By Ciaran Woods

c.woods@gaeliclife.com

THERE'S always something special about siblings playing alongside each other. Just last weekend we watched the McMahon, McGuigan and Cavanagh brothers all line out and win an All-Ireland title with Tyrone. There's a unique bond, an understanding that only siblings can forge. However, it's a very different scenario when brothers or sisters are lining out on opposite sides. The rivalry and intensity is taken to a whole new level.

Over the years, that's been the case in the Conway household. The family live in Moneymore, in Ardtrea parish. However, when Kathy wanted to play football there was no local team, so she started playing with Glen, based in Maghera. Since then, Ardtrea have formed a team of their own and the two teams have become fierce rivals as they battle for supremacy in the Oak Leaf county. The problem is that Kathy's older sister Mary-Angela and younger sister Grace both play for Ardtrea, so Kathy is very much in the minority in her own house.

This Sunday however, both Kathy and Mary-Angela will line out around the middle of the field for Derry's senior ladies side as they go up against London at Croke Park for the All-Ireland junior championship title.

Kathy will soon celebrate her 23rd birthday, with Mary-Angela 15 months her senior. However, it was the younger of the sisters who started her playing career first and has enjoyed a great deal of success since then, but her sisters are doing all they can to catch up, making for a difficult situation in the household in the build-up to the games.

Kathy explained, "I started playing for the local boys team in Moneymore when I was about seven or eight, whereas Mary-Angela was more into the piano. When she was 14 or 15 she joined the local club that had started up, Ardtrea, just mainly to keep fit. Since then, she has improved immensely, has got the competitive bite and has developed into being a great footballer.

"Things between us can be quite intense at times, I'd have to say. Glen-Ardtrea games are never easy in our house. I think it has come to the point where Daddy is basically banned from going to the games, because it's very hard for him and being the good clubman that he is it's very hard for me to hear him shouting for the opposition. Mummy is kind of the pacifier in the house and tries to keep everything together. It's just great now to play together on the field."

Kathy recalls one particular tie where the intensity reached new heights. Although they have never actually marked each other on the pitch, Kathy reveals that they've often got up close and personal on the field when their clubs meet.

"There was one game, a league final, where we both lined out at midfield. But the other two midfielders did the decent thing and swapped with us so that we weren't actually marking each other. There have been plenty of times that we've went into one-on-one's and 50-50's, and that can be a bit intense because Mary-Angela can be pretty fiery on the field!"

Her older sister also admits that a break from the usual fierce rivalry has been extremely welcome. When they play together for Derry the girls get to experience something they haven't done before, and Mary-Angela is hoping that they will have one last big celebration together before they once again go their separate ways.

"It's fantastic and one of the highlights of playing for the county has been getting to play alongside Kathy. Before an Ardtrea-Glen match, things in the house tend to get a bit hectic and Kathy is outnumbered because Grace also plays with me for Ardtrea. So far I've managed to resist any temptation to injure her in the run-up to one of the games.

"I think what makes our relationship on the Derry team so special is that we don't get to play together for a club team. When we won the semi-final against Antrim, the first person I wanted to go to was Kathy because we don't ever get to celebrate together."

Last year Mary-Angela was the physio for the Derry county team, so it's a huge turnaround in the space of 12 months to go from being a member of the medical team to starting midfield as one of the key cogs in the Derry machine. However, the rise to prominence has been so rapid that Mary-Angela admits that it's almost taken her by surprise, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

"We're out two or three nights with the county and another two or three with the club, so it's very hectic but I wouldn't want it any other way. I wouldn't change it. It's just great that football is lasting longer than it has done in the past few years! To be honest, I still can't believe that I'm there. When Kathy said at the start of the year that Mary-Jo [Walls] had text her and wanted me out for the county, my question was "Why?" I wasn't for going, I didn't think I was up to that level or that standard. I just play football more for the fun. I thought I'd go and give it a go, and now it's football first for me, which is a massive change."

Although she has saw her own game come on in leaps and bounds over the course of the season, Mary-Angela admits that she'll have to attempt to replicate the cool-headedness of her more experienced sister ahead of their Croke Park outing.

"I'm known to have a bit of a temper, but thankfully I've managed to control that a bit better this year with the county. Kathy is much more level-headed, she's been in these sorts of situations so many times before so it'll be her keeping me right ahead of the game and probably during the game too.

I'm driving more in club football because of what I'm doing with the county. It's definitely brought my own game on and I've learnt so much from it. But Kathy will always be the main footballer, that's something that isn't going to change."

Despite her sibling's modest modesty, Kathy is quick to sing the praises of her older sister and what she has achieved this season. As they prepare for the biggest game of their careers, Kathy is confident that the Conway double-act can once again serve the Oak Leaf county well as they attempt to bring a first national title back to Derry.

"She's definitely come on well this season and has been doing a fantastic job. It was good working with her out around the midfield area, I think it worked well. I know what way Mary-Angela reacts to games and it's great when you're out on the field to be able to be encouraging each other. If I've got the ball, I know Mary-Angela will be there alongside me because she's got a great workrate. She also got forward to score a point in the last game, so she's definitely playing well."

