Caheragh ladies crowned county champions

WEST CORK club Tadhg Mac Carthaigh were crowned 2022 Cork LGFA junior C county champions following victory over Ballinora at Kilmichael.

Awful weather conditions couldn’t prevent the Caheragh ladies from deservedly gaining promotion to the junior B ranks. Goals from Maureen Keating and Clodagh O’Neill handed the West Cork club a 2-4 to 1-5 half-time lead.

Ballinora staged a comeback in the second period and the score was level, 3-7 to 3-7, after Helena Collins netted Caheragh’s third goal.

Extra-time saw both sides find it difficult to cope with deteriorating weather conditions until Tadhg Mac Carthaigh’s Alaia O’Sullivan found the net.

Three Ballinora points meant the sides remained deadlocked 4-8 to 3-11 at the end of extra-time.

25-metre free-kicks decided the outcome and a delighted Tadhg Mac Carthaigh emerged victorious, 4-3 on frees, to claim the JCFC title.

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The Cork LGFA minor championship begins this weekend with numerous West Cork and Beara clubs involved.

Clonakilty claimed their first ever Drinagh Co-op Superstores West Cork minor A title at the expense of Kinsale at the beginning of the month.

Siofra Pattwell (1-6), Caoimhe McEvoy and Millie Condon (2-0 each), Katie O’Driscoll (1-1) and Aoife O’Flynn-Meade (0-2), Ciara White, Caoimhe Murphy and Kate O’Donovan (0-1 each) were on target in a 6-12 to 3-12 divisional final victory.

Clon and Kinsale will compete in the minor A county quarter-finals with the latter away to Mallow and Clonakilty hosting Bride Rovers.

O’Donovan Rossa take on Fermoy and Ilen Rovers will be away to Erins Own in the minor B quarter-finals. In the minor C, Tadhg Mac Carthaigh entertain Inch Rovers and Castlehaven go one on one with Killavullen.

Valley Rovers enjoy home advantage for the visit of Lisgoold in the minor D competition. In the same quarter-finals round, Bantry Blues will host Ballinora.

Bandon and Dohenys (minor A2), Rosscarbery (B2), Beara and Ibane Ladies (C2), Muintir Gabriels and St Colum’s (D2) and Keelnameela (D3) will also be involved in upcoming championship fixtures.

This year’s minor quarter-finals take place between October 22nd and November 5th, semi-finals on November 12th and an exciting week of county finals between December 3rd and 10th.

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Bantry Blues will play in the Cork LGFA junior A grade next year. The West Cork club was relegated from the intermediate championship following a 1-3 to 0-4 loss at the hands of Donoughmore in an intermediate relegation play-off at Cloughduv.

Despite Aoife Kingston (0-3) and Zara Barry (0-1) scores and Laura O’Sullivan, Cliodhna O’Shea, Emma Spillane and Caitlin O’Mahony’s best efforts, the blues were defeated in a low-scoring affair.

‘It is time to rebuild and we will,’ Bantry manager Ivan Kingston admitted.

‘We have some great footballers coming through our underage ranks and, hopefully, a few more to come back from injury and travelling abroad.’

Bantry can console themselves with the prospect of West Cork derbies against O’Donovan Rossa and Dohenys plus local rivals Beara in an exciting looking JAFC for 2023.

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It proved a weekend of contrasting fortunes for West Cork clubs in the Cork LGFA U16 county championships.

Ilen Rovers lost a cracking U16A quarter-final to Mourneabbey 5-6 to 1-12 despite Kate Carey (1-3), Maebh Collins (0-5), Carla O’Regan, Saorla Carey and Leah Carey’s best efforts. Tadgh Mac Carthaigh are through to the last four of the U16A following a 4-13 to 1-1 defeat of Killavullen.

O’Donovan Rossa fared equally well in the U16B championship with Éabha O'Donovan, Holly Brickley, Orla McCarthy and Lauren McCarthy featuring in a convincing quarter-final win over Killshannig.

Beara were knocked out of the U16C championship following a narrow 1-9 to 2-4 loss at St Michaels. In the same competition, Valley Rovers lost 3-8 to 2-6 away to Youghal despite Shona Cronin (2-1), Millie Slyne (0-3), Dilly Barry Twohig (0-1), Aoife Dullea (0-1) and Ella Ryan’s best efforts.

Ibane Ladies accounted for Araglen Desmonds Buí 2-16 to 3-3- to reach the U16D county quarter-finals thanks to Ella Nyhan, Alice O’Leary, Aoibhinn McKeogh, Caoimhe Ni Bhuachalla, Cliodhna Keohane, Maria O’Donovan and Meabh O’Sullivan scores.

Clodagh Barry, Evelyn McCarthy, Anna Crowley, Sarah Burrows and Maggie France were on target in Bandon’s 2-8 to 1-11 U16A2 quarterfinal win at Fermoy.