New club, Thurles Mothers and Others is thriving

One of Thurles' newsest clubs is making great strides at the present time and has extended an open invitation to any other lady who would like to get involved.

Thurles Mothers and Others is a stand alone club which not affiliated to any GAA club in Thurles or the surrounding parishes. The club comes under the Ladies Gaelic Football Association banner and is the first of its kind to set up as a stand alone club for gaelic football for mothers and others. self-sufficient club relying on the generous donations from sponsors. 

The club is the brainchild of Andy Landers who also doubles as chairperson and as a coach to the team. Other officers include: Vice Chairperson, Paul O'Hara (also a coach); Secretary, Theresa Corbett; and Treasurer, Michelle Broderick.

The aim of the club is to provide mothers and other women with an outlet to have time out for themselves from their busy lifestyles while learning the many skills, crafts and arts associated with gaelic football. It's a way of having fun in a non-competitive environment and it also also provides an opportunity for women to get their recommended weekly exercise in a fun way while meeting other mothers from the area.

The club’s mantra is about fun, fitness with a focus on learning the skills of Gaelic football. Founded by Andy Landers in September 2020 the club started out with 12 members and it has grown to 40 registered members in less than a year and still growing. Andy came up with the idea of setting up the club when his daughter Lola saw her mother kicking a football and she jokingly said, “wouldn’t it be great if mammy could play football”.  It took off from there and the club has not looked back since.

While gaelic football is the vehicle that gathers the ladies together, it’s the positive experience that makes them come back each week.

One players said: " My daughter plays a lot of sport, and she is very proud when she sees me getting my gear together for training or a match. It's a good feeling seeing her proud of me very special. I can’t wait to see what's in store for Thurles Mothers and Others but I’m very honoured to part of it all".

Another player added: "I'm a very shy person and I was quite nervous about taking up a new skill at this stage of my life. The club made me feel so welcome. The coaches are very encouraging.  It's not just the exercise I get from training. The fun laughter and banter make me feel great both physically and mentally".

The coaches Andy Landers and Paul O’ Hora always encourage the best from the players, but training is also about having a laugh, chatting, and getting to know people. Throughout the Covid period the coach’s setup challenges / player profile for the players to keep everyone involved and in contact with each other via the what’s app group and a lot of work went into setting up our Facebook page. Throughout the year they play challenge matches, blitzes, and have our team bonding outings.

The Thurles Mothers and Others encourages all its player to link into the webinars on women’s physical / mental health and wellbeing. Later this month there will be a talk on breast health awareness.

The club are very family orientated and they had to design their own crest for their jersey, so all the players children were asked to get drawing. They received numerous wonderful entries and the winner was 10-year-old Oscar Corbett.

The club would like to thank all of their sponsors because as a new club starting up, they looked for any help and support with finances they could get. As a result, they were extremely fortunate to have so many offers of financial assistance in purchasing club gear, equipment, and club maintenance so that the club runs smoothly.

The club would like to thank the following Mulcahy Construction, Benamic - AnnMarie Smee, Liberty wellness- Carmel Fitzgibbon, Ryan Haulage - Phillip Ryan, Councillor Jim Ryan, Kevin Coppinger from Mrs Croghs Bar and Tipperary County Council for the sports grant. A big thank you also to B&T sports who supplied all the club gear and have given top customer service when ordering and suppling what was needed. The club would also like to thank Ollie Kelly, CBS Thurles, for providing the Railway Field pitch for training sessions.

“We are always looking for new players and if any ladies out there want to join the club and would like to come out of their comfort zone, please feel free to contact us through our Facebook page “Thurles MothersandOthers,” one club official said.

Thurles Mothers and Others training takes place on Wednesday evenings 8pm - 9pm in the Railway Field Thurles. Women aged 25 years and older are all welcome.