Long Trip for Ballymacarbry in Munster Club Championship

Ballymacarbry Ladies Football Club fresh from winning their 38^th yes that is 38 County Senior Football Final in a row make the 260 km round trip journey to Rathmore in Kerry on Saturday afternoon to play Southern Gaels from Kerry in this year’s Munster Senior ‘B’ Championship Semi Final.

It comes as no real surprise that these two clubs are set for battle this weekend. The Kerry side along with Rathmore are the most consistent sides when it comes to Ladies Football in Kerry over the last number of years, while Ballymacarbry’s 38 titles in a row tells its own story here in Waterford, but it must be said that other sides are closing in on them, and it would be no surprise to see the likes of Comeragh Rangers who have ran Ballymacarbry close on more than one occasion in recent years and Abbeyside who won this year’s Intermediate title to name but two clubs push the Ballymacarbry ladies in the coming years.

In the Kingdom, Rathmore have not won the title since they won it in 2015 but those closest to the game in the county were making them favourites to beat Southern Gaels in the county final which was played some weeks back near Killarney.

The Kerry champions went into their County final on the back of a 2-14 to 2-11 win over Na Gaeil in the quarter finals and then put up another very good score in the semi final when beating Mid Kerry on a 5-10 to 3-10 score line.

In the County Final they found scoring that little bit tougher but still did enough to beat a fancied Rathmore side on a 1-9 to 0-10 score line.

On the day they had an inspired performance by Rachel Dwyer who registered 1-4 for her side, while Sinead Sheahan at full back was very impressive.

The Kerry side are bye and large a very young side with most of their players still eligible to play underage football. They handed seven players their senior championship debut in their quarter final which may well be a disadvantage when it comes to a game playing in the provincial championship so soon afterwards, but with youth on their side one would expect the side to have plenty of life in their legs and will not be afraid to run at the Ballymacarbry backs when given the chance, especially if the likes of Siofra O’Shea and Anna Galvin can get enough of the ball to feed it to other players around them.

Anna Galvin a member of the Kerry inter county panel might well be Southern Gaels best known players, but that does not mean that they are a one lady team.

Sisters Megan and Ellie O’Connell will have to be watched carefully, in defence Sinead Sheahan at full back Caoimhe Teahan directly in front of her are capable players, while in the Ballymacarbry half of the field players like already mentioned Megan O’Connell, Siofra O’Shea, Shannon O’Donnell and Rachel Dwyer can cause trouble if allowed.

What can be said about Ballymacarbry that has not been said before? There record is there for all to see. Time and time again people have predicted their demise since the breakup of the great side which helped Waterford win so much in the 1990’s, but still they are coming back for more.

In the recent County Final at Lemybrien Comeragh Rangers to their credit did all they could to try and end their great rivals run of successive titles, literally throwing everything at their opponents bar the kitchen sink but still it was not enough.

Right throughout the side there is players of the highest calibre, including many with All-Ireland Medals at different levels.

Goalkeeper Lauren Fitzpatrick recently won a second All-Ireland Intermediate title with Tipperary. She plays with Ballymacarbry as there is no club in her native Newcastle. Sisters Karen and Michelle McGrath are known up and down the country as fine footballers in defence or in the middle of the field. In the Ballymacarbry defence they are joined by another hugely experienced player Mairead Wall.

In the middle of the field there is two players at opposite ends of their careers. Michelle Ryan is one of the longest serving players in the country but still plays like a player many years her junior, showing that you never lose ability. In the middle of the field she is joined by Kelly Ann Hogan a young player who made a big impact with the Waterford seniors this year and is a player that we will hear a lot more about in the years ahead.

In attack sisters Louise and Sinead Ryan just like their older sister Michelle have done it all in the past and still have so much to offer the game. Between the three of them they have 58 County Senior Football Medals. When you add in those by their brother Shane with The Nire, it brings up an impressive number of medals in the one family. Their experience alone is so telling around the younger players that are brought in each year, while another player that is known up and down the country is Aileen Wall.

Ballymacarbry are not just about the players mentioned above. Take Abbie Dalton a relatively new player to the club. She is someone that can play in defence just as easily as she can play in attack. Brigita Valuntaite is another player that we will hear a lot about in the coming years and has played for the county at all levels already.

Add in the likes of Muireann Boyce, Maeve Ryan. Laura Mulcahy, Eibhlis Cooney etc and you can see that this is a Ballymacarbry side that will not be short of confidence to take on the ladies from the Kingdom.

You have to feel that Ballymacarbry’s greater experience should stand to them in this game and they should be good enough to advance to a Munster ‘B’ Final against a Kilmihil side that recently beat another fancied side Banner Ladies in the Clare County Final with the winners of that game advancing to play Cork Champions Mourneabbey in the Munster ‘A’ Final after they collected a sixth Cork County Final in a row last weekend against West Cork where they had three clear goals to spare.