Women’s walking football gets off to a flying start in Cork
The Munster A Walking Football squad with manager Chris Condon.
While some had retired more than 20 years ago, the introduction of walking football has allowed many women return to the game they love here in Cork.
Walking football has taken off in recent years, mainly for men over 50 however one woman has got it up and running and the interest has grown massively over the past few months.
Christine O'Donovan, formerly of Lakewood started playing with the lads up the 'Dyke and such was her enjoyment she assembled a women's team of former team mates and here she tells of the enjoyment it has brought.
"I began playing walking football on a Friday evening with a group of men following a six-week pilot programme set up by Cork Sports Partnership, the FAI and UCC Department of Sport and I found it really enjoyable," said O'Donovan.
"The pilot project was a great success and a group of lads meet every Friday night to play walking football at the Mardyke. Other men’s groups have now been set up in Mitchelstown, Clonakilty, Bandon and Ringmahon Rangers. The men’s group are for over 50s with a huge interest. In April I decided to get a women's team up and running from the ages of 40-60.
"A number of walking football blitzes have taken place in Ireland in the past 12 months for men’s groups. However, women could play with them as well. But, very few women have been playing walking football until recent months.
"An interprovincial tournament was arranged for Limerick last month. It was proposed to play a women's exhibition match – a team of Irish players based in the Uk against a team of players from the Republic. I was asked to try and get a team together. However, I felt that we should try and get interprovincial teams for women together as well.
"I reached out to former soccer players in Cork who I had contact details and received a good response. We began getting together in late April on Friday nights at the Mardyke alongside the men’s group.
After a few weeks, players' confidence grew as they became familiar with the rules. Contacts for the other provinces were secured and soon it looked like they would have at least four teams from the Republic to have a women’s interprovincial as well.
"The Cork girls decided they wanted to play as a unit in the Limerick tournament. We trained for this. In the end, six teams competed in the inaugural women’s tournament in Limerick – five teams from the republic and the visiting Irish team. The Cork team was Munster A, with a Limerick selection Munster B, two Leinster squads and a Connacht squad.
The games were six-a-side, 12 minutes in duration with roll-on, roll-off substitutions. Each team played five matches. No prizes were on offer – it was a blitz to promote the principle of walking football. Such was the spirit of it, that Connacht were short of players – rather than reduce the teams, other teams gave a player to ensure all matches were played. Orla Quirke (Buttimer) from the Cork squad played with Connacht.
"Munster A played five matches: won three, drew one and lost one, finishing as runners-up. Leinster A finished top of the group with three wins and two draws.
"We had many goalscorers on the day including Sinead Honohan, Roisin O'Donovan, Louise Barrett, Christine O'Donovan along with great performances from goalkeeper Emma Martin and former international Liz Meaney.
The Cork group that train in the Mardyke on Friday nights in addition to those listed above included Sandie Fitzgibbon, Denise Fitzgibbon, Maeve Waters (Butler), Charlotte Claffey, Nano O'Connell (Nagle), Andrea Aherne, Sinead Clarke, Chris Condon, Orla Quirke.
If anyone is interested in getting involved email Christine O Donovan at: codonovan@ucc.ie.
Emma Martin, Sinead Honohan (Forde), Liz Meaney (Towler), Brenda Moynihan (Meaney), Roisin O'Donovan, Christine O'Donovan (McDonnell), Catherine Cotter, Louise Barrett (Aherne), Caroline O'Mahony (Nagle), Chris Condon: Manager.
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