Lisa Morgan
compiled by Ciarán Crilly
Lisa Morgan from Castlewellan was a member of the victorious ladies Down team that won the All-Ireland Junior ladies Championship in 2000. In the same year Lisa was also voted Ulster Ladies Gaelic footballer of the year, and also received the ‘player of the match’ award in the All-Ireland final.
An accomplished player from an early age Lisa’s love for Gaelic football was nurtured by her maternal grandmother May Steele - Hall of Fame who was a life long ‘town’ supporter and member of the Castlewellan GAC club committee for many years. May was the driving force behind the commencement of ladies Gaelic football in the Town. Another great influence on Lisa’s career was her neighbour of many years the great Down All-Star Colm McAlarney. Colm coached the juvenile club players every Saturday morning for many years, and from the early age of eight years old Lisa would have joined the boys for these coaching sessions. It wasn’t long before Lisa’s potential was recognised and her determination and natural skills earned her a place on the under 10 boys team of the early nineties. In many ways Lisa was a pioneer of ladies football in the town, and her ability and enthusiasm soon led to many other young girls wanting to play the game. This led a few years later to the formation of an under 14 girls team and then to under 16 and finally a senior girls team was also formed and as Lisa progressed from juvenile to teenager she played at all 3 levels for the town club.
Ladies football was also introduced into St Malachy’s High School in Castlewellan in the early 1990s and Lisa soon starred in the school under 15 team, which she captained, before progressing to the school under 19 team. In 2001 this U19 team reached the final of the Ulster Schools competition and became runners-up. Lisa is also an accomplished Netball player having trialed for the Northern Ireland U17 team and was also a member the SouthEastern netball team.
In 1997 Lisa's sporting skills came to the attention of the fledging Ladies Junior County team and manager Seamus Braniff invited Lisa to join the team. Since then her football career has never looked back. Playing for Down at left corner forward left half forward and full forward Lisa has won many honours with the County. No doubt her greatest achievement was winning an All-Ireland junior ladies medal in 1999, but in the same year Lisa won the conveted Ulster GAA writers’ ‘Ladies Footballer of the Year’ award and received the player of the match award in the 1999 All-Ireland final. Her other achievements with the County have been Ulster B Championship winners and Ulster Champions 2000. Lisa also played for Ulster in 1999 (when the team won the Inter Provincial title), and in 2000. In 1999 Lisa also captained the U16 County team and in 2000 received U16 and senior player of the year awards. The honours still keep pouring in for Lisa still only 18 years of age in 2001. In that year Lisa received a South Eastern Education and Library Board 'Outstanding Achievement' award for already being one of the best ladies' gaelic football players in Ireland. (See photograph above)
At Club level Lisa has played a pivotal role winning numerous awards and leading the teams to many titles, and receiving team player of the year awards in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. In the summer of 2001 Lisa took up an invitation to play Gaelic in New York for Cavan ladies where she holds many happy memories. However Lisa’s happiest memory remains that memorable day in Croke Park when her team captain Jackie Clarke held aloft the All-Ireland Cup, bringing home the reality that they were All-Ireland Champions. The home coming to the County the following evening and particular the welcome-home party and open-top bus that awaited the team in Lisa’s home-town of Castlewellan makes her feel very proud to be a member of the town club.
Lisa Morgan, second from left, of St Malachy’s High School, Castlewellan and Castlewellan GAC receives her South Eastern Education and Library Board ‘Outstanding Achievement’ award for already being one of the best ladies’ gaelic football players in Ireland.
Lisa was a key member of the Down Ladies football team which won the All-Ireland Junior title in September 2000 and subsequently went on to collect the Ulster GAA writers’ ‘Ladies Footballer of the Year’ award. Also pictured are, from left, Nuala Cunningham (Principal, St Malachy’s HS Castlewellan), Aidan Durkin (Area Manager, Ulster Bank), and Donna Traynor (BBC).
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