As every April comes around while most of us are thinking ahead to longer summer days, there is one section of the Gaelic Games family more concerned with the upcoming Féile. This year was no different as over the weekend of 5/6th April in excess of 1,500 15 year old girls (and some younger) came together with their friends to represent their clubs and communities in the 2025 Dublin Camogie Féile.

On Sunday 6th, our winners of the 10 divisions were crowned in a wonderful day of camogie in the NGDC Abbotstown. A big part of our Féile weekend has always been the Skills Competition which traditionally has been held on the Friday evening before the group games throw in the following morning. This year, as the Féile was held in early April it was decided to move from that evening before due to concerns over possible fading light.

Instead, on Good Friday April 18th at 2pm in the Camogie Grounds Phoenix Park, over 70 girls from across the county will compete against each other on 6 specific skills. The challenge is to determine who will be crowned Féile Skills Champion for 2025. Our winner will go on to represent Dublin in the National Féile Skills competition which will be held in June. The Féile Skills competition is very different to the main Féile as this is an individual competition where there is no physical contact but mastery of the fundamental camogie skills is essential.

The competitors are broken into 6 groups and move around a set course of skills which includes:

1. Ground Striking

2. Free Taking

3. Jab-Lifting and striking on the run

4. Lift, soloing and goal scoring

5. Puc Fada

6. Sideline cut

Executing these 6 skills in your local park can be difficult enough. When we add in the unusual situation of performing in front of your peers and supporters, you can see that to be crowned Féile Skills Champion also takes high concentration and mental fortitude.

Every girl who puts their name forward deserves praise and all of our support, whether she represents our club or our traditional rivals.

So, the ask of the Camogie and wider Gaelic Games family is to head to the camogie grounds on Friday afternoon and cheer on these wonderful athletes.