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Ladies Football By Fr. Liam Kelleher
AIB Munster Club championship – All three Cork Clubs advance
to Munster Finals.

The 3 Cork clubs engaged in the Semi Finals of the Munster
Club Championship were all successful at the weekend and qualified
for their respective Munster Finals this coming weekend.

Senior Semi-final
Donoughmore 3-10 Southern Gaels Kerry 3-6.
Playing in front of their own loyal supporters at Lackabawn
on Sunday, Donoughmore defeated Southern Gaels of Kerry to
reach their 8th Munster final in a row., It was all one way
traffic in the first half with the home team on top. Goals
from Mary O’Connor, Stephanie Dunlea and capt Julie Murphy
helped them to a 3-5 to 0-1 interval lead. The Kerry girls
star forward Kacey O’Driscoll missed a penalty on the stroke
of half-time. it was a different story in the 2nd half when
Southern Gaels with 2 goals from Miss 0’Driscoll and a goal
from Deirdre Corridan fought their way back into the game.
The local girls held out despite missing a penalty.
Scorers for Donoughmore Juliet Murphy 1-4 Mary O’Connor 1-2
Stephanie Dunlea 1-0 Aisling Barrett, 0-1 Louise Murphy 0-1
Aisling O’Connor 0-1.

Intermediate Semi-Final
Naomh Aban Advance. Naomh Aban 3-9 Athea Limerick 0-3.
Played in Farranfore in Kerry, Naomh Aban with a tremendous
2nd half performance overcame the challenge of the Limerick
girls from Athea. In the first half of this game both teams
were evenly matched and the Cork girls held a slender 0-4
to 0-2 lead a the short whistle. Naomh Aban upped the tempo
of their game in the 2nd period and ran out easy winners in
the end. Scorers. Cait Ni Loinsig 1-3, Lisa Ni Shuibne, 1-1
Caoimhe Ni Chriodain, 0-2 Joanne Ni Charthaigh 1-0 Maire Ni
Chorcora 0-1 Eimear Ni Chonaill 0-1 Ailbhe Ni Loinsigh 0-1.

Junior Semi Final.
Easy for Gabriel Rangers. Gabriel Rangers 7-17 Ardfinnan Tipperary
0-8
Played at Clonakilty this game proved to be the mis match
of the weekend with Gabriel Rangers in top in every department.
They led a by 4-14 to 0-2 at the break and they cruised through
the 2nd half to set up a meeting with Austin Stacks of Kerry
next Sunday.
Scorers. Claire O’Brien 2-6, Nollaig Cleary 2-3, Deirdre Cotter
1-3 Michelle Creedon 1-0 Elaine Cotter 1-0 Deirdre Ward 0-2,
Aoife Coghlan 0-2 Emer Cleary o-1.

Strength in depth in Cork
The three wins shows the strength in depth of Cork ladies
football at Club level. It speaks volumes of the progress
made in the past number of years and the work being put in
by the various clubs. Looking at the composition of each of
the 3 teams, all contain a blend of experience and youth and
this gives great balance. The School of excellence, the Summer
camps and the upsurge of Cork underage teams, have all played
their part, but it is the commitment put in at local level
by the club officials who have guided their players in the
right direction that is the greatest contributory factor.
Two years hence the emergence of three Cork teams from Munster
set the standard.

Rockban in just their 3rd year competing at adult level, won
the Junior crown and went on to claim National honours. Donoughmore
got a real monkey off their backs when they defeated Balymacarbry
of Waterford for the first time and they went on to win the
All-Ireland crown defeating Ballyboden/St Enda’s in that historic
day in Birr.

The third Munster Champions St Val’s another relatively young
club won the Munster Intermediate title and lost out to Ulster
champions Donaghmoyne in the Semi-Final. Of course the standard
was set by Naomh Aban and Rockchapel before them, when they
tasted success at National level at Junior and Intermediate.
Naomh Aban Naomh Aban, seemed to have lost their way a little
bit for a few years, they had a young and exciting minor team,
gladly the spirit has returned and they look set for glory
again, with most of the old players back to their best and
new stars like Katie Lynch, Lisa McSweeny, Anita Thompson
and Carmel McCarthy have added an exciting dimension to their
set up and these have blended in well with Fiona O’Sullivan,
Caoimhe Creedon and Marie Corkery etc. They take on Cappawhite
of Tipperary in the Intermediate decider and they knocked
out a fancied Beara team last year in the Junior Championship.
The game is fixed for 1pm on Saturday with the venue Mallow.

