Boyle put Shannon Gaels to the sword
Young players from St. Brigid's alongside their mentors, Dermot Fitzgerald and David O'Connor, who welcomed their side onto the field for last Sunday's championship game against Éire Óg in Kiltoom. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
Boyle will go into their senior ladies’ football championship quarter-final in confident form after putting Shannon Gaels to the sword, 7-17 to 0-7, in Abbey Park on Sunday morning.
The home side were in complete and utter command from the first whistle to the last, moving the ball with fluency and pace and racking up an incredible 4-5 before Shannon Gaels got off the mark in the 20th minute.
Sinéad Glennon (three), Aisling Feely, Emma Duggan and Micheala Ward raised green flags to give their side a 26-point lead at the interval. Shannon Gaels, to their credit, kept trying with Ciara Dowd their main source of scores. They also improved immensely on the defensive side, even though Boyle’s continued mastery of the kickout battle meant that the pressure on their backs was relentless.
Heather Kerins, Micheala Ward, Grace Flanagan and Aimee Roddy added their names to the scoresheet after half time — the seventh goal coming from Roddy — while Natasha O’Grady crowned a tireless and impressive display in the middle third with two points.
Life won’t get any easier for Shannon Gaels in the quarter-finals, with a trip to a resurgent Clann na nGael side next on the agenda. The defending champions made the short trip across to Knockcroghery and came away with a 3-12 to 2-10 win, with their goals coming from Kara Earle, Caoimhe Lennon and Susie Kelly.
However, perhaps the most encouraging aspect for the county champions was the number of established players that saw their first championship action of the year.
Ruth Finlass, Mia Macken, Kara O’Neill, Áine Connaughton were part of a star-studded bench for the Johnstown-based club — Macken togging out just one day after returning from America while Finlass looking strong as ever as she came back from having her third baby.
St. Dominic’s fared well in the opening half and took a narrow one-point lead into the dressing room. Early in the second half they were handed a huge opportunity when Róise Lennon was sin-binned as she conceded a penalty.
However, Eadaoín Lennon’s penalty save kept the game in the balance and eventually Clann gave themselves a sliver of breathing room, led by Kim Finlass and Shauna Bannon in the half-back line.
Four points from inside forward Hope Glynn was another bright spark for the winners, though St. Dominic’s will take encouragement from the return of Niamh Fitzgerald to action — a timely boost in advance of their quarter-final clash with St. Ciarán’s.
St. Brigid’s comfortable 2-15 to 1-6 victory against Éire Óg in Kiltoom catapulted last year’s beaten finalists into the last four
The home side were always in control against Éire Óg, despite hitting 14 wides, and Kate Nolan’s 16th minute goal handed her side a 1-7 to 0-4 interval lead.
With the excellent Áine McGrath leading a fine defensive effort, Brigid’s kept the scoreboard ticking over at the other end, and Sarah O’Rourke’s 39th minute goal put the game to bed.
Rebecca Madden did reply for the visitors with a 40-metre free that ended up in the net, but points from Alison Nugent and Áine O’Brien — her side’s top scorer with 0-5 from play — enabled Brigid’s to take the direct route to the semi-finals.
As a result of last Sunday's games, the quarter-finals line-up on September 14th is (first team with home advantage): Clann na nGael v Shannon Gaels, St. Ciaran's v St. Dominic's, Boyle v Éire Óg.
Pádraig Pearses became the first team to confirm their place in the semi-finals of the Coachman’s Inn/Harry’s Restaurant intermediate championship after they made it two successful road trips in the space of a week, picking up a 5-12 to 2-10 win over St. Croan’s in Enfield.
With a strong breeze at their backs, Pearses had the ball in the St. Croan’s net after just 90 seconds through Laura Glennon and were nine points ahead by the midway point of the first half.
While the scores flowed thick and fast, the full-back line of Róisín O’Sullivan, Emma McGreal and Katie Malone stood firm to ensure that St. Croan’s trailed by 3-9 to 0-5 at the interval — a lead which was stretched further by a Caitlin Malone goal early in the second half.
Spearheaded by Natasha O’Rourke who was relentless around the middle of the pitch, St. Croan’s had their purple patch, finding the net through well-taken Sinéad Kenny and Ella Thompson goals to briefly reduce the margin to eight.
