Strong North Tipp presence ahead of new League of Ireland season
By Gary Culbert
With the Airtricity League of Ireland growing in popularity and with the start of the new season just over two weeks away, there will be more North Tipperary representation than ever at various clubs in both the men’s and women’s leagues.
Last week we carried the news that Barry Coffey has signed for Cobh Ramblers after being released by Cork City.
Jack Brady joins Drogheda
Former Lough Derg FC goalkeeper Jack Brady has signed for FAI Cup champions Drogheda United for the new season.
Brady made his professional debut ten years ago by Kevin Doherty at Shelbourne, and his captain at the time was Daire Doyle. In August, Drogheda United announced Kevin Doherty as their new manager, with Doyle joining as assistant manager, and just four months later the new management team announced their first signing, Jack Brady.
Now 27, Jack will be taking a career break from his teaching job to play football on a full-term basis for the first time in his career, as he outlined in an interview with the Drogheda Independent.
“To be given the opportunity to play full-time at this age is something I couldn’t say no to,” he said.
“Because to be honest, it’s an opportunity that may never come again… now all I have to focus on is making sure my body is right… before, my work rate was split but now I’m a full-time athlete”.
Brady will be competing with Luke Dennison for Drogheda’s number 1 jersey this season. Brady played in a 2-2 draw at home to Bray Wanderers in a behind closed doors friendly on January 18th but was on the bench for Drogheda’s 3-0 win at home to Longford Town in the Leinster Senior Cup on Saturday.
Treaty United
Former Nenagh Celtic centre half, Mark Walsh will continue to captain the Treaty United senior men’s team and will be once again joined by Nenagh native Nikodem Kozlowski.
Speaking to TreatyUnitedFC.com, senior team manager Tommy Barrett was happy to have Niko re-signed for the new season and is looking forward to further helping the twenty-year-old’s development:
“We’re delighted to have Niko back for the new season. Niko is technically a very good player and we’re working on building his engine and making him that bit more athletic. He has done a lot of work during the off-season and is looking fitter and sharper, so we hope that he can progress further this year,” he said.
Treaty recently doubled up on their Nenagh representation in the squad with the addition of Cian Carmody. The 18-year-old was most recently at St Patrick’s Athletic as part of their under 20 squad, but this season he will be coached by Nenagh brothers Cillian & Oisin Fitzpatrick, who are assistant managers for the Treaty United under 20 team.
Elsewhere in the dugout, former Nenagh AFC coach, Dave Rooney will be the assistant manager and goalkeeper coach for the Treaty United senior team, whose pre-season games continue this week, at home to Sligo Rovers this Friday evening in the Markets Field at 6.30pm, and away to Fairview United this Saturday at 3.00pm.
Treaty have also dipped into the huge talent pool of female players that are being produced in North Tipperary.
Cloughjordan native and Ballymackey FC underage winger Mioda O’Shea lined out for Treaty’s under 17s last Saturday in a pre-season friendly against Athlone Town, where the Limerick outfit came out the wrong side of a 1-0 scoreline. Mioda’s next match will be an away trip to Mounthawk Park on February 8th, for a 3.00pm kick off against Kerry FC in another pre-season friendly.
Former Lough Derg underage centre-half Ava Neary has made the step up from the Treaty’s under 17 team to the under 19 squad this season, and it was recently announced that she will be joined by some of her former adversaries from the NTSFL.
Former Ballymackey underage striker Clodagh Daly has signed from Shamrock Rovers while centre half Megan O’Reilly has joined directly from BT Harps.
Now a defender, Clodagh Daly most recently played a crucial role in The Hoops team that won the women’s under 17 league and cup double last season. Despite being eligible for under 17 football last season, Clodagh lined out for Shamrock Rovers at under 19 level and was also part of The Hoops senior squad on a number of occasions.
“We are delighted to welcome Clodagh to Treaty United Football club,” said new Treaty manager Sean Russell.
“Clodagh has a lot of the qualities to become a real top defender. She is aggressive off the ball and calm and comfortable in possession. We are very excited to see her out in the Markets field this year in the Blue and White of Treaty United.”
Clodagh has been capped at U15, U16 & U17 level for the Republic of Ireland, but she has no plans for that to be the peak of her career. A real measure of this young woman’s hunger for progression and belief in her abilities is in fact her transfer to Treaty United, as the motivation behind the move is understood to be a desire to play Senior football, even though she is just 17 years old.
Megan O’Reilly played at every age group for BT Harps, including junior soccer, but for Treaty she will only be a member of the under 19 squad, where she will link up with former Killavilla player Ella Carey, who is set for a second successive season with Treaty at under 19 grade.
The Treaty senior women play Sligo Rovers this Saturday in Athenry, with a number of North Tipp players potentially making their senior debuts for the club, kick off is at 3.00pm.
Grace Ehinger and Lily Ann O’Meara, who came through the ranks at Knigh United and Killavilla United & BT Harps respectively, will be members of both the under 19 and senior squads this season at Treaty.
Grace spent last season with Treaty United women’s under 17s, whilst Lily Ann was with Wexford Youths women’s under 17s. But what both of these forwards have in common is that they were part of James Scott’s Ireland women’s under 17 squad in 2024 and will be looking to stay in the international fold with strong club performances, be it for the under 19 or senior team.
On the move
Elsewhere in the Women’s League of Ireland, Wexford FC confirmed last week that Ceola Bergin has left the club. Ceola is a Roscrea native and made her LOI senior debut with Wexford, making 40 first team appearances during her time in the sunny south east.
The 18-year-old was part of the Ireland women’s under 19 international squad throughout 2024 and is currently without a club but is rumoured to be in talks to sign for Galway United for the upcoming season.
Also on the move was Knigh United’s Ellen Meaney, who played her last game for Knigh on January 18th ahead of a move to Klub Kildare women’s under 17s, who will take part in the EA Sports Women’s Under 17 League this season.