Foxrock-Cabinteely win All-Ireland Feile title

Foxrock-Cabinteely Under 14 Girls are All-Ireland Féile Champions.

The
Gaelic Grounds in Limerick was the venue for a truly dramatic
final of the Under 14 Ladies All Ireland Féile on Sunday. The
girls from Foxrock-Cabinteely Ladies Football Club, representing
Dublin, stole the show with a last minute goal to clinch the title
from an outstanding Galway side (Corofin Ladies). The final score
Corofin 2-03, Foxrock-Cabinteely 3-02.

The girls began their extraordinary path to Division One success
with a resounding 6-05 to nil win over host club Donoughmore in
Cork on Friday. They followed this with a hard fought draw with
Liscarrol of Limerick on Saturday morning and needed to win their
final group game against Kerry Champions and last years Féile
winners Southern Gaels. And win they did, showing great spirit
and determination to overturn an early lead for Southern Gaels
to win by the narrowest of margins 0-06 to 1-02.

The victorious Foxrock-Cabinteely panel with management

Having
come through the most difficult qualifying group, Foxrock-Cabinteely
drew Erins Own the Cork Champions in the semi-final played in
very difficult conditions of wind and heavy rain in Limerick on
Saturday evening. Again the Dublin girls showed that the levels
of skill and fitness achieved by the hard-working manager/ coach
team of Gerry Killion and Dermot Connolly was paying dividends
as they came from behind again to win, this time by 2-02 to 1-03.

So on to the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday afternoon and a final played
in blustery conditions but one which produced exceptionally good
football from both teams. This time however, it seemed that the
Dublin girls were going to finish second best. The powerful Galway
girls led by 1-03 to 0-01 at half-time but Foxrock-Cabinteely
were not giving in. Even after Corofin extended their lead to
8 points with an unstoppable penalty early in the second half,
the Dubin girls dug deep and inspired by the brilliant Amy Connollys
second point of the game, they began to dominate in every area
of the field with goalkeeper Sarah Flanagan twice making spectacular
saves and the defence lead by team captain Lisa McNamara denying
Corofin any further opportunities. Again the skill and fitness
of midfielders and forwards began to show and the goals followed.
Gemma McKechnie at full forward was first to strike and when Sinead
Loughran added a second with 5 minutes remaining, the spirit which
had seen them through at every stage of this competition shone
through and a third goal from long range, scored by player of
the match Ciara O’ Riordan, sealed victory for Foxrock-Cabinteely
and a first Division One Féile title for Dublin.

The Club wishes to acknowledge the tremendous achievements of
the Players and to commend them all for their excellent behaviour
and sportsmanship (on and off the pitch) throughout the competition.
Special thanks to the management team Gerry Killion and Dermot
Connolly, Tom O’Riordan, Clodagh Brennan and Rob Kearns (Mentors)
and the support team of Briget McKeever, Ailish Farrell, Trish
Bollard, Anne Killion, Derek McArdle, Kevin Killion and Ken O’Riordan
who looked after the girls so well for the 4 days.”

Rory O’Grady rog360@eircom.net