Women’s Section Awards Night

There was a great night last Friday with over 250 Players, Coaches, Friends and Family from the Women section gathering for the Annual Awards Night.

Jessie Kane in Football and Maria Buckley in Camogie won the Senior Player of the Year Awards, and there was plenty to celebrate with the Junior E and Senior B Championship Winning Teams celebrated on stage, recognition of Jess Tobin’s LGFA All Star Award, her, Martha Byrne and Rachel Hartnett’s All Ireland triumph, and a glowing tribute from JP Byrne to Donal Murphy who is stepping away from management of the Senior Camogie team.

Rob Hartnett and Angi Crispe kept things rolling through the presentations, and hats off to Dermot Malone, as ever, who puts in a massive amount of work to pull the night together.

Aside from the two Senior Awards for Jessie and Maria, there were individual awards from across the 12 teams fielded at Senior and Minor level for Ciara Dunee, Eva O’Grady, Nia Kennedy, Ella O’Donoghue, Tara Leahy, Sinead Nolan, Cara Sullivan, Sophie Nash, Chloe Delaney, Aislynn Moylan, Evanne Tobin, Anna Healy, Abbie Kenny, Arabella Lyster, Daisy Kirkwood, Aislynn Kelly Gallagher, Róise Reddin, Zoe Kearney and Maria McDonagh, and a special new Young Volunteer Award that was presented to Sophie Byrne.

With thanks to all involved in organising such a fantastic celebration of the Women’s section.

Women of Cuala Event – Thank You

A sincere thank you to everyone who attended last night’s Women of Cuala event in The Graduate – past and present players, parents, supporters, club officers, FLOs and mentors. Your openness, experiences and insights made the evening hugely valuable.

A special thanks to Eimear Dignam, Regional Development Officer with Dublin GAA, for facilitating a thoughtful and energising discussion on how we can better support women volunteers in coaching and leadership roles across the club.

Eimear will now collate the feedback and return it to the Coaching Officer, Coaching Director and the group. This will be shared with all participants (and with anyone who registered but couldn’t attend). A follow-up presentation via Zoom will also be available in the coming weeks.

If you were there on the night but didn’t register, and would like to receive the feedback and next steps – you can still add your details here:
👉 https://forms.office.com/e/NfYNAd4gZY

Thanks again to everyone who contributed and to The Graduate for hosting us. We look forward to sharing the next phase of this important work soon.

Thank you Donal Murphy

The Cuala Women’s Section would like to extend our sincere thanks to Donal Murphy (pictured above 3rd from left with fellow coaches and mentors) for his dedication and commitment to Cuala Camogie over the past 20+ years as he is now stepping back from involvement in Cuala Camogie coaching and management for 2026.

Donal has been one of the driving forces behind the growth and success of our camogie section, and his impact will be felt for years to come. As a coach and mentor, Donal has helped shape the lives of countless players, with the 1998s from the Academy through all juvenile levels, all the way through to our current Senior team, guiding them from Junior Division 5 in 2015 to winning the Intermediate Championship in 2018 to now competing at the highest level in Dublin, Senior 1, having won the Senior 2 championship in 2024.

Donal’s passion for camogie is infectious, and his commitment to good coaching practice has been a game-changer for our club. We’re grateful for his unwavering support and enthusiasm, which has helped create a vibrant and thriving camogie community at Cuala.

We wish Donal all the best as he takes a step back from camogie coaching and management in 2026. We’re glad he’ll remain involved with the club, and we look forward to seeing him on the sidelines or other Cuala events in the future.

Thanks again, Donal.

 

U23B All Ireland Camogie Champions

Ó glúin go glúin. Imreoirí camógaíochta Cuala ag ceiliúradh bua BÁC sa Chraobhchomórtas F23 Roinn1B i bPáirc Loch Garman  – Máire Uí Scolaí Rúnaí Cairde Iomána agus Camógaíochta BÁC, Róisín Ní Drisceoil a d’imir ag Ui3, agus Síle Wallace iarArd-Stiúrthóir Chumann Camógaíochta na hÉireann.

Cuala camogie players celebrating Dublin’s win in the U23B All Ireland Camogie Championship in Wexford recently – Máire Ní Scolaí, Secretary Friends of Dublin Hurling and Camogie, Róisín Ní Drisceoil, Dublin U23 player, and Síle Wallace, former Chair of the Camogie Association.

A huge congratulations to Róisín from all of us at Cuala! Read the full match report here.

