Barry's and Brigid's to fly the Roscommon flag in Connacht LGFA finals

After Northern Harps were defeated by Menlough/Skehana in last Saturday’s Connacht Junior final, it is the turn of St. Brigid’s and St. Barry’s to face off against Galway opposition in provincial deciders this weekend.

First up on Saturday in Kiltoom at 1 p.m., St. Barry’s will face Caltra Cuans in an intriguing Connacht intermediate decider. The Tarmonbarry-based outfit had the opportunity to sit back and watch their opponents play last weekend as Calta Cuans produced a rousing finish to defeat Claremorris.

St. Barry’s overcame Coolera/Strandhill in their last four tie, with their teak tough defence laying the platform for a Connacht final berth. The Tarmonbarry-based side have conceded a combined 0-14 in their last two games, with Erica Jordan, Rachel Frayne and Holly Rogers excelling in their campaign to date.

Shannon McGuinness, who is commuting from Germany, brings valuable intercounty experience while Georgia Gerrity, Cara Cox and the Hagan sisters — Erin and Millie — can pop up with key scores.

On the opposite side, Caltra Cuans have enjoyed an impressive campaign despite injury issues, most notably claiming the county title and Connacht final berth without intercounty defenders Aoife Ní Cheallaigh and Maryanne Jordan.

Emma Reaney, who started for Galway in last year’s All-Ireland final against Kerry, is a player that St. Barry’s will firmly focus on nullifying this Saturday. Saoirse and Ciara Murray scored 0-9 between them against Claremorris while Cara Mullins is another bright young player who found the net last Sunday.

Yet, St. Barry’s should relish this opportunity in what is a first adult provincial final for the club.

Meanwhile, in the senior decider, St. Brigid’s will enter as sizeable underdogs as they face a Kilkerrin/Clonberne side, who are aiming to secure their eighth Connacht title in a row, in O'Rourke Park, Castlerea, on Sunday at 1 p.m..

The North Galway side are laced with intercounty experience and All-Ireland winners in every sector of the field. But, St. Brigid’s have momentum as they secured a gutsy win on the road against Glencar/Manorhamilton to book their spot in Sunday’s final.

The Nolan sisters — Kate and Marian — will need big games while Áine O’Brien bagged two goals in that semi-final success. Áine McGrath and Ria Lennon give the Kiltoom-based side a solid spine, while Claire Grehan has excelled in the sweeper role.

However, there is little escaping the enormity of the challenge that faces Niall Mackey’s charges. They are facing one of the all-time great LGFA club teams, who are going for their fifth All-Ireland title on the trot.

The Ward twins — Nicola and Louise — bring no shortage of pace and power from deep, while Olivia Divilly and Chloe Miskell starred in their Connacht semi-final win over Westport.

Kilkerrin/Clonberne enjoyed a slow start against the Mayo champions, trailing by 2-1 to 0-1 after five minutes before moving up through the gears for a comfortable seven-point win.

St. Brigid’s have accomplished their goal of ending an 11-year wait for a senior county title, while their semi-final victory over Glencar/Manorhamilton completed a perfect Saturday after their men’s side won the county final replay.

However, every indicator suggests that their memorable year will come to an end against the reigning All-Ireland champions this weekend.