15th October 2026
When Killeavy St Monnina’s and Crossmaglen Rangers go head-to-head in the Senior Championship final this weekend, two local families will be cheering from opposite sides.
But away from the pitch, foster carers Anita and Joe Feenan and Jim and Michelle McConville share something far more important than club colour: a passion for helping children and young people feel safe, supported and part of a family.
On Sunday 18th October, all eyes will be on the Box-It Athletic Grounds as Killeavy and Crossmaglen battle it out for one of Armagh’s top prizes.
Anita and Joe will be cheering on their son-in-law Ciaron O’Hanlon, who plays for Killeavy, while Jim and Michelle will be backing their son Cian in the Crossmaglen jersey.
Between them, the couples have more than 34 years of fostering experience, opening their home and their hearts to children and young people and showing that, when it comes to making a difference, there is room for everyone on the team.
The McConvilles: making every child feel part of the team
The McConvilles
Jim and Michelle McConville have been fostering for more than 10 years. When their own children were growing up, they felt it was the right time to offer another child a safe and welcoming place to stay.
Working full-time, they found that short-break fostering was the perfect fit for their family.
It allows them to care for school-age children and teenagers at weekends, during holidays and over the summer, giving their full-time foster carers a much-needed break while providing children with new experiences, happy memories and a sense of normality.
For Michelle, one of the greatest rewards is building trust and helping children feel that someone is firmly in their corner.
And for this GAA-loving family, sport is one way of helping children find their feet.
“We are a big GAA family like most around here. We follow our local clubs and follow Armagh closely. Sport is at the heart of our community — it brings people together and gives the kids a real sense of belonging and identity.
“When a child first comes to stay with us, sport is a brilliant icebreaker. Whether it’s GAA, soccer or anything else, it gives us an easy, neutral topic to chat about and it helps them feel included straight away.
She added: “We try to get to matches whenever we can, especially local games. The children we care for love the atmosphere — the buzz of the crowd, cheering on their team, and just being part of something big. For many of them it’s about feeling part of the community and having fun with friends and family.”
As the Crossmaglen and Killeavy rivalry takes centre stage, Michelle is looking forward to watching their son Cian.
“The Crossmaglen and Killeavy final is a massive occasion for South Armagh — two great clubs with fantastic community spirit. No matter who wins, it should be a great final. It’s great to hear that there’s foster families on both sides. It shows fostering is everywhere in our communities and can be part of family life.
“My advice to anyone thinking about fostering would be — just make that first enquiry. You don’t need to know all the answers, and you don’t need to offer every type of care. If you can offer a safe, kind and stable space, even for one weekend per month, you can make a huge difference. Providing short breaks has changed our family for the better.”
The Feenans: a family team built on belonging
For Anita and Joe Feenan, fostering has been a part of family life for 24 years.
Their journey began when their youngest of four children was seven. Feeling fortunate to have a loving hoe and a spare bedroom, Anita decided to find out more about fostering, despite having no previous connections to foster care.
The Feenans
Her first attempt at finding the right contact was not quite a championship-winning start: she rang a number from the Yellow Pages, only to discover she had reached the benefits office!
Thankfully, she was redirected to the Family Placement Team in Dromolane in their local Trust area, which is now accessed through HSC NI Adoption and Foster Care and the rest, as they say, is history.
Over the years, Anita and Joe have provided emergency, short-break, short-term and long-term care, mainly supporting teenagers aged 12 to 16.
One emergency placement was meant to last just three days. The 10-year-old boy arrived at their home and ended up staying four years.
That lasting sense of belonging is one of the things Anita treasures most about fostering.
She loves seeing young people settle into family life, relax in their surroundings and begin to call the house their home. She also enjoys seeing former foster children return as adults, sometimes with partners and children of their own.
“Our foster family love sports. We are very proud of the GAA. It is a brilliant organisation. It includes all children and young people from all backgrounds. The young people in our care love the excitement of the days out at County football. A few young people have played Gaelic throughout the years. It’s great to see them socialising with other young people and it helps to build their confidence.”
She said: “Our local team is Whitecross and our four grandchildren play. We will be cheering Killeavy on in the Senior Championship final this weekend. Fingers crossed for our son-in-law Ciaron O’Hanlon who plays for Killeavy. He and our daughter Hannah are a massive support to us in fostering. They always help out when needed and care for the young people if we are away for the day or overnight.
“We have experienced many rewards to fostering. Firstly, we have gained a family. We love seeing young people who we have cared for, coming back to visit us as adults. They come with their partners, wives or children. A young man who stayed with us between the ages of 13 is now the Godfather to one of our grandchildren. Also, we love seeing how they have developed into good citizens with careers. It’s rewarding to know we have made a difference to their lives.”
Anita’s advice for anyone thinking of fostering is to ask plenty of questions.
“Don’t overthink the role. The first few years I tried to be the perfect Foster Carer, stressing over homework and worrying, ‘Are we doing a good enough job?’. Then a Social Worker advised us to relax and just provide a safe environment and treat the children as we would our own. This was great advice.
“I would encourage anyone interested in fostering to give it a go. What’s the worst thing that could happen? All children deserve a safe, loving home.
Could you be part of a child’s team?
Ulster GAA continues to lend its support to HSC NI Foster Care by encouraging its members and supporters to consider fostering. Get in touch today to start your fostering journey.
Call HSC NI Foster Care on 0800 0720 137 or visit adoptionandfostercare.hscni.net for more information.
When it comes to fostering, there is no final whistle on the difference you can make.