Northern Ireland, playing as Ulster, enjoyed double success at the inaugural inter-provincial walking football championships.
Both the Over-60s and Over-70s teams won their respective overall titles in the competition staged at Limerick University playing fields in Castletroy on the outskirts of Limerick City.
The Republic of Ireland Walking Football Association (ROIWFA) hosted the event, which featured teams from the four provinces on the island of Ireland along with teams representing the Irish diaspora in Britain.
It turned out to be both an historic and successful competition for both of the Northern Ireland teams as they won their first major titles.
Northern Ireland Over-60s got off to a solid start with a 1-1 draw with North Irish UK. Striker Anthony Cafolla scored for Ulster.
This was followed up by a 2-0 win over a strong London Irish team, and both goals were again scored by Cafolla.
The last match of the group stage was against Munster who had ex-League of Ireland player and manager Dennis Clarke in their ranks. A late goal from Jim Gorman saw NI into the final with a 1-0 win.
Strong performances throughout from goalkeeper Ray Ritchie and defender Ray Hunter ensured NI were hard to beat.
The final, against Midlands Irish, was again dominated by Northern Ireland but they just could not find a winner.
It finished 0-0 after regulation time (15 mins each way), so a penalty shootout followed. And NI (Ulster) won it 2-1, with both Michael Mahood and captain Keith Campbell successful from the spot.
The Over-70s section was played on a round-robin basis, with each game lasting 14 minutes.
With six matches to play, the whole squad was utilised throughout.
First up was a game against South Irish UK and a 1-0 win saw Ulster off to a great start, Tom Stewart getting the goal.
Another 1-0 win followed, this time over Munster. It featured a strong performance from Harry Larkin and a rare Eddie Kelly goal.
Game three saw NI draw 0-0 with Leinster. Ellis Harvey in goals and George Bowden in defence did not allow the opposition any chances, while Freddie Cooley came close to breaking the deadlock.
Next up was an encounter with Midlands Irish. Roy Farrington went close on a few occasions before Tom Stewart again got the winner.
NI stepped up their game with a convincing 3-1 win over Dublin, thanks to goals from Tom Stewart, Drew Mearns and David Lemon.
The final game, against Connacht, provided the icing on the cake. A goal from Lemon was enough to secure a 1-0 win and the overall title.
Manager Gary Barclay said he was delighted to finally win a top level competition, having come close on a number of occasions.
He said the double success was a fantastic achievement and was also proof the NIWFF and Irish FA support for walking football is starting to bear fruit.
He further said that the door is open to all players current and new to be involved at this level for next year’s World Cup.
First step is to contact David Lemon at squeezy.lemon@btinternet.com who will put players in touch with their nearest walking football group.
Image: The victorious Northern Ireland Over-60s and Over-70s walking football squads.