Donoughmore
What can one say about Donoughmore. They have 8 Cork Senior
Championships in a row now to their credit. They are tightly
knit unit with the Barrett brothers Thomas and Philip led
by Mossy at the helm, they show a huge commitment to training
and while their age profile may now be as low as the other
clubs, but they too have blended in the young players well,
like Edel O’Sullivan, Rose Cogan, Emer Walsh, Sarah O’Connell,
Aisling Barrett, Laura O’ Mahony and particularly Rena Buckley
who had a marvellous campaign 2 years ago when just 14 years
of age. They have huge experience in the likes of Hanora Kelleher
playing as well as ever, Capt Julie Murphy, Mary O’Connor,
Aisling O’Connor. Vera Sheehan a tremendous half back will
be a huge loss to them if unable to play. She is currently
recovering from injury. Their joust with old rivals Ballymacrbry
on Sunday evening at Ardfinnan at 5pm will be worth travelling
a long way to see and will be one of the games of the year.

Gabriel Rangers
The 3rd member of the exciting trio are Junior reps Gabriel
Rangers from the Ballydehob area of West Cork. This year they
put the frustration of losing 5 Co finals behind them and
they have taken to the Munster scene like veterans. Everybody
associated with Cork football are delighted with their breakthrough.
Keeper Greta Burchill has been an inspiration figure and has
been a huge influence on their success. Its a real family
club with the Cotters, Regans, Clearys, Wards, O’Briens and
O’Driscolls to the fore on and off the field. They will travel
with a huge following on Sunday to take on another famed club
Austin Stacks Tralee, the game is fixed for 12 noon with Genflesk
in Kerry the venue.

With none of the 3 games clashing time wise, all Cork sports
followers should, make that extra special effort to support
the teams in their quest for Munster glory.

Another night at the dogs.
Curraheen Park in Cork should be thronged again this year
for the 3r Annual Greyhound benefit night for Cork ladies
Football. The date is Thursday October 30th. The 2 previous
fundraisers brought the biggest crows to the track outside
the night of the Laurels finals and there is no reason to
doubt that this years event will not surpass those. The quality
and standard of racing each year has been superb with track
records set each year, 2 years ago by Rutland Budgie over
the 525 distance and last year by Confident Choice at the
550 distance. There is huge incentive for people to go this
year with supporters having a treble chance all for a modest
€20. You get entry to the track worth €7, a sponsorship
of your own dog for a race, with a raffle for a hamper in
each race and a raffle on the gate ticket for €2,500
of if unable to go you will be included in the draw. Fr. Liam
Kelleher is again the race organiser and if you would like
to sponsor your own race there are still a few spots available,
give him a ring at 087-8516984 or if you want some tickets.

Charleville make football debut
St Mary’s Charleville famed for their Academic and sporting
achievements have now added ladies football to their list
of sports. Nineteen years ago I was Instrumental in introducing
camogie to the school the first year they won the Munster
Intermediate title and the following year they won the first
of their 25 All- Ireland titles, by taking the All-Ireland
junior crown in Croke Park.

St Mary’s Mallow provided their first opposition ever in camogie
and history was repeated on Monday of this week when the sides
met in football at Charleville GAA pitch. Mallow fielding
10 players with Cork experience at under age level, were in
a state of shock at half-time as Charleville led by Cork senior
Elaine O’Riordan, Shannon Brosnan and a number of Limerick
Inter-co players led by 3-5 to 0-4. The second half saw the
Mallow girls up the pace but still it took two late goals
to seal victory on a scorline of 4-12 to 3-7. No Doubt with
a little bit more experience and a few matches behind them
the Charleville girls will be a force to be reckoned with
in this Senior B Competition.

Scorers St Mary’s Mallow: Jenny McCarthy 2-5 Linda
Barrett 1-2 Roisin O’Sullivan 1-1, Claire Barrett 0-2 Emer
O’Connell 0-1 Sheila O’Callaghan 0-1
Scorers St Marys Charleville: Natasha Murphy 1-3 Mary
Coleman 1-1 Elaine O’Riordan 1-0. Tara Brown 0-1,. Christine
O’Shea 0-1 Shannon Brosnan 0-1

Results. League Div 2 Semi Final
Inch Rovers 7-10 Kilshannig 0-1.
Div 3 Semis
Dromina 1-14 Mitchelstown 1-4
Liscarroll 3-11 Rosscarbery 1-2

Fr Liam Kelleher PRO 087-8516984