West Cork ladies football clubs still hunting big trophies

West Cork may not have a vested interest in the upcoming Cork LGFA Senior A county final but the rural division has made its mark across multiple grades and could yet clinch silverware before the year is out.

Aghada and Éire Óg have qualified for the county’s most prestigious final but we are guaranteed a West Cork LGFA winner in this year’s Senior B county championship.

The rural division’s three representatives, Castlehaven, Clonakilty and Kinsale missed out on the Senior A knockout phase despite impressing in the group stages. One of that trio will claim the Senior B trophy as they are the only clubs left in the competition.

Kinsale lost their opening two championship encounters before overcoming Bride Rovers, 7-13 to 2-15, and drawing with Senior A finalists Aghada, 4-9 to 3-12. Impetus gained from those results saw the West Cork LGFA side drawn against Mourneabbey in the Senior B county semi-finals.

Last Friday evening, Kinsale built on their recent momentum to edge the former senior A county champions in a cracking encounter. Caoimhe Horgan, Catherine Murphy and former Cork senior Orla Finn each raised green flags to match Mourneabbey’s first half total and change ends tied 3-3 to 2-6.

In the second period, Finn raised her second green flag and Horgan took her personal total to 2-4. Kinsale withstood a ferocious Mourneabbey comeback to edge the result by a single point, 5-4 to 3-9.

FULL VALUE

The winners were full value for their victory in a season they have established themselves in the senior grade as well as claiming domestic silverware, the West Cork LGFA Division 1 championship at the start of the campaign.

Orla Finn, Sadhbh O’Leary, Caoimhe Heffernan, Emma O’Brien, Amy Casey, Maisie O’Callaghan, Caoimhe O’Callaghan, Dara Tyner and Caoimhe O’Driscoll’s combined skills give Kinsale a fighting chance of adding another trophy in the coming weeks.

Castlehaven or Clonakilty will be Kinsale’s opponents in an all-West Cork final. The aforementioned duo meet in Ahamilla this week with the Haven looking to retain a Senior B trophy they overcame Fermoy for last season.

Katie O’Driscoll, Siofra Pattwell and Sinead O’Donovan have provided the bulk of the Brewery Town’s scores this term. It is worth noting that Clon’s only championship losses were at the hands of county finalists Aghada and Éire Óg. Add in a narrow Division 1 county league final loss at the hands of St Vals and Clonakilty will be eager to finish their campaign on a high.

Easier said than done despite home advantage for the Senior B semi-final visit of old rivals, Castlehaven. The latter required a 6-11 to 1-8 win over Fermoy to stave off a relegation play-off appearance but Dinny Cahalane’s squad possesses plenty of quality with the likes of Ellie McCarthy, Gráinne O’Sullivan, Hannah Sheehy, Niamh O’Sullivan and Ellen Connolly ready to test Clonakilty’s resolve.

2023 will go down as one of the greatest years in O’Donovan Rossa’s history. The Skibbereen club claimed county and provincial trophies prior to going all the way to Dublin and winning the LGFA’s currentaccount.ie All-Ireland junior title.

An unforgettable 2-7 to 0-11 victory over Mayo’s Claremorris was hard-earned but ensured Rossa completed a unique treble prior to moving up to the intermediate grade.

Without missing a beat, O’Donovan Rossa finished top of the Cork LGFA IFC round-robin section, winning five of their six championship encounters. That set up last weekend’s county semi-final at home to Valley Rovers where Rossa’s underlined their title credentials with a powerful 3-16 to 0-3 victory.

Éabha O’Donovan top scored with 2-7 and is enjoying another productive year up front for the Skibbereen club. Yet, it is Cork senior Laura O’Mahony, Kate O’Donovan, Fionnuala O’Driscoll, Aoife O’Driscoll and Mallaidh O’Neill’s collective increased scoring output that gives Rossa’s a fighting chance of intermediate glory.

Naomh Abán, having overcome another West Cork team, Rosscarbery, in the semi-finals, await in the decider and what an occasion that should be. 

It is less than two years since the Ballyvourney club followed a similar path to O’Donovan Rossa only to come up short in the All-Ireland junior decider to Galway’s Salthill-Knocknacarra.

So, as we inch towards 2025, West Cork LGFA clubs Castlehaven, Clonakilty, Kinsale and O’Donovan Rossa’s seasons are far from over and with a tantalising prospect of silverware in the air.