Tag Archives: ladies football

Clare Post Primary first year A ladies football final St John Bosco Community College 5-13 Coláiste Mhuire 2-6 It was very much a case in Lees Road on Tuesday morning witnessing a possible new force emerging in post primary ladies football with the Fergus Rovers powered St John Bosco proving too strong for Coláiste Mhuire in the A first year final. Backing up the strong Fergus Rovers influence are girls from Kildysart and Cuil Gaels to ensure as they progress up the age level they will be strong in upcoming competitions. Coláiste Mhuire were under no illusions of the task in hand especially when Aoibhin Keane, daughter of former Clare star Ger had (1-1) in the Coláiste net with less than two minutes played. Coláiste Mhuire responded via Darcy Ryan but it was a rare distraction for the Ennis College as St John Bosco came back with a flood of scores to dominate the first half as Leah Griffin kicked …

Lidl Ladies’ NFL Division 3 Clare 1-6 Roscommon 1-4 By Ivan Smyth At Grant Heating St. Brendan’s Park, Birr Clare were crowned National League Division 3 champions as a rock solid opening all against the breeze paved the way for the winners to survive a late Roscommon fightback. After losing out in last year’s decider while also coming up short in the Intermediate final, this will be a sweet victory for Wayne Freeman’s side on a day when they were full value for their win with a 59th minute Ashling Hanly goal proving only a consolation. The Clare defence was rock solid with Laurie Ryan effective as the spare player in defence while Siofra Ní Chonaill did an excellent job on Hanly once the Roscommon dynamo relocated to the edge of the square in the second quarter. Wayne Freeman’s side laid the platform for this victory when they were deadlocked with their Connacht opponents, 1-1 to 0-4 at the interval. Clare …

Clare 1-7 Roscommon 1-7 A tense seesaw battle arguably ended with the fairest result as Clare and Roscommon had to be content with a share of the spoils in Cusack Park, Ennis on Sunday afternoon. Having fallen seven points in arrears by half-time following a lacklustre second quarter, the only way was up for a now wind-assisted Banner who soon warmed to their task by chipping away at the deficit until a Fidelma Marrinan goal at the turn of the final quarter finally proved the catalyst to regain full parity by the 47th minute. With Roscommon also being temporarily reduced to 14 following the sinbinning of Caoimhe Cregg, nothing but a Clare victory seemed on the cards. However, typifying their most erratic performance of the new season to date, Clare somehow failed to get their noses in front and instead a previously besieged Roscommon actually regained confidence in the final ten minutes before managing to inch back in front with …

It was celebration time for Banner Ladies following their Senior A Ladies Football final victory at Miltown Malbay. The final score Banner Ladies 3-8 West Clare Gaels 0-6

All but the senior decider are down for decision on Sunday week (October 1st) as eleven clubs vie for adult ladies’ football championship honours at intermediate and junior levels. The Intermediate Final clash of West Clare rivals Kilrush and Miltown Malbay takes precedence as a coveted place at senior level is on the line for two sides that have certainly paid their dues when it comes to finals. Newmarket-on-Fergus’ welcome return to adult football has proven hugely encouraging so far as they look to halt Fergus Rovers’ remarkable momentum-fuelled run from Junior B in the A decider while Rovers’ successors will be either Burren Gaels or Kilrush’s second strings. The make-up of the Shield Finals at intermediate and Junior A will be confirmed this weekend as Clooney-Quin host Clarecastle on Sunday evening (5pm) for the right to take on Doonbeg in the intermediate version while Wolfe Tones and Banner Ladies must meet again to book their place in the Junior …

There will be no shortage of motivation as the race for the intermediate ladies football championship is reduced to just two on Sunday. After all, a harrowing 2022 at senior level has seen Cooraclare understandably rebuild confidence once more in the second tier as they look to bounce back even stronger but face a Kilrush side with their own point to prove after being edged out in last year’s decider by Fergus Rovers. It’s a West Clare derby to savour on Sunday at 2pm, with Cooraclare’s senior experience giving them the slight favourite’s tag. Miltown Malbay’s issue hasn’t been the penultimate stage, more a final hoodoo as three successive intermediate decider reverses between 2019-21 have fuelled their return to form after a disappointing 2022. Éire Óg caused an upset in the final group match to lower Miltown but will face a much sterner task this time around for their rematch as the recently crowned Minor A champions look to maintain …

Kildare 2-11 Clare 2-10 Clare’s Lilywhite hoodoo continued to haunt in Croke Park after seeing their late backlash come up agonisingly short at the death, writes Eoin Brennan. Having failed to reach the heights of previous displays for the majority, the Banner sprung to life with a rousing brace of goals for chief threats Fidelma Marrinan and Chloe Moloney to slash an eight point deficit to just the minimum by the 55th minute. However, despite further opportunities including a last gasp Fidelma Marrinan free from 45 metres, Wayne Freeman’s side simply couldn’t locate an equalising score to force extra-time. Clare’s electric finish was in contrast to a stuttering first half showing that saw Clare start brightly with a brace of Marrinan frees but falter significantly after two timely goals for Trina Duggan and Ellen Dowling. Having previously been opened up by Claire Sullivan’s overlapping run and shot that cannoned off the crossbar while Amy Lenihan somehow repelled Neasa Dooley’s rebound, …

Clare’s last appearance in an All-Ireland intermediate final was in 2016 when they were edged out by Sunday’s opponents Kildare, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh, in recalling a contest that will give motivation to the current crop, particularly the four survivors from that day out in Croke Park seven years ago. With a Dr prefix before her name it goes without writing that Laurie Ryan is a seasoned academic, so the chances are that if you kicked or hand-passed a quote from German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche at her that she’s control it straight away without breaking stride, know it, own it and pass another one right back to you. “Out of life’s school of war,” he stated, “what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger,” he added. He coined it in 1888 when the GAA was just a couple of years young, but it could have been minted with the Clare ladies’ footballers in mind as they face down Kildare and some …