Shield final for Sligo-Leitrim Girls U-16s
THE Sligo-Leitrim Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League Girls U-16 representative side are in an All-Ireland final this Saturday – they face Clare in the SFAI Girls U-16 Inter-League Championship Shield semi-final at University of Limerick (kick-off 5.30pm).
Reaching a final at this level is progress for these players and the Sligo-Leitrim Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League.
The Aaron O’Connor-managed SligoLeitrim finished third in their section, Group ‘A’, and so entered the Shield section of the competition at national level.
Although they won 3-1 against Inishowen at Ballisodare, they sustained losses against Donegal (3-0) and CavanMonaghan (3-0).
Sligo-Leitrim defeated Carlow 2-1 in the Shield semi-final to set up Saturday’s silverware shot.
Division season.
Athlone Town, last season’s Sports Direct Women’s FAI Cup champions, were 3-0 winners over Dublin outfit Peamout United, the reigning SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division champions.
The President’s Cup winners, playing in front of their home fans at Athlone Town Stadium, scored three times in the second-half. Chloe Singleton netted twice for Athlone and their other goal came from Casey Howe, who scored 12 times for Rovers last year.
Both Roisin Molloy and Casey Howe started this game – Molloy was substituted after 83 minutes.
Club will have a presentation of medals
Shamrock Gaels GAA Club are holding a senior awards night this coming Saturday, March 9, at McDermotts, Castlebaldwin. The Shamrock Gaels squad that won the Sligo GAA Senior Football League Division One title in 2023 (the club’s first such title since the 1980s) will be presented with their medals. Player of the Year awards will also be presented. Saturday’s function has a 9pm start.
Manager Aaron O’Connor also had to cope with a number of players opting to sign for the Sligo Rovers Academy and play in this season’s EA SPORTS Women’s U-17 League of Ireland.
“The players have done really well – it is a strange age group because players get selected for [League of Ireland] academies. We lost five players from our original squad – they’ve moved to Rovers.
“I would have picked a larger squad with that in mind. Others got an opportunity when the players left for Rovers. Geographically there’s a good spread of players – from Carrick Town and Boyle Celtic over to Kilglass-Enniscrone United.”
O’Connor, who is part of Boyle Celtic, explained that he had his strongest panel for the opening round of the competition and then, once he knew what players wouldn’t be available going forward, he only used those that would be there until the season’s completion.
Boyle Celtic were recent winners of the Connacht Football Association Girls U-17 Shield and four of those players are in the Sligo-Leitrim Girls U-16 panel.
“Clare will be formidable but this is a big opportunity for the players – to experience the buzz of the finals,” he added.
Handballers set to contest national finals
Sligo handballers will contest two finals in this Sunday’s GAA Handball 4-Wall Men’s and Ladies Doubles (40x20) All-Ireland Championship. Cormac Finn and Donal Mitchell (Ballymote Handball Club) are set to feature in the Men’s U-21 Doubles decider and will be up against a Kilkenny pairing, Sean Barron and John Doheny. Finn and Mitchell secured their place in the final with an All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Cork pairing Eoghan Daly and John Cronin (21-15, 21-13) at the GAA National Handball Centre, Croke Park, last Saturday.
In the Men’s Silvers Masters ‘B’ Doubles, the Sligo finalists are Josian Oskoz and Clive Slevin, with both representing Drumcliffe Handball Club. Oskoz and Slevin were semi-final victors over Cork players Rory O’Sullivan and Martin Dennehy (21-14, 21-9). The Sligo duo’s next opponents are Brendan Hosey and Daniel Love from Kilkenny.
Also last Saturday, Ballymote’s Laura Finn teamed up with Alanna Coggeran in the All-Ireland semi-final of the Ladies Junior Doubles – the
Meanwhile, there were quarter-final wins last weekend for the Sligo-Leitrim Girls U-12s, who defeated CWSSL (Cork Women’s and Schoolgirls Soccer League) ‘White’ 1-0 in Galway, and the SligoLeitrim Girls U-13s, who overcame Clare 2-0 in Ennis. On target for the U-12 team was Lily Rynn, while Sophie Herbert and Laura Hunter were the goalscorers for the U-13 side.
Next up for the Sligo-Leitrim U-12 representative side is an SFAI Girls U-12 Inter-League Championship Cup semi-final against CWSSL ‘Red’.
In the SFAI Girls U-13 Inter-League Championship Trophy semi-final SligoLeitrim have been drawn against North Tipperary ‘B’.
Sligo-Leitrim Girls U-16 squad: Chantelle Kielty, Tara Howard (Ballymote Celtic); Shauna McGrath, Anna Carty, Annie O’Connor, Amy O’Donohoe (Boyle Celtic); Niamh Murphy, Tara Flynn, Ciara Murphy (Calry Bohs); Lucie Maye, Eibhlin Guckian (Carrick Town); Maebh Murray, Tara Arthur (Kilglass-Enniscrone United); Sarah Mulvaney Kelly (Manor Rangers); Arlin Barrett (Real Tubber); Kate Golden (Strand Celtic); Emma Carty, Ceola Vogt, Ciara Ní Bhroin (Yeats United)
Manager: Aaron O’Connor
Connacht pairing lost to Clare players, Leah Minogue and Amber Nolan (21-11, 21-10).
Another Senior ‘A’ Cup final for the Grammar
Sligo Grammar School are now one win away from a third successive Connacht Schools Senior ‘A’ Cup title. The Sligo town secondary school, winners of the last two provincial titles, defeated St Muredach’s College, Ballina, in yesterday’s Connacht semi-final – it finished 17-10 in favour of the holders at Heffernan Park.
The winners scored three firsthalf tries to set up this win.
Sligo Grammar will play Athlone’s Marist College in the upcoming decider at Dexcom Stadium – they met in last year’s final and Sligo Grammar won convincingly, 28-7. They also contested this season’s Connacht Schools Senior ‘A’ League decider last December – it ended level, 22-22.
Marist defeated Summerhill College in this week’s other semi-final. Summerhill, who hosted the tie, were beaten 21-19. Marist progressed with a converted penalty in the last kick of the game.
In the Connacht Schools Junior ‘A’ Cup, meanwhile,
Sligo Grammar will take on the Marist. Sligo Grammar defeated their local rivals, Summerhill, 10-8 in the semi-final. Sligo Grammar and the Marist were finalists in this season’s Connacht Schools Junior ‘A’ League and that decider, which took place last December, ended level (12-12).
Kyle and Daire feature for the FAI Schools
Sligo students Kyle McDonagh (St Attracta’s Community School) and Daire Patton (Summerhill College) started for the FAI Schools Republic of Ireland Boys U-18s in their SAFIB Centenary Shield fixture against Scotland at Athlone Town Stadium on Thursday night last.
It finished 1-1 as the hosts came from a goal down to earn a merited share of the spoils. Sligo teens McDonagh (fullback) and Patton (midfielder) played the full game at the midlands venue.
Tonight, Thursday, the FAI Schools representative side are in action again in Athlone when they host Northern Ireland (kick-off 7pm). Northern Ireland were 3-0 winners over England on February 23.