnamaggin GAA/Hurling club link) and Eléna Byrne (Coaching and Development Officer).

Throw In!

 The club's first training session took place on March 14th 2015 when all girls aged 8-12 years in the area were invited to take part in the 8 week 'Gaelic4Girls' programme (LGFA initiative partly funded by the lotto). The enthusiasm and excitement of the girls was palpable at this first session. The girls were thrilled to be given the opportunity to play gaelic football with their peers within their own community. 58 girls took part in this 8 week programme of which 49 became full members of the club. The club has currently over 100 members and approximately 40 ladies have taken part in our Mothers&Others sessions which kick started Tuesday May 12th 2015. The club currently caters for every female in the surrounding parishes who wish to play Gaelic football from age 4 to 104!

Success Story

 On Wednesday 17th June 2015 the club experienced its first success (in terms of competitions). The U12 Dunnamaggin LGFC team made history and did the community so proud when they won the Roinn D County Championship final against Erins Own LGFC. This was a happy and historic occasion for the girls, parents and supporters of Dunnamaggin LGFC who never could have dreamed even a few months earlier that they'd see the day when a girl's football team from Dunnamaggin would win a county final.

Lights Camera Action!!

The summer of 2015 proved to be a busy one both on and off the pitch. On the back of the success of the Gaelic4Girls programme, the club was chosen to partake in promotional work for the LGFA. This included a visit from the National Lottery, the Ryan Tubridy show and Ireland AM to Dunnamaggin in early July and was followed by a number of national newspaper reports.

Croke Park

The highlight of the year for most of the girls, parents and coaches alike was the opportunity for all girls who had taken part in Gaelic4Girls and had become full members of the club to play in Croke Park in the Gaelic4Girls national blitz. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for some of these girls and some very happy and lasting memories were made on that day.

The founding of this club has been welcomed and embraced by the local community and local hurling club. The hurling club, which is chaired by John Hickey, has been a huge support to Dunnamaggin LGFC from day one by allowing the new club use the grounds and facilities and this support has been key in making the club as integral a part of the community as it is today.