Niamh Fahy wins Independent player of the month

Family tradition proves vital for Galway’s
Fahy

ALMOST ten years after first setting foot in Croke
Park to watch her brother Gary try to shackle
Tyrone’s Peter Canavan, Niamh Fahy returned this
season in style as her Galway side swept past
Dublin for their first TG4 Ladies All-Ireland
title.

Fahy’s displays at both centre-forward and centre-back
this year confirmed her status as one of the brightest
talents in the country and it has helped her win
this month’s Irish Independent/ Lucozade Sport
Ladies Player of the Month. Fahy, who is also
an Irish U-19 soccer international, puts most
of her success down to the support she has received
from a football-mad family, with three members
of the clan able to boast of winning All-Ireland
winners’ medals.

Niamh, the youngest of eight children, has followed
in the footsteps of brothers Richie and Gary in
winning an All-Ireland and she has also picked
up an All-Star nomination. The 17-year-old fifth
year student from St Paul’s in Oughterard believes
that defeating Mayo in Tuam at the beginning of
the championship was a major turning point for
the team. “Beating Mayo for the first time was
hugely important for us. “We knew if we beat them
once we could beat them again,” she says. “The
drawn semi-final was also a massive test as we
could have lost that but we came back and beat
them the next day.” Fahy is also hopeful that
her side can produce a repeat next season. “The
oldest girl is 27 and most of us are under 24.
We have a good team and there is no reason why
we cannot go for it again, although it will be
very tough,” she adds.

The Suzuki National League begins this weekend
with the pick of the games in Division One being
the clash between league champions Mayo and Kildare.
Dublin will take on Meath despite the absence
of their seven Ballyboden players in Division
1B while Louth take on Tyrone in the same division.

In Division 2, the main attraction will be the
tie between a highly-rated Donegal team who ran
Dublin close in the All-Ireland quarter-final
and relegated Laois, managed by Gerry McGill from
Donegal. Cork side Donoghmore maintained their
chances of winning successive All-Ireland club
titles when they easily accounted for Ulster champions
Donaghmoyne on Sunday.

The Munster champions will now face Ballyboden
St Endas in three weeks’ time after the Dubs accounted
for Carnacon on Sunday. However, despite being
backboned by seven Dublin players, Ballyboden
will probably have to improve further if they
are to trouble Donoghmore.