Minor and Senior BBQ and Camogie Blitz

The Minor and Senior women got together last Saturday for an inaugural BBQ and Camogie blitz at Hyde Road, giving the minors an opportunity to meet and socialise with senior players as they prepare to join the senior section themselves in the coming year or two. The rain held off as 6 teams of mixed minor and senior players took part in a 7-a-side ‘Leinster’ and ‘Munster’ Championship before the Blitz Final. Not to miss out on the fun, the mentors gamely participated in a Minor v Senior tug-of-war and wet sponge throwing competition!

A bbq, soft drinks, gelato and coffees kept everyone going for the afternoon, thanks for which goes to our generous sponsors: Bel Gelato, Homeground Coffee, Hicks of Dalkey, Lidl and Tesco.

2nd Camogie Medal and Jersey Presentation Night

The second camogie team recently received their medals from last year’s Junior 2 League win and Championship Final. Both medals and a new training jersey were presented to each player by coaches John Treacey and Rob Hartnett along with sponsor Pádraig Ó Feinneadha.

Congratulations to the team on a great season and with thanks to Pádraig and Fitzwilliam Townhouse for their sponsorship.

Yoga and Wellbeing Evening

It was a calm and quiet evening in the Cuala hall last Sunday, (marking a distinct change from the usual footballs and sliotars hopping off walls!) for a yoga and wellbeing event with renowned yoga instructor Dani Sheil. The event was organised as a fundraiser for the Minor Girls and Ladies sections, as well as providing a social opportunity for women from Cuala and the wider community. The event started with a chat with Dani about how she got involved in yoga and the benefits it can bring, followed by a yoga session. Tea, coffee and cakes followed along with a raffle for some fantastic prizes. A huge thank you to everyone who came along, to Dani for her expert yoga instruction, the minor girls who helped serve tea and coffee and Sharon Foley for organising the event. Finally a huge thank you to the sponsors of the fabulous raffle prizes:

Rassam Restaurant, Osteria Lucio, The Eagle, Benitos, Finnegan’s Pharmacy, One2One Solutions, Dani Sheil, Dublin GAA, Seoulista, Alison O’Driscoll Makeup Artist, Bubbas Restaruant, Brian S Nolan, Castle Pharmacy, Sandycove Pharmacy, Stronger Gym, Champs Hairdresser, Transfer Gecko, Honest Paws and Horan’s Healthstore

Próifíl Imreora – Caitriona Ní Mhurchú

Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge linn, agus labhair muid le himreoirí sinsir ón dá chód le fáil amach faoin ngrá atá acu do na cluichí gaelacha, na dúshláin agus na buaicphointí, agus ról na Gaeilge ina saol.

Caitríona Ní Mhurchú

Cén aois a bhí tú nuair a thosaigh tú ag imirt na gcluichí gaelacha?

Thosaigh mé ag imirt camógaíochta nuair a bhí mé mé 7 mbliana d’aois. Ar an drochuair ní raibh a dhóthain suime agam inti faoin am ar shroich mé dhá bhliain déag d’aois agus thit an fhoireann as a chéile. Mar thoradh air sin thosaigh mé ag imirt peile ina ionad agus imrím fós go dtí an lá atá inniu ann. Níor fhill mé ar an gcamógaíocht in ainneoin go bhfuil sé imithe ó neart go neart – tá an t-imreoir camógaíochta óg sin ionam an-sásta é a fheiceáil.

Cad is mó a thaitníonn leat faoin peil?

An rud is mó is breá liom faoi ag imirt peile ná an ghné foirne. Níl neart go cur le chéile

Cad é an dúshlán is mó a thagann le himirt na gcluichí gaelacha i do thuairim? Agus an bhfuil aon rud a chabhraíonn leat an dúshlán seo a bhainistiú?

An dúshlán is mó ná an traenáil gheimridh san fhuacht ach is fiú é nuair a théann na tráthnóna chun síneadh.

Cad é an rud is tábhachtaí i do thuairim chun bheith i d’imreoir rathúil?

An rud is tábhachtaí chun a bheith i d’imreoir rathúil ná a bheith chomhsheasmhach. Ní bhíonn an rath, ach mar a bhíonn an smacht.

An bhfuil aon imreoirí a thug inspioráid duit agus tú óg?

Is iad na himreoirí a imrím leo ó lá go lá a thugann an inspioráid dom.

Cén buaicphointe spóirt is mó atá bainte amach agat go dtí seo ?

Buaicphointe mo ghairme spóirt ná nuair a bhí mé mar chaptaen foirne agus bhuamar Craobh BhÁC.

