The Christmas decorations are starting to go up but the on-field action at club level for 2019 still isn’t over. This weekend, from the county’s perspective, it’s the turn of the ladies with two separate All-Ireland final contests down for decision on Sunday.
The first of these is the Junior B All-Ireland camogie final where East Mayo camogie club Na Brídeóga take on Denn of Cavan. This game has been fixed for Athleague where throw-in is 2pm on Sunday.
It was at the same Roscommon venue last Sunday that Tooreen captured the Connacht IHC title and Na Brídeóga, which draws players from Tooreen, Aghamore and Kiltimagh, will be looking to channel the same battling spirit as they go in search of All-Ireland honours. The team is captained by Eleanor Harrison, whose brother David lined out for Tooreen the last day.
The same afternoon the footballers of CL MacHale Rovers head for Duggan Park in Ballinasloe to contest the LGFA All-Ireland Junior football final against Cork’s Donoughmore. This match also throws in at 2pm and it’s being streamed live by the LGFA – details on that are here.
The star turn on the MacHale Rovers team is, of course, Rachel Kearns who won an LGFA All-Star award last Friday night. Incredibly, only two years ago Rachel applied to transfer to nearby St Brigid’s, as MacHale Rovers – who’d been in and out of existence since 2012 – didn’t have the numbers to make up a team and she was looking for regular club football.
In the event, that transfer never went through, and Rovers – comprising an amalgamation of Crossmolina, Lahardane and Ardagh – reformed in 2018. That year won their first league title. Now they’re shooting for All-Ireland glory.
Best of luck to both Mayo teams in their respective All-Ireland deciders on Sunday.
Thanks to the Mayo News, from whose match previews in this week’s paper by Michael Commins and Ger Flanagan the information in the above piece was largely drawn.
Good luck to both teams!
I think the camoige is also on Sunday, not Saturday?
Thanks, Puckout – I misread that preview piece! Corrected now.
Good luck to both teams. With luck I’ll make it to Ballinasloe to support Rovers. Pity I can’t be in both places.
Best of luck to both teams but in particular to CL MacHale Rovers! I’d imagine Willie B’s bus will be full heading to Ballinasloe!
Another All Ireland final lost by a point!
Hard luck to MacHale Rovers who, after a poor start, fought to the bitter end. And no end can be more bitter than a one point loss in such circumstances. In the end I thought that the experience of the Cork girls was crucial. Of course the sad thing about losing Junior and Intermediate Finals is that a team rarely gets a second chance. Unlike in Senior you cannot “lose one to win one” as promotion follows a County win. But if MacHale Rovers keep this team together they may well find themselves in an Intermediate Final not too many years hence.
Just dug out the result of the Camogie final today and delighted to see that Na Brideoga had a four point win in their final. Congrats to them and again I hope that they can keep the team together and go on to bigger and better things.
A great game today. Shame McHales lost.They are a great side. Renee Buckley was really good and was the difference. McHales had their chances to win it but did not take them. Mayo sides make life so so difficult. I find ladies football difficult to watch. Too many stops and starts. Referee decisions hard to fathom and I am not saying the ref was biased but just hard to follow the decisions they make. Anyway great to see a club that was in danger of extinction a short time ago to be contesting an all Ireland final. Lets hope they keep going both for their own well being and for the promotion of the game in the area. Rachel Kearnes was as usual brilliant but I thought the full back (dont know the name) had a great game as well.