Minor ladies' footballers primed to break new ground

These are exciting times for underage football in the county.

With the Roscommon U-20 and minor boys’ teams having reached their respective Connacht finals, the county minor ladies’ footballers have got in on the act, securing a first appearance in the Connacht A final since 2019.

Given the claustrophobic nature of the Connacht championship and the fact Galway and Mayo are competing strongly in their various All-Ireland competitions at underage level, the reality of Roscommon progressing through to an A final in a campaign that has seen them defeat both traditional powerhouses is an impressive feat.

Roscommon are currently scheduled to face Mayo on Bank Holiday Monday at 4 p.m. in Tuam Stadium. Roscommon manager, Trevor Clohessy, who has previously enjoyed great success coaching in Galway, has hailed the group’s attitude, making his transition over to working in Roscommon feel seamless.

“They are incredible footballers. There is a great coaching set-up and backing by the executive. The girls weren’t put off by the prospect of playing Mayo, Galway or Sligo. Nothing seems to rattle them.

“The fact they have achieved the success (reaching the ‘A’ final) is great. There are so many milestones being set by these girls on a weekly basis. We saw their potential in challenge games and in training with terms of what we were doing. I do laugh because I am a Clare man and perhaps it’s due to the similar colours, but I have settled in well here,” he smiled.

The Cooraclare native knew that he was working with a talented group. Having seen many of these players up close when working as linesman for Roscommon’s U-16 Connacht A final against Mayo last year, he feels that the professional environment he has created is suiting his players to a tee.

“At every training session you are getting 30 players. Even if girls are sick, they are turning up to see what is going on. That has been right from day one in the trials, right from a cold evening on November 27th to down in Glenamaddy after the Galway game when we are giving the girls tempo runs to keep their fitness up.

“I am taking to it like a fish to water but the players have been brilliant. I knew the talent pool that was there, and I knew they would work well in high-performance training,” he noted.

Mayo have no shortage of experience under manager Francis Regan, having reached successive All-Ireland U-16 A finals in 2024 and 2025.

However, Clohessy feels that his side’s determination to break new ground will help them produce a big performance.

“I think the girls will give it 100 per cent. The one thing we have is hunger to try and claim a Connacht A minor title. It could have been Galway or Sligo we faced, but I don’t think these girls care. They will put in a performance that will make their parents and supporters proud,” he predicted.