An bhfuil aon spriocanna agat sa spórt gur mhaith leat a bhaint amach sa todhchaí?

Ba bhreá liom go n-éireodh le foireann na mban comórtas sinsearach BÁC nó Uile Éirinn fiú a bhaint amach agus an oiread tacaíochta is a taispeánadh dos na fir a athchruthú.

Cén ról a bhí ag an nGaeilge i do shaol, sa spórt nó lasmuigh de?

D’fhreastal mé ar bhunscoil agus meánscoil lán-ghaelach agus d’imir mé spórt le linn an ama tríd an Ghaeilge. Cé nach bhfuil an Ghaeilge á húsáid agam an oiread is a bhí tá bród orm aisti agus is deas an rud í a labhairt le mo nianna agus mo neacht atá á foghlaim anois.

Inís rud amháin suimiúil dúinn fút féin nach mbeadh ar eolas ag daoine?

Bhí mé i bhfógra do Londis nuair a bhí mé níos óige.

 

To mark Seachtain na Gaeilge this week, we spoke to senior players from each code to find out about their love of Gaelic Games, the challenges and highlights, and the role of Irish in their lives.

Caitríona Ní Mhurchú

What age were you when you started playing Gaelic Games?

I started playing camogie at 7. Unfortunately I wasn’t as keen when I got to age 12 and the team fell apart. I started playing football instead and I still play. I never returned to camogie even though it’s gone from strength to strength. The young player in me is delighted to witness that.

What do you like most about playing camogie?

What I like most about playing football is the team. Strength in numbers…

What do you think is the biggest challenge in playing Gaelic Games and is there anything that helps you overcome any challenges?

The greatest challenge is training in winter in the cold but it’s all worth it when the evenings begin to lengthen.

What do you think is most important to become a successful player?

The most important thing to be successful as a player is to be consistent. Luck comes with discipline.

Are there any players who have inspired you?

It is the people who I play with day to day who inspire me.

What has been the highlight of your playing career to date?

The highlight of my sporting career was being captain when we won the Dublin Championship.

Have you any future goals you would like to achieve in future?

I’d love to see the women’s team win Dublin at senior level or even an All-Ireland and to have the same support that was given to the lads.

What role has Irish played in your life, in sport or elsewhere?

I to an Irish primary and secondary school and played sport through Irish. Even though I am not using Irish as much as I was, I am proud of it, and it is nice to talk in Irish with my nieces and nephews who are learning it now.

Interesting fact about you that people may not know?

I was in an ad for Londis when I was younger!

Próifíl Imreora – Hannah Ní Dheá

Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge linn, agus labhair muid le himreoirí sinsir ón dá chód le fáil amach faoin ngrá atá acu do na cluichí gaelacha, na dúshláin agus na buaicphointí, agus ról na Gaeilge ina saol.

Hannah Ní Dheá

Cén aois a bhí tú nuair a thosaigh tú ag imirt na gcluichí gaelacha?

4/5 bliana d’aois

Cad is mó a thaitníonn leat faoin camógaíochta?

Ag imirt ag tús an tSamhraidh nuair atá an ghrian amuigh tráthnóna

Cad é an dúshlán is mó a thagann le himirt na gcluichí gaelacha i do thuairim? Agus an bhfuil aon rud a chabhraíonn leat an dúshlán seo a bhainistiú?

A bheith gortaithe agus ag coimeád suas leis an rehab ar fad. Tá mé fós ag obair air sin!

Cad é an rud is tábhachtaí i do thuairim chun bheith i d’imreoir rathúil?

Leanúnachas.

An bhfuil aon imreoirí a thug inspioráid duit agus tú óg?

Le déanaí déarfainn Sarah Healy sa luthchleasaíocht, tá sí thar a bheith díograiseach

Cén buaicphointe spóirt is mó atá bainte amach agat go dtí seo ?

Craobhchomórtas a bhuachaint anuraidh agus an deis a fháíl imirt i roinn a 1.

An bhfuil aon spriocanna agat sa spórt gur mhaith leat a bhaint amach sa todhchaí?

I mblianna, ba bhreá liom bheith iomaíoch i Roinn a 1.

Cén ról a bhí ag an nGaeilge i do shaol, sa spórt nó lasmuigh de?

D’imir mé spóirt trí Ghaeilge fad is a bhí mé ar scoil. Bhí sé ar fheabhas gur thóg sé cúpla soicind ar an bhfoireann eile ár dtreoracha a thuiscin

Inís rud amháin suimiúil dúinn fút féin nach mbeadh ar eolas ag daoine?

