Anne’s and Mark’s Gaelic 4 Mothers and Others do battle

SOCIAL Gaelic football continues to expand, with some of its adopters, St Mark’s and St Anne’s enjoying a friendly battle at Bohernabreena last weekend.

Gaelic 4 Mothers and Others is an innovative way of introducing mothers and other women to playing ladies Gaelic football.

Played in a fun, non-competitive and social environment, the initiative has exploded in recent years with women getting their recommended weekly exercise while meeting others from their community.

There is a slight adaption to the usual rules, with players only allowed one bounce and one solo before passing to a teammate, a move to promote inclusivity.

While it is a non-competitive sport, there was no shortage of competition as Mark’s and Anne’s duked it out for bragging rights.

The initiative has really taken off in Bohernabreena, with founders of the team Glenda Murphy Smullen and Grace Hilliard togging out alongside their 20 teammates.

Meanwhile, St Mark’s coach Sharon Russell resisted the urge to pull on the boots in favour of managing from the sideline.

Players such as Emma Nolan, Vicky Farrell, Danielle Walsh and Niamh Ussher were particularly prolific for the travelling outfit.