Sacred Heart Clonakilty and Skibbereen Community School intent on passing Munster final exams

IT was another terrific week for West Cork schools in Munster LGFA PPS action as Sacred Heart Secondary School Clonakilty and Skibbereen Community School both progressed to provincial finals.

Sacred Heart Clonakilty recovered from the concession of two early goals and produced an excellent display to see off Mercy Mounthawk Tralee by 5-11 to 2-5. That result saw the Clonakilty school qualify for this year’s Lidl Munster LGFA senior Premier C decider against whoever emerges from Ursline Thurles and Coláiste Muire, Ennis’ semi-final clash.

Having overcome Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine Kenmare in the previous round, Clonakilty took on another Kerry opponent in Ballyvourney last week. The eventual winners struck five goals to seal their place in the senior C grade’s final despite Mercy Mounthawk enjoying a dominant start. Clonakilty quickly settled and assumed control before registering an impressive win. Orlaith Deasy (1-3), Aisling Moloney (0-4), Millie Condon, Eimear O’Brien, Siofra Patwell, Aoife O’Flynn Meade (1-0 each), Roisin Ni Bhuachalla (0-2), Maeve Kingston and Lydia Sutton (0-1) were on target for the winners.

The Sacred Heart Clonakilty squad that qualified for the 2022 Lidl Munster LGFA senior Premier C final.

‘We hadn’t played since December 15th, trained over Christmas and lost to Skibbereen CS in a challenge the week before putting in a superb performance to defeat Mercy Mounthawk,’ Sacred Heart coach Brian Daly told The Southern Star.

‘From going two goals down in the first five minutes, we recovered brilliantly. We got some superb scores and it ended up being a terrific all-round performance. There is one more step to go now, the senior Premier C final. We were beaten in that final two years ago, as a junior team, by a point after extra-time. So, there is a small bit of unfinished business for this particular group of girls.’

Sacred Heart Clonakilty (all Clonakilty LGFA unless stated): Katie Hearne, Mary Murphy, Alannah O’Brien, Ruth Shanley, Millie Condon, Kate O’Donovan, Maeve Kingston (Kilmeen), Katie O’Driscoll, Ciardha McCarthy (Ibane Gaels), Aisling Moloney, Eimear O’Brien (no club), Lydia Sutton, Roisin Ni Bhuachalla (Ibane Gaels), Orlaith Deasy, Siofra Pattwell, Ciara Hourihane (Rosscarbery), Aoife O’Flynn Meade, Ellen O’Riordan (Ibane Gaels), Anna Meade, Ciara White, Niamh Kennedy, Rachel Deasy, Laura Daly, Maire Murphy, Ella Nyhan, Tara Fleming (Ibane Gaels),Caoimhe McEvoy, Emer McCarthy.

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Skibbereen Community School continued their marvellous run in the Lidl Munster LGFA PPS junior C championship by defeating Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig 8-15 to 3-6 in Ahiohill last week. The Skibbereen school deservedly qualified for the 2022 junior C final on the back of another commanding performance.

Under the stewardship of Ella Ryan, Anna Ward and Ger Carey, this talented Skibbereen team racked up another impressive score to cement their place in this year’s decider against either Mercy Mounthawk Tralee or St Anne’s Tipperary. O’Donovan Rossa’s Niamh O’Sullivan (4-1), Eabha O’Donovan (1-3), Holly Brickley (1-2), Ilen Rovers’ Kate Carey (0-5), Keelin Murphy (0-3), Castlehaven’s Becca Sheehy, Ellie McCarthy and Tadhg MacCarthaigh’s Alaia O’Sullivan were amongst the scorers for the winners.

‘There was huge support at our semi-final with Coláiste Choilm which Anna, Ger and I, as well as the players, were hugely appreciative of,’ Ella Ryan said.

‘It is our second consecutive Munster PSS final and a huge amount of work has gone into preparing and training the girls. We have built on all the hard work of the last few years and the players have huge respect for one another and all the effort they have been putting in.

‘Winning a Munster final would be a big step for the school but these girls have already enjoyed a huge amount of success with their respective clubs in West Cork and at inter-county level. They are well up for the challenge against whoever we end up playing in the final.

‘We played St Anne’s Tipperary in the 2020 Munster final and Mercy Mounthawk knocked us out of the senior competition earlier on this year. They are two schools we know well having played them a lot over the last couple of years. We don’t know when the final is taking place just yet but it will be soon enough as the All-Ireland series begins not long after the provincial finals are completed.’

Skibbereen CS: Tara O’Regan, Allie Tobin (both O’Donovan Rossa), Eleanor Keating (Tadhg MacCarthaigh), Laura O’Donoghue (Castlehaven), Emma Hegarty, Amy McKennedy (both Tadhg MacCarthaigh), Hannah Sheehy (Castlehaven), Aoife O’Driscoll (O’Donovan Rossa), Leah Carey (Ilen Rovers), Eabha O’Donovan (O’Donovan Rossa), Ellie McCarthy (Castlehaven), Keelin Murphy (Ilen Rovers), Alaia O’Sullivan (Tadhg MacCarthaigh), Niamh O’Sullivan, Holly Brickley (both O’Donovan Rossa), Becca Sheehy (Castlehaven), Meabh Collins, Diana Coakley, Kate Carey (all Ilen Rovers), Kathlyn McCarthy (Clann na nGael), Lauren McCarthy (O’Donovan Rossa), Eimear Carey, Sarah Connolly (both Ilen Rovers), Emma McCarthy (Castlehaven), Laura Deasy (Clann na nGael), Muireann O’Donnell (Castlehaven).