Bantry ladies are on the brink of something special

Team game: Sarah Coakley came on as a sun against St Val's last weekend.

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.

Team game: Sarah Coakley came on as a sun against St Val's last weekend.

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.

Team game: Sarah Coakley came on as a sun against St Val's last weekend.

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.

Team game: Sarah Coakley came on as a sun against St Val's last weekend.

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.