Latest Ladies News

Friday 22.12.2017

 

The Tyrone senior ladies are hoping for at least two double headers alongside the men’s national football league campaign in March next year as full integration between the GAA and LGFA appears to be taking a step closer. It’s emerged this week that discussions at the highest level between the associations are progressing with closer links very much on the agenda.

Tyrone missed out on a league semi-final spot earlier this year by the narrowest of margins but it was a decent division two league campaign. Manager Gerry Moane though has made it clear that the 2018 campaign is very much about promotion.

“Last season was about competing in division two. We would be and should be challenging for promotion next season. We have a few of the experienced players unavailable for much of the league campaign though. Christiane Hunter, Niamh O’Neill and Shannon Cunningham are away but will be back and they are doing their own programmes. We have a couple of others not returning but that said we have several players who came in last year through the championship run and then again with the 21s who will get their chance.”

The league season opens against Waterford at home at the end of January. One of four home games including the visit of all Ireland intermediate champions Tipperary who sealed that title with three points to spare over Tyrone in September. There’s also an away Ulster derby too against relegated Armagh.

It’s expected Tyrone Ladies will be in touch with Tyrone GAA officials about some double headers alongside Mickey Harte’s senior football side while double headers with Tyrone Camogie are also possible. The senior squad are also preparing for a new look championship campaign. After Ulster they will compete in a new round robin formatted series of games with four groups of four and the top two in the groups making the quarter finals. It could cause some headaches claimed the Tyrone boss.

“The powers that be have agreed the new format. Winning in Ulster won’t get you an automatic quarter final spot as was the case before. It will be a tougher route and there are some good teams in the championship. Leinster is very strong. Every manager will have to adapt. Talking to some of them it’s clear it will be very much a squad game. We will all have to have more players involved and we will have to rotate players. There will just have to be an increase in squad sizes. I know Dublin are wanting match day squads raised to 35. It’s not a fifteen or thirty player championship anymore, the new format ends that. Clubs will also have difficulties too. It will be all change and the fixture makers will have a headache. It will take some co-operation from everyone.”

Tyrone Ladies League Campaign

Lidl NFL – Fixtures 2018

Divison 2

Rd 1 – Sun 28th January

Tyrone (H)          Waterford

Rd 2 – Sunday 4th February

Sligo (H)               Tyrone

Rd 3 – Sunday 11th February

Tyrone (H)          Tipperary

Rd 4 – Sunday 25th February

Armagh (H)         Tyrone

Rd 5 – Sunday 4th March

Tyrone (H)          Cavan

Rd 6 – Sunday 25th March

Tyrone (H)          Clare

Rd 7 – Sunday 1st April

Laois (H)               Tyrone