These are exciting times for O'Donovan Rossa Ladies' GAA Club.
O’Donovan Rossa 2-12
Kinsale 2-9
BY KIERAN McCARTHY
THESE are exciting times for O’Donovan Rossa Ladies’ GAA Club.
Just a few weeks after the Skibb club captured its first West Cork junior ladies’ football crown, Rossas’ minors added another cup to the trophy cabinet.
Rossas pulled off a shock when they stunned favourites Kinsale in the West Cork minor A ladies’ football final in Clonakilty last Sunday.
This was Rossas’ first time playing at A grade – the minors campaigned at C level last season – but that didn’t show as they produced the goods, inspired by player of the match, corner back Kate O’Donovan who kept tabs on Kinsale danger player Sadhbh O’Leary.
O’Leary was one of three All-Ireland winning Cork minor stars on the Kinsale team, along with Tracey McCarthy and Georgia Gould, while Rossas had one player on that county team, Laura O’Mahony, who made her presence felt in this West Cork final, scoring 1-3 from midfield.
It was Skibb’s two first-half goals – from O’Mahony and Nora Crowley – that gave them a four-point half-time lead, 2-7 to 1-6, having played with the wind, and they held that cushion in the second half.
Kinsale were always dangerous, especially with O’Leary leading their attack, but the Skibb defence was excellent, with Kate O’Donovan and Jessica Beechinor leading by example.
At the other end, Skibb had a good spread of scorers with O’Mahony (1-3), Lisa Harte (0-3), Emer McCarthy (0-3), Kate O’Connell (0-2), Nora Crowley (0-1) and Triona Murphy all on target.
Both Rossas and Kinsale now go forward to the county competition, with Rossas to meet St Val’s in a quarter-final and Kinsale to play Carrigaline.
Starting on the O’Donovan Rossa team were Clodagh Byrne, Kate O’Donovan, Emma Connolly, Eadoin Fitzgerald, Aideen Bohane, Aoife Whooley, Jessica Beechinor, Laura O’Mahony, Fiona Leonard, Kate O’Connell, Lisa Harte, Triona Murphy, Caoimhe Leonard, Nora Crowley and Emer McCarthy.
Subs included Vivienne O’Donovan, Eimear Connolly, Aisling Whooley, Emily Byrne, Sarah Hurley, Aine Keating and Sharon Beechinor.
Kinsale’s starting 15 included Millie Allman, Eadoin O’Leary, Aoife O’Leary, Sophie Neville, Cara O’Dwyer, Tracey McCarthy, Hester McCarthy, Dara Tyner, Georgia Gould, Faye Ahern, Jenny Murphy, Sophie Webb, Dara Buckley, Ava McCarthy and Sadhbh O’Leary.
Subs included Hannah Kate Finn, Niamh Cronin, Niamh Steenson, Aisling Hurley, Meadhbh Hurley, Sarah Murphy and Juliette Cronin.
