Profile of TESCO Homegrown Junior All Ireland Club Finalists, Dunedin Connolly's

Dunedin Connolly’s Edinburgh were formed in 1988 and have been a success story of Scottish GAA ever since, winning nine Scottish Championships and one British Championship in 2009.
As well as promoting the GAA in Britain through underage coaching, Connolly’s decision to widen their player base and broaden their appeal through the formation of a ladies team in 1998 has been an unqualified success.
This year however has been the most successful by far as Dunedin Connolly’s Ladies have won the Junior section of the Paidi O Se tournament in Kerry, the British Club Junior Championship and have just reached the final of the All Ireland Junior Club Championship, beating Shane O’Neill’s of Armagh in the quarter-final and St. Helen’s of Longford in the semi-final.
The commitment displayed through the last year has been incredible with more than 70 training sessions completed and every member of the squad completing a half-marathon to raise money for the teams travel expenses.
The team has players from all four provinces as well as Canada and Scotland. The club is both a meeting place for new Irish immigrants and a way for the Irish in Edinburgh to reach out to the wider community.
However the ladies team is facing a funding shortfall due to the heavy expense of travelling around Britain and to Ireland in pursuit of competition, with the majority being covered by the players.
The cost of travelling to Ireland for the All-Ireland Final is estimated at €5,000, which is well outside of the club’s current budget and needs to be raised in the next two weeks.
The club is currently searching for additional donations to help them travel to the final on the 30th of November and to ensure their ability to compete next year and into the future.
Any support would be most welcome and the club can be contacted at declancullinanejnr@yahoo.com. For those wishing to attend the final on November 30th, throw in is at 1.30pm at Crettyard, Co Laois.

 

Dunedin Connollys  Panel

 

Name: Sinead Loftus

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

County: Mayo

Age: 28

Height: 5’6

Occupation: Terminal Duty Officer, Edinburgh Airport

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Helen Ward

County: Antrim

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 26

Height: 5’1

Occupation: Nursery Manager

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ’13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Katie Mohan

County: Fermanagh

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 23

Height: 5’6

Occupation: Optometrist

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: ’06, Ulster ’06, ’07, ’09, ’10, ’11, All-Ireland Champion ’11, British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: ’04, ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08, ’10.

 

 

Name: Aideen Roche

County: Kilkenny

Club:  Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 30

Height: 5’6

Occupation: Student

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Aisling Kavanagh

County: Dublin

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 33

Height: 5’4

Occupation: Physiotherapist

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Veronica Walls

County: Donegal

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 35

Height: 5’6

Occupation: Physical Education Teacher

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: ’95, British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Anna Hicks

County: Tyrone

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 24

Height: 5’2

Occupation: Occupational Therapist

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: ’02, ’04, Senior Inter ’05, British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League:  ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05.

 

 

Name: Niamh Morrison

County: Donegal

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 26

Height: 5’7

Occupation: Pharmacist

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: Donegal Senior, British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: Donegal Senior

 

 

Name: Rosanna Heeney

County: Louth

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 24

Height: 5’6

Occupation: Physiotherapist

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: Louth Junior ’06, Louth Intermediate ’07, Louth Senior Runner Up ’11, ’12, British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: Louth Senior Runner Up ’12, Louth Senior Club Team of the Year ’10, ’11, ’12.

 

 

Name: Anne-Marie Lenehan

County: Dublin

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 29

Height: 5’2

Occupation: Primary School Teacher

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Sue O’Sullivan

County: Meath

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 28

Height: 5’4

Occupation: Teacher

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: ’06, ’08.

 

 

Name: Sarah O’Connell

County: Tyrone

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 20

Height: 5’3

Occupation: Student

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: ’09. ’10, British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: ’05, ’07, ’10.

 

 

Name: Claire Hannon

County: Longford

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 25

Height: 5’10

Occupation: Radiographer

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Deirdre Sheil

County: Wexford

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 31

Height: 5’5

Occupation: Occupational Therapist

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships:  Junior B ’10, Junior A ’11, Intermediate ’12, British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: Div 3 ’08, Div 2 ’10.

 

 

Name: Caoilfhionn Deeney

County: Wicklow

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 25

Height: 5’11

Occupation:Physiotherapist

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: Wicklow Senior Runner-up ’12, British Junior Champions ’13,

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Ciara O’Driscoll

County: Limerick

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 27

Height: 5’6

Occupation: Nurse

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships:  ’01, British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: ’97, ’98, ’99, ’01, ’02, ’03.

 

 

Name: Josee Pimbert

County: Scotland

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 25

Height: 5’7

Occupation: Student

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

 Name: Gemma Donohoe

County: Westmeath

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 25

Height: 4’11

Occupation: Physiotherapist

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Hannah Donegan

County: Roscommon

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 21

Height: 5’5

Occupation: Student

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Bridgeen McCarron

County: Donegal

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 24

Height: 5’7

Occupation: Process Engineer

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Anne-Marie Casey

County: Mayo

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 23

Height: 5’8.5

Occupation:  Student

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Colleen Hohs

County: Canada

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 28

Height: 5’7

Occupation: Teacher

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

Name: Marguerite Callaghan

County: Kerry

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 28

Height: 5’3

Occupation: Chef

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Aisling Hyland

County: Dublin

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 26

Height: 5’6

Occupation: Teacher

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Suzanne Dillon

County: Kildare

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 40

Height: 5’3

Occupation: Diabetes Specialist Nurse

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

 Name: Eilish Duffy

County: Mayo

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 26

Height: 5’2

Occupation: Lecturer in Oral Health Sciences

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships:       British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Claire Hagan

County: Dublin

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 24

Height: 5’10

Occupation: Physiotherapist

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.

 

 

Name: Shauna McWilliams

County: Tyrone

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 26

Height: 5’7

Occupation: Interior Architect

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: North American Champions ’10, British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: Intermediate ’05.

 

 

Name: Dervla Brennan

County: Louth

Club: Dunedin Connollys, Edinburgh

Age: 27

Height: 5’6

Occupation: Business Analyst

LGFA Honours

Club C’ships: British Junior Champions ‘13

Club League: None.