Clean sweep for Cork teams in Munster LGFA championships

A THIRD consecutive Munster LGFA minor championship victory was just reward for Cork on a weekend the county’s U16As, U16Bs and U14s also registered impressive wins.

There is plenty of West Cork interest in this year’s Cork minor inter-county panel. Hannah Sheehy (Castlehaven), Kate Carey, Leah Carey, Maebh Collins (all Ilen Rovers), Catherine Murphy, Maisie O’Callaghan (both Kinsale), Allie Tobin, Éabha O’Donovan (both O’Donovan Rossa) and Amy McKennedy (Tadhg MacCarthaigh) are all involved this year.

Last Saturday, Jamie Cronin’s side travelled to Waterford looking to build on recent victories over Clare and Kerry. Holding their opponents to five points (two from open play), the Rebels ran out convincing 5-12 to 0-5 winners and continued their dominant start to the season.

Hannah Sheehy was one of Cork’s standout performers on a day the Castlehaven player contributed 1-1. Kinsale’s Catherine Murphy netted two goals while Ilen Rovers’ Kate Carey (1-1) and Maebh Collins (0-1) also got their names on the scoresheet. Cork’s other scores came from Amy Sheppard (1-1), Ava Fitzgerald (0-2), Bríanna Smith, Lisa Murphy, Ava McAuliffe, Ava McCarthy, Deirdre Cronin and Órlaith Cremin. Next up for Cork is a Munster LGFA minor championship clash at home to Limerick in Mallow on March 16th.

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Down 1-5 to 0-4 at half time in their Munster LGFA U16A Championship clash against Tipperary, Denis Mulvihill’s (Valley Rovers) Cork battled back to record a hard-earned 1-10 to 1-9 victory in Mallow last Sunday.

West Cork’s Clodagh Barry, Evelyn McCarthy (both Bandon), Saorla Carey, Carla O’Regan (both Ilen Rovers), Lily Collins, Áine Kearney, Anna Kelleher, Caoimhe O’Donnell (all Kinsale), Ellen Connolly (Castlehaven), Róisín Duggan (Clonakilty), Caoimhe Foley (Courcey Rovers), Heather McCarthy (Dohenys) and Katie Murphy (Rosscarbery) are all involved with the Cork U16A’s this year.

Difficult weather conditions and a heavy pitch made life awkward for both teams throughout an intense battle. Cork kicked the winning score on the final whistle via a Laura Walsh free, her third in a row, and the eventual winners’ only lead of the game. Tipp battled gamely throughout five minutes of injury-time. Alas, a late free dropped short and was superbly gathered by Clonakilty goalkeeper Roisin Duggan before Cork’s victory was confirmed.

The Rebels’ scorers were Laura Walsh (0-7, 0-4 frees), Sarah O’Connor (1-0), Megan Barrett, Courcey Rovers’ Caoimhe Foley and Ilen Rovers’ Carla O’Regan (0-1 each).

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Fr Terry O’Brien (Kilmacabea) is one of this season’s Cork U16B selectors with players Aislinn Santry (Rosscarbery), Emma Burchill (Castlehaven), Hannah Deasy (Kinsale) and Katie Crowley (Courcey Rovers) representing West Cork.

Kenneth Burns’ Cork U16Bs side proved too strong for Tipperary, registering a 1-11 to 0-3 Munster LGFA Sharon O’Keeffe Memorial competition triumph in Mallow last Sunday.

Naomh Abán’s Róisín Ní Liatháin top scored with (0-5, 0-3 frees) in a game Aoife Collins (1-0), Courcey Rovers’ Katie Crowley (0-2, 0-1 free), Julie O’Reilly, Zoe Allen, Erin Healy and Clíona Ni Mhochain (0-1 each) completed the Rebels’ total.

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The 2024 Cork U14A inter-county panel includes West Cork’s Lucy Kelleher and Lucy Carmody (both Kinsale), Kate O’Mahony (Bandon), Saoirse Gilmore (Clonakilty) and Aoife McCarthy (Castlehaven).

Amid difficult weather conditions, the Cork U14As faced Galway in a challenge match last weekend and trailed 1-8 to 0-2 at the break. Tactical changes and numerous switches saw Cork turn things around and outscore their opponents 2-4 to 0-0 in the third quarter. That laid the foundation for an eventual 4-7 to 1-9 Cork victory ahead of a trip to Kildare in a fortnight’s time.

Cork’s scorers included Nessa McCormack (2-0), Lily May Kelleher (1-2), Sarah McCormack (1-0), Shauna Keane (0-2), Clonakilty’s Saoirse Gilmore, Isabelle O’Callaghan and Evie McMahon (0-1 each).