SKIBBEREEN Community School is one win away from being crowned the best ladies football schools’ team in Ireland.
The West Cork trailblazers face Loreto College, Cavan in the Lidl post-primary senior A football final next Thursday, 27th, at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny (2pm). Loretto won this competition in 2018 while Skibb are looking to be the first Cork school to win it since St Mary’s High School Midleton in 2022.
The Skibb side is already the first ever Cork south-west school to reach the senior A All-Ireland final. The school has a sizable spread of clubs represented in Castlehaven, O’Donovan Rossa, Ilen Rovers, Tadhg MacCarthaigh and Clann na nGael.
Coach Ella Ryan, like all in the school, is looking forward to the occasion.
‘We’re all very excited and everyone is behind us. I think the whole community are as well as Cork ladies football,’ she told The Southern Star.
‘It’s brilliant for the school and especially with the management, they have been really supportive in the last few weeks – they realise how much work the players put into it and how committed they are.
‘We have got a big sixth year group and they have trained all over their mid-term for the last six years. They have been excellent and hopefully they can reap the rewards from all the hard work.’
Skibbereen Community School’s 4-11 to 0-3 All-Ireland semi-final win over Mercy College from Roscommon was comprehensive. The West Cork school was in control at half-time, leading 2-6 to 0-2 and they added to their advantage in the second spell. Kate Carey, Kathlyn McCarthy, Carla O’Regan and Ellen Connolly all bagged one goal each while Éabha O’Donovan, Aoife O’Driscoll and Hannah Sheehy all contributed to the scoreboard too.
‘Mercy College are a good team, but we had a strong wind in the first half and that helped us. The result didn’t really reflect the game,’ Ryan explained.
‘For us, there was definitely an emphasis to get across the line and qualify for the final. After losing three All-Ireland semi-finals, we didn’t want to go home losing again,’ she added.
For a town that already has a senior schools boys’ All-Ireland (St Fachtnas in 1991), Skibb is steeped in football history. Remember, too, O’Donovan Rossa won the All-Ireland club senior football title in 1993 and the junior ladies crown in 2023, and this is another opportunity to rule the country once more.
‘It’s excellent for the community and for the girls themselves, they realise the importance of the competition now. There is a huge opportunity ahead of them,’ Ryan explained.
‘There are so many of our players playing inter-county. There is a really high standard in post-primary schools at the minute. This is also a good opportunity to play against a really good team that has lots of All-Ireland medals.’
As well as winning a senior A title, opponents Loretto won the junior A championship in four out of the last five seasons. They have an experience of winning trophies.
‘Loretto are an excellent team. They have won the last three junior All-Irelands in a row. They are probably more experienced than us but hopefully we will have enough to give them a good challenge and hopefully overcome them,’ Ryan said.
The Skibbereen Community School team includes Tara O’Regan (O’Donovan Rossa), Maeve O’Sullivan (Castlehaven), Eleanor Keating (Tadhg MacCarthaigh), Allie Tobin (O’Donovan Rossa), Saorla Carey (Ilen Rovers), Amy McCarthy (Castlehaven), Leah Carey (captain, Ilen Rovers), Aoife O’Driscoll (O’Donovan Rossa), Kathlyn McCarthy (Clann na nGael), Meabh Collins (Ilen Rovers), Becca Sheehy (Castlehaven), Ellen Connolly (Castlehaven), Eabha O’Donovan (O’Donovan Rossa), Kate Carey (Ilen Rovers), Hannah Sheehy (Castlehaven), Ellen Buckley (Castlehaven), Carla O’Regan (Ilen Rovers), Muireann O’Shea (Tadhg MacCarthaigh), Orla McCarthy (O’Donovan Rossa), Abaigh Buckley (Castlehaven), Anna McCarthy (O’Donovan Rossa), Shauna Hourihane (O’Donovan Rossa), Eve Minihane (Castlehaven), Hannah O’Driscoll (O’Donovan Rossa), Maria Connolly (Ilen Rovers), Eve O’Donovan (Tadhg MacCarthaigh), Ella O’Sullivan (Tadhg MacCarthaigh) and Niamh O’Sullivan (Castlehaven).
