Ladies Gaelic Football in Our Lady’s received a significant boost on Wednesday 5th November when 6th year students Niamh Callan & Muireann Atkinson were awarded prestigious Ulster Colleges All-stars for the second successive year. The girls recently attended trials competing in a series of trial games against over 120 players from around the province. Both girls put in strong performances and were called back for a second trial on Tuesday November 4th. At the second trial both girls displayed high levels of skill, ability and commitment and these were acknowledged by the selectors when Muireann was selected at midfield and Niamh was selected at corner forward on the Ulster Colleges Ladies All Star team of 2014 / 2015.
The girls join an elite group of players to receive two All Stars having both been selected on the 2013 panel. Both girls have been prominent players on the Senior Girls Team at Our Lady’s for the last four years and were instrumental in the school success in winning the Ulster Senior C Championship in 2012 and the Ulster Senior B Championship in 2013 while also contesting the Ulster Senior A Championship Final in 2014.
Both girls are current members of the Monaghan Senior Panel and played in this year’s Ulster Final. Niamh is the daughter of Brian & Bernadette Callan. She is a past pupil of Broomfield NS, she is a member of the Donaghmoyne Club and has won county, Ulster and All-Ireland club titles in recent years. Muireann is the daughter of Enda & Breda Atkinson. She is a past pupil of Annyalla NS, she is a member of the O’Neill Shamrocks club, a dual star she has recently won the Ulster Junior Camogie title with Clontibret. As well as been talented footballers the girls are members of the Peer Support Team in the school and are excellent role models for younger students and have regularly assisted in the coaching of the junior GAA teams in the school. The girls will receive their Colleges All Star Awards at a banquet at Kelly Inn in January and will once again represent Ulster in the Interprovincial tournament in Mullingar in January. Speaking at the school during the week Principal Mr. Kelly congratulated the girls on their outstanding achievement. ‘ to achieve one Ulster Colleges All Star is a fantastic achievement but to achieve back to back All Stars is huge honour and one of which we in Our Lady’s are justifiably extremely proud. I am delighted that the girls’ talent, skills and commitment to Ladies GAA have been recognised at provincial level and I have no doubt that with continued hard work and application that they both have great futures ahead of them in Gaelic Games. The high levels of success we have enjoyed in Ladies GAA in recent years is a testimony to the great work done by all teachers involved in coaching & promoting Ladies GAA’
