JoJo Degl Helps Bring Home Gaelic football Championship

Photo by Sophia Degl

In 2022, JoJo Degl celebrated a section one lacrosse championship, and crossing the Hudson to defeat Somers was no bother. However, it wasn’t the only body of water she traversed this year, and making the New York Gaelic football team, she traveled to Dublin for the John West Feile Championships. An amazing accomplishment for each of the 24 girls, the New Yorkers were probably happy just to compete in Ireland’s game, and once all was said and done, the team followed suit by simply going to McDonald’s. Still, the Irish on hand were taken aback and not just because of the New York jerseys.

“What are you doing with the (John West Féile All-Ireland Division) cup,” the sophomore conveyed the shock and took pride in being the first team from New York to win the Division 1 Championship.

The teams come from New York, Boston, Dublin, Continental Europe and London and are comprised of 88 boys and girls teams. New York went 5-0 at the Kilmacud Crokes Club and took the final game over Galway by a score of 17-2. “It was insane,” said Degl, who was joined in victory by Mahopac’s Gianna Dolan and Niamh and Fiona Kelleher.

But how did a John Jay kid become acquainted with a game that is played by Europeans who somehow mixed it up with real football. “My mom is Irish,” Degl revealed.

There’s also a big Irish community in Yonkers, where the Degl’s lived and play flourishes. “I got to know the game, started playing and fell in love,” she said.

On the field at five years old, she learned footballers don’t exactly dig in their heels. “The game is mostly played in the air,” Degl informed.

The itinerary set, the round ball moves off the foot and the hands. Kick passed or punched, the players can catch and run and then kick or punch a pass into the goal for three points or drop kick between the uprights for one.

So up or down, Degl gravitated to a position that kept her coming and going. “Basically you control the field as a midfielder,” said Degl, “I need to be back on defense if the girls are falling behind. Then if you need an extra passer to bring the ball upfield, the midfielder helps create more scoring opportunities.”

Eventually heading north, Degl hooked on with Westput Celtanta in 2016 and has competed among the six New York State teams in the Gaelic Athletic Association. She made her mark and was selected to the 2020 Division 2 New York team bound for Dublin. Unfortunately, Covid canceled the competition.

Undeterred, Degl was among the 65 players trying out and made the final cut in February. In between her lacrosse commitment, Degl made as many football practices as possible and the early morning and late night time slots weren’t the hardest part. “You kind of dread practice, because there’s so much running,” she lamented.

The girls gave it their all nonetheless. “We practiced so hard for so many months,” she said.

The measured aspirations upon taking fight ended up going above and beyond, though. “Our hopes were just to do the best we could,” recalled Degl, “and we got a lot more than we hoped.”

All the games taking place on July 2, the first three rounds were a breeze. New York beat Mayo 26-3, Kilkenny 27-7 and Kerry 22-6.

Two wins to go, the real test came in the semis, and Cork gaining a 2-0 lead after 30 seconds said as much. “We were like uh-oh,” Degl remembered.

The refs were no help either. “They did not want to see a New York team win,” she asserted.

Worse yet, Cork took advantage of a host of silent whistles. “They were very, very dirty,” Degl complained.

So when a Cork player went WWE and sent the New York goalie to the canvas, Degl stood tall. “We took it upon ourselves to yell at that girl, and when I say ‘we,’ I mean ‘I,’ Degl assured.

Degl made it clear that New York didn’t get off the plane to be pushed around. “I said, ‘keep your hands off my goalie,'” Degl boasted, “and sure enough she didn’t foul anyone else.”

The baseline set, Degl had a hand in turning the early tide. “I got a turnover on defense, carried upfield and the offense got us on the board,” she said.

Ball control then proved crucial. “We had possession most of the time, and we made use to put scores on the board,” said Degl.

Even so, the home crowd was well behaved. But they did get loud, and Degl stepped up in that arena too. “I looked over a few times, gave a few dirty looks and told people to quiet down,” she asserted.

A 14-4 victory closer than it looked, the final whistle had good sports all around. “We swapped jerseys, and they were very, very sweet,” said Degl.

But fashion wasn’t the only thing that changed hands. The cup flew home with New York, and the symbolism was undeniable. “To go back to Ireland and win the whole thing, against girls that have been born into this game, to go undefeated and bring the cup back to NY,” she extolled, “It just means so much to us.”

So conquering the international stage, Degl might just be too big for John Jay now. “Oh my gosh,” she gushed, “never.”

Instead, she hopes others follow her Gaelic footsteps. “I give all the credit to the athlete I am today because of the physicality, the running, the game knowledge and the hand-eye coordination,” she concluded. “It helps with everything I ever do."