Cork ladies football in 2025: Picking the clubs teams to beat next season
Aghada’s Sarah Leahy travels up the pitch during the Senior A final win over Éire Óg. Picture: Chani Anderson
Defending champions Aghada will take some stopping in what should be another cracking Cork LGFA senior championship in 2025. Led by Róisín Phelan, Hannah Looney and Emma Farmer, plus a host of up and coming youngsters, Eric Smith’s side will be eager to show their 2024 triumph was no flash in the pan.
Next year’s senior grade looks the strongest it has been for many years. Éire Óg will be hoping to reach a fifth consecutive county decider and finally get over the line. 2023 All-Ireland intermediate champions Glanmire will be anxious to go one better than their semi-final appearance. Division 1 League champions St Val’s look primed to improve on their past season’s efforts.
One of the biggest stories of this past year’s senior championship was Mourneabbey’s absence from the knockout stages for the first time in 11 years. For so long the standard-bearers of Cork and Munster LGFA, Mourneabbey will be desperate to bounce back and reestablish themselves.
Any side that can call upon Doireann O’Sullivan, Ciara O’Sullivan, Bríd O’Sullivan, Máire O’Callaghan, Deirdre Cronin and Laura Walsh is to be respected. A reinvigorated Mourneabbey will be one of the teams to watch.
As intermediate county and provincial champions, O’Donovan Rossa’s ascension means West Cork has four representatives at senior level this coming year. Clonakilty, Castlehaven and Kinsale are all established clubs underlined by Clon’s senior B county success.
Cork senior Laura O’Mahony along with Allie Tobin, Éabha O’Donovan, Triona Murphy, Fionnuala O’Driscoll and Kate O’Donovan are ready to make their mark having risen from the Junior D ranks.
Naomh Abán begin 2025 as one of the favourites for the county’s intermediate title. That’s hardly a surprise considering the Ballyvourney club has been amongst the grade’s frontrunners in recent times. A narrow 0-12 to 1-8 IFC county final defeat at the hands of O’Donovan Rossa was hard to take for Noel McDonagh’s side considering they lost to Glanmire at the same juncture only twelve months before.
On the plus side, the majority of Naomh Abán’s 2022 county and Munster junior-winning panel remains intact. Experience gained from lifting those two trophies, and reaching an All-Ireland JAFC final that same year, underlines the depth of talent within Naomh Abán’s setup.
Next year’s IFC sees Fermoy (relegated from senior) and Midleton (promoted as Junior A champions) joining a grade that also includes improving Valley Rovers and Rosscarbery outfits.
Naomh Abán will still be the team to beat however, with midfielders Amy McDonagh and Gráinne Lucey ready to play vital roles. Add in forwards like Roisín Ní Liathain, Lydia McDonagh, Grace Murphy, Rosie Corkery and Annie Maher and it may well be a case of third-time lucky for the progressive Ballyvourney-based club.
Midleton outlasted a talented field to become Cork LGFA Junior A county champions this past season. The East Cork side gained promotion to the intermediate ranks by finishing in the top four of a round-robin section before seeing off Bantry Blues (1-8 to 0-6) in the semi-finals and Dohenys (1-8 to 1-6) in the decider.
Junior B county champions Erin’s Own join the aforementioned West Cork clubs, Douglas and Rockbán in next year’s grade. Of those aforementioned sides, Dohenys appear best placed to make up for their county final defeat.
The Dunmanway club has pedigree at this grade having lost to O’Donovan Rossa in 2023’s final. Cork senior Melissa Duggan is still making her presence felt and with Ava O’Donovan, Mairead Crowley, Michelle Duggan and Margaret Collins coming off impressive individual seasons, Dohenys have every right to look forward with optimism.
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