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O’Donovan Rossa star O’Sullivan fires Rebels to Munster win

April 15th, 2022 5:00 PM

By Ger McCarthy

The Cork U14 team that won the 2022 Johnny Hayes Memorial tournament trophy in Mallow recently.

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IT is one of the busiest times of the season for Cork LGFA underage panels – featuring a host of West Cork players – involved in Munster championship action.

The Cork LGFA U16s began their 2022 Munster LGFA A championship with a 1-12 to 1-4 victory at home to Tipperary in Mourneabbey last Saturday. Dominic Gallagher’s panel includes six West Cork representatives this year. Amy McKennedy and Eleanor Keating (Tadhg MacCarthaigh), Éabha O’Donovan and Niamh O’Sullivan (O’Donovan Rossa), Catherine Murphy (Kinsale) and Kate Carey (Ilen Rovers) were part of a Cork set-up that proved too strong for Tipp in an entertaining game.

O’Donovan Rossa’s Niamh O’Sullivan netted Cork’s all-important goal on an afternoon Deirdre Cronin (0-4, 0-2 frees), Brianna Smith (0-2) Eabha O’Donovan (0-1 free), Amy Sheppard, Meabh McGoldrick, Aoibhe Daly, Aoibhínn O’Neill and Catherine Murphy (0-1 each) provided Cork’s scores. Tadhg MacCarthaigh’s Amy McKennedy and Rossa’s Niamh O’Sullivan along with Johanna Foskin, Deirdre Cronin and Amy Sheppard were the pick of Dominic Gallagher’s side’s best players. Next up is a showdown with Kerry on Saturday afternoon.

 

‘The result was exactly what we wanted even though the overall performance wasn’t ideal,’ manager Dominic Gallagher told The Southern Star.

‘We started really well and were up ten points to no score after 25 minutes. That was back to three points 15 minutes into the second half. We finished strongly though so there are issues to sort out. Overall, we are quite happy as there was a lot of good stuff in that performance as well. There are still things to work on but it was our first championship outing of the year and we were delighted to get the win.

‘Now we must face Kerry in Kenmare this weekend and that’s a game everyone is looking forward to. Cork and Kerry games are always fierce battles. There isn’t much between Cork, Kerry or Tipp at U6 level to be honest. It is a quick turnaround but we are ready, focussed and will have a right go off of them.’

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Joe Carroll’s Cork minors begin their 2022 Munster LGFA championship this weekend. Cork travel to Bansha to face Tipperary in their provincial opener on Sunday before hosting Kerry the following weekend. The outcome of Cork’s two encounters, following Tipp’s surprise win over Kerry, will decide this year’s Munster finalists.

Clonakilty LGFA has four representatives on the Cork minor panel including Katie O’Driscoll, Millie Condon, Kate O’Donovan and Siobhán Callanan. Emma Hurley (Ilen Rovers) and Caoimhe Heffernan (Kinsale) are the other West Cork LGFA players involved.

A Cork U14 team claimed the 2022 Johnny Hayes Memorial tournament trophy thanks to a convincing victory over Tipperary in Mallow. The young Cork panel were in devastating form with Caoimhe Geraghty scoring 3-3 and Orlaith Murphy adding 1-1. Ciara O’Keefe and Sarah Finnegan were also on the scoresheet for a rampant Rebels team. Maria O’Donovan and Hannah Twomey (Ibane Ladies), Heather McCarthy (Dohenys) and Aislinn Santry (Rosscarbery) represented the West Cork division on the Johnny Hayes Memorial tournament-winning Cork side.

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