GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 2 Sample Test, June 5, 2014 | Page 18

LUTON’S CLADDAGH GAELS VISIT MAYO
The Luton ladies football team,
the Claddagh Gaels, embarked for
the West of Ireland in early May
to take part in the Aisling McGing
Tournament in County Mayo. The
Luton outfit – who play Ladies
Football in the Warwickshire region – were in Ireland for a minitour in conjunction with the Luton
Mayo Association.
After an epic 15 hour ferry and
coach-bus ride, the team and the
Luton Mayo members arrived in
the town of Castlebar. They received
a warm welcome when greeted by
the town’s mayor Noreen Heston,
and Mayo native and Taoiseach of
Ireland, Enda Kenny.
The tour was comprised of 23
players and supporters, and had
travelled to Ireland as invited guest
of a local Mayo club at an annual
event over the May 5, Irish Bank
Holiday weekend. Carnacon Ladies Football club from central
Mayo, have been organising this ladies tournament since 2005 in honour of club mate, Aisling McGing, a
teenager who tragically lost her life
in a traffic accident. Teams from all
over County Mayo took part along
with invited clubs from further
afield.
The Luton ladies team is a relatively new club, only forming five
years ago. They started off life in
the London League and after a year
took up playing in Warwickshire.
There are only three GAA county
areas that has Ladies Football in the
UK – London, Warwickshire and
Lancashire – and it is hoped that
between the Claddagh Gaels, Colmcilles from St. Albans, and Eire
Og of Oxford, that a fourth county
can be in Hertfordshire.
This year the team have performed
well as shown by their performance

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The Claddgah Gaels team arrive in the town of Castlebar, County Mayo where they were greeted by the Mayor of Castlebar Noreen Heston (back row
center), Taoiseach of Ireland, Enda Kenny (back center) with Town Clerk Nora Coyne (right). (Photo courtesy of Claddagh Gaels Ladies GFC).

in the Oxford Sevens at Easter.
Teams from across several English
counties were represented, Reading,
Leicester, Oxford along with two
teams from the Claddagh Gaels. The
Claddagh Blacks went undefeated to
take that tournament.

team, Hollymount, who eventually went on to fill the runners-up
spot in the tournament. Though the
game was one-sided, the Gaels battled hard and were happy with getting several scores off a good Mayo
senior club outfit.

Back as one unit in Mayo, this
Claddagh junior ladies side were
unfortunate to meet a good senior

As part of the weekend tour, Gaels
manager Bill Barrett, a Mayo native,
had arranged for a training session

with an elite Mayo player. This was
a great opportunity for the club as
up to half of the team are native
born English players.
County Mayo Ladies captain
Fiona McHale was the person who
conducted the training session and
this turned out to be one of the
highlights of the weekend for many
of the players.