Waterford Ladies Seek First Win in National Football League

Waterford have home advantage at the WIT Arena at Carriganore on Sunday afternoon against Laois in the second round of games in this year’s Lidl sponsored National Ladies Football Division Two League Campaign.

This game no doubt will bring back many memories to some that travelled to Croke Park in 1991 and again in 1992 for when the two counties clashed in the Senior All-Ireland Final in both yeas, where victory when on both occasions when to Michael Ryan’s side, winning the first and second of their five All-Ireland titles in eight years, and saw many of those involved adding senior medals to the Junior medal that they won when they beat Wexford at the same venue in 1986, the first time a Ladies football All-Ireland final was played at G.A.A. Head-quarters.

Both sides last weekend got something from their respective opening round of games.

Laois at Annanough had a 2-11 to 2-9 against the 2016 All-Ireland Intermediate Champions Kildare, while Waterford at Carron had a 2-6 to 1-9 draw over the 2016 All-Ireland Intermediate Runners up Clare.

In Laois’ game Kildare looked as if they were going to get something from the game, but two injury time points from teenager Emma Lawlor saw the home side claim a hard fought win.

They will know however that they were extremely lucky to get something from as at one stage in the second half they found themselves playing with twelve players as a result of the sin bin rule used in ladies football, something in the view of yours truly that should be brought into the men’s game in the way it is used in Ladies Football. However, Kildare failed to capitalise on the fact that Laois were playing with a disadvantage, and in truth, it could be argued that Laois played their best football while they were at a disadvantage numerically.

Laois played that game without a number of their senior players but they showed great battling qualities, taking the lead for the first time in the game on 53 minutes.

They will travel to the WIT Arena confident that they can get something from this weekend’s game after the way they battled to beat Kildare, and with the likes of Jenny and Mags McEvoy, Megan Dunne, Emma Lawlor, Clare Conlon, Erone Fitzpatrick, Noirin Kirwan, Mo Nerney and Caoimhe Simms in their panel they have the players to get a favourable result.

Waterford last weekend made the long journey to Carron to play Clare and they too showed tremendous ability.

Waterford were without a number of players that played so well for Waterford in recent years, but still had a strong enough panel out on the day to get something from the game.

Played with a strong wind blowing, Waterford had first use of it and turned around with a 1-6 to 0-4 lead on the score board, the Waterford goal coming from Lauren McGregor, who would also hit a second goal in the second half, a score which was to be Waterford’s only one in the half, which might give an indication as to how strong the wind was on the day.

Waterford manager Pat Sullivan should be given tremendous praise for what he has done for Waterford in the last few years. He inherited an experienced outfit to which he added some of the players that he has worked with on the underage scene for a few years before taking over the senior side, and he has not been afraid to add some of the best young players which he has worked with in recent years to the group, and they have not let him down.

Waterford last year in their first year back in the senior grade after winning the All-Ireland Intermediate title in 2015 showed that they are more than able to hold their own in the grade, putting it up to Cork and Kerry in the Munster Championship and then beating a fancied Armagh side in the qualifiers.

Moving out of Division Three is something that will help Waterford even further. This year in the league, while Waterford would love to finish in the top four, which is not beyond the ability of the panel, to retain their division two place must be the primary objective to the side in this year’s league.

As pointed out, this is something that the side are very capable of.

With the likes of Katie Hannon in goal, Mairead Wall, Michelle McGrath, Caoimhe McGrath and Megan Dunford in defence, Karen McGrath and Hannah Power in the middle of the field and Emma Murray, Aileen Wall, Lauren McGregor and Lauren Guiry in attack as we saw last week against Clare, Waterford have a strong outfit.

And if Waterford are able to add some of their more experienced players to the starting team this weekend and in the games in the coming weekends, then Waterford will be a match for most if not all sides in this division.

After losing two points last weekend against Clare (remember there is three points for a win in the league in both Ladies Football and Camogie), it’s important that Waterford get a win in this game and move up the table. Can they do this? I think they can.

Tricky League Opener for Waterford

This year Allianz National Football League gets underway on Sunday afternoon for Tom McGlinchey’s Waterford Senior Football Team as they take on London in what will be a tricky assignment at Ardmore.

I say ‘tricky’ because the sides have met each other over the past few years, and on each occasion, the exiles have really put it up to Waterford and on more than one occasion they have got a favourable result.

Many have knocked Waterford football in the last few years, and there is a sizable amount of people that would stop all football, especially at inter county level being played in the county, but in truth, the standard overall is not as bad as some would suggest, with Waterford only needing a break.

