The achievements of Tralee Magic’s U20 National Cup winners were recognised today at a Civic Acknowledgement Ceremony in the County Buildings, with Mayor of Tralee Terry O’Brien paying tribute to what this group of young women has achieved on a national stage.
For the girls, it was a really special moment — because being acknowledged at home, here in Tralee, just feels that bit more meaningful. It’s not often you get to stop and properly take in what you’ve done, but today was the perfect chance to do just that.
Team Captain Holly O’Brien, Head Coach Tomas O’Hanlon, and Club Chairman Roy Bowler attended on behalf of the squad, representing not just a Cup-winning team, but the wider group of people who helped get them there — coaches, families, supporters and volunteers who have been alongside them throughout.
Representing the team
Holly represented her teammates exactly as she does on court — confident, calm, clear, and full of pride in the group. In her remarks, she spoke about the Cup win as a huge moment, built on years of work together and plenty of late nights in Mounthawk. More than anything, she spoke about what it meant to do it as a group — the bonds formed, the memories made, and the responsibility they felt wearing Tralee Magic across the chest.
That sense of representing more than themselves came through strongly too. Holly spoke about playing for their families, the club, their supporters, and the town — and how that backing, week after week, is part of what makes a journey like this possible.
Holly also spoke honestly about this season’s semi-final loss — how much it hurt, because the group had put so much into defending their title. But she struck the right note too: development isn’t always linear, and seasons don’t always follow the script. Sometimes you get the reward, sometimes you get the lesson — and both matter.
What stood out was how she spoke about it as a shared experience. This group has learned how to handle the highs and the disappointments together — and that togetherness is a big part of why they’ve already achieved what they have. Importantly, it’s also why there’s real belief about what comes next: many of these girls will be back next year, bringing experience, edge, and plenty of motivation with them.
As part of her address, Holly thanked the people who have guided and supported the team throughout — Tomas O'Hanlon, Caitriona and Niamh Collins— as well as this year's team manager, Ranjna O'Donovan. Some of the parents checked - yes, she also acknowledged the families! aa well as supporters and volunteers who keep a volunteer-led club moving week after week.
Sticking together for the long run
One of the strongest parts of this team’s story is how long they’ve stayed the course together. Players develop at different speeds, setbacks happen, confidence rises and dips — but they kept showing up, kept working, and kept backing each other. Younger girls in the club notice that, and it’s a big reason this group has become such a good example.
That theme of consistency and long-term commitment was echoed in the other story being celebrated on the day: the four Griffin brothers, honoured for remarkable achievements in running and cycling across local, provincial, national and international stages. It was a lovely pairing — athletes who’ve dedicated a lifetime to their sport alongside a group of young women at the beginning of theirs — because the message was the same in both cases. Big days are built on small habits, repeated over time, with good people around you.
You could feel that connection in the room when Cllr. Paul Daly recalled the great Mick O’Dwyer saying, “We know how to win now, we’ll keep doing it.” It got a smile — but it also landed, because it captured something real about both sets of honourees: standards learned, belief earned, and the determination to keep pushing.
Club Chairman Roy Bowler also spoke about the pride felt across Tralee Magic in what the girls have done, the example they set, and the importance of continuing to provide the right opportunities for them to keep developing.
While the Cup win was a milestone, the bigger story is the pathway behind it: a volunteer-led club, a community that backs its teams, and a group of players showing the younger girls watching them what’s possible when you stay the course.
Thats why is season’s semi-final loss doesn’t take a single thing away from what this group has achieved or the standards they’ve set — if anything, it underlines them. Champions aren’t defined by one result, but by the habits they build, the way they respond, and the level they bring every time they pull on a Tralee Magic jersey. They’ve already shown what they’re capable of on the national stage, and they’re not finished — this team is still looking forward, still hungry, and with so much talent and experience in the group, the future is genuinely exciting. 💙
Congratulations to the Griffin brothers on a brilliant and well-deserved acknowledgement — and congratulations again to our U20 girls on an honour they can be forever proud.
