Don and Meabh ready for the Waves

With so much of the pre-season hype about the defending champions and the newly formed UCD Waves, Galway WFC have quietly being going about their business in the lead up to the 2014/2015 Continental Tyres Women’s National League. But once the football starts expect the Connacht club to have a big say in the on-field results.

Players such as Marie Curtin, Megan Kelleher, Claudia Hudner and Irish international Meabh De Burca have signed on for the coming campaign. The team will be managed by a certain Don O’Riordan. Although not a stranger to women’s football, Don is home in Ireland after close to 10 years in China.

When the former manager of the Galway men’s side left Sligo Rovers in 2004 his old footballing pal Neil Warnock, who was the manager at Sheffield United at the time, asked him if he would be interesting in taking up a job with the Sheffield United Academy.

“Neil asked me if I would be interested in taken a job with the academy and I said I would be delighted to. He then went on to tell me the academy is in China. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

During his time in China, Don was also the Technical Director at a club Sheffield United owned that competed in the top flight of Chinese football. After some controversy surrounding various personnel at the club that had nothing to do with Don and Sheffield United, he distanced himself from the club in China and worked for Sheffield United in America, before eventually returning to Beijing to coach the women’s team. He also coached the Chinese women’s team in the Olympics.

“Throughout my time in China I wanted to improve my coaching, but I felt if I wanted to get my UEFA Pro-Licence the only way to do that was come back to Ireland and work with the FAI.”

Don is in the final stages of completing his pro-licence along with Sue Ronan and a manager he will go up against this weekend in the WNL.

“It’s funny that we are up against the Waves on Sunday because Eileen (Gleeson, UCD Waves manager) and I are back on the course on Monday morning. We might not be talking to one another.” 

Don will be one of the main talking points at Galway this campaign being an ever popular and respected figure who is back in the Irish game. At the recent league launch for the WNL in the Aviva Stadium, FAI spokesman Fran Gavin took a few moment out to welcome Don back to Ireland and wish him the best with his new role. It is Don’s footballers that will have to do all the talking on the pitch and improve on Galway’s standings from last season. One of the key players for Galway will be Meabh De Burca.

“Pre-season has being really good, we have a new manager on board with a new set-up. Although he wasn’t around last year, Don has taken time out to look back at a lot of our games from last season. He knew what he wanted to work on from the first session and that was real impressive.”

Meabh was talking from the Irish camp during the week and although that took her priority, she can now focus on the coming campaign and that opening game this weekend against UCD Waves. It’s obvious that Meabh is happy being back in Ireland. Outside of football the club helped the local girl secure a full-time job and she has also being busy this summer getting her Meabh De Burca Elite Training Camps of the ground.

With some assistance from Salthill in Galway, Meabh is providing young girls in the area to further their skills and footballing career. A wonderful example of a highly respected figure in women’s football in both Ireland and abroad giving back to the community and help pave a path for the future stars of Ireland.

Back on the subject on the current campaign, “last season was a learning curve, there was no major shock results against us, but I suppose we didn’t pull off any either. We didn’t over achieve or under achieve, but this season we want to be competing at the top end of the table.”

Meabh took the time to compliment the entire squad Don has helped assemble, with captain Ruth Fahey set to help organise and get the team off to the perfect start on Sunday against UCD Waves.

Don also has high expectations and expects big things from his captain and star players, as well as the exciting new players he helped bring in.

“It is great to be back in Ireland and I love Galway, the people are fantastic and it is a pleasure to be involved with Galway WFC. If I can repeat some of my success from the last time I was in Galway with the men I will be delighted and we are aiming to improve on last season.”