Waterford’s best Ladies Football XV over Thirty Years

The past ten years or so have seen a tremendous growth in the game of Camogie in Waterford, in which time many honours have come to the county.

Last September, I listed here my best fifteen players to wear the Waterford jersey in that time.

For those that might have now seen the posting, the team I picked as Waterford’s best in that time was – Aisling O’Brien (Lismore); Emma Hannon (Gailltir), Jennie Simpson (Saint Anne’s), Kate Marie Hearne (Butlerstown); Grainne Kenneally (Lismore), Trish Jackman (Gailltir), Charlotte Raher (Saint Anne’s); Mairead Murphy (Saint Anne’s), Lorraine Bray (Cappoquin); Nicola Morrissey (Lismore), Áine Lyng (Gailltir), Beth Carton (De La Salle); Shona Curran (Lismore), Karen Kelly (Saint Anne’s) and Niamh Rockett (Saint Anne’s).

At the time I said I would do likewise with Ladies Football and pick my best team over the past number of years.

Because in Ladies Football, Waterford have enjoyed so much success over a longer period, I have decided to go back further in time to pick my best fifteen players.

And because the game has changed so much in the last number of years, it would be difficult to choose between players from different eras, so have decided to pick two different teams, one from 1986 when Waterford won the Junior All-Ireland final for the first and only time, beating Wexford in the final, the first to be played at Croke Park and in which Marie Crotty became the first lady footballers to score in an All-Ireland Final at the venue, and end the picking of that team twenty years later, and to then pick another team from where I left off tight up to the current day.

As I sat down to pick the two teams, I thought to myself that the task could be simple enough, but the more I thought about it, the names of different players that have served the county well came flooding back and a lengthy list was drawn up for both teams.

Usually when such a list is drawn up, the question for those tasked with picking a team would be who will I include? For me however, the question I was asking myself was not who would I include, but who will I leave out, such was the number of options open, for a lot of positions.

Two or three players were always going to be certainties to be included, but when it came to some players such was their versatility, the question was asked where would they be best fitted in.

First up is the team from 1986 to the middle of the last century.

In goal, Annalisa Crotty (Ballymacarbry) is the choice. Annalisa is a player that was around for much of the glory days of Ladies Football in Waterford and was around for a while after others became the top guns in the game. She could well be picked in a number of positions, but have having won All-Ireland’s and All-Stars in goal, she is picked as the number one.

Another player that was around for all of the Glory days and for a few years afterwards was Oliva Condon (Na Déise). Olivia played in a number of positions in these years but was picked twice as an All-Star winner at corner back so get the nod to fill the number two position. Martina O’Ryan (Ballymacarbry) is another player with five All-Ireland medals and like Oliva played in a number of positions, but on this team is picked at full back. In the other corner is a player that was part of the 1986 All-Ireland Junior winning team and was also part of the senior set up in the early 90’s, June Whyte (Kilrossanty).

The half back line is made up of Ann Fitzpatrick (Ballymacarbry) in the right half back position. Ann is another player that was key to the side in the 80’s winning the first of her three All-Stars in 1987 and was still around for the early days of the glory days of the senior team in the 90’s. Noreen Walsh (Ballymacarbry) is selected at centre back. Noreen is a player that can play in a number of positions, but is selected here as the centre back. She is one of five players to lift the Brendan Martin Cup in the Hogan Stand in the 90’s. Who to wear the number seven shirt was a fairly easy choice. In the 90’s and into the 00’s Julie Anne Torpey (Kill/Saint Anne’s) was a model of consistency in the number seven shirt for Waterford in which time she won four All-Stars between 1995 and 2002.

In the middle of the field, Mary O’Donnell (Ardmoe) was a fairly obvious choice. She came into contention for a place in the team as the run of the great team in the 90’s was coming to an end, but she impressed after coming in and did so for many years after the glory days ended. She won four All-Stars between 2000 and 2006. Alongside her is Bernie Ryan (Ballymacarbry), a player that was key to the 1986 All-Ireland Junior Final win and who captained the senior side to All-Ireland Final glory in 1992.

And so to the attack where a number of players came into contention for a place on the team.

Fiona Crotty (Ballymacarbry) is picked at right half forward. She played much of the time in the corner for Waterford but was a player that could play in any of the forward positions. Alongside her at full forward is her older sister Marie (Ballymacarbry), who as pointed out was part of the Waterford Junior winning side in 1986 and who captained the side to the All-Ireland Senior Final in 1991. Along the way she won five All-Star awards. On the other wing is Caithriona Casey (Ballymacarbry). Catriona was another player that was absolute vital to Waterford over a number of years. She is another player to win four All-Stars, three of which were in the number 12 position.

