Towers marks 30 yrs of women’s teams

THE year 2025 marks 30 years since Round Towers Clondalkin formed their women’s teams, with the club now fielding three football teams across various championships.

One of the key pivotal figures in the development of the women’s game at the club was Dave McCabe, now a member of the Leinster council and the county board. McCabe was born and raised in Clondalkin, being a long-time member of Round Towers.

The senior team and minor team were established in 1995 and the club only grew from there.

The teams have had various ups and downs over the years including winning Leinster championships at Junior level. The teams even disbanded a couple of times over the years.

McCabe spoke on the initial process of setting up the team.

“First of all my daughter was playing on the u13 boys team and the rule came in at that stage that was the cut-off point of boys’ football.

‘There was one or two more interested in their daughters playing so we just called a meeting, six or seven attended the meeting and decided we’d proceed with getting the ins and outs of a ladies team.”

“We had several barriers on the way, people saying ‘that the women should be at home’, that was often a male attitude. It’s hard to explain [how they overcame those barriers], they’re entitled to play, they’re all members of the club and entitled to play is my attitude towards it.”

“It’ll still take a while, we got up to 50,566 in Croke Park just before Covid and then Covid knocked that back and we’re up to 48,000.

‘It’s a much more pleasant game to watch, ladies football than the men. The girls play to the end without pulling and dragging out of anybody.”

Round Towers have certainly expanded and improved on women’s football over the years, now fielding three times across the football championship for the first time in their history.

The club plans to launch further celebrations and commem-orations of this historic achievement later on in the year.