KINSALE Community School’s interest in this year’s Munster PPS LGFA senior B football championship was ended by Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig last week.
Despite the 3-11 to 4-5 semi-final loss, Kinsale CS can reflect positively on their first-ever Munster PPS senior B campaign having won the provincial C championship back in 2020 (no competition was held in 2021 due to Covid-19).
Bantry Blues footballer and referee Mairead Dullea plus Cork senior footballer Marie Ambrose led Kinsale CS to the last four of the ultra-competitive championship following a string of impressive performances.
In the group phase, Kinsale CS defeated St Mary’s Mallow and Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra Rathmore either side of losing to Coláiste Dún Iascaigh Cahir. Unfortunately, Kinsale’s semi-final opponents, Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig, outlasted the West Cork school following a cracking encounter in Ballincollig.
Utilising players from the Kinsale, Courcey Rovers, Ballygarvan and Clonakilty, Kinsale CS were still in contention despite being 3-7 to 2-1 behind at the interval in last week’s Munster PPS semi-final. Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig built on their first-half advantage but had to withstand a late Kinsale CS comeback before emerging 3-point winners. Anne Marie Collins (2-3), Mary Clare Murphy and Rachel O’Brien (1-1 each) provided Kinsale’s scores.
‘The Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig game was a game of two halves in that they dominated the first and we dominated the second half,’ Kinsale CS co-manager Mairead Dullea said. ‘We just didn’t have enough time to bridge that three-point gap at the end. They led for most of the game, had a dominant second quarter and that meant we were playing catch-up in the second half. It was a fairly evenly-matched game but, as I said, we just ran out of time in the end.’
Kinsale CS: Ava O’Donovan (Courcey Rovers), Maisie O’Callaghan, Meadhbh Hurley (both Kinsale), Ann Marie Collins (Courcey Rovers), Kate Redmond (Ballygarvan), Amy Broderick, Mary Clare Murphy, Grace Monaghan, Caoimhe Heffernan, Lauren Farrissey, Sophie Collins, Jeanne Murphy (all Kinsale), Lucy Crowley (Courcey Rovers), Rachel O’Brien (Kinsale), Orlagh O’Mahony (Courcey Rovers), Lily Fay (Kinsale), Ava Mulhall, Grace O’Reilly, Aoife Hynes (all Courcey Rovers), Clare Cronin, Nicole Buckley (both Kinsale), Áine O’Reilly (Courcey Rovers), Isobel Bergin (Clonakilty), Amy Casey, Caoimhe Horgan (both Kinsale).
