Tag Archives: ladies football

Clare 3-14 Tipperary 2-16 THE Clare lady footballers will contest the intermediate All-Ireland final in Croke Park on September 25 following a sensational semi-final win over Tipperary in Limerick on Saturday afternoon. At the end of a dramatic hours football, with both teams executing superb scores and exceptional instances of skill and bravery, Clare overturned their Munster final defeat to Tipperary. Two magnificent Niamh O’Dea goals, late in the first half, helped Clare into 2-7 to 1-9 lead, while an early Niamh Keane goal after half-time, was also vital. Twelve minutes from time, Clare goalkeeper Emma O’Driscoll made a critical save from Tipperary’s Orla O’Dwyer. Tipperary led 2-14 to 3-10 at the time and from the clearance, Niamh O’Dea pointed Clare level. The Kilfenora girl also kicked the winning score, two minutes from the end of normal time. The score was brilliantly executed by O’Dea but it was made by a Niamh Keane run, in which she held off three …

Waterford 1-14 Clare 2-7 THE Clare lady footballers were narrowly beaten in the Munster intermediate final in Mallow on Saturday afternoon. Playing with a very strong breeze in the opening half, Clare went in tied 0-7 each at half time. To have a realistic chance of winning they really needed to have established a five or six point interval advantage but Waterford played some impressive, controlled football into the breeze. They were very adept at carrying the ball and their scoring taking was also impressive with centre forward Maria Delahunty putting over two excellent first half frees and a point from play in the opening half. Clare were more direct in their play, which they had to be given that they were backed by the breeze. Gráinne Nolan and Ailish Considine looked sharp in the opening half while Carol O’Leary carried ball and ran at Waterford. The Newmarket girl was one four dual players forced to chose between representing Clare …

THE Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick has announced a graduate business scholarship programme for female county GAA players. Dr Philip O’Regan, dean of the Kemmy Business School and Aoife Lane, WGPA chairperson, signed a memorandum of understanding at the launch of the programme last week. The scholarships will see recipients receive a 50% fee waiver for taught postgraduate programmes at the Kenny Business School in areas such as economics, finance, taxation, human resource management, entrepreneurship, marketing, project management and many more, along with the opportunity to study at a campus equipped with some of the best sporting facilities in the country. Dr Fergal O’Brien, assistant dean, postgraduate studies at the school highlighted the shared competencies in sporting and academic success – determination, persistence, hard-work and dedication, while Aoife Lane spoke about the close ties between UL and the WGPA, with five of the seven founding members of the association currently or previously affiliated to the university. According …

IN all of her years representing Banner Ladies and Clare, Emma O’Driscoll has never been so close to playing in an All-Ireland senior club final. The Clare, Munster B and Munster A champions are just one hour from qualifying for the biggest day ladies club football has to offer. Their thrilling one-point defeat of St Val’s from Cork in the Munster A final, three weeks ago, qualified The Banner for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final. The Niamh O’Dea-captained team will play Monaghan, Ulster and reigning All-Ireland champions, Donaghmoyne, in Corofin at 1.30pm and are hoping that a huge crowd will travel to North Clare to roar them on. “I think this is a game that we will get a few neutrals at and our own county colleagues will come too and, hopefully, some of the girls from other clubs,” the Kildysart National School teacher told The Clare Champion.   “People who have any interest in Clare ladies football might come. It’s very …

BANNER Ladies’ full-back Laurie Ryan is one of the few ‘Townies’ in the Ennis club’s set-up. From Summerhill, Ryan had to mark St Val’s full-forward Caoimhe Creedon, one of the Cork champions’ most able footballers. “It’s a great feeling. It’s surreal at the moment and especially for Katie Cahill to score the winning point,” she marvelled, clearly stunned that Cahill had split the post in such dramatic circumstances. “We knew coming down that we had a great chance. We’ve been training hard all year. I’d say this is the biggest effort we’ve put in in a long time. After last year, we knew we were close enough and the young girls had another year’s experience. It was great to go out and show today that we could do it,” she added. As she spoke, one couldn’t but notice that Ryan had a significant swelling underneath her right eye. “In the first half I clashed with one of their girls. It …

Banner Ladies  1-13 St Valentine’s (Cork)   1-12 SHOWING exceptional skill levels, deeply embedded resolve and championship-winning temperament, Banner Ladies became just the second Clare club to win the Munster A senior club title in Kilmallock last Saturday. Katie Cahill, starting her first game since returning from the US, kicked the winning point three minutes into injury time of what was a truly epic provincial final. A minute earlier, St Val’s full-forward Caoimhe Creedon put a kickable free wide. That would have put the Cork champions a point up and they may have held on for the win. The free was awarded against Niamh Keane and to compound it, referee Keith Delahunty moved it closer to goal when the Banner midfielder reacted somewhat unappreciatively to the decision. The first-time Cork senior champions were trying to win the title for their county for the 13th successive season, such is the Rebel county’s dominance at this level. Banner started superbly and led 1-5 …

IF Banner Ladies are to become the first Clare club since Cooraclare in 1996 to win the Munster A senior ladies title, team captain Niamh O’Dea will have a key role to play. The Kilfenora girl and third-year UL maths and PE student has scored 3-17 in her last three games. Her 1-11 county-final tally helped Banner Ladies to an easy win over Liscannor, while O’Dea put away 2-2 in last weekend’s Munster B final win over Ballymacarbry from Waterford. Ironically, Cooraclare defeated the same club in a thrilling Munster final 17 years ago, winning 4-10 to 2-15 after extra time. It is Cork opposition who stand in the Banner’s way on Saturday in Kilmallock. It won’t be to the forefront of Niamh’s thinking until at least 4pm on provincial final day but if the Clare champions win, she will particularly enjoy her 20th birthday celebrations. “It’d be a good birthday present, wouldn’t it?” she laughed. She is confident the …

BANNER Ladies will take on St Val’s from Cork in Saturday’s Munster A final. The game will throw-in at 2.45pm in Kilmallock. If the Clare and Munster B champions win, it will be a second provincial A title for a Clare club at senior level. Cooraclare won this title in 1996. For several years, the Banner Ladies have successfully represented Clare ladies football, securing Division 1 and Division 2 national Féile titles, as well as underage and senior All-Ireland and Munster sevens accolades. They have beaten teams including Kerry’s Southern Gaels; Dublin’s Foxrock/Cabinteely, Ballyboden St Enda’s and Kilmacud Crokes; Galway’s Corofin and Salthill/Knocknacarra; Cork’s Fermoy and Aghada. They beat St Val’s previously at Munster Sevens level so should hold no fear in facing their much-vaunted Cork opponents. Hopefully another Rebel scalp can be annexed by a Clare side in this tremendous year for Gaelic sport in the county.