Tag Archives: Banner ladies

It was celebration time for Banner Ladies following their Senior A Ladies Football final victory at Miltown Malbay. The final score Banner Ladies 3-8 West Clare Gaels 0-6

Derek Dormer watched The Banner Ladies overcome atrocious weather condititions to beat Kilmihil 0-9 to 0-6 and win a 13th senior ladies football title in 15 years   AFTER a dour struggle in atrocious weather conditions it was dual star Niamh O’Dea who must take all the plaudits as she almost single handedly dragged The Banner Ladies from four down to kick the last seven scores in a tough tight tense battle with Kilmihil. With the incessant rain and almost gale like wind this was never going to be a free flowing contest but it was still an engaging battle between Clares two best sides in what has now become their almost annual County final showdown, that kept patrons entertained throughout. In fact this County final can best be described as a war of attrition with both teams putting their bodies on the line in pursuit of County Championship glory. Becky Mahon opened the scoring with a well taken point …

Kilmihil manager Kevin Callinan insists his side bear no wounds from their 10-point loss to Banner Ladies in last year’s Senior decider. Callinan’s side will line out in their sixth county final in seven years as they face the ever present Banner Ladies. With the Ennis side firm favourites and keen on securing a three in a row after Kilmihil pulled off a shock upset in the decider in 2019, Kilmihil enter the contest as firm underdogs. Throw in JJ O’Dea’s side securing a 10-point triumph in last year’s decider while beating Kilmihil 2-14 to 2-3 in this year’s round robin series and it goes without saying that Callinan’s charges face a mammoth task if they are to secure a second county title in four years. However, he is adamant that Kilmihil hold no burden on their shoulders despite suffering more than their fair share of county final heartbreak. “We wipe the slate clean, and we started again after last …

Despite being the barometer by which other teams within Clare measure themselves, Banner Ladies manager JJ O’Dea insists that his side are trying to raise the bar. With the Ennis club aiming to win their 13th county title in 15 years, O’Dea maintains that blending young players in to his side is a necessity if the club are to stay ahead of the chasing pack. Despite possessing players of the ilk of Niamh O’Dea, Laurie Ryan and Gráinne Nolan, Banner Ladies have continued to give youth its chance with Caoimhe Cahill, Keelin Fitzgerald, Emer Burke, Caoimhe Ryan and Gráinne Burke all plying their trade at adult level after impressing at underage with club and county. “We have to blend youth. The most important teams, in any club is the U-10s or U-8s because they are the future of the club. This team didn’t happen overnight. We worked hard to get this group together. People think we are a big club, …

Eoin Brennan previews the senior and intermediate ladies football championship finals taking place in Doonbeg this Sunday Kilmihil v Banner Ladies at Shanahan McNamara Park Doonbeg, Sunday 3pm Much like Kilmihil and Banner ladies will have an almost forensic knowledge of each other at this stage, there’s very little more than can be said when it comes to assessing this well-worn pairing that are contesting their sixth senior decider in seven seasons. More than that though, this is Banner Ladies 15th consecutive final appearance, an unprecedented record in the county as they bid to secure a 13th crown in that time. Only West Clare Gaels (2010) and Sunday’s opponents Kilmihil (2019) have interrupted that staggering power surge that still possesses an experienced core of Niamh O’Dea, Laurie Ryan, Grainne Nolan, Louise Henchy, Naomi Carroll, Louise Woods and Eva O’Dea. Kilmihil’s team is also noteworthy for their winning knowhow as Ellie O’Gorman, Catriona Callinan, Micaela Glynn, Laura Egan, Becky Mahon and …

With Banner Ladies the dominant force in Clare ladies football, the defeats, however few they are can seem easier to recall than the successes. Few gave Kilmihil a chance of upsetting the odds in 2019 when they faced Banner Ladies in the final for the fourth year in a row. However, the East Clare side produced a display filled with courage and grit as they dethroned a Banner Ladies outfit aiming for nine county titles in a row. Banner Ladies manager JJ O’Dea is hoping to avoid the hurt felt by his charges two years ago. “That defeat hurt us badly. It really hurt. The worst thing was we felt we didn’t put in a performance that we would expect of ourselves so that made it hard to take. Our eye is on the ball this year. We hope to have a good day in Doonbeg and play our attacking brad of football. We want to move the ball fast …

Despite Kilmihil playing in their fifth final in six years, manager Kevin Callinan insists his side are focused on producing players for the future. “We would have a small pick but we try and build for the future. This year was a time to rebuild for us so to get to the county final is great and will only improve the players’ development.” Kilmihil won four out of their five round robin games with their only defeat coming to Banner Ladies with both sides already qualified for the knockout stages. They continue to be without the Considine sisters – Eimear and Ailish, who are both forging successful careers in the AFLW and rugby respectively while Edel McMahon (rugby) will not feature. Carol O’Leary and Jenny Kelly are unavailable. Callinan admits it is not easy to produce players in an area as small as Kilmihil but he is happy with the continued progress being made at underage. “There is unbelievable work …

Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Finals Kilmihil v St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield at Hennessy Memorial Park, Sunday 12pm (Michael Talty, Kilmurry Ibrickane) EXPERIENCE was the key separator when the sides clashed in Kilmihil at the start of October as the hosts weathered the storm to eventually carve out a 3-8 to 1-6 victory over the Parish. With a perfect championship record under their belts before coming up against champions Banner Ladies in a sobering group decider a fortnight ago, Kilmihil have managed to hone their side and blend the likes of exciting talent Edel McNamara into their established core of Ellie O’Gorman, Becky Mahon, Laura Egan, Micaela Glynn, Rosie Currane, Dervla Higgins and Catriona Callinan. That consistency is something that St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield have struggled to match but their arduous dual commitments of having to play two senior championship ties in the same weekend certainly would have played a part in that. With the camogie side out of the running, the Parish’s …