No limits for O'Donovan Rossa ladies footballers after another county triumph
O’Donovan Rossa celebrate their win over Naomh Abán at Cloughduv/ Picture: Jim Coughlan.
O’Donovan Rossa became the fourth West Cork club to join the Cork LGFA senior ranks following an emotional victory over Naomh Abán in last Sunday’s intermediate county final.
Fresh off their 2023 run of Cork, Munster and All-Ireland junior success, O’Donovan Rossa added a county intermediate trophy to their bulging cabinet.
The Skibbereen side were pushed all the way by a gallant Naomh Abán, themselves All-Ireland junior runners-up in 2022, before edging the result 0-12 to 1-8. Despite the poor weather conditions, a cracking atmosphere was generated by a large attendance that was treated to a pulsating decider. Level 0-8 apiece midway through the second period, 15-year-old substitute Roisín Ní Liathain’s goal appeared to tip the balance in Naomh Abán’s favour.
Yet, this Skibb panel is made of stern stuff and levelled the score courtesy of a swashbuckling comeback with Éabha O’Donovan, who finished with 0-6, converting frees either side of a Jessica Beechinor score.
O’Donovan edged her team back in front despite being down to fourteen players following Allie Tobin’s yellow card. A late free from Lydia McDonagh, her side’s best player, dropped short and Rossa celebrated becoming a senior club for the first time in their history.
“This means an awful lot,” O’Donovan Rossa manager James O’Donovan admitted.
“They have such ability. They are such honest girls. They train so well. When you have a group like that, who knows where you could end up. Now, we have ended up as a senior club so it is fantastic.
“To give a nod to Naomh Abán, they are a superb club. The way they carry themselves, the way they behave, the football they play the last number of years. They have been so unlucky in recent finals, to have beaten them to win a county makes it more special.”
“‘Oh my God, this is something, as a child, I would have only dreamed of,’" captain and Cork senior Laura O’Mahony added.
“I never thought it would come through but, oh my God, it is all a bit surreal at this moment. Naomh Abán are a formidable team and one of the best teams we have played over the last number of years. They really put it up to us today.
“When you got through all the way to winning an All-Ireland like we did last year, it definitely makes you better. Going up senior is probably something I won’t be able to get my head around for a couple of weeks.
“Back when I was representing the West Cork division at senior, I never would have imagined playing all those teams with my own club. Just knowing that is now the case, God, that’s something to look forward to.”
Rossa defender Lisa Harte praised Naomh Abán’s battling qualities following a titanic battle.
“Credit to them because they put it up to us until the very, very last minute,” Harte said. “I think we dug deep and it showed how much we really wanted it on the day. Look, it could have gone either way and thank God we came out on the right side of it.
“The experience of playing in an All-Ireland final definitely stood to us. We have experienced big days but sometimes those games can get to teams. We never panicked in the last 15 minutes, we were composed and just dug really deep.
“Look, this is just incredible. Credit to the girls and the management team.
Unbelievable it may right now but O’Donovan Rossa will have little time to bask in the glow of becoming intermediate county champions. A Munster LGFA semi-final at home to Kerry intermediate champions Scartaglen takes place next month.
After that, who knows? This O’Donovan Rossa panel showed what it is capable of in last year’s junior provincial and All-Ireland championships. As for 2025, Castlehaven, Clonakilty and Kinsale will be joined by a fellow West Cork club at the top.
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