Clonakilty GAA Club is ready to host Cork and Tipperary’s TG4 All-Ireland LGFA SFC Group 4 showdown

Clonakilty is ready to host Cork and Tipperary’s TG4 All-Ireland LGFA SFC Group 4 showdown on Saturday.

The Ahamilla complex will host its second high-profile LGFA game of the year in the West Cork town on Saturday.

Fresh off of successfully staging Cork and Waterford’s Munster LGFA group clash back in May, the Clonakilty venue welcomes back Shane Ronayne’s side and supporters.

Tipperary are the visitors for a crucial TG4 All-Ireland SFC Group 4 encounter.

Galway have already qualified for the All-Ireland quarter-finals by topping Group 4 following back-to-back wins over the Rebels and Tipp.

Saturday’s final group showdown (2pm throw-in) is essentially a knockout tie. The winners will secure a place in the last eight of the championship while the losers’ 2023 inter-county season will end.

As with the previous Munster Championship clash, Clonakilty GAA, LGFA and Camogie’s home ground is set to welcome another bumper attendance.

Clonakilty LGFA Club Chairperson Yvonne Ryan is confident her club’s venue will stage another positive match-day experience.

“The day we held the Waterford Munster LGFA Championship game was very successful,” Ryan told the Echo.

“Everyone was delighted with the way that game went. The whole event’s organisation, to the stewards, the mini-games at half-time and the fact that the sun shone on us, everything went the way we intended.

“The Munster LGFA Council was extremely happy with bringing the game to Clonakilty. I spoke to Shane Ronayne on the day itself and he said he had never experienced an atmosphere like it. Shane said the atmosphere drove the Cork players on and admitted, if they got the chance, that they would love to come back to Clonakilty.” 

That positive matchday experience was another factor in Cork LGFA being happy to return to the Ahamilla venue.

Yvonne Ryan paid tribute to the local community spirit involving a huge number of club members and volunteers making sure everything ran smoothly on the day.

A similar effort and large attendance is anticipated on Saturday.

“We promoted the game heavily in the build-up and the support the Cork LGFA seniors got on the day, especially from West Cork clubs, was brilliant,” Ryan commented.

“Clonakilty GAA, LGFA and Camogie all came together and everything ran like clockwork. The Munster LGFA Council told us it was the biggest crowd they had for a ladies football match so far this year.” 

Clonakilty LGFA have shown they can organise and host a Munster senior football championship match.

More importantly, they have also shown that there is no reason another West, Mid, North or East Cork club, with the proper facilities, cannot do the same.

“We got the call a couple of weeks ago from Cork LGFA and once we consulted with our GAA club they told us to go for it,” the Clonakilty LGFA Chairperson said.

“As for staging an All-Ireland LGFA championship game, we have the groundwork done and know what’s involved this time around. We are looking forward to meeting and dealing with the visiting Croke Park officials on the day itself.

“Everyone knows what’s ahead of us and what we need to do. Hopefully, we will have another big crowd present to support the Cork seniors. We are aware it is holiday season and that the game is clashing with an Old Time Fair in Clonakilty on Saturday.

“It is a big game, a must-win game for both Cork and Tipperary. I really hope that a big crowd comes out to get behind Cork.

“We will be hosting mini-games during half-time and there is huge interest from clubs all over the county and in Tipp to be a part of that as well.”