Hectic period for the women
Some clubs to face tight schedule across both codes
THE LADIES’ football club championship begins this week across four grades, with 27 different clubs competing for Senior, Intermediate, Junior ‘ A’ and Junior ‘B’ titles.
Initially it promises to be a hectic period for the women of Wexford. With such a condensed schedule, some clubs are slated to play as many as four games in nine or ten days across football and camogie.
In theory that should help big squads of talented players as, when the inevitable injuries pop up in the coming weeks, those with a deeper talent pool should be able to keep their levels reasonably high, despite the far from ideal circumstances.
One of those clubs is defending champion Shelmalier, who meet Adamstown in their opener (7.30 p.m., Friday). Pat Quill is at the helm again with Chris McCleane as trainer, while the coach is Kenneth Hearne.
Margaret O’Brien, Declan Flynn and Eddie Kehoe are selectors, Wayne Duggan is kitman, and Mag Doherty is Covid supervisor.
While Deirdre McMahon will miss the 2020 campaign, there’s very little good news for their opponents. Siobhán Cloake, Michelle Harding, Mary Cullen, Nicole Harding-Kenny and Ceara O’Brien all return after a year out.
Ciara Neville is back after three years away from Ireland, Kate Stafford returns after four years out of the fold, and Áine Lacey and Ciara Donohoe are back in the dual ranks.
With Ciara Banville, Katie Carroll, Katie Feeney, Emma Flynn-Doyle, Hannah Hearne, Ciara McMahon, Aobhe Manley, Aoibhe Murphy and Mai Ling Tynan all pushing up from under-age, there seems to be no let-up in the Hollymount talent conveyor belt either.
A cracker is in store in Clonee, where the home club welcome Crossabeg-Ballymurn on Friday (8 p.m.).
Matt Kelly’s visitors, who have Kevin Byrne as trainer and selector, have added Mary Moran and Hannah Mernagh from the under-age set-up, while Polly Frost and Kelly Ann Dempsey will have more experience after getting their first season in the bag in 2019.
Their opponents, Clonee, are probably the second deepest club in the county and are loaded with talented youngsters through the age groups but are going through a transition stage at adult level.
Larry Doyle takes charge of the side, and has Pat Butler, Caroline Murphy, Martina Murphy, Declan Morris, Celina Hayden and Lisa Kavanagh as his backroom team, with John Kavanagh over the Juniors.
As well as an upcoming youthful injection, they will welcome Lorna Fortune, Clare O’Sullivan, Claire O’Rourke and Anna Doyle back from injury, while Mary O’Neill and Ali and Liz Evered are also back from happier events.
Ciara Corrigan, Lisa Fortune and Aimee Dreelan have also returned to the squad. For various reasons, Michaelí Byrne, Charlene Hayden and Marie McDonald will not be involved.
In Group B, Dunbrody Gaels (Horeswood and St. James’) open up their championship against 2019 runners-up St. Anne’s (Friday, 7.30 p.m. in Mersheen). Playing their second season together, they are able to field a strong mix up of talented youth and experience under the management of Damien Myles and Bobby Murphy.
Intermediate champions Clongeen are new to this level but shouldn’t be taken lightly. Paddy Reville, Ger Foxe, Áine O’Grady, Esther Rochford and physio Andrew Byrne watch over a side that ended an eleven-year wait for the Intermediate crown when getting the better of St. Martin’s last year. They open up their campaign away to Clonard/Volunteers on Friday at 7.45 p.m.
In the Intermediate championship, Kilanerin will be strong contenders in the North group. Having succumbed to last season’s winners Clongeen, Wayne Moran’s team have been bolstered by youngsters like Olive Curtis, Róisín Hughes, Shauna Owley and Katlyn O’Connor pushing for places in their opener against HWH-Bunclody (Friday, 7.30 p.m.).
In Ballygarrett, the hosts entertain St. Martin’s at 8 p.m. the same evening.
In the South group, Gusserane are in their tenth season at Intermediate level and are looking to continue to build after a spate of retirements in recent years.
Under the watchful eyes of manager John Ryan and selectors Brian Hennessy, Kieran Cullen and Wendy Hennessy, Kate Reidy, Caroline Whelan and several talented youngsters have joined the side and they’ll hope to get off to a positive start at Taghmon-Camross (Friday, 7.30 p.m.).
Kilmore are on the other side in the group, the only team with the weekend off, and are probably favourites for this title. Managed by Rachel Power, with Jason Kehoe as trainer, they have multiple players that missed the last campaign back for their opener at Gusserane on July 28.
Siobhán Walsh, Paula Devereux and Katie Bates return from a break, Lisa Goff has come out of retirement, Maria Byrne is back from Australia, while Majella Byrne transfers back from Dublin. Emily Bates, Grace Barry, Sharon Kehoe, Beth Cardiff and Emma Hore all return too.
In the Junior ‘A’ championship, Davidstown-Courtnacuddy are hoping to blend their experienced older crew with the raft of young talent coming through the ranks, starting with a trip to Castletown on Sunday (7.30 p.m.).
Derek Murphy is over the side with Denis Delaney as trainer. Cormac Jevens, Billy French and Joe Murphy are selectors, with Mary Jevens and Martina McGrath looking after medical and first aid.
