Glanmire push past previous heartache and head to London as Munster champions

CAST your mind back to 2018 and it was a year that Glanmire Ladies Football Club will never forget.

They were triple champions as the Cork, Munster, and All-Ireland titles were won by the club. The future looked bright at that point and they were expected to move on to senior ranks in a short time with the squad they had and some of the players coming through their underage ranks.

But sport can be cruel and what followed was heartbreak after heartbreak as they lost the 2000, 2021, and 2022 Cork intermediate finals.

However, that unlucky run came to an end this year and in the last few weeks, both the Cork and Munster titles have been added to their trophy cabinet.

Last Sunday they beat Monagea in the Munster decider at Mallow, a win they thoroughly deserved. 

Even when they went behind early in the second half they never panicked and came through ty 0-8 to 1-3 against a quality Limerick outfit. Along the way, you need a little bit of luck and they can look at a few occasions when the bounce of the ball went in their favour. 

But they can also look to a squad full of talented players, who always give it everything and even when they look dead and buried seem to find a way back to emerge as winners.

INCREDIBLE

Vincy Barry is the manager of the team and along with his fellow selectors and backroom members, has ensured they did all they could to have the players prepared for days like last Sunday.

Speaking after the game Barry said: “We are delighted, we worked extremely hard to get here. We didn’t play brilliantly on the day but I thought we were the better of the two teams.

“We closed out the game well in the last 10 minutes to win and I am delighted for the panel of 35 players. They are an incredible bunch and as I said before we are at about 120 training sessions and 30 games at this stage.

It’s also the backroom people who deserve great credit for this, we have about 50 involved overall and the work they put in is incredible.”

Reflecting on Monagea’s great start to the second half, where they came from three points down to take the lead Barry added: “I was worried, but then as a team, I thought we stood up well, weathered the storm and drove on then.

“We know they are an extremely good team, a lot of good footballers, but when they took off their number 14 [Catriona Davis] it was a telling moment.”

Davis would be their key player up front but only scored one point from a free for the 53 minutes she was on the pitch, thanks to a superb marking job by Kayla O’Connor.

“Kayla has massive heart, and she was given a job and a duty to do and she fulfilled it to her credit.

“Abbie O’Mahony also got two crucial scores for us in the second half, she's an incredible player, totally committed, and a lovely person as well. She’s on the Cork senior panel and I thought she closed out the game for us well.”

Their reward for winning the Munster title is a trip to London to take on Tir Chonaill Gaels in the All-Ireland quarter-final on November 25.

“We are looking forward to that now, there will be a bit of logistics needed to get us there but we will enjoy the celebrations first and then get back to training during the week and prepare for that game,” concluded Barry.