WHEN LAURA GALLAGHER first walked into the Burn Road as a 14-year-old, little did she think about the success that would follow.
The now 25-year-old has bid farewell to Termon and returned to her native Glenswilly, leaving behind a thousand saves and a million memories.
Goalkeeper Gallagher was recruited by Harry McGlynn when she was 14 and a student at Loreto Convent.
Termon were on the look out for a ‘keeper and Gallagher was convinced.
She would go on to have unbridled glory at Termon, including the winning of the All-Ireland senior club championship in 2014, not to mention repeated success at county and All-Ireland Comortas Peile na Gaeltachta finals, Donegal SFC finals and two Ulster finals.
Glenswilly, though, has always been home.
The ladies team has been up and running again since 2014 when Charlie McClafferty and Hazel White laid the foundations and Gallagher, a sister of Donegal midfielder Neil Gallagher, will pull on the Glenswilly shirt this year.
“There’s a big push on in Glenswilly now and they want the girls to achieve – it’s time that we developed the club in Glenswilly and I’d love to see Glenswilly become what Termon has become,” Gallagher told Donegal Sport Hub.
“There are so many young girls in Glenswilly out playing now. It’s great to see.
“They’re all full of enthusiasm. We want to keep them positive and keep them motivated.
“I wanted them to be up and going first before I went back. Sometimes you don’t know how long it’ll stay and thinks were going so well at Termon. Francie Friel had plans in place for major success and then I didn’t just want to leave in a rush after we won the All-Ireland.
“Both clubs have been very understanding, but it’s time now and it’ll be a proud moment when I pull on the Glenswilly jersey.”
The highlight of Gallagher’s decade in the maroon of Termon was undoubtedly that November Sunday in Tuam in 2014 when they defeated Mourneabbey from Cork 3-12 to 1-13.
“You just couldn’t beat that one,” said Gallagher.
“We had a lot of heartbreaks in there too, but we had great success. You’d rarely get that with one team. For five years there we had some unbelievable days. We just stayed together and kept winning – it really was like a family.
“The All-Ireland win was the best of it, but the first county senior title was special too and there was the day we won the All-Ireland Gaeltachta in Mayo – that felt like the All-Ireland that day.”
Gallagher got a call-up to the Donegal senior panel from then manager Davy McLaughlin in 2014 and has now established herself as the county’s number 1 goalkeeper.
“I just said: ‘Why not give it a go?’ when Davy rang me,” Gallagher said.
“I accepted the challenge and it’s been great. There’s a good strong team there and we had a brilliant year last year winning Ulster.”
The coaching at county level from Tony Blake and that at club level from Paul McDaid has aided Gallagher’s transformation into one of the top goalkeepers in the country.
Now, she takes her experiences home to Glenswilly, under the charge this year of Gerard McGinty.
“It’ll be a big change, but I’m looking forward to getting back to Glenswilly,” she said.
“It’s just a new challenge that’s upon me and I want to grab it with both hands.”
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