History will be made this Saturday when Bantry Blues ladies' junior football team contests its first-ever county junior A football final
BY KIERAN McCARTHY
HISTORY will be made this Saturday when Bantry Blues ladies’ junior football team contests its first-ever county junior A football final.
After last weekend’s semi-final win (1-9 to 1-7) against St Val’s B, Bantry booked themselves a place in the county final against Kinsale in Macroom (6.30pm throw-in) this weekend.
This is a fantastic achievement for this team, which is managed by Paul Drummey and Joe Downey, with Niall Canty and John McCarthy as selectors.
There’s been a natural progression about this run to a first county final at this grade. The junior team was formed in 2009, was crowned county junior C champions in 2010, won the county junior B championship in 2012, and the following season Bantry reached the junior A quarter-finals.
Now, for the first time, this West Cork team will contest a county junior A ladies’ final.
It’s been an excellent season to date, and in this championship run they have beaten Gabriels in round one (0-10 to 1-4), Naomh Abán in round two (2-14 to 2-8), before a bye in the quarter-final against Ballingeary was followed by the semi-final win against St Val’s B
In Division 3A of the football league, the Bantry ladies played four and won four, as they captured that title with a league final win (3-17 to 1-12) against Mourneabbey B in July.
Looking more closely at this Bantry team there are three All-Ireland finalists from the Cork U21s, Ann Coakley, Libby Coppinger and Seadna O’Sullivan. Coakley and Coppinger also contested an All-Ireland final with the Cork minors in the past, while dual ace Coppinger won a Munster intermediate camogie title this season.
Four-time All-Ireland winning Cork minor Emma Spillane is another key player, while Aoife O’Driscoll, Laura O’Sullivan, Kate O’Brien and Niamh Crowley have won Munster and All-Ireland titles with Cork from U14 to minor level. Jessica Coakley and Aoife Crowley boast All-Ireland college titles with UCC and DCU respectively.
There’s a strong Fermanagh presence in this team too as former inter-county captain Edel McGovern, a former Fermanagh Player of the Year (2008), is a leading light on this Bantry team.
There’s even more experience in the guise of Kathleen Casey, who won an All-Ireland senior club medal with St Enda’s – a team made up of players from Castletownbere, Bantry, Skibbereen, Enniskeane, Ballineen and Dunmanway.
Paul Drummey added: ‘Kathleen used to get the bus to training twice a week and 30 years after winning her All-Ireland she still trains as hard as ever.’
Against St Val’s in the semi-final, Bantry trailed 1-4 to 0-2 at the break, with Myra O’Sullivan and Aoife O’Driscoll getting on the scoreboard for the Blues, who played against the wind.
Myra O’Sullivan scored a crucial second-half goal, with Libby Coppinger, Aoife O’Driscoll and sub Meabh Ní Shúilleabháin all on target, as Bantry made club history by qualifying for their first county junior A ladies’ football final.
They want to finish the job in style this Saturday against Kinsale.
BY KIERAN McCARTHY
HISTORY will be made this Saturday when Bantry Blues ladies’ junior football team contests its first-ever county junior A football final.
After last weekend’s semi-final win (1-9 to 1-7) against St Val’s B, Bantry booked themselves a place in the county final against Kinsale in Macroom (6.30pm throw-in) this weekend.
This is a fantastic achievement for this team, which is managed by Paul Drummey and Joe Downey, with Niall Canty and John McCarthy as selectors.
There’s been a natural progression about this run to a first county final at this grade. The junior team was formed in 2009, was crowned county junior C champions in 2010, won the county junior B championship in 2012, and the following season Bantry reached the junior A quarter-finals.
Now, for the first time, this West Cork team will contest a county junior A ladies’ final.
It’s been an excellent season to date, and in this championship run they have beaten Gabriels in round one (0-10 to 1-4), Naomh Abán in round two (2-14 to 2-8), before a bye in the quarter-final against Ballingeary was followed by the semi-final win against St Val’s B
In Division 3A of the football league, the Bantry ladies played four and won four, as they captured that title with a league final win (3-17 to 1-12) against Mourneabbey B in July.
Looking more closely at this Bantry team there are three All-Ireland finalists from the Cork U21s, Ann Coakley, Libby Coppinger and Seadna O’Sullivan. Coakley and Coppinger also contested an All-Ireland final with the Cork minors in the past, while dual ace Coppinger won a Munster intermediate camogie title this season.
Four-time All-Ireland winning Cork minor Emma Spillane is another key player, while Aoife O’Driscoll, Laura O’Sullivan, Kate O’Brien and Niamh Crowley have won Munster and All-Ireland titles with Cork from U14 to minor level. Jessica Coakley and Aoife Crowley boast All-Ireland college titles with UCC and DCU respectively.
There’s a strong Fermanagh presence in this team too as former inter-county captain Edel McGovern, a former Fermanagh Player of the Year (2008), is a leading light on this Bantry team.
There’s even more experience in the guise of Kathleen Casey, who won an All-Ireland senior club medal with St Enda’s – a team made up of players from Castletownbere, Bantry, Skibbereen, Enniskeane, Ballineen and Dunmanway.
Paul Drummey added: ‘Kathleen used to get the bus to training twice a week and 30 years after winning her All-Ireland she still trains as hard as ever.’
Against St Val’s in the semi-final, Bantry trailed 1-4 to 0-2 at the break, with Myra O’Sullivan and Aoife O’Driscoll getting on the scoreboard for the Blues, who played against the wind.
Myra O’Sullivan scored a crucial second-half goal, with Libby Coppinger, Aoife O’Driscoll and sub Meabh Ní Shúilleabháin all on target, as Bantry made club history by qualifying for their first county junior A ladies’ football final.
