South Mayo seven-a-side football tournament in memory of local lady
This coming weekend, one of the driving forces behind the resumption of adult ladies’ Gaelic football in Ballinrobe will be remembered at a tournament in her honour, hosted by her native club.
Éilis Maloney was a dearly-loved Ballinrobe GAA & LGFA player, referee and club member whose life was cut tragically short in December 2024 when she was just 33 years of age.
This Saturday, five local teams with whom Éilis played or had a strong family connection – Ballinrobe, Kilmaine, The Neale, Tourmakeady and Shrule-Glencorrib – will come to Flanagan Park, Ballinrobe, to participate in the inaugural Éilis Maloney Ladies’ Football Memorial Tournament in her memory.
In addition to being a day of competitive seven-a-side football, it will be a celebration of Éilis’s life, love of football, and the legacy she has left within the club and beyond.
Football played a big part in the various stages of Éilis’s life, from underage with Ballinrobe, to schools’ football with Coláiste Muire in Tourmakeady, adult football for a number of years with The Neale and finally a return to her native Ballinrobe, firstly with the Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others team in 2019 and then as a key member of – and driving force behind – the re-formed junior ladies team from 2022 to 2024. She was also the junior team’s first captain for the 2022 season.
Her sister, Claire, plays her club football with Kilmaine (from where the Maloney family hails), while her mother Carmel is a native of Shrule, against whom Éilis played her last competitive match in October 2024.
The Maloney family’s wider connection with Ballinrobe GAA & LGFA Club is strong. Éilis’s brother Seán played football with the club for many years, while the family business has sponsored the ladies’ junior team since 2022.
Ballinrobe LGFA Club chairperson Nicola Macken is encouraging everyone to come along for what promises to be a special day.
“Éilis embodied everything that is good about football: highly competitive yet fair, a tough individual contributor, and a complete team player,” said Nicola.
“She also enjoyed her football; she knew how to have fun, both on the field and within the group.
“Saturday is about all of these things: high-quality, competitive football on the field and a sense of fun and friendship off it. It’s not just for members of Ballinrobe GAA & LGFA, it’s a family day and is open to the whole community right across south Mayo. Everyone is welcome.”
The winners on the day will be presented with a cup – sponsored by the Maloney family – in memory of Éilis, recognising the valuable contribution she made to the club and to ladies’ football in the region.
In addition to the competitive games, there will also be an exhibition game involving Ballinrobe Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others, many of whom played with Éilis.
With entertainment, refreshments and live social media updates throughout the day, it promises to be an occasion full of fun, football and friendship – three things which featured prominently in Éilis’s short but well-lived life.
Registration for participating teams is at 10.30 a.m., with games commencing at 11 a.m. Entry for the public is free of charge but donations to the Mayo Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service can be made on the day.