Ultimately, Pearses were too strong and a late breakaway goal from Glennon sealed the win — their only concern the injury-enforced withdrawal of midfielder Áine Ryan.
St. Barry’s aren’t certain of their place in the last four yet but the Division One league finalists took care of business easily in Tarmonbarry on Sunday, racking up a 7-22 to 0-4 win over a depleted Western Gaels side.
Aoife Tighe (2-3), Cara Cox (2-2), Georgia Gerrity (0-5, 0-4f), Edel Beirne (1-2), Charlotte Trautt (1-1) and Karen O’Boyle (0-3) were among the leading scorers for St. Barry’s, who hit the net four times between the 12th and the 18th minutes to ensure a comfortable second half.
It was much tighter between Kilbride and Michael Glaveys — the two sides who, right now, look to be competing for the last semi-final spot behind Pearses, St. Barry’s and St. Croan’s.
A late Aisling Hanly goal gave Kilbride a share of the spoils, ending their long run of defeats as it finished 2-7 to 1-10 in Kilbride.
Sheila Brady (1-5) and Niamh Fleming (0-3) continued to carry the bulk of the scoring load for Michael Glaveys, who led by the minimum at half time thanks to Brady’s goal.
Laura McSharry found the net with a superb score to give Kilbride a lead three minutes into the second half and when Haley split the posts with a free in the 38th minute, the home side were three in front.
Glaveys took over from there to score six points in succession, however — Shannon Hibbitt and Shauna Fleming among the players that helped the Ballinlough-based club to take control. Another defeat for Kilbride looked likely until Hanly found the net in stoppage time to level the tie and end the club’s run of 15 consecutive losses, stretching back to the 2024 club league.
The quarter-final line-up was also nailed down in the Leydon Brothers JFC, with Northern Harps securing the much-coveted bye through to the last four.
The contests to join them will see St. Faithleach’s take on Castlerea St. Kevin’s in O’Rourke Park, Four Roads will go north to take on Kilglass/Kilmore, and the tie of the round should be the meeting of St. Mary’s and Oran in Tulsk.
Oran may have lost both games in the three-team Group B but their local derby clash with Castlerea was a wonderful contest where both sides emerged with credit — Castlerea eventually taking the spoils on a 4-11 to 4-9 scoreline.
Áine Keenan’s kickouts gave Castlerea a solid base of possession, while Holly Hopkins was strong at full-back in a tight first half that ended with the home side 2-5 to 1-3 in front at O’Rourke Park.
Oran came back strongly after half time and briefly took a narrow lead, but a Megan Flanagan goal (her second), assisted by a long delivery from her cousin Abi Flanagan, gave St. Kevin’s a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
In the Group A table-topping clash at Tulsk, Northern Harps gave themselves a free weekend when Player of the Match Shauna McGrath (1-7), Ciara Cunningham (2-4), Leah Casey (1-2) and Anna Carty (1-0) scored freely in their 5-13 to 3-13 win over St. Mary’s.
Hannah Moylan and Grace Jones were the leading lights for the home side who never quite overcame a strong start from the Harps.
There were just three points between the teams in Tisrara Community Park, but St. Faithleach’s still looked comfortable for the majority of their 3-10 to 3-7 win over Four Roads.
Ellen Irwin got an early goal while Joan Geoghegan hit 1-7 in the first half for a wind-assisted St. Faithleach’s side that led by 3-9 to 1-2 at the interval.
Despite Alison Corrigan and Katie Lawlor adding to Sinéad Scott’s first-half goal and Linda Carty scoring four points, it was only right at the end that Four Roads got back within a single score of the Ballyleague side.
In the Castlerea Vehicle Recycling Junior B and C, there were two games played in Group B. Kilbride put their first win on the board in Knockcroghery, 6-6 to 1-8 over St. Dominic’s thanks to four goals from Sinead Clabby.
Meanwhile, St. Michael’s/St. Ronan’s finally saw action after receiving a walkover in their first round tie. Sarah Lee scored goals in either half and 2-2 in total for the ‘Saints’ in Croghan against Shannon Gaels.
Shannon Gaels were competitive but had a nightmare first half in front of the posts, trailing by 1-6 to 0-1 after hitting eleven wides. Aisling O’Hart did hit four points for the hosts in the second half but a splendid save from championship debutant Ava Regan shortly after Lee’s second goal meant that the visitors could run their bench in comfort and still ease to a 2-8 to 0-5 win.
