The Donegal Ladies won the Ulster title for the first time last year
DONEGAL Ladies bid to play in the top tier of senior gaelic football has been dealt a ‘severe blow’ after a gaeltacht club cup final was fixed FIVE days before a massive game for the county.
Donegal are in the Lidl Division 2 final against Westmeath in a winner-takes-all decider on Saturday week at Parnell Park in Dublin (5.30pm).
The winners will be promoted to Lidl Division 1 next year where top counties like Cork, Kerry, Dublin and Mayo await. Despite finishing top of the division – unlike in the men’s game – Donegal ladies must win the final to gain promotion. Defeat will see them remain in Division 2.
However the gaeltacht committee has fixed their ladies final for next Monday in Glenties.
At least 10 members of the Donegal panel are from the two clubs in that final – Glenfin and Termon.
No-one from the Donegal Ladies Board was available for comment today.
However we understand members of the squad are furious with next Monday’s game, fearing injury to key players could de-rail to Division 1 bid.
“Can you imagine this happening in the men’s game?” said one supporter who knows the team members well.
“It’s like St Eunan’s taking on Naomh Conaill in the Championship five days before Donegal going to Croke Park for a final. It wouldn’t happen.
“This is not like any usual ‘club versus county’ row because the gaeltacht match could be easily postponed. If Monday’s game goes ahead and Termon and Glenfin players are out of the National League Final because of injury, it could put back ladies football in the county two years. All the efforts of the county girls would have been for nothing.”
She said the gaeltacht competition committee “needs to see the big picture and postpone this game”.
She added: “It’s not fair on the girls playing for those clubs in the final and it’s certainly not fair on girls from other clubs who have put in a massive effort.”
There has been some criticism of the gaeltacht competition in the past with members of Irish-speaking clubs in Donegal believing it should be changed to a gaeilge competition.
This has already been changed at national level to allow clubs in Belfast to compete.
Some clubs here believe at least 10 members of club panels should be able to speak and use Irish before being allowed to take part in the competition.
Donegal Senior Ladies have made huge strides in recent years.
They landed the Ulster title for the first time last year. They also topped Division 2 but failed to gain promotion.
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