A few years back, while John Owens was in charge of the County Senior Football Team it looked as if Waterford were going to get that break, when they won the Division four league final against Limerick in Croke Park, and while they lost out on that occasion, they were still promoted and the following year playing in division three, with two games still to play they had a very good chance of retaining their place in division three for the following season, but results went against Waterford and they were relegated as a result and have played in the bottom division since.

Last year in the league it looked once more that Waterford were going to get that break once more, but again results went against Waterford as they lost three of their game by a single score.

Waterford’s aim this year when it comes to football is to once more get out of this division and I for one think that we saw more than enough last year that Waterford under Tom McGlinchey are more than capable of challenging for the two promotion spots in this division.

What team London will bring to Ardmore we don’t know, but if they manage to bring as many of the players that have served them well in recent years, the likes of Dave McGreevy, Marty Carroll, Ciaran and Colin Dunne, James Moran, Liam Gavagan and Mark Gottche they will once more provide stiff opposition for Waterford.

No members of the Stradbally Club are named in the starting team released by Tom McGlinchey, which is a pity, as the club contains some fine players who would considerably add to Waterford.

None the less, Waterford have named a strong team.

Stephen Enright will guard the net, and will have Brian Looby, Thomas O’Gorman and Tadhg Ó hUallacháin in front of him.

Waterford will have a strong half back line with Stephen Prendergast in the middle with James McGrath and Ray Ó Ceallaigh playing either side of him.

Waterford played Clare and Limerick in the McGrath Cup, losing both narrowly, but in those two games Tommy Prendergast and Michael Curry built up enough of an understanding between them to retain their places for this game.

Paul Whyte is the team captain this year and is set to start at centre forward and will have Michael O’Halloran and Conor Murry either side of him in what could well prove to be a dangerous line for many sides in this division.

The inside forward line for Waterford could also prove dangerous for most sides, with Joey Veale flanked by Patrick Hurney and Donie Breathnach, but we can expect some movement from the forward line named.

There is an old Irish Saying which translated is “A Good Start is half the work”. Waterford going on results in recent year will know that they could have got an easier first game, but playing the game on home soil should be a plus.

Waterford has it in them to get a result in this game but it won’t be easy.

Gailltir Can Hold Heads High Despite Narrow Defeat

There was heartbreak for Gailltir at Ashbourne on Sunday as they went down to Ulster Champions Eglish from Tyrone in the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Club Semi Final, with just one point separating the sides at the end of the hour.

For the Barony club it has being a twelve month period to remember.

At the start of the year (2016), its possibly fair to say that the Barony Club would be down the pecking order when it came to who would win the Senior Camogie Championship, behind the likes of Lismore and Saint Anne’s who dominated the game within the county over the past number of years and even against Cappoquin, one of the rising clubs within the county, a side that reached the 2016 County Senior League Final against neighbours Lismore.

But it would have been a foolish person that would have written off the chances of Gailltir.

They have some experienced players within their set up and also have invested a lot of time and energy into their underage set up in recent years and it was only a matter of time before every piece of the jig-saw began to fit into place.

Work for the 2016 season began at the end of 2015 and the Barony Club received a massive boost when Paul Lyng, a former manager of the Waterford side agreed to come on board the management team of his home club.

With Paul on board then the next obvious thing to do was to get his daughter Áine who had played in two Junior All-Ireland Final’s with Waterford in 2009 and 2010 back into a sky blue and navy shirt after she returned to live in Ireland after a spell in the United Kingdom.

At the same time Jenny O’Grady and Aileen Cummins arrived back in Ireland after spells in Australia and New Zealand and their return to the game was also a massive boost for Gailltir as was the fact that many of the players that helped the Barony Club to win three Féile Titles in a row in recent years were a year older and were winning a place for themselves in the starting team and not just claiming a place on the panel.

As the championship progressed it was no real surprise that Gailltir ended the dominance of Lismore and Saint Anne’s and won a first Senior County Final for the first time since 2008, and then for them to go on to capture the Munster Intermediate Championship in the weeks that followed, beating Cork champions Blackrock and Tipperary champions Nenagh Éire Óg.

But they knew going into last Sunday’s game that they face stiff opposition.

Eglish are the only Senior Club in Tyrone and were therefore champions, and they went on to beat opposition from Down and Armagh to capture the Ulster Intermediate title.

This was familiar territory for Eglish as they reached this stage of the competition twelve months ago, losing out to opposition from Galway on that occasion and they travelled south on Sunday morning intent on proving that to win a semi-final you first had to lose one. They showed great hