Clare Ladies Junior Club Final Preview

Vhi Junior Club All Ireland Final

West Clare Gaels .v. Foxrock/Cabinteely

Toomevarra, Co Tipperary Sunday, December 2nd.

Throw in 2.00pm.

Foxrock / Cabinteely may be an exclusive Southside Dublin postal address and home to many of the nouveau riche dot com set, but when it comes to ladies Gaelic football this well heeled parish amalgamation really take matters seriously.  As a newly formed combined football club they succeeded in winning the All Ireland Féile Division 1 Title in 2005 and it is this team that will form the nucleus of their attempt on All Ireland glory this weekend.

West Clare Gaels should be in no doubt but that they are up against a most formidable opponent.  The Fox/Cab (as they like to be known) club have had the services of a full time professional coach for the past two years and also have their own exclusive pitch and dressing rooms in the Dún Laoighre Borough Council sports grounds which they share with Leinster rugby side Seapoint Rugby Club. Oh how any ladies football club in Clare would crave for their financial backing and club facilities?

Make no doubt about it but West Clare Gaels will be up against it to match this crack Dublin outfit.  They will possess youth and speed in abundance and they will have a massive, vocal and fanatical following in attendance in Tullamore to urge them on.  This indeed will be a tough assignment for our Clare girls.

However West Clare Gaels can, and I predict will, win this All Ireland Final match.  Dublin teams are not good travellers and even the short journey to Tullamore will have an unsettling affect on the Fox / Cab girls.  Also while young, fast and youthful team they have no players of the calibre of the Kelly twins Marie and Sinéad nor of the likes of Majella Griffin.  Yes all of the Dublin forwards will be sharpshooters if in possession but if they are denied this privilege then they cannot score.

I expect West Clare to be dominant at midfield and to deny the Metropolitan side the possession their forwards generally thrive on and if the Dublin’s side’s scoring rate is kept down then The Gaels will have more than enough firepower up front to win the game.  This aspect of the match will be crucial as both sides have lethal forwards and both have defences which have proven porous on occasions.  West Clare Gaels will do well to remember the two goals they conceded to Kilmihil in the Clare final and also the late goal they gifted Castleisland in the Munster decider (not to mention the early goal in their semi-final against Curry) and will do well to concentrate against such lapses on Sunday.  Fox/Cab are lethal in front of goals and raised no less than six green flags in their All Ireland semi final win.  This fact on its own sends a clear message to the Banner county representatives.

Yet this crack Dublin side is not unbeatable.  As reigning All Ireland Féile champions in the 2006 tournament they fancied themselves against the Banner side of Ennis.  The Clare side emerged victors over the favourites and went on to win the All Ireland Division 1 title (the first for any Clare club).  History has a habit of repeating itself and I firmly believe that, despite all odds, West Clare Gaels will emerge triumphant on Sunday.  They are a wonderful team and carry the pride of Naomh Eoin, O’Curry’s and Cill Chaoi with them in all their travels this season.  To my knowledge never has a club from these West Clare parishes ever contested an All Ireland Football Final so theirs is already a unique honour.  All associated with Clare Ladies Football are proud of their achievements to date and wish them the very best in their final appearance.  Whatever the result they have done their county and their parish proud.  As a prediction my comment is to those left at home on Sunday – light the bonfires at about nine o’clock.  The West will win. Go m’ba fada buan iad!

Dr. Paul McKenna,

PRO Clare Ladies Football.

086 6036385

www.bannerladiesfootball.com

mckennapc@eircom.net