Is as Ceanada í mo mháthair so níl mé ach leath Éireannach – beagán níos mó go cultúrtha is dócha!

 

To mark Seachtain na Gaeilge this week, we spoke to senior players from each code to find out about their love of Gaelic Games, the challenges and highlights, and the role of Irish in their lives.

Hannah Ní Dheá

What age were you when you started playing Gaelic Games?

I was 4/5 years old

What do you like most about playing camogie?

Playing in the summer in the evening sun.

What do you think is the biggest challenge in playing Gaelic Games and is there anything that helps you overcome any challenges?

Being injured and keeping up with the rehab. Still working this out!

What do you think is most important to become a successful player?

Consistency.

Are there any players who have inspired you?

Lately, I’d say Sarah Healy in athletics. She is extremely dedicated.

What has been the highlight of your playing career to date?

Winning Championship last year and getting the chance to play Division 1.

Have you any future goals you would like to achieve in future?

I would love to be competitive in Div 1 this year.

What role has Irish played in your life, in sport or elsewhere?

I played sport through Irish in school. It was great that it took the opposition a couple of seconds to understand our instructions.

Interesting fact about you that people may not know?

My mum is Canadian so I’m only half Irish – culturally probably a little more!

International Women’s Day Interview – Aisling Groarke

To celebrate International Women’s Day this Saturday 8th March, we spoke to Cuala player Aisling Groarke. Aisling plays on our Cuala first senior football and camogie teams, while also finding time to promote our women’s games on our social media channels. We asked Aisling about her love of gaelic games, her advice for young players, and what she hopes for in future for her own game and women’s gaelic games more widely.

At what age did you start playing gaelic games?
I started playing in the Academy in Cuala, when I was five years old. My earliest memories of the sport probably aren’t actually of playing—it’s doing gymnastics on the sidelines!

What do you love most about playing camogie and gaelic football?
What I love most about Gaelic Football and Camogie is my teammates and the feeling after a difficult training session.

What do you consider to be the most challenging aspect of playing gaelic games?
I’m a dual player on the Gaelic Football and Camogie senior teams, which means we train six times a week, often with back-to-back matches. And while the physical demands are high, I’ve often found that the mental aspect can be even more challenging.

What skills do you think are important to become a successful player?
To succeed as a player, I believe determination and balance are essential. I struggle with hand-eye coordination, so I’ve often had to repeat certain skills hundreds of times before it seems to stick.  This has taught me persistence and the value of hard work. I also think maintaining a balance—focusing during training whilst also remembering why I play the sport—keeps me motivated and driven to improve.

Are there any other players who have inspired you?
Sinead Murphy in Camogie and Hannah Tyrell in Gaelic Football. Sinead Murphy was always so encouraging and supportive when I came up to senior level. She always included everyone in the team activities and her physicality on the camogie pitch is something I can only strive to replicate. Hannah Tyrell has excelled in multiple sports, representing Ireland in rugby and her club and county in Gaelic football. Her kicking is unbelievable and she uses her platform to advocate for mental health. I marked her in one of my first senior matches, and was completely starstruck. That being said, every one of my teammates and coaches has inspired me along the way.

What one piece of advice would you give to young girls who are starting out learning to play the game?
Stick with it. There are times growing up when life gets so busy that giving up might seem like the easier option. However, the girls on the team are my closest friends, and they always help put things into perspective. I honestly can’t imagine where I’d be without Gaelic Games in my life.

What has been the highlight of your playing career to date?
So far, the highlight has been winning the Senior 2 Championship in camogie last year. However, I have high hopes of us winning more titles in both codes soon.

Have you any future goals you would like to achieve in your sporting career?
Many. The men’s teams have proven what Cuala is capable of, and we would love to experience that same success with the women’s teams in the years to come.

What positive developments have you seen in women’t gaelic games in recent years?
In recent years, the visibility of the LGFA and Camogie has grown significantly. Sponsors like Lidl and TG4 have created incredible opportunities for the sport to gain recognition and highlight the dedication of players. Additionally, Cuala’s one-club model ensures that the women’s section have the same opportunities as the men’s teams, which is fantastic for the growth and development of the game. I see the women’s section growing year after year, and I would love to see Croke Park’s stands fill up more and more for the women’s games to recognize the incredible athletes who play there.

Interesting fact about you that people may not know?
I did ballet until I was 18, though not sure I have much coordination to show for it!