Urban Programme Officers Host Gaelic4Girls Regional Blitz in Breffni Park

The Ladies Football Urban Programme Officers hosted a Gaelic4Girls Regional Blitz in Breffni Park, Cavan on Saturday 20th November 2010.

Since their appointment in July of this year, the Urban Programme Officers (UPO) have introduced over 1,000 new players to Ladies Football.

The task of the UPO’s is to increase female participation in existing clubs and to create new clubs in specific urban areas around the country. The UPO initiative is driven through two successful Ladies Football programmes – Gaelic4Girls and Gaelic4Mothers.

The blitz in Breffni Park featured new recruits to the Gaelic4Girls programme. The Gaelic4Girls programme provides a safe and nurturing environment for girls to develop athletic and social skills in communities with little or no heritage of Ladies Football.

Teams from all as far afield as Antrim, Donegal, Mayo, Longford, Sligo, Louth, Fermanagh and Cavan participated in the Gaelic4Girls Regional Blitz and inter county stars of the game Tyrone’s Gemma Begley, Monaghan’s Therese McNally and Cavan stars Pamela Crowe and Aisling Doonan were present to lend a hand.

Ballina who entered three teams counted among their coaching staff Sarah Rowe who just recently was named Connacht Young Person of the Year at the 2010 O’Neills/TG4 Ladies Football All Star Awards

Paula Prunty, National Games Development Officer for Ladies Football, commented, “The Blitz was a great success with so many teams taking part. The Urban Officer Programme was established to reach out to areas where ladies football had the potential to grow and the enthusiasm and sheer numbers participating in the Regional Blitz is proof positive that the programme is already making great strides in increasing participation numbers.”

Blitz photography available from Lorraine Teevan 0877564735

 

Competing Teams

COUNTY	CLUB/TOWN	No. of TEAMS
Antrim	Antrim Town	1
Cavan	Ballyjamesduff Cavan Town	1 1
Donegal	Buncrana Letterkenny	4 2
Louth	Drogheda	3
Sligo	Easkey Tubbercurry	3 2
Mayo	Ballina	3
Longford	Granard Longford Town	2 1
Fermanagh	Irvinestown Enniskillen	2 1

Role of Urban Programme Officers
” Create opportunities to play Ladies Gaelic Football in specific urban areas
” Utilise existing initiatives to help facilitate participation (Gaelic4Girls & Gaelic4Mothers)
” Strengthen existing clubs and establish new clubs over the next two years

Year 1 Urban Programme Officers Regions
Cliodhna O’Connor: Dublin, Laois, Wexford, Offaly
Eliza Downey: Antrim, Cavan, Donegal, Louth
Tara Ryan: Cork, Galway, Clare, Tipperary
Lisa Cafferky: Fermanagh, Longford, Mayo, Sligo

For more information:
Cliodhna O’Connor – 085 7749 483
Eliza Downey – 08* **** ***
Tara Ryan – 08* **** ***
Lisa Cafferky – 08* **** ***