Champions Aghada provide six of the Reardens All-Star Ladies Football 15

The 2024 Reardens Bar Cork LGFA Team of the Year includes senior players drawn from the Aghada, Clonakilty, Éire Óg, Glanmire and St Val’s clubs.

This year’s selection, chosen by the Echo’s Rory Noonan and Ger McCarthy from a long list of eligible candidates, includes six of Aghada’s newly crowned Cork LGFA senior A championship-winning panel. 

Runners-up in the top grade for the past four years, Éire Óg, have four representatives.

2023 intermediate county champions Glanmire have two, as do another of this season’s senior A semi-finalists and Division 1 county league winners, St Val’s. Senior B county champions Clonakilty round out the award-winning lineup.

Aghada’s senior A county title triumph was backboned by a solid defence in which goalkeeper Sarah Walsh proved a safe pair of hands. 

The quality of Walsh’s restarts were crucial throughout the year but especially in the county decider against Éire Óg. 

Walsh’s ability to keep the Ovens club from finding the back of the net ensured the senior decider was decided on free-kicks.

In defence, Aghada were fortunate to call upon Sarah Leahy and Róisín Phelan’s combined skills. 

The latter’s experience and ability to move seamlessly into midfield proved vital, especially in close games. 

Sarah Leahy’s consistency and shutting down opposing forward lines were contributory factors to her team’s county final success.

In 2024, Hannah Looney underlined the All-Ireland LGFA and Camogie inter-county winning stalwart’s importance to her club. 

Looney was a central figure in 2017’s All-Ireland junior success and rolled back the years, appearing at opposite ends of the pitch whenever called upon, throughout Aghada’s run.

Up front, Kaitlin Smith’s distribution and regular scoring helped Aghada remain undefeated in Group 1 and throughout the knockout stages. 

Emma Farmer top scored for the newly crowned senior A champions in 2024. Regularly stationed on the edge of the square, the experienced forward proved a reliable source for scores.

Losing out on Cork LGFA’s top prize was a tough pill to swallow for a talented Éire Óg. 

Yet, in Jennifer O’Gorman, the Ovens club possess one of the county’s best full backs. O’Gorman’s command of the square and winning of primary possession saw the defender enjoy another stellar year. 

The same is true of O’Gorman’s team mate Shauna Sheehan. The latter’s work rate and willingness to join the attack underlined Sheehan’s growing reputation.

Stationed at centre-forward, Laura Cleary had one of her most productive years in an Éire Óg jersey. 

Orlaith Cremin was another reliable forward, who along with Cleary, played at a consistently high level and contributed important scores.

Glanmire’s promotion to the senior ranks saw last year’s intermediate county champions make their presence felt. 

A senior A county semi-final appearance owed much to a talented set of forwards. Of those, Orlaith Roche and Aishling McAllen were in superb form. Roche and McAllen’s consistent efforts and scoring bursts helped Glanmire defeat Fermoy, Castlehaven and Mourneabbey. 

Both forwards are expected to kick on next year.

St Val’s enjoyed one of their best seasons in the county’s top grade this past year. 

Claiming a Division 1 county league title and reaching the last four of the senior A championship represented a merited return for a club expected to challenge for honours once again in 2025.

Central to St Val’s terrific run were Aisling Kelleher and Niamh McNabola. Both players were stationed in and around the middle third. 

Kelleher’s leadership qualities allied with her excellent passing abilities dovetailed nicely with McNabola’s impressive work rate. Expect Kelleher and McNabola’s influence to grow next year.

Siobhán Callanan played a major role in Clonakilty’s senior B county success. 2024 proved a profitable year for the West Cork LGFA club. 

Runners-up in their divisional, Division 1 county league and Munster senior B finals, the Brewery Town recorded victory in the senior final of the Killarney 7’s tournament.

A win over Kinsale in the Cork senior B final was the season highlight but a hard-earned one. 

That was another game in which defender Siobhán Callanan shone and helped the winners keep a clean sheet during a 2-5 to 0-5 victory. Throughout the senior A and senior B championships, Callanan was one of Clonakilty’s most dependable performers.

The players will receive their awards on Friday, December 27th at 7pm in Reardens Bar, Washington Street.

2024 Reardens Bar LGFA Team of the Year: 

Sarah Walsh (Aghada);

Sarah Leahy (Aghada), Jennifer O’Gorman (Éire Óg), Siobhán Callanan (Clonakilty);

Aisling Kelleher (St Val’s), Róisín Phelan (Aghada), Shauna Sheehan (Éire Óg); 

Niamh McNabola (St Val’s), Hannah Looney (Aghada); 

Kaitlin Smith (Aghada), Laura Cleary (Éire Óg), Orlaith Roche (Glanmire);

Emma Farmer (Aghada), Orlaith Cremin (Éire Óg), Aishling McAllen (Glanmire).