From Rosbercon to Rocklands – footballers are ready for New York
Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others team will take a bite out of the Big Apple at sporting festival
What started as a local sports group has grown into an international adventure, as 23 Kilkennywomen prepare to swap the countryside for New York this October.
The Tullogher-Rosbercon Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others team will take a bite out of the Big Apple when they travel to New York next month, with the trip including a visit to Rocklands GAA for the Festival of Football, a celebration of Gaelic games.
The US trip is the culmination of months of training, fundraising, organisation and tremendous community support for the Tullogher-Rosbercon Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others, who have gone from strength to strength since their formation in September 2021.
What began as a local initiative has developed into a vibrant group built around football, friendship, fitness and community. A number of the women who were there at the very beginning in 2021 are still playing with the group today, making the journey from those first training sessions to the trip to New York all the more special.
For those founding members, seeing the group develop from its early days into a team preparing to represent Tullogher-Rosbercon and Kilkenny in New York is a particularly proud moment. While football will be at the heart of the trip, the women are looking forward to experiencing everything New York has to offer, meeting other teams and creating memories that will last long after they return home.
Getting the group to New York has taken an enormous amount of work behind the scenes, with months of fundraising and fantastic support from the local community. One of the major fundraising events was the group’s Ball Run in June, an event which brought together players, families, volunteers and supporters for a memorable afternoon.
The team also recently held a Sponsor Appreciation Night, providing an opportunity to recognise and thanked the businesses and supporters who played such an important role in making the New York trip possible. They also thanked their families, friends and the wider Tullogher-Rosbercon community for getting behind the team throughout the fundraising journey.
With the trip now just weeks away the team, who are trained by Joe Murphy, are ready for Rocklands. With 29 teams from Ireland coming together to celebrate Gaelic games in New York, the trip will provide the Tullogher-Rosbercon team with an opportunity to step on to the field wearing their club colours, meet fellow Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others players and experience the atmosphere of Gaelic games on the other side of the Atlantic.
“This trip started as a dream and is now becoming a reality,” said co-ordinator Martina Phelan. “It has taken an incredible community effort to get 23 women to New York, and we are so grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way.
“The trip is about football, but it is also about friendship, fun, new experiences and creating memories that the women will have for years to come.
“We are incredibly proud of the women and of what this group has achieved since it was established in 2021. We cannot wait to see Tullogher-Rosbercon represented in New York.”
With the jerseys packed, the final preparations underway and the countdown firmly on, excitement is building across Tullogher-Rosbercon. For 23 women who came together through Gaelic football, the next few weeks will see a local club story become an international adventure.
Tullogher-Rosbercon Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others are grateful for the generous support of their main sponsors: Listerlin Fuel & Grocery Store, Bookle Auto Services, Suir Engineering, Philip Ireland Tyres, Moling Cotterell Joinery, CMC Sports, Ashcraft Kitchens, Paddy Ryan’s Pub.