BY GER McCARTHY
LAST Sunday’s stormy weather conditions caused a washout across the entire county. A complete postponement of scheduled Cork LGFA county championship fixtures ensued and handed the Cork LGFA county board a potential fixtures pile-up headache in the weeks ahead.
Numerous West Cork clubs were affected across multiple grades. On a more positive note, those postponements handed management teams an additional week to prepare for their county semi-final assignments.
At the top grade, this year’s senior A semi-finals – expected to be played this weekend, with the final scheduled for Sunday, October 20th – will not include any West Cork involvement. There will be a new name on the trophy however, following reigning champions’ Mourneabbey’s failure to make the final four for the first time in over a decade.
Aghada entertain last year’s All-Ireland LGFA intermediate champions Glanmire in one semi-final while in-form St Val’s take on last year’s runners-up Éire Óg in the second last four encounter. If available, former Cork and Castlehaven All-Ireland winner Niall Cahalane’s daughters, Méabh and Orlaith, could line out for Éire Óg.
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This year’s senior B county semi-finalists includes plenty of West Cork interest with defending champions Castlehaven putting their title on the line away to Clonakilty. Another West Cork LGFA club, Kinsale, travel to recently dethroned Mourneabbey in the other semi-final. These games will be played in the coming week with the final set for Sunday, October 20th.
This year’s senior A championship draw was far from kind to the Haven. The Union Hall-Castletownshend club put in commendable displays in going down to St Val’s, Mourneabbey and Glanmire before overcoming Fermoy 6-11 to 1-8 in their final Group 2 outing.
Ellie McCarthy, Gráinne O’Sullivan, Hannah Sheehy, Niamh O’Sullivan and Ellen Connolly have been amongst Dinny Cahalane’s most consistent scorers this term. In a repeat of last year’s semi-final, won 3-8 to 0-10 over Clon, Castlehaven will hope Alice O’Driscoll, Emma McCarthy, Jessica McCarthy and Siobhán Courtney can inspire their team to a second consecutive senior B county final appearance.
Clonakilty will have plenty to say about that. The Ahamilla-based club finished third in Group 1 behind Aghada and Éire Óg, losing by nine to the former and a single point to the latter. Yet, impressive victories over Kinsale and Bride Rovers have Clon in decent shape heading into another senior B last-four clash.
Cork senior Katie O’Driscoll, Siofra Pattwell, Sinead O’Donovan, Ciara Ryan and Aisling Moloney have regularly been on the scoresheet of a Clonakilty team intent on atoning for last year’s semi-final capitulation to the Haven.
Kinsale’s season began in positive fashion by overcoming Clonakilty to claim the 2024 West Cork LGFA Division adult championship. Subsequent losses to Clon and Éire Óg had Kinsale on the backfoot prior to overcoming Bride Rovers 7-13 to 2-15.
Relegation fears allayed, Kinsale put in another impressive display to earn a high-scoring draw away to Aghada, 4-9 to 3-12.
Former Cork senior Orla Finn’s return has been a welcome boost to a forward line in which Sadhbh O’Leary, Caoimhe Horgan, Jenny Murphy, Catherine Murphy and Kate Redmond have proven reliable scorers.
Will Kinsale’s upturn in form be enough to overcome a Mourneabbey side still smarting from relinquishing their senior A title? The West Cork club has nothing to lose but will need their best performance of the season to pull off an upset.
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Three West Cork LGFA clubs occupy this year’s intermediate county championship semi-final berths.
Last year’s All-Ireland junior A champions O’Donovan Rossa will host Valley Rovers this Sunday at Rossa Park (3pm) while last year’s IFC county runners-up Naomh Abán have home advantage for the visit of Rosscarbery.
O’Donovan Rossa finished top of the intermediate round-robin section thanks to five wins from their six outings. They, along with Naomh Abán, will be favourites to qualify for the final.
Rossa’s Éabha O’Donovan, Cork senior Laura O’Mahony, Kate O’Donovan, Fionnuala O’Driscoll, Aoife O’Driscoll and Mallaidh O’Neill have been in terrific scoring form this year. Add in Lisa Harte, Triona Murphy and Jessica Beechinor’s consistency and it will take something special to deny the Skibbereen club an intermediate title-tilt.
That’s the task facing revitalised Valley Rovers who already hold a championship round-robin victory over O’Donovan Rossa this season. Cork seniors Daire and Eimear Kiely, Cliona Reardon, Laoise Collins, Katie Lynch and Shona Cronin will need to be at their best to help Valley’s pull off an upset.
Naomh Abán’s solitary championship defeat came away to Rossa’s following a cracking 1-9 to 0-11 encounter in Skibbereen. Rosie Corkery’s return adds an experienced and talented defender to the Ballyvourney club’s ranks. Add in Cork seniors Amy and Lydia McDonagh plus Grace Murphy, Annie Maher and Gráinne Lucey’s scoring ability and Naomh Abán will be favourites to make it through.
The most improved team in this year’s intermediate grade, Rosscarbery, travel to Ballyvourney looking to rubberstamp what’s been a hugely positive campaign.
Four championship victories over Abhainn Dalla, Valley Rovers, Inch Rovers and Donoughmore earned the Rosscarbery club a merited semi-final berth. Kellianne French, Ciara Dennehy, Lauren O’Donovan, Etaoin Hayes, Grainne Hodnett, Sarah Hayes, Hannah and Ellen O’Hea will be eager to make their mark in Ballyvourney.
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An all-West Cork LGFA final in this year’s junior A grade is a distinct possibility thanks to Bantry Blues and Dohenys’ presence in the last four.
Dohenys welcome Douglas to Dunmanway this Saturday (3.30pm) while the Blues travel to Midleton. The former topped the junior A round-robin section with five wins from their five outings. Unsurprisingly, Dohenys will be favourites to see off a Douglas team they defeated 1-13 to 1-4 earlier in the championship.
Bantry Blues finished fourth in the final junior A standings with three wins from their five outings. Despite losing by six points to their semi-final opponents back on September 15th, there is enough quality within the Blues’ ranks to turn that result around the next day out.
Megan McSweeney, Mairead Dullea, Rachel Murphy, Sarah Bishop and Eve Murphy have been amongst Bantry’s most consistent scorers. Zara Barry, Kate Keevers, Seadna O’Sullivan and Emma Spillane will also be crucial to the West Cork club’s chances of making this year’s junior A county final.
