The Formal Organisation Of Ladies Gaelic Football In The Gortin Parish
The sight of girls playing Gaelic football in the back of a field was and remains a common sight in any rural parish. Indeed, the ladies of the parish of Gortin were and remain pioneers in the promotion of the sport in Tyrone. Although as children, girls were often relegated to merely supplementing the boy's underage team, they have successfully established Ladies Gaelic as a sport in its own right, in what remains a male dominated sport.
Indeed the parish of Gortin can boast one of the earliest formal committees in Tyrone, when under the guidance of Patsy Mc Crory, twelve enthusiasts came together to form a committee on 4th November 1979. From these attendees a committee was established under the Chairperson, Teresa Devlin, who currently plays for New York. It was during this time that Gortin played a significant part in the development of the sport within Tyrone when eight clubs, namely Gortin, Carrickmore, Greencastle, Beragh, Ballygawley, Drumragh, Aughabrack and Drumquin gathered to organise a Tyrone Ladies league. Unfortunately, due to a lack of support, the Tyrone Ladies League was postponed until another time. They did however succeed in laying the foundation for the current League.
However the lack of a formal league did not hinder the young enthusiasts who continued in their efforts for recognition. According to many sources, many memorable matches were organised with the Donegal team Downings, Aughabrack, Greencastle, Kildress and Loughmacrory. During this period, the team players included Patricia Dodd (nee Mc Crory), Teresa Mc Crory, Mrs Mary Mc Cullagh, Carmel Keating (nee O' Neill), Jacqueline Sweeney (nee O' Neill), Ann Marie Mc Crumlish, Ann Gallagher (nee Devlin), Teresa Mullin (nee Devlin, Clare Mc Connell (nee Mc Swiggan), Anne Gorman (nee Kelly, Maureen Dooher (nee Kelly) RIP, Patricia Devlin (nee Kelly), Roisin Mossey, Claire Rose Mc Dermott (nee Toner), Mary Mc Cullagh, Siobhan Mc Aleer, Majella Mc Cullagh, Carmel Mc Cullagh RIP, Mrs Geraldine Kelly, Anne Mc Kenna, Teresa Kelly, Mary Brogan (nee Bradley), Nuala Mc Swiggan, Orla Mc Sherry, Fidelma Meenan, Mandy Lee, Mary Conway, Maureen Donnelly, Roisin Donnelly, Margaret Mc Cullagh, Ellen Morris, Anne Marie Morris, Mrs Helen Mc Cullagh, Una Mc Kenna, Carol Ward (nee O' Neill), Majella Mc Crory, Pauline Coyle (nee Mc Swiggan) and Jacqueline Haughey (nee Brogan).
Unfortunately as time passed, the parish of Gortin was to experience a time of unorganised Ladies football. That was until 1994 when the sport was to gain momentum yet again within the parish.