All-Ireland minor-winning captain helping O’Donovan Rossa make impact at senior level

ALLIE Tobin has tasted senior football, likes it, and wants more.

The Skibbereen teen has played her role in O’Donovan Rossa’s rise to the senior ranks for the first time this year, and they’ve more than held their own.

The Rossas missed out on the senior A semi-finals on scoring difference, but will target success in the senior B competition that has had West Cork winners – Clonakilty (2024) and Castlehaven (2023) – in recent seasons.

Next up is a home semi-final against Kinsale this Sunday (12pm) – Clon are away to Glanmire in the other game – and for Tobin, it’s another chance to show what she can do.

Award winner Allie Tobin.

‘It would be great to get to another final,’ Tobin said, as she picked up a West Cork Sports Star monthly award in recognition of her role as captain of the All-Ireland winning Cork minor football team.

‘We’ve done really well so far considering it’s our first year at senior and we are playing teams who have been at this level for longer than us.

‘Apart from Aghada, who are at a different level compared to everyone else, we were really competitive against the other teams, so we're very happy with that.

‘To reach the senior B semi-finals in our first year up is really encouraging.’

O’Donovan Rossa enjoyed wins against Clonakilty (3-9 to 2-9) and Castlehaven (3-10 to 3-4), as well as a draw with St Vals (2-13 apiece), but it's the loss (3-14 to 1-3) to county champions Aghada that left the biggest impact on the Skibb team.

‘You could see the difference between us, and what we need to get to. They were brilliant all over the pitch. We saw the level that we need to get to,’ Tobin added, and the appetite is there within the Rossas squad to hit new heights.

Even though she only turned 18 during the summer, Tobin’s GAA CV is already stacked with trophies, medals and accolades, the latest being her West Cork Sports Star monthly award.

The highly-rated defender has won All-Ireland medals with her club (junior, 2023), school (Skibbereen Community School, senior A, 2025) and county (Cork minors, 2025), as well as numerous county and Munster titles – and the appetite is there for more.

Cork captain Allie Tobin lifts the All-Ireland cup.

Reflecting on the Cork minors’ success that saw Tobin lead her county to Munster and All-Ireland honours, she explains that the triumphs were built on hard work. That approach helps on and off the field, whether it’s with her club in the senior championship or as a Leaving Cert student at Skibbereen Community School.

Sharing the Cork success with friends from home made this an extra-special inter-county campaign, as well. Her Skibb club-mate Éabha O'Donovan, Kate Carey (Ilen Rovers) and Ellen Connolly (Castlehaven) were all with the Cork minors, and all made the trip to the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery when Tobin was honoured with the West Cork Sports Star award.

‘It was great to win an All-Ireland title with them,’ she smiled.

‘All the car journeys up and down the road to training and games were worth it! I’ve been marking the likes of Éabha and Kate since I was ten years old!’

It was a sweet All-Ireland success, too. Cork humbled Kerry in the Munster final. Next, they exacted revenge on Cavan in the semi-final after the Ulster county beat Tobin and the Cork U16s in an All-Ireland decider two years ago. Then the young Rebels blew Dublin away in the final, winning 3-11 to 3-2, with Éabha O’Donovan (1-2) and Kate Carey (2-3) combining for 3-5.

So, in Tobin’s last-ever Cork minor game, she lifted the All-Ireland as captain. A sweet moment that sits up there with some incredible memories already made. And she’s only getting started.