Sport

Derry good to go after long lay-off from competitive football

Derry's Caoimhe Moran has experienced success in the past with her club side Watty Graham's
Derry's Caoimhe Moran has experienced success in the past with her club side Watty Graham's Derry's Caoimhe Moran has experienced success in the past with her club side Watty Graham's

TG4 All-Ireland Junior Ladies' Football Championship round one:


Lancashire v Derry (Saturday, St Brendan’s, Manchester, 5pm)

DERRY get their All-Ireland campaign underway in Manchester on Saturday when they face Lancashire in the first round of the junior competition.

With no other junior teams in Ulster, there was no provincial championship this year, which means the Oak Leafs have not seen any competitive action since their last league game at the end of March against Louth.

Therefore, Derry are still without a win in 2015 but that lay-off has at least given the players plenty of time to get used to the methods of new manager Charlie O’Kane and his backroom team of Terri McCallan and Michael McGovern. Derry joint-captain Caoimhe Moran say the team have embraced O’Kane’s way of doing things and is optimistic about the future.

“Things are going really well,” said Moran. 

“We have a new management team who have put the proper structures in place, something that we have been missing over the past four or five years.

“The league was used as an experiment for the management to have a look at players from all over the county and since then we have formed a strong panel that have put in a lot of hard work and gelled together. We have come a country mile from last year and are continuing to improve”

Derry are one of the biggest underachievers in Ulster football, if not in the whole of Ireland. There is no doubt their players have huge amounts of talent, but that has not been transferred to the county scene, something that frustrates Moran.

“Since 2008, Derry has significantly underachieved,” she said. 

“In past years this has been due to commitment issues and the girls not getting the right support or recognition from inside the county.

“The management has taken a professional approach this year. They have taken the time to watch every club and ensure the best players in the county have been included in our panel. If we can replicate the belief in ourselves that our management team has in us, we will reach our potential and hopefully this will bring success.”

Indeed, the detailed approach used by O’Kane to get he panel right has led to a number of former players return to the set-up to provide a good mix of experience alongside the new faces who have stepped up to the county mantle, and Derry’s other joint-captain Ciara Moore is enjoying the blend.

“We have a lot of new ones on board and it’s great to see some who have never played inter-county football before,” she said. 

Newcomers include Catherine McCloskey, who was included in the Division Four Team of the League after some impressive performances. Moran herself is back after playing in America, while Emma Doherty and Ashleen Kealey (McCaul) have returned to add their experience to that of Breigeen Cassidy, Dervla McMaster, Ashlene Groogan and Nuala O’Hagan.

A win over Lancashire would book their place in the All-Ireland semi-finals, where the winners of the Scotland v Louth clash will await. However, all thoughts are immediately focused on Lancashire and Moore has noticed an increasing belief amongst the panel. A defeat, however, would not mean the end of the road, as the losers have another chance to make the semi-finals from a quarter-final clash against Carlow.

“It is a game we can win,” said Moore. 

“The girls have the belief and it would be a great confidence boost if we were to book a place in the semi-final. It would really drive the girls on. 

“It’s great that you get another chance for all the effort you put in all year but if you want to win an All-Ireland you have to win them all.”

ULSTER players will be well to the fore when Lancashire make their historic Championship bow against Derry.

It is the first time the Manchester-based outfit have featured in the competition and they do so on the back of winning the inaugural All British Junior Championship title back in June, where they defeated Warwickshire 3-14 to 4-3 in the final.

Eight Ulster counties are represented in their squad, with Armagh without a player. Monaghan native Amanda Treanor captains the side, with Lisa Robertson and Patricia Moyna also hailing from the Farney county. 

Tyrone have the biggest representation with Nicola Donaghy, Louise O’Neill, Laura Farrell, Stephanie Patterson, Shauna Carberry and Cara Garrity flying the Red Hand flag. 

Brenda Barr, Meabh McCormick and Katie McMullan are Antrim natives, while a 2014 All-Ireland intermediate medal winner with Down, Sinead Fegan (above), is joined by fellow Mourne county native Siobhan Polly. 

Meanwhile, Clodagh Gormley, who played for Derry when they reached the 2008 All-Ireland junior final, will line out against some of her old team-mates.


Donegal’s Caroline Donaghy, Cavan’s Niamh Gilbride and Fermanagh’s Catherine Murray, Brenda McHugh and Tara McDermott make up the rest of the Ulster contingent.

The Lancashire team only got together as recently as May, so to win the British title at the first attempt was a great achievement. 

They are managed by Meath man Tony Reilly, with selectors Paul Melanaphy and Johnny Garrity hailing from Fermanagh and Tyrone respectively. Their catchment area is the greater Liverpool and Manchester areas, which has five clubs, but only three are represented – John Mitchel’s and Wolfe Tone’s from Liverpool and Oisin’s of Manchester.

One English-born player aside, the squad is made up of ex-pats who have played county at some stage.  Training locations are switched between the two cities and challenge games are generally played between themselves.

Captain Amanda Treanor said the players are looking forward to it.

“It has been difficult getting together for trainings but that’s more because of club league and championship games,” she said.

“We tend to get training matches against each other – well if it works for Kerry.

“With the travelling involved, as well as club training, work and then trying to get home for a visit, we wouldn’t be doing it, if we didn’t think we had a chance of winning.”