The Ballina Camogie club reformed in 2007. At that time there was an influx of new homes and families to Ballina, and the numbers of young Camogie players started to increase. In our first year there were 66 players in the club. Our first Chairperson was Theresa Nevin, with Angela Tuohy as secretary. Eugene Power and Noda O’Brien coached the U12 and U14 teams, who were the first to take part in championship fare.
In Feb 2008, Liz Howard, then President of the Cumann Camogaiochta na nGael, attended a launch night in the clubhouse. County Board members, county players, coaches, school representatives and officers, coaches and players from the Camogie and GAA club were in attendance. That year our teams started to make an impact with our U12’s and U14’s making it through to the county Quarter Finals.
2010 was a breakthrough year where our U12 team made it all the way to the county final, beating established clubs such Portroe, Clonoulty and Moneygall along the way. Although losing the final the club was starting to find its feet.
Numbers continued to grow with our younger groups, U6, U8, U10 played a number of blitzes, while the older age groups began to reach county quarter and semi-finals more regularly.
In 2012 we captured our first county title winning the U13B championship on a cold October night, beating Kildangan under lights in Puckane.
The following year (2013) we were invited to participate as a host satellite club in the Feile (U14) held in Limerick. We played host to a team from Sligo, and over a memorable weekend we won the Division 4 title beating Na Piarsaigh of Limerick in the final in The Gaelic Grounds. We received immense support from the entire community during the build up, and over the weekend, in what was an incredible and unforgettable experience for the entire squad.
2013 also saw the club entering an adult competition for the first time, taking part in the Junior B League and Championship. Eligible players were at a premium, so the squad was small and had a wide range of ages…. from 16 up to much older!
As players from the younger age group started coming through, our Junior squad grew stronger, and in 2014 we reached a county Quarter Final. That same year our U16’s won the C championship beating Holycross in a thrilling final.
In 2016 we were involved in a variety of finals across a wide range of age groups, winning the U16B championship in a hard fought final against Silvermines.
Our U14’s won the B League beating Drom and Inch, having lost the Championship decider earlier in the season. The U14 team also had a tremendous run in Division 2 of the Feile, held in Tipperary and Waterford. We hosted NaFianna from Meath for the weekend. The girls had an arduous route through the competition with extra time victories at both the Quarter and Semi-final stages, but unfortunately we lost out to Bellaghy, from Derry, in the final.
Our adult Junior B team also reached the county final in 2016, as did our Minors. Unfortunately both lost out in close encounters, but reaching both finals was a huge achievement, and it was a great development and learning year for them.
In 2017 we brought Silverware home on two fronts.
Our U16’s won the B League competition, beating Shannon Rovers in the final, and our Junior B team captured the county title in a thriller against Lorrha.
The Junior squad has developed over the past couple of years, and now have a core of young and committed players. Our talent emerging from the younger age groups, we now have the opportunity to play Junior A level, as well as competing in U16A and Minor A in 2018.
Our first committee was led by Chairperson Theresa Nevin, Secretary Angela Tuohy and Treasurer Eugene Power. A full list of those who have served at the top table over the years …
| Chair: | Theresa Nevin, Dave Gilligan, Clodagh Fogarty, Orla Carey, Alan McEvoy |
| Secretary: | Angela Tuohy, Theresa Nevin, Aidan Coyne, Rachel Kinahan |
| Treasurer: | Eugene Power, Brian Neill, Sharon O’Donovan, Ursula McGrattan, Helen Purtill |
| Presidents: | Betty O’Brien, Sally Darcy (RIP) |
| Vice President: | Margaret O’Sullivan |
In the past 10 years the club has grown from 66 players in 2007 to over 280 players in 2017. We have moved to Junior A at adult level, while our underage teams play at a very high level. Our players have represented Tipperary since 2011 at U14, U15, U16 and Minor levels.
We have a good relationship with the GAA club, and have contributed to fundraisers for the new pitch by partaking in the Friends of Ballina, “Strictly”, and the Monthly Investors draw.
We receive a fantastic amount of support from our community, directly through coaching or administration for the club, from local businesses through sponsorship of our jerseys and general sponsorships, and from our community through their generous contributions during fundraising events and, of course, through the support we all give our players during matches. Parents, members of the community, and sponsorship from local businesses have enabled the club to grow to its current level.
Since 2007 the Ballina Camogie club has grown into an important and vibrant part of our community. The club has achieved a huge amount, and continues to get stronger year on year.