Girls enjoy fun of the Féile
- Suzanne Dillon
- Jul 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 1

A VERY excited group of 21 Scotland LGFA Under-15 girls, along with their coaches and a dedicated band of parents, set off from Edinburgh Airport recently. Their destination—the Under-15 Féile in Derry.
After landing at Belfast Airport, their first stop was Toad’s Leap Adventure Centre in Ballygawley, County Tyrone. There, four hours of Total Wipeout-style fun, bungee runs, and slippery slides had everyone laughing, and buzzing for the weekend ahead.
Next, it was on to Omagh town for some essential food supplies, lunch and, of course, the obligatory stop at the O’Neills store. Fully stocked up, they made their way to their base for the weekend—Tara Manor, just outside Omagh. The huge house—complete with hot tub, pool table, and an impressive number of rooms—had the girls running from room to room in sheer delight.
Thankfully, everyone managed an early night and woke up fresh and ready for action. The convoy of nine-seater cars then hit the road to Kilrea Pearses GAC in Derry for the group stages. Scotland found themselves drawn alongside Kilrea Pearses and Glack, while on the other pitches Warwickshire, Desertmartin, and Swatragh battled for semi-final spots. Over at Slaughtneil GAC, Slaughtneil, Annaduff, North East Boston, London, St Oliver Plunketts Greenlough, and Eoghan Rua were competing for their place in the Cup, Shield, and Plate finals.
Scotland lost their opening game to the host team Kilrea Pearses, but bounced back with an impressive win against Glack, earning plenty of praise and sparking curiosity among the locals about ‘who taught the Scots to play Gaelic football like that?’
Next up was a fiercely contested Shield semi-final against Swatragh GAC. Digging deep, the girls found their second wind in the second half and pulled away to claim a five-point victory.
A party atmosphere took over the dressing rooms, with the girls belting out songs and dancing—soon joined by players from other teams. The chant of: “No Scotland, No Party” echoed around the grounds, lifting spirits even higher.
The girls now had one final challenge ahead—facing Slaughtneil GAC in the Shield. The crowd knew they were in for a great game and both teams delivered. In the end, though, the local side proved just too strong for the spirited Scottish team. Although Scotland were disappointed, they were far from disheartened. Slaughtneil GAC were worthy and gracious winners.
The hosts, Kilrea GAC, were fantastic on the day, making it a memorable occasion for everyone who travelled. A huge thank you to everyone who helped out, from making the sandwiches to grilling the burgers and hotdogs, your efforts were truly appreciated. Also a massive thank you to Chris Dove at IOQ Services for sponsoring the team.
The team and coaches including myself, Warren McAree, Niall Considine and Gihan Munasinghe left Derry with our heads held high, proud of their performances and the positive impression they made. They showed everyone that LGFA is alive and thriving in Scotland—and long may it continue.
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