Aodh Ruadh stalwart Caroline honoured at Club Volunteer Awards

LAST weekend was an emotional one for Dungannon teacher Caroline McGrath!

On Friday her contribution to ladies football was celebrated when Ladies Gaelic Football Association President Mícheál Naughton presented her with the Club Coach of the Year Award at the 2024 LGFA National Volunteer Awards at Croke Park, while the next evening the club she helped to found – Aodh Ruadh- held its final presentation dinner as a seperate entity.

That club is now under the one club model of Dungannon Thomas Clarkes but the legacy of Aodh Ruadh (formed by Caroline and her friends in 1993) will live on despite this new amalgamation.

Without doubt the award presented last weekend by the Ladies GFA was extra special. Caroline’s contribution to ladies football was celebrated at the dinner but she admits it has been a tough few months since Aodh Ruadh’s last game in October 2024.

“ The amalgamation process was tough. We as Aodh Ruadh have been a proud standalone ladies club for over thirty years.

“We carved out our own successes both on and off the field and were a respected club across the county and further afield. So to lose our identity entirely as a result of coming together under the One Club model is hard to accept for many of us,” explained an emotional Caroline.

The club legacy will live on and its crest and colours will be incorporated into the Clarkes new jersey for this 2025 season, while former Aodh Ruadh players have stored up a lifetime of memories and stories which they will continue to tell for years to come to younger players coming through the ranks.

Caroline was overjoyed to collect the award from the LGFA President last Friday but admitted the accolade owed much to many hard working people involved with Aodh Ruadh down the years, in particular the likes of Martina Dillon and Eileen Hardy Jones who steadfastly continued to plough their own furrow to get the club up and running

“ I believe I received this award on behalf of all those volunteers from Aodh Ruadh who have also given so much time to the development of Ladies gaelic over the years – some mainly on the ground like myself coaching, others in administrative roles for Dungannon and Tyrone, and those who really love meetings and travelling further afield to ensure the development of Ladies Gaelic at a National level.”

Caroline, a PE Teacher at St Ronan’s College in Lurgan, focused over the past few months assisting with the school MacRory cup squad and makes no secret of the fact that coaching has been her life.

“ I loved every minute of my time coaching at Aodh Ruadh.

“At the start I just copied other coaches though I soon learnt that there has to be a purpose behind every session and the amount of touches of the ball the girls got, along with opportunities to make decisions while competing.

“That was the way forward as a coach, everything needed a purpose. Coaching and club life in general simply became part of my daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly routine. I loved it all, loved the people I worked with and the girls I coached.

“They made it easy to stick with it for so long. It’s testament to them as individuals – they were so coachable, they made it worthwhile to turn up week in week out no matter the weather. I would see improvements in individuals that I could measure. No league standing or trophies would ever better that individual development.

“Those wee improvements helped me to stay and continue year after year.”

Football runs in Caroline’s family. Her daughter Cora is an accomplished player now in her own right having grown up taking advice from ‘Mammy’ the coach. Indeed from ten days old she was listening to Caroline coaching her in her baby carrier.

Caroline and Cora also played together on the same team for a couple of seasons.Caroline played Senior football for the club from 1993 – 2021 and was on the County Senior squad from 1993-2000.

She also took the County Under 14s as well as coaching every age group in the club over the
years, often multiple teams at a time. She has focused on the older youth teams and Seniors for the last 6 to 8 years.

“ My first team was the club’s first minor team. We had no manager and I just sort of took it,”  laughed McGrath who remains hopeful the amalgamation of the club will progress well.

“ Many of the girls have been playing for a Dungannon side under the Aodh Ruadh Dun Geanainn banner for many years and thankfully most of them are still going to continue to play and further develop under the Thomas Clarkes banner.

“So really it’s a new name rather than a new beginning and I can’t wait to see how they all continue to progress.”

The question is though will she remain involved?

“The past decade we’ve seen a good influx of volunteers and now that Aodh Ruadh is no longer a standalone club it’s an easier decision to take a back seat and watch the development of girls – something I just love to see!”

Saturday night past was indeed the closing chapter for Aodh Ruadh. The end of an era event proved to be emotional for one of the founder members of the club.

“ It was truly lovely. I coached every lady who was in attendance and know that I have a friend in each and every one of them. We took a look back at all the good times over the last thirty one years, had a chat with some past and present players about their memories of being a Ruadh girl then we danced the night away.

“It was something special, a night to remember.”

The effort by Caroline to get the club up and running was appreciated by everyone at the function and the National Volunteer Awards at Croke Park was just the icing on the cake.

“It was a massive honour to receive this award after all the years of coaching and volunteering, across all aspects, in order to develop ladies Gaelic football in Dungannon.”

Currently coaching Tyrone Towers U18 boys basketball team as well as playing basketball alongside daughter Cora for the Towers senior ladies, there’s no signs of Caroline slowing down.

“When the weather picks up I might do a bit of cycling & play a bit of golf. After that who knows where I’ll end up.”