#TheseGirlsAreMagic #ThisClubIsMagic
For the girls, it was a really special moment — because being acknowledged at home, here in Tralee, just feels that bit more meaningful. It’s not often you get to stop and properly take in what you’ve done, but today was the perfect chance to do just that.
Team Captain Holly O’Brien, Head Coach Tomas O’Hanlon, and Club Chairman Roy Bowler attended on behalf of the squad, representing not just a Cup-winning team, but the wider group of people who helped get them there — coaches, families, supporters and volunteers who have been alongside them throughout.
Representing the team
Holly represented her teammates exactly as she does on court — confident, calm, clear, and full of pride in the group. In her remarks, she spoke about the Cup win as a huge moment, built on years of work together and plenty of late nights in Mounthawk. More than anything, she spoke about what it meant to do it as a group — the bonds formed, the memories made, and the responsibility they felt wearing Tralee Magic across the chest.
That sense of representing more than themselves came through strongly too. Holly spoke about playing for their families, the club, their supporters, and the town — and how that backing, week after week, is part of what makes a journey like this possible.
Holly also spoke honestly about this season’s semi-final loss — how much it hurt, because the group had put so much into defending their title. But she struck the right note too: development isn’t always linear, and seasons don’t always follow the script. Sometimes you get the reward, sometimes you get the lesson — and both matter.
What stood out was how she spoke about it as a shared experience. This group has learned how to handle the highs and the disappointments together — and that togetherness is a big part of why they’ve already achieved what they have. Importantly, it’s also why there’s real belief about what comes next: many of these girls will be back next year, bringing experience, edge, and plenty of motivation with them.
As part of her address, Holly thanked the people who have guided and supported the team throughout — Tomas O'Hanlon, Caitriona and Niamh Collins— as well as this year's team manager, Ranjna O'Donovan. Some of the parents checked - yes, she also acknowledged the families! aa well as supporters and volunteers who keep a volunteer-led club moving week after week.
Sticking together for the long run
One of the strongest parts of this team’s story is how long they’ve stayed the course together. Players develop at different speeds, setbacks happen, confidence rises and dips — but they kept showing up, kept working, and kept backing each other. Younger girls in the club notice that, and it’s a big reason this group has become such a good example.
That theme of consistency and long-term commitment was echoed in the other story being celebrated on the day: the four Griffin brothers, honoured for remarkable achievements in running and cycling across local, provincial, national and international stages. It was a lovely pairing — athletes who’ve dedicated a lifetime to their sport alongside a group of young women at the beginning of theirs — because the message was the same in both cases. Big days are built on small habits, repeated over time, with good people around you.
You could feel that connection in the room when Cllr. Paul Daly recalled the great Mick O’Dwyer saying, “We know how to win now, we’ll keep doing it.” It got a smile — but it also landed, because it captured something real about both sets of honourees: standards learned, belief earned, and the determination to keep pushing.
Club Chairman Roy Bowler also spoke about the pride felt across Tralee Magic in what the girls have done, the example they set, and the importance of continuing to provide the right opportunities for them to keep developing.
While the Cup win was a milestone, the bigger story is the pathway behind it: a volunteer-led club, a community that backs its teams, and a group of players showing the younger girls watching them what’s possible when you stay the course.
Thats why is season’s semi-final loss doesn’t take a single thing away from what this group has achieved or the standards they’ve set — if anything, it underlines them. Champions aren’t defined by one result, but by the habits they build, the way they respond, and the level they bring every time they pull on a Tralee Magic jersey. They’ve already shown what they’re capable of on the national stage, and they’re not finished — this team is still looking forward, still hungry, and with so much talent and experience in the group, the future is genuinely exciting. 💙
Congratulations to the Griffin brothers on a brilliant and well-deserved acknowledgement — and congratulations again to our U20 girls on an honour they can be forever proud.
#TheseGirlsAreMagic #ThisClubIsMagic