In the last 12 months, Kathy has collected an All-Ireland Sevens title, an Ulster intermediate club title, and finished as runners-up in the All-Ireland intermediate club final with Glen, an All-Ireland Division One league, Dowd Cup and All-Ireland O'Connor Cup with UUJ, the Interprovincial title with Ulster, and the Ulster junior title with Derry. It's been an incredibly successful period in her footballing career, but she is experienced enough to know that you can take absolutely nothing for granted.

She has walked the All-Ireland path with her club side less than 12 months ago, the pain of that club final defeat still cuts deep, but she heads into the game confident that Derry can finish the job and make the All-Ireland title their own.

"Probably losing an All-Ireland final last year with the club has given me that drive to go on and win one this year with the county. I know I've won an All-Ireland title with UUJ, but that came from having to got beat in the final the previous year. Having the experience of being so close last year, if we're coming near the end a point down again, then I think I'd be able to react better. The pressure and everything is there just as it was last year. I'm feeling exactly as I did in the week leading up to the All-Ireland club final. It's do or die.

"Mary-Angela and the other girls may not have felt that before, but they'll be just as psyched up and motivated. There are nine players from Glen on the squad, and hopefully our experiences of last season can see us through it."

And one thing is for certain, the pair of sisters will have the undivided support of the entire Conway household behind them this time.

Side panel - Teams/Previews

TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship Final

Sunday, Croke Park, 4.00pm

Cork v Monaghan

The Farney girls will attempt to bridge an 11 year gap as they take to the field this Sunday in their bid to win back the Brendan Martin Cup. It's been eight years since Monaghan went down by a solitary point to Mayo in 2002, and that's too long by their high standards.

The Oriel side will look to some of the survivors from that ill-fated campaign once again this time around. Captain Niamh Kindlon is the side's top scorer this summer, and she is the orchestrator of the Monaghan attack. Alongside her, Therese McNally and Catriona McConnell are the key link players out wide, supplying ball into the full-forward line. Both also have the happy habit of popping up for goals. Inside, Ciara McAnespie has become one of the most dangerous attackers in Ulster football, and will feed off veteran Edel Byrne, whose ball-winning abilty and powerful play will make her a handful for the Cork rearguard.

Midfield will be another area where there will be a real tussle. Monaghan duo of Amanda Casey and Isobelle Kierans have performed well so far, but they have not come up against anything as formidable as Juliet Murphy and Briege Corkery, who destroyed Tyrone with an outstanding performance. The Monaghan rearguard played extremely well last time out against Mayo, and they will have their hands full again as Sharon Courtney, Christina Reilly and Aoife McAnespie attempt to put the shackles on a Cork attack led by Valerie Mulcahy.

Cork will start as clear favourites, but you can never write off Monaghan and if the Farney side can stay in touch and avoid conceding goals, then Cork may just find themselves toppled from their perch.

Monaghan team v Cork

1. Linda Martin (Donaghmoyne)

2. Grainne McNally (Emyvale)

3. Sharon Courtney (Donaghmoyne)

4. Christina O'Reilly (Magheracloone)

5. Aoife McAnespie (Emyvale)

6. Angela Lennon (Donaghmoyne)

7. Fiona Courtney (Donaghmoyne)

8. Amanda Casey (Donaghmoyne)

9. Isobelle Kierans (Innskeen)

10. Catriona McConnell (Donaghmoyne)

11. Niamh Kindlon (Captain) (Magheracloone)

12. Therese McNally (Emyvale)

13. Ciara McAnespie (Emyvale)

14. Edel Byrne (Magheracloone)

15. Nicola Fahy (Emyvale)

TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Junior Football Championship Final

Sunday, Croke Park, 12.00pm

Derry v London

The Oak Leaf girls will bid to take their place in history by claiming their first All-Ireland title this Sunday as they take on a London side bidding to make up for last year's final heartache.

There's very much a Glen feel to proceedings, with seven Glen girls on the starting line-up, while managers Mary-Jo Walls and Pearse McCallan also have connections with the club. Derry are a very different proposition this year compared to previous campaigns and they look well equipped for Sunday's clash. However, they will rely heavily on the efforts of two jet-setters, Una Harkin who has taken up a teaching post in Dubai and only flies home tonight, Friday, and the recently-married Ashleen Kealey who returned from honeymoon on Thursday.

The scene is set for an historic Derry victory and having come so far on their roller-coaster championship campaign they will not let the opportunity slip by them at the final hurdle.

Derry team V London

1. Breigeen Cassidy (Glen)

2. Nuala Doherty (Bredagh)

3. Nuala O'Hagan (Glen)

4. Naomi McMullan (Faughanvale)

5. Dervla McMaster (Glen)

6. Una Harkin (Doire Colmcille)

7. Clare Lagan (Glen)

8. Mary Angela Conway (Ardtrea)

9. Kathy Conway (Glen)

10. Julie McLaughlin (Doire Colmcille)

11. Ashleen Kealey (Dungiven)

12. Shauna McCallion (Doire Colmcille)

13. Ursula Mullan (Glen)

14. Louise Glass (Captain) (Glen)

15. Aine McCusker (Ardtrea)