A good year for the Wexford U-16 team

The U-16 girls had a very good year. They won the
Leinster B championship before losing out to Clare in the All Ireland
semi final. Brian O’Brien was manager and with his selectors, Geraldine
Lawlor and Annette Cushe they got the girls together last November
to begin training for the coming season. Their first game in the
Leinster championship was against Kilkenny in Taghmon on the 14th
April. They won that game quiet easily on a score line of 5-11 to
0-4. Next up was Carlow and that game was played in Ballon on the
6th of May. They won this game and funny enough they also racked
up 5-11 but conceded 3-3. They now had come out top of the group
of three teams and waited to see who would finish second in the
other group. That turned out to be Wicklow who they played in Kilanerin
on 7th July. Again they won convincingly on a score line of 6-16
to 0-5.

This set them up to play Longford in the Leinster final which was
played in Stradbally the following week. This was a very close game
and probably could have gone either way. At half time the teams
were level and Wexford looked like they could be in trouble having
to play against the breeze and up a slight incline. They showed
their mettle though and won the game 3-9 to 1-11. Amy Ryan received
the cup from Leinster Chairperson Bill Daly and Sandra Lawlor received
the player of the match trophy. Next up was the All-Ireland quarter
final against Fermanagh which was played in Ratoath Co Meath on
August 11th. While the girls won easily on a score line of 4-13
to 1-2 it was much harder than the score suggests, Wexford were
only leading at half time by a point. They met Clare the following
week in New Inn Co Tipperary in the semi final.

This game was a bit like the Longford one in that either team could
have won it but this time it didn’t go their way. The final score
was 4-11 to 2-11. While the girls were very disappointed to lose
they didn’t let themselves down and overall they had an outstanding
year.

The panel was;Terri Byrne Bunclody, Katie Redmond Crossabeg/Ballymurn,
Amy Ryan St Martins (Capt.), Georgina Hearne Horeswood, Natalie
Cushe Kilanerin, Aoife Fitzpatrick Kilmore, Tara Whitty Taghmon/Camross,
Sandra Lawlor Ballygarrett, Roisín Murphy Ballygarrett, Mairéad
Sheehan Clonee, Maebh Kehoe St James, Aoife Tormey Clonard, Sonja
Murphy St James, Aoife Dunne Taghmon/Camross, Karen Tomkins, Miriam
Smith Clonee, Tanya O’Brien, Caroline Curran Shelmaliers, Emma Doyle
Gorey, Claire Doyle Gorey, Grace Cardiff Kilmore, Robin Brennan
Clonard, Emer Dunne Taghmon/Camross, Bríd Kehoe St James, Bríd Breen
Horeswood, Elaine Parker Crossabeg/Ballymurn, Orlagh Hall Gorey,
Ciara Codd St Annes, Ciara Doyle Gorey, Niamh Quirke Crossabeg/Ballymurn.