Taking to the high seas for a GAA blitz

Mayo’s reality as a maritime county was never more obvious to me than when we left Achill for an Under-10 girls football blitz on Clare Island last week.

The Achill Under 10 girls had been exploring a game with Louisburgh this summer but it’s nearly a 90-minute journey for some and so the ‘as the crow flies’ approach was used.

Why not meet halfway? Halfway in this case was in the middle of the bay that separates us.

There are ferry services from both Roonagh outside Louisburgh and Cloughmore on Achill Island to Clare Island and it would be quicker than Achill going to Louisburgh or them coming to us.

There are other examples too – it takes 90 minutes to go from Dugort on Achill to Blacksod but by sea it is only ten miles.

And by sea to Clare Island from Achill is one of the most stunning journeys you could ever undertake.

We gathered before 9am on Sunday morning with bags of footballs, jerseys, cones and kids lit with excitement. Normally we throw the gear in the boot to head for a blitz up the county. This time, we were throwing it from the pier onto the ferry as we headed for a blitz with a difference.

Parents and siblings came along for the fun too and we were blessed with clear skies and a warm sun. The date was set provisionally for Sunday, June 14 subject to weather and, one week out, it was reasonable enough to plough on with. The day itself was better than any forecast we saw all week (and, trust me, we checked it daily).

We could have been in Spain. The clouds parted, the sun broke through and it was glorious.

As you cross from Cloughmore, the half hour ferry journey affords you one of the most stunning vistas you could wish for. Achillbeg to your right, Currane, Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick to your left and Clare Island opening out in front of you. We’re blessed to live where we do.

The fixture was billed as a chance for a great day out but also an opportunity to connect with the islanders.

Clare Island has close connections with both Louisburgh and Achill. Islanders go to secondary school in Louisburgh, stay with family, friends or lodgings during the week and come home at the weekend. It is a particular type of boarding school experience.

Once Clare Island children go to secondary school, they start to line out with Louisburgh football teams and the commitment required to keep that up for weekend and summer games tells you plenty about their grá for the game.

And with the regular ferry service from Roonagh, the island is a beacon for Louisburgh families.

There is a ferry service from Achill too but nowhere near as frequent. However, they depend on Achill in other ways. Dr Noreen Lineen-Curtis is the island’s doctor and comes over from Achill regularly while the Achill Lifeboat has responsibility for Clare Island too.

There are deep and enduring ties between Clare Island and Currane in Achill too where, in years gone by, Clare islanders would set sail to for supplies and, more recently, an annual football game between the two places has been played. 

Where we live in Dooega on the southern end of Achill, Clare Island forms our horizon and it is the most gorgeous backdrop.

Gaelic football matters massively on Clare Island. You only have to see the prominence of framed photos of various Clare Island football teams in the island’s community centre to know that.

Their various successes in the All-Island Football Championship are seminal days in the island’s history.

They are great Mayo fans too. The likes of Padraic O’Malley doesn’t let his island base stop him from making it to almost every Mayo game, home or away.

At Dick Hayes Park, they have a football pitch and clubhouse to be proud of. But numbers, not passion, are often their biggest challenge in functioning GAA-wise. Island children only play organised football when they start secondary school in Louisburgh.

They’ve only 12 children in the national school at present and there are very few organised football opportunities for them. Mayo GAA hosting a Cúl Camp on the island every summer is a very worthy task.

So including the islanders in the blitz was a huge part of the thinking behind our trip.

Six Clare Island girls took part in the blitz and you wouldn’t think they didn’t play organised football. They all got stuck in, didn’t hold back and showed some great football ability - Louisburgh will benefit greatly when those girls go to secondary school.

The proximity of the island’s playground to the football pitch was brilliant. The Achill ferry was first in and our kids headed for the playground while we set up the pitches. Then the Louisburgh gang arrived and, as they approached the playground where our gang were, friendly rivalry chants started as the sound of ‘Louisburgh!’ and ‘Achill!’ echoed around the place.

There was plenty of quality football on display, but the day was about far more than that. It was a day of enjoyment, appreciation and bonding.

We were all looked after tremendously in the community centre afterwards and, as you basked in the sunshine outside, you wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.

The Achill, Louisburgh and Clare Island girls ate together inside, traded stories and tales from their own gorgeous corners of this county.

There was something very striking about the whole day, something unique to our county. In many counties and, indeed, many parts of Mayo, neighbouring clubs are separated by a few miles of road. In our part of Ireland, they can be separated by a bay but still have a real sense of being a part of the same community.

There are challenges to living on the western seaboard and particularly on islands. We saw one house under construction on Clare Island and shuddered at the logistical challenges that must entail. Yet days like Sunday were also a reminder of why people choose to stay.

The strong sense of identity, but also the willingness to help each other out and stay connected, are part of what makes this corner of the world so special.

Those few hours of football and fun were a reminder of what makes Mayo so special.

Almost too soon it was time to go. As one Louisburgh coach pointed out, no matter how long you stay on Clare Island, it is hard to leave! Both clubs had ferries to catch at 2pm – the Mayo match beckoned.

There was time for much-needed fuel in the form of ice-cream from the shop on the pier before hopping back on O’Grady’s ferry.

The Saw Doctors asked, ‘Will ya meet me on Clare Island?’ Last Sunday, Achill and Louisburgh did. Judging by the smiles on the faces boarding the ferries home, there is every chance it will be the first of many.

One of the Clare Island girls walked all the way to the pier with our crew and promises to return again soon were made.

Promises we intend to keep.