Deise Girls Search for All-Ireland Glory

Throughout the 1990’s and into the early years of the last decade, to hear that a Waterford team was through to an All-Ireland Ladies Football Ireland was hardly news, so often it was happening.

In 1991, managed by the Current Waterford Senior Hurling Manager – Michael Ryan he put together an exciting and gifted group of players which had a nice blend of experienced players from the 1986 Junior All-Ireland winning team at Croke Park with youth, many of whom were eligible for the counties underage teams that year.

For almost a decade, Kerry had dominated the Ladies Football Scene. There was little or nothing to stop them winning Munster and All-Ireland Finals year in, year out. They were the Kilkenny Senior Hurling team of the day.

In ’91 Waterford shocked Kerry to win the Munster Final, and went on to beat a fancied Laois side in the All-Ireland final. In 1992 these wins were repeated.

The wins encouraged young girls and maybe slightly older girls to take up the game of Ladies Football as clubs began to be formed across the county.

Some brilliant young players were unearthed and many quickly broke into the different inter county teams.

Success followed for all teams. Munster and All-Ireland finals were won at all grades as were National Leagues for the seniors.

Then something happened. The players that broke the mould in 1991 began to retire one by one, and while those tasked to promote the game in Waterford continued to work hard, things began to slip. No longer did the game enjoy the profile it once did.

In recent years however the wheel has began to turn once more and hopefully sooner rather than later it will have turned full circle.

Waterford have won a National League Final. They have appeared in an All-Ireland Intermediate final and these success’ have encouraged a new group of young girls playing Ladies Football to set their sights as high as possible.

This Saturday, Waterford’s under 14 team contests the All-Ireland ‘B’ Final when they take on Cavan at St Brendan’s Park in Birr at 2pm.

Under the guidance of Pat Sullivan, Johnny Troy, Martina Landers and Lindsey Keane, a great deal of work has gone into the preparing the team for this years championship.

They have cast their nets far and wide and put together a panel of 31 players picked from ten clubs across the city and county, from Roanmore in the city to Ballyduff and Ballysaggart in the far west of the county.

Waterford travel to Birr unbeaten in this years championship and will want to extend that run till after this weekend.

Waterford’s first game in this years Munster Championship was against Limerick and resulted in an excellent 6-6 to 2-8 victory.

Next up were Tipperary and again Waterford put in an impressive performance winning 3-10 to 1-7 and secured their place in the Munster Final when they beat Clare again by an impressive margin, 4-13 to 2-6.

Tipperary again provided the opposition in the Munster final. When sides meet twice in the one year in the once competition, it often works out that the side that lost the first game goes on to win the second game, as over confidence often sets in.

However, the Waterford management team had guarded against such happenings and Waterford ran out winners on an even greater margin than they did the first day winning 4-6 to 1-2.

Waterford’s opponents in the All-Ireland semi final were Laois who as expected proved to be Waterford’s toughest opponents in the competition up to this point.

Just three points separated the sides in Waterford’s favour, Waterford winning 1-7 to 1-4.

Waterford’s management team are going into the game with Cavan happy with what has been achieved this year and also happy with the spirit in the camp.

A win for Waterford, while it wont be easy would be great and could start a new era in the history of Ladies Football in Waterford.