Thirty-Six County Finals In A Row For Ballymacarbry

Ballymacarbry’s dominance in ladies football in the Adult Grades continue in the Déise County continues after they became county senior champions for the thirty-sixth (YES 36^th) year in a row on Sunday afternoon last beating arch rivals Comeragh Rangers at Fraher Field.

In those thirty six years the Ballymacarbry Club has produced some many fine players, players that were household names at the time, like Martina and Geraldine O’Ryan, Marie and Fiona Crotty, Bernie Ryan, Claire Ryan, Dolores Tyrell, Ann Dunford, Ann Fitzpatrick and of course Áine Wall.

Many of these players were involved in the early years of this outstanding run of results and one player that has played a role in the majority of these successes was involved in this game.

Linda Wall is a player that has given the game great service down the years and by my reckoning she was involved with the Ballymacarbry Club for the twentieth year in a row this year and she made a telling contribution in this game kicking two points for her side in the second half.

Of course she is not the only star in this team as it included her younger sisters Mairead and Aileen, the Ryan sisters (Michelle, Louise and Sinead) with Michelle and Sinead sharing ten of their sides tally of fifteen points in this game, Karen and Michelle McGrath, all players that have helped the county achieve so much in the last decade between then, while there is also plenty of quality to be found right throughout the team like rising stars Lauren Guiry, Kelly and Ann Hogan, as well as the likes of Rebecca Hallahan in goal and Eibhlis Cooney in attack.

No final is about just the one side and this is a Comeragh Rangers side that will be hoping to break the dominance of Ballymacarbry one day and if that was to happen then there will be one major celebration in the centre of the county.

Right throughout their side just as with the case of Ballymacarbry, there is plenty of ability in their set up in the likes of Nora, Ann, Ciara and Shauna Dunphy who have played for the county down the years, Geraldine Power who is was a member of the Waterford panel this year as were Katie, Aoife and Emma Murray, Keeley Corbett-Barry is a player that is to be looked out for in the years to come, while the likes of Aoife Dunne, Kate and Aisling Hahessey have all played for different inter county panels in recent years.

Ballymacarbry did a lot of their spade work to secure this win in the opening half of the game.

Sinead Ryan and Ciara Dunphy swapped early scores in this game but Ballymacarbry would hit the next five scores, Sinead and Michelle Ryan hit a brace of points each and Aileen Wall hit one to open up a 0-6 to 0-1 lead.

Aoife Dunne pulled two points back for the mid county side, but the impressive Sinead Ryan would cancel out these scores before the break to help her side into a 0-8 to 0-3 lead at the interval.

Geraldine Power opened the second half scoring with her first score of the game. Linda Wall knocked over her first score of the game before Katie Murray pointed for the challengers.

Sinead Ryan got her sixth score of the game but it was soon cancelled out with an effort from Emma Murray.

Lauren Guiry who had come on for Eibhlis Cooney pointed after which Aoife Dunne and Geraldine Power landed scores to leave just three between the sides.

But this was as close as the mid county side would get as Lauren Guiry had a goal bound effort brilliantly tipped over by Cailin Power, Sinead Ryan, Linda Wall and Michelle Ryan followed up with points for the winners.

Comeragh Rangers however would finish the second half the stronger of the two sides as a free from Geraldine Power went all the way to the net and Katie Murray followed up with a point, but they were to prove to be mere consolation scores for Comeragh Rangers.

Ballymacarbry: Rebecca Doocey; Mairead Wall, Laura Mulcahy, Maeve Ryan; Ciara Ryan, Karen McGrath, Michelle McGrath; Louise Ryan, Kelly Ann Hogan; Eibhlis Cooney, Linda Wall, Sadhbh Hallinan, Aileen Wall, Michelle Ryan. Subs: Lauren Guiry for Eibhlis Cooney, Danielle Hallahan for Ciara Ryan, Alice Ryan for Linda Wall.

Scorers: Sinead Ryan 0-7 (4f), Michelle Ryan 0-3, Lauren Guiry, Linda Ryan 0-2 each, Aileen Wall 0-1.

Comeragh Rangers: Cailin Power; Nora Dunphy, Kate Hahessey, Caroline Murphy; Cora Murray, Emma Murray, Aisling Hahessey; Keeley Corbett-Barry, Katie Murray; Aoife Murray, Geraldine Power, Ann Dunphy; Aoife Dunne, Ciara Dunphy, Shauna Dunphy. Sub: Aoife Hahessey for Aoife Dunne.

Scorers: Geraldine Power 1-2 (1-1f), Aoife Dunne 0-3 (1f), Katie Murray 0-2, Ciara Dunphy, Emma Murray 0-1 each.