2008 Vhi Healthcare All Ireland Club Championships Launched at Croke Park

2008 Vhi Healthcare All Ireland Club Championships Launched at Croke Park

Players from the three competing levels in the 2008 Vhi Healthcare Ladies Football All Ireland Club Championships, Senior, Intermediate and Junior, were on hand today in Croke Park to launch the All Ireland series.

 

The tournament is now in its 32nd year and showcases some of the best football talent in the country. Monaghan and Mayo are represented by clubs in all three grades while Cork clubs are competing in both the Senior and Intermediate semi-finals.

 

The first Senior semi-final will see 2007 Vhi Healthcare All Ireland Champions Carnacon face Donaghmoyne of Monaghan. The Ulster club qualified after beating Moville in an exciting provincial final replay last weekend. Donaghmoyne’s back-line will have their work cut out for them with Carnacon’s scoring super-star Cora Staunton who has bounced back from a knee injury to re-claim her position as one of the best forwards in the country.

 

The other Senior semi-final sees last year’s runners-up, Inch Rovers, go head to head with Leinster champions Sarsfields. The Laois side will be brimming with confidence after seeing off Clonee by a whopping 10 points but the Munster champions boast a team with five players who were part of the Cork squad that won 2008 All Ireland Championship. This experience, along with the team’s experience of being in the All Ireland club senior final last year, is bound to show.

 

In the Intermediate semi-finals Emyvale (Monaghan) take on The Neale (Mayo) while Killoe (Longford) are up against Ballingeary Inchigeela (Cork).

 

Monaghan are represented in the Junior Championship by Truagh who are up against Knockmore (Mayo) and in the second Junior semi-final Maynooth (Kildare) will play Kilmichil (Clare).

 

2007 saw the introduction of the ‘Vhi Healthcare Club Person of the Year’ award, an award for those who contribute to clubs’ successes by working for teams behind the scenes. Last year the award was given to Mary Conlon for her contribution to the Claregalway club. This year the Vhi Healthcare Club Person of the Year has been expanded to include provincial winners as well as an overall winner. The winners will be announced by the end of November.

 

Speaking at the launch, Tony McSweeney, Director of Individual and Corporate Business, Vhi Healthcare, said, “We are delighted to be in our third year of sponsoring these fantastic football championships. Ladies Gaelic Football is constantly growing throughout the country and by sponsoring the All Ireland Club Championships we continue to demonstrate our commitment to healthy living within the community.

 

“2007 saw the introduction of the Vhi Healthcare Club Person of the Year which gives clubs a great opportunity to honour those who work tirelessly behind the scenes. There is at least one such person in every club throughout the country and we are delighted to be giving the award again for 2008.”

 

Helen O’Rourke, Chief Executive of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, added, “The All Ireland series promises more exciting football again this year and while some familiar names have again qualified for the semi-finals of these competitions there are new names competing for the first time at the All Ireland level and this illustrates the growing strength and depth of our club scene. We thank Vhi Healthcare for their support in raising the profile of the competition over the past three years.”

 

Pictures are available in the Ladies Gaelic Gallery