They want to finish the job in style this Saturday against Kinsale.
BY KIERAN McCARTHY
HISTORY will be made this Saturday when Bantry Blues ladies’ junior football team contests its first-ever county junior A football final.
After last weekend’s semi-final win (1-9 to 1-7) against St Val’s B, Bantry booked themselves a place in the county final against Kinsale in Macroom (6.30pm throw-in) this weekend.
This is a fantastic achievement for this team, which is managed by Paul Drummey and Joe Downey, with Niall Canty and John McCarthy as selectors.
There’s been a natural progression about this run to a first county final at this grade. The junior team was formed in 2009, was crowned county junior C champions in 2010, won the county junior B championship in 2012, and the following season Bantry reached the junior A quarter-finals.
Now, for the first time, this West Cork team will contest a county junior A ladies’ final.
It’s been an excellent season to date, and in this championship run they have beaten Gabriels in round one (0-10 to 1-4), Naomh Abán in round two (2-14 to 2-8), before a bye in the quarter-final against Ballingeary was followed by the semi-final win against St Val’s B
In Division 3A of the football league, the Bantry ladies played four and won four, as they captured that title with a league final win (3-17 to 1-12) against Mourneabbey B in July.
Looking more closely at this Bantry team there are three All-Ireland finalists from the Cork U21s, Ann Coakley, Libby Coppinger and Seadna O’Sullivan. Coakley and Coppinger also contested an All-Ireland final with the Cork minors in the past, while dual ace Coppinger won a Munster intermediate camogie title this season.
Four-time All-Ireland winning Cork minor Emma Spillane is another key player, while Aoife O’Driscoll, Laura O’Sullivan, Kate O’Brien and Niamh Crowley have won Munster and All-Ireland titles with Cork from U14 to minor level. Jessica Coakley and Aoife Crowley boast All-Ireland college titles with UCC and DCU respectively.
There’s a strong Fermanagh presence in this team too as former inter-county captain Edel McGovern, a former Fermanagh Player of the Year (2008), is a leading light on this Bantry team.
There’s even more experience in the guise of Kathleen Casey, who won an All-Ireland senior club medal with St Enda’s – a team made up of players from Castletownbere, Bantry, Skibbereen, Enniskeane, Ballineen and Dunmanway.
Paul Drummey added: ‘Kathleen used to get the bus to training twice a week and 30 years after winning her All-Ireland she still trains as hard as ever.’
Against St Val’s in the semi-final, Bantry trailed 1-4 to 0-2 at the break, with Myra O’Sullivan and Aoife O’Driscoll getting on the scoreboard for the Blues, who played against the wind.
Myra O’Sullivan scored a crucial second-half goal, with Libby Coppinger, Aoife O’Driscoll and sub Meabh Ní Shúilleabháin all on target, as Bantry made club history by qualifying for their first county junior A ladies’ football final.
They want to finish the job in style this Saturday against Kinsale.
BY KIERAN McCARTHY
HISTORY will be made this Saturday when Bantry Blues ladies’ junior football team contests its first-ever county junior A football final.
After last weekend’s semi-final win (1-9 to 1-7) against St Val’s B, Bantry booked themselves a place in the county final against Kinsale in Macroom (6.30pm throw-in) this weekend.
This is a fantastic achievement for this team, which is managed by Paul Drummey and Joe Downey, with Niall Canty and John McCarthy as selectors.
There’s been a natural progression about this run to a first county final at this grade. The junior team was formed in 2009, was crowned county junior C champions in 2010, won the county junior B championship in 2012, and the following season Bantry reached the junior A quarter-finals.
Now, for the first time, this West Cork team will contest a county junior A ladies’ final.
It’s been an excellent season to date, and in this championship run they have beaten Gabriels in round one (0-10 to 1-4), Naomh Abán in round two (2-14 to 2-8), before a bye in the quarter-final against Ballingeary was followed by the semi-final win against St Val’s B
In Division 3A of the football league, the Bantry ladies played four and won four, as they captured that title with a league final win (3-17 to 1-12) against Mourneabbey B in July.
Looking more closely at this Bantry team there are three All-Ireland finalists from the Cork U21s, Ann Coakley, Libby Coppinger and Seadna O’Sullivan. Coakley and Coppinger also contested an All-Ireland final with the Cork minors in the past, while dual ace Coppinger won a Munster intermediate camogie title this season.
Four-time All-Ireland winning Cork minor Emma Spillane is another key player, while Aoife O’Driscoll, Laura O’Sullivan, Kate O’Brien and Niamh Crowley have won Munster and All-Ireland titles with Cork from U14 to minor level. Jessica Coakley and Aoife Crowley boast All-Ireland college titles with UCC and DCU respectively.
There’s a strong Fermanagh presence in this team too as former inter-county captain Edel McGovern, a former Fermanagh Player of the Year (2008), is a leading light on this Bantry team.
There’s even more experience in the guise of Kathleen Casey, who won an All-Ireland senior club medal with St Enda’s – a team made up of players from Castletownbere, Bantry, Skibbereen, Enniskeane, Ballineen and Dunmanway.
Paul Drummey added: ‘Kathleen used to get the bus to training twice a week and 30 years after winning her All-Ireland she still trains as hard as ever.’
Against St Val’s in the semi-final, Bantry trailed 1-4 to 0-2 at the break, with Myra O’Sullivan and Aoife O’Driscoll getting on the scoreboard for the Blues, who played against the wind.
Myra O’Sullivan scored a crucial second-half goal, with Libby Coppinger, Aoife O’Driscoll and sub Meabh Ní Shúilleabháin all on target, as Bantry made club history by qualifying for their first county junior A ladies’ football final.
They want to finish the job in style this Saturday against Kinsale.