(Photo: The Gaelic 4 Mothers and Others team.)
The Ballinasloe Gaelic 4 Mothers and Others (G4MAO) squad will be celebrating their 10th anniversary this summer. The team, which was set up by Kathryn Gibbons in 2016, has gone from strength to strength over the years and has proven to be a fun way of participating in sport while getting to meet others within the community.
The aim is to introduce mothers and other women to Ladies Gaelic Football. Mothers often drop their kids to training and call back to collect them, but the Ladies Gaelic Football Association wants to change that. The initiative allows women to play in a fun, non-competitive and social environment. It has taken off right across Ireland and even spread internationally. Provincial festivals are organised in each province on a yearly basis, and there has also been one National Festival.
(Photo: Ballinasloe G4MAO players (in orange bibs) at a match against Mountbellew G4MAO.)
Laura Howley played Gaelic football when she was younger and she was advised by friends in Dublin that she should consider joining G4MAO when she was relocating to Ballinasloe. She said it has helped her make friends easily in a town where she didn’t know people. “It’s been one of the best things I’ve done for myself. I have a group of friends in Ballinasloe now that I never thought I would have…it’s a really good community, and it’s just good to get out and meet people.” She also appreciates the flexibility of the sport, which meant that she could miss training sessions if her children were sick when younger without guilt: “there isn’t the pressure of [competitive] training, you can just turn up next week”. Laura has also become involved on the governance side and taken up a role of Assistant Treasurer with the club.
Breda Cleary also played GAA competitively when she was younger, and still plays competitive soccer. She appreciates the fun and social element to G4MAO, which allows her to switch off from soccer: “I don’t worry about the [G4MAO] games and if I can’t make them, I don’t feel bad.” She also said that G4MAO attracts women who don’t play or attend soccer and she has: “made a lot of friends through it”.
(Photo: The Gaelic 4 Mothers and Others group at a recent match.)
Although both Breda and Laura were experienced players before joining G4MAO, Breda said that the club is welcoming to new women who’ve never played Gaelic football before. “It’s very easy, it’s not very strict. We’ll always help new people and show them what them to do.”
The group trains every Wednesday at 8.30pm at St Teresa’s pitch. If you would like to join, please call (087) 950 9561.