Meanwhile, Baile Dubh Tíre have a handful of new camogie imports from their partnering clubs hoping to aid their bid for a Junior ‘A’ title. With a management team of Milo and Myles Roban and Sinéad Ronan, they will be aiming for a favourable start against local rivals Clonee ‘B’ (Saturday, 3 p.m.).
Under the watchful eyes of Ciara Scallan and Johnny Roche, Ballyhogue are hoping to build on their shield win in 2019 with their blend of youth and experience. They open their South group campaign with a home game against St. Fintan’s on Sunday (11 a.m.).
In the other game, Shelmalier ‘ B’ host a Rathgarogue-Cushinstown side that are looking to build on their recent success, including the Junior ‘ B’ title last season. The hard work by many in the background is really paying off in success on the field, and they will be a force to be reckoned with.
They’ll be without county camogie starlet Joanne Dillon for the season but do welcome a bunch of talented youngsters to the mix, with as many as 14 Minors potentially involved.
With leaders like Aoife Nugent, Rachel Moore, Shannon Scales, Eimear Murphy, Ciara Gaffney, Oonagh Murphy and others in the fray, their opener in Hollymount on Sunday (7.30 p.m.) promises to be a cracker.
Finally, in the Junior ‘B’ competition there are four ‘B’ teams involved in the two groups, but also six first teams. For one club it will be particularly special when they take to the field on Sunday evening, as Sarsfields are competing at adult level for the first time since the mid-90s.
Coached by Martin Bergin, Jimmy Miller and Paul Fox, 27 ladies have signed up for the first season back in competition, with new members enquiring all the time to get involved with the Páirc Charman club.
It’s a wide range of ages and skill levels competing for starting berths for the Sars. Some ladies are coming back to football after a near two-decade break from the game, others have never played before, and some were previously lost to the game after their under-age years.
Sponsored by Citadel Property Management, they will be an interesting team to keep an eye on. With a healthy under-age structure already in place in the club, big things could happen there in the coming years. They start their campaign away to Bannow-Ballymitty (Sunday, 6 p.m.).
Glynn-Barntown went through a similar journey within the last decade, and they are starting to have the look of a club ready to push up a few grades, with their young squad led by Caoimhe Neville, Lara O’Shea, Ali O’Leary and the Woodbyrne sisters.
They have lost the O’Connor sisters this season but do welcome Ciara Hayes and Laura Tobin into the fold, and manager John Barry will be hoping they gel quickly and play their way into the latter stages, starting with a trip to Dunbrody Gaels ‘B’ on Sunday (7 p.m. in Horeswood).
The other game in the South group sees Clonard/Volunteers ‘B’ host Clongeen ‘B’ (also Sunday, 6 p.m.). Having put together a second string in 2018, Clongeen, managed by Bernie White, Esther Rochford and M.J. Donovan, are a tight-knit group who have come close the last couple of years to championship glory, and they will be there or thereabouts again.
Meanwhile, two likely title contenders meet in the North group. St. Brigid’s have gone close the last few years, and manager Derek Harvey and selector Darren Coleman will hope to get just a little more this season to get that elusive title.
On Sunday in Blackwater (5 p.m.), they meet a Starlights side who are among the favourites for the title, having won the Division 5 league and just missed out on championship success against Rathgarogue-Cushinstown last year.
With several promising Minors making the step-up to Méabh Figgis’ team, and Starlights Senior club captain Rory O’Connor coming into the fold as coach, they will take some beating.
Lastly, Des Murphy’s Shamrocks will also hope to get off to a fast start when they travel to Kilanerin ‘B’ (7 p.m.). Regina Tirbhowan is training a side that has Tara Farrell, Laura O’Rourke, Lora Doyle and Jazmyn O’Leary all back from a footballing hiatus, while Lauren Scully has also joined the club.
Senior championship Group A, round one: Shelmalier v. Adamstown (July 17, 7.30 p.m.); Clonee v. Crossabeg-Ballymurn (July 17, 8 p.m.).
Senior championship Group B, round one: Dunbrody Gaels v. St. Anne’s (Mersheen, July 17, 7.30 p.m.); Clonard/Volunteers v. Clongeen (Coolcotts, July 17, 7.45 p.m.).
Intermediate championship Group A round one: Ballygarrett v. St. Martin’s (July 17, 8 p.m.); Kilanerin v. HWH-Bunclody (July 17, 7.30 p.m.).
Intermediate championship Group B round one: Taghmon-Camross v. Gusserane (July 17, 730 p.m.).
Junior ‘A’ North championship round one: Baile Dubh Tíre v. Clonee (July18, 3 p.m.); Castletown v. Davidstown-Courtnacuddy (July 19, 7.30 p.m.).
Junior ‘A’ South championship round one: Ballyhogue v. St. Fintan’s (July 19, 11 a.m.); Shelmalier v. Rathgarogue-Cushinstown (July 19, 7.30 p.m.).
Junior ‘B’ North championship round one: St. Brigid’s v. Starlights (July 19, 5 p.m.); Kilanerin v. Shamrocks (July 19, 7 p.m.).
Junior ‘B’ South championship round one: Clonard/Volunteers v. Clongeen (July 19, 6 p.m.); Bannow-Ballymitty v. Sarsfields (July 19, 6 p.m.); Dunbrody Gaels v. Glynn-Barntown (in Horeswood, July 19, 7 p.m.).