Local women representing Tyrone at New York tournament

The excitement mounts with the countdown to Errigal Ciaran’s Gaelic for Mothers and Others (G4MO) who head off to New York next week to participate in a festival of football being held in the ‘Big Apple’.

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has been firmly grasped by the 15 ladies who are proud to not only represent their club but are also the sole team flying the flag for their native Tyrone.

G4MO was first introduced by the LGFA in 2008 through the Women in Sport initiative with an overall objective to increase levels of female involvement in sports identifying key areas like participation, leadership and coaching. Its aim is to provide a fun, non-competitive and social environment for women who have never played football before or who have not played in a long time is well-represented by the ladies travelling from Errigal.

A testament to its strength, it is fitting that Caroline Conroy, one of the founding members of Errigal Ciaran’s G4MO in 2014, is one of those flying the flag for the club in the USA.

Camaraderie

Caroline said, “Playing G4MO gives me the opportunity to play football with previous teammates and ladies from across the parish.

“There is a really lovely camaraderie among the group where friendships have been made.”

This sense of connection, support and belonging was evident during a recent social media campaign by the club where the ladies were asked to provide ‘my reason why’ for participating in the initiative.

The answers encapsulated many threads, including fitness, an opportunity to get out of the house to meet new people and simply having fun.

While they are heading to the ‘city that never sleeps’, famed for the bright lights and digital screens of Times Square, these women recognise that, no matter how busy life becomes, it is important to take time out.

G4MO provides an environment to look after their physical health but also creates a space to talk, listen and provide support when needed. In turn, it empowers these women to be role models not only for their own children but to nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers, cousins and all the young people in their club, reminding them of the importance of looking after both physical and mental health.

Commitment

Barry Coulter has recently taken over coaching the squad from Terri Mullan.

He said, “The girls are great. They work hard and show a lot of commitment to the training sessions and games.”

The new coach added how he enjoys “seeing and hearing them all encouraging each other”.

It is this connection and togetherness that epitomises the true core of G4MO – a group of women all so different, at different life stages, different abilities and different backgrounds, but yet all connected in one common goal to support each other.

Being one of only 35 teams selected to play in the New York festival of football, the Errigal ladies don’t take this amazing opportunity for granted.

They look forward to representing their club and county with pride making new connections with ladies from Canada, Ireland and the USA.

Support

All of this of course would not be possible without the continued support of their families and community.

The girls would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported their recent draw held in Gormley’s bar in Ballygawley.

A huge thanks also to T&G Farm services for sponsoring the playing jerseys, Probella Hair Salon and Darcy Contract Cleaning for the half zips, Zebra Salvage for the running vests, Studio 33 for the t-shirts and the Devine family for their bags.

So, as the Errigal ladies set off on a trip of a lifetime, there is no doubt when they don their club colours in the city where dreams are made of they will stand as tall and proud as the Statue of Liberty herself.