St Finbarr's dominate Reardens Club Camogie All-Star 15 but six clubs represented
St Finbarr's Sorcha McCartan was the joint top scorer in the SE Systems Cork senior camogie championship and was a key player as her club retained their title. Picture: Larry Cummins
The 2025 Reardens Cork Camogie Team of the Year is dominated by St Finbarr’s, with five others also having players in the side.
St Finbarr’s who retained their SE Systems Cork senior championship title, and St Catherine’s, the beaten finalists, have 10 of the team between them.
The event will take place on Sunday, January 4 in Reardens Bar at 8pm.
The Barrs went on to add the Munster title to their trophy cabinet, the first time the club has won this title. They have seven on the team, followed by Catherine’s with three. Blackrock have two with, Courcey Rovers, Glen Rovers and Éire Óg having one each.
This team was picked on the Cork championship, and what the Barrs did in Munster and the All-Ireland series afterwards had no bearing on the team. Had those games been taken into consideration, then several others would most likely have made their way into the starting 15.
It was a championship that many games went down to the wire, and the county final was no exception to that. Despite being beaten late on Catherine’s can look back on a season they made great progress, especially their semi-final win over Sarsfields.
For her part in that run and for some magnificent saves she made along the, especially in that clash with Sars St Catherine’s goalkeeper Yvonne O’Neill gets the nod for the number one jersey.
It was a close call between Yvonne and a few others, in particular Ciara Hurley, but the Catherine’s netminder was the choice of the judges in the end.
In the full-back line Stephanie Punch was an obvious choice in the corner. Not the tallest player on the pitch but what she may lack in height she more than makes up for with skill and heart.
An inter-county teammate said that she hates marking her in training as she is so hard to get the better of. Captain of the Barrs this season and last, she has led by example, and not too many forwards get the better of Stephanie. A natural leader and one that continues to drive on the Barrs, game after game.
Alongside her is Carolyn Mother of St Catherine’s, again another who has put in a massive shift for her side all season.
Her displays at the heart of their defence played a major part in their run to the final, the type of defender that any manager wants in his team. Never lets you down and just gets on with it without any fuss.
In the other corner is Grainne Cahalane, and like the other two, the Barrs defender is a ‘get on with it’ type of player. A cool head at all times and one of the most consistent defenders all through the championship for her side. Recovered from an achilles tendon to play a key role in ensuring the Barrs retained their Cork county title.
In the halfback line is Aoife O’Neill who was Player of the Game in the 2024 Cork championship final and continued that form into 2025. Has the happy knack of being in the right place at the right time to kill off an attack and set one up for her own side. The Barrs defender is happy in most positions across the back six.
Both are comfortable in either position, with Laura getting the number six jersey this time. She was named at midfield for most games by Catherine’s but lined out in the centre of their defence and, as always, never let them down.
Meabh is one of two dual award winners as she is also named on the football side. That versatility shows the high standards she expects of herself and those around her. A natural leader, she anchors the Barrs defence game after game and sweeps across that line to quell attack after attack.
In midfield, there were plenty of players to put their hands up for the two spots, with the first going to Courcey Rovers Saoirse McCarthy.
Her pace and ability to get crucial scores have been key for Courceys for some time now, and add in her ability to score from placed balls and it’s easy to see why she is one of the top players in the country at the moment. Consistently wins Player of the Game awards, which says it all about Saoirse.
Alongside Saoirse is Blackrock’s Cliona O’Callaghan, and with a little bit of luck her club could have gone a lot further in the championship. It certainly wasn’t for lack of effort on Cliona’s part as she drove her side on game after game. A great reader of the game she pops up all over the pitch, be it in defence or attack to help her side out.
Scored 3-15 for the Rockies during their championship run, 3-11 from play, a great return from any midfielder.
In the half-forward line Emma Murphy gets the number 10 spot. Many top-class players have worn the Glen Rovers jersey over the years, and Emma is fast becoming one of the greats of the famed northside club.
Her blistering pace has seen Emma leave many a defender in her wake. It was no great surprise to see her nominated for an All-Star this year, and if she continues her current form, then it won’t be long before she wins one.
Blackrock’s Hayley Ryan, the joint top-scorer in the championship with Sorcha McCartan, is picked at centre-forward.
A quality player who has been a model of consistency for her club now for some time. As deadly from play as she is from placed balls, no defender has an easy day when they come up against Hayley.
Probably never gets the credit she deserves. One of the hardest workers in the side, she has scored many a vital point or goal for the Barrs as they retained the Cork title. One of the first names any manager would put in his starting 15.
If ever there was a front three to scare the life out of any defence, then 13 to 15 would certainly do that.
At 13 is Orlaith Cahalane, the second player to be honoured in both the football and camogie teams. One of the toughest players to mark in the game, and pops up at crucial times to score for her side. A brilliant reader of the game, she is as comfortable setting up scores for others as she is at popping the ball over the bar.
In the middle is the powerhouse that is Sorcha McCartan. Many a defender has been caught out by her pace, and she was the other joint top-scorer in the Cork championship, but she led the way on the scores from play charts.
Her tally for the championship was 4-35, with 4-17 of that from play. She was named Player of the Game in the Cork final, and when it was tight she stood up and was counted to help drive the Barrs on to victory.
The final spot goes to Éire Óg’s Clara Murphy, another attacker that scared the life out of defenders this season. She was the driving force for Éire Óg across the championship and was the fourth-highest scorer in the championship.
Yvonne O’Neill, St Catherine’s);
Stephanie Punch, St Finbarr’s; Carolyn Motherway, St Catherine’s; Grainne Cahalane, St Finbarr’s;
Aoife O’Neill, St Finbarr’s; Laura Hayes, St Catherine’s; Meabh Cahalane, St Finbarr’s;
Saoirse McCarthy, Courcey Rovers; Cliona O’Callaghan, Blackrock;
Emma Murphy, Glen Rovers; Hayley Ryan, Blackrock; Keeva McCarthy, St Finbarr’s;
Orlaith Cahalane, St Finbarr’s; Sorcha McCartan, St Finbarr’s, and Clara Murphy, Éire Óg.
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