Rosemary’s legacy of empowering Ladies Football in Tyrone

THE very first meeting of the Tyrone Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) took place back in 1991.

It was an event which would set in motion 30 years of growth, advancement and integration.

The organisation has become an outlet for women across the county to express themselves, compete at an advanced level as recognised high-performing athletes and more importantly, progress to a point where plans to integrate the LGFA and GAA are in the not-so-distant future.

Women played football recreationally since around the 1960s, but mainly as a fun community activity.

However, when Tyrone and Monaghan became the first two counties in Ulster to set up Ladies Gaelic Football Associations, they paved the way for a new era of female participation in the sport.

Reflecting on the past 30 years, Rosemary Carson, the first Tyrone Ladies County Chairperson, reminisces about the challenges and triumphs that have defined the association’s journey. From humble beginnings, fuelled by a passion for team sports and a desire for equality, Rosemary played a pivotal role in laying the foundation for women’s Gaelic football in Tyrone.

“I wasn’t necessarily driven by a strong will to play Gaelic football in the beginning as it was all really very new,” Rosemary told the UH.

“It was more about my desire to be involved in team sports as I really saw value in them.”

Rosemary initially began playing Camogie for Omagh St Enda’s and the county.

She eventually contacted the All-Ireland GAA president and sought a meeting to discuss establishing a Gaelic football association for women.

With the help of key club members including Anne Cullen and Sheila Meyler, things quickly progressed from there.

“A strong passion for the sport started to grow, as did my desire for equality for women playing the sport.

“I remember thinking, If men can play it then so can women!”

CHALLENGES

Rosemary recounts the challenges the committee faced in garnering support and legitimacy for women’s Gaelic football.

“It was a big undertaking considering how new the sport was, but once I started nothing was going to stop me,” she said.

“We faced a lot of questions and had to seek permission on whether we would be allowed to play – we had to be voted in by the men’s county board.

“But I just concentrated on building it up and stayed committed.”

Rosemary reflects on the evolution of women’s Gaelic football, from the introduction of umpires and linespeople to the proliferation of coaching and training programs tailored to female players.

“The standard, skill and support on display at today’s female football games is phenomenal,” she said.

“The sport is taken a lot more seriously than it was when we began.

“Back then there were no umpires or lines people, and often times a referee just couldn’t be made available.

“There wasn’t the same coaching and training available either, and we sometimes sought members of the men’s club to help out with coaching and training.

“Now though, a lot of female are going on to be mentors, coaches and referees which is fantastic to see.”

Rosemary describes how the association has come full circle, whereby women are now helping women to progress, becoming advocates for the sport and role models to the youth.

“You now have mothers who have played, and fathers who take their daughters to training and games.

“So parents are very much behind ladies football now, and they don’t want their child to have to battle to be recognised.”

CHANGES

Looking ahead, the Tyrone LGFA remains committed to its mission of promoting gender equality and providing opportunities for women athletes to thrive. The recent announcement of plans for full integration between the LGFA, GAA, and Camogie Association by 2027 underscores the continued efforts to advance the cause of women’s sports.

“There is still a battle to be fought for female footballers to be recognised and receive the same privileges as the GAA, and I can’t say for certain whether equality will ever totally be there, but there are plenty of people fighting the corner of ladies footballers and what they are doing is inspiring,” said Rosemary.

While she believes the LGFA can now stand on its own, Rosemary would be happy to see the full integration of the three organisations in the name of equality.

Rosemary has stepped away from her duties in the LGFA committee, but her legacy in championing the rights and opportunities of women athletes in Tyrone and beyond will endure.

“Any time I see a young girl with a football under her arm, a kit bag on her shoulder or a bus full of girls heading off to a game, I am proud as punch!” she stated.

“I also feel a sense of pride when I think that what we started 30 years ago has built the foundations for an incredible, striving organisation.”