Geraldine O’Ryan (Ballymacarbry) is a twin sister to Martina and like Martina she was hugely vital to Waterford. Martina played a lot of her football in defence or around the middle of the field, but Geraldine was mostly a forward. She was part of the senior panels that won five All-Irelands between 1991 and 1998 and also was the winner of five All-Stars between 1992 and 1999. The full forward position is another that was easy enough to pick as it was very hard to look beyond Áine Wall (Ballymacarbry) who caused any defence that she played against problems. She won many honours in the game at club and county level and is the holder of a record eight All-Star award’s for a Waterford player between 1989 and 1998. And so to the number 15 shirt and the player picked in this position is another very versatile player who can and has played in both defence and attack. The final player picked in Waterford best team in my view from 1986 covering the next twenty years or so is Rebecca Hallahan (Ballymacarbry), a player that came into the panel as the great teams days were coming to a close, but she did well enough while she was involved to win two All-Star’s. for any quiz buffs out there, it might be useful for you to know that she is the last female in Waterford to win an All-Star.

And what of the best fifteen in more recent days.

Katie Hannon (Ballyduff Upper) came into the set up in 2015 after a number of years away from the set up. Like Annalisa Crotty on the team named earlier, Katie might feel more comfortable playing out the field but has settled into goal like a duck to water, and has won League and All-Ireland medals there.

In front of her, is three players that have given the county great service. Nora Dunphy (Comeragh Rangers) and Linda Wall (Ballymacarbry) are picked in the corner back positions. Both have now retired from the inter county set up but before they did, they helped Waterford win seven Intermediate Football Finals and also helped Waterford reach three All-Ireland finals and a number of league finals. Between them Gráinne Enright (Abbeyside) is selected in the number three shirt. Grainne was part and parcel of the Waterford set up for a number of years, helping her side win four Munster Intermediate All-Ireland finals in a row.

The half back line is as strong as the full back line chosen.

Mairead Wall (Ballymacarbry) is another player to help Waterford win seven Intermediate Munster Finals in a row and also helped Waterford reach three All-Ireland finals and a few league finals. Alongside her is a player whose career is taking off and already has achieved so much. Megan Dunford (Abbeyside) is a player that has a big future in the game and one to keep an eye very much on in the years ahead. On the other wing is Karen McGrath (Ballymacarbry) another player that has achieved so much already in the game and a player that has the potential to win a lot more.

The centre field pairing was simple enough to pick. Both Michelle McGrath (Ballymacarbry) and Elaine Power (Tramore) are players that were a formidable centre field pairing for Waterford for a number of years, before both switched to positions in the Waterford defence.

Michelle Ryan (Ballymacarbry) is one of the longest serving inter county players in the country. Many that have an interest in the game and who were in Croke Park in the glory days will remember her and her sister Louise as mascots for the senior team when their father Michael was in charge of the team. At centre forward Maria Delahunty (Abbeyside) is selected. Since coming back into the set up after Pat Sullivan took over the team she has made a massive impact and has kicked some very impressive scores for Waterford. In the number twelve shirt is a player that was impossible to leave out. Aileen Wall (Ballymacarbry) is the third of three sisters that have played for their club and county in the past number of years and who have achieved so much. Aileen has plenty of time on her side yet and has the ability to go on and become one of the all-time greats of the game.

Seeing players that play both hurling and football on the inter county scene is as rare as hens teeth in the last number of years, but thankfully we do see women play both Camogie and Ladies Football. One player that has worn the white and blue of Waterford in both codes in the last number of years is Grainne Kenneally (Ballyduff Upper). Grainne is a fearless player who is always willing to do what it takes to win and is a player that can play any place. She is a player that would be very hard to leave out of this selection. At full forward is Sinead Ryan (Ballymacarbry). Sinead like Maria Delahunty returned to the Waterford set up after Pat Sullivan took over as manager and since returning she has made a huge impact playing on the edge of the square. And so to the final position and the player picked in the number 15 shirt is another player that can play in a number of positions. Mary Foley (Abbeyside) if memory serves me right played on six of the seven Waterford sides that won Munster Intermediate Finals between 2009 and 2015, missing out in 2012. She played a part in helping Waterford reach a number of League and All-Ireland finals, and is one of a few players to retire from the Inter County game after Waterford won the 2015 Intermediate All-Ireland Final.

The question might be asked how many of the first team would stake a place on the modern team and vice versa. Maybe sometime in the near future someone might try and pick an overall Waterford All-Star Ladies Football Team.