MELISSA Duggan didn’t book a day off work on Monday – she didn’t want to jinx Dohenys’ latest county final appearance, and you can understand why.

The Dunmanway club had lost their previous three Cork junior A finals (2024, ’23 and ’21), so county star Melissa was never going to tempt fate by taking time off work for celebrations, just in case it all went wrong.

But this time, the determined Dohenys women got the job done. They beat Bantry Blues 1-12 to 1-4 in Aughaville to win the county title, gain promotion to intermediate level for 2026, and book their place in this season’s Munster LGFA Junior A campaign.

‘Fourth time’s a charm for us!’ Melissa laughs.

‘We’re making our way up – it just takes us a few years!

‘This was the exact same as when we won junior B in 2019 – that was our fourth attempt, our fourth final, and it’s the same story with junior A.’

Those previous county final defeats – against Midleton (2024), O’Donovan Rossa (2023) and Castlehaven (2021) – all left their mark, especially last season’s 1-8 to 1-6 loss to Midleton.

‘The hurt from last year definitely got us over the line this time,’ Melissa says.

‘Last season we topped the group and went into the final confident, but we didn’t do ourselves justice. That was disappointing because we knew we were better than what we showed.

‘This year, we wanted the performance. We knew that if we played as a team, we’d be very hard to beat. It was brilliant to deliver that performance on Saturday and to play like we did on the big day.

‘Also, this year we had a motto: one team bleeds green. There are no individuals on this team – no one person is going to win a final for us. This is a team sport, and that collective effort got us over the line.’

Cork LGFA treasurer Jerome Casey presents the trophy to Dohenys captain Michelle Duggan.

An All-Star footballer, Melissa is one of the more experienced players in the Dohenys side, but she’s quick to point to the younger faces as a big part of the club’s rise to intermediate level.

‘We were lucky to have an influx of new players this season. They came in with great spirit – they’re the future of the club, and they’ll only improve playing at intermediate level,’ she notes.

‘We have Larissa Farr at wing back – when I started playing, it was with her mother, Noelle Farr! Before the final, I was looking back at a photo of a Dohenys team that played Bantry in a West Cork final, maybe in 2014 or ’15 – Larissa is in that photo, just a kid!

‘Ciara Galvin is another forward, and there’s Kelly Ann Buttimer – it’s been great for those young players to experience winning a county final, as well as the West Cork Division 2 title earlier in the season.

‘It’s so important to have those young players coming through – they’re the future.’

The immediate future is a voyage into the unknown: the Munster LGFA Junior A Championship. Dohenys will travel to play Limerick intermediate champions Fr Caseys in a quarter-final on the weekend of October 18th.

‘This will be unfamiliar territory for us, but we’re excited,’ Melissa says.

‘It’s fantastic for the club – I’m not sure we’ve ever competed at Munster level before. We’ll look at what Skibbereen and other West Cork teams have achieved in Munster competitions, and hopefully take inspiration from them.

‘To be representing Dunmanway beyond the county is a huge achievement, and we can’t wait to fly the flag for our town in Munster.’

And finally, a word for her twin sister Michelle, the Dohenys captain.

‘I’m delighted for Michelle – she’s a great captain and deserves her moment,’ Melissa adds, noting that her older sister Aprille is also part of the Dohenys squad.

Special times for the Duggans, and for Dohenys – with the promise of more big days to come in Munster. Maybe Melissa will get to book that Monday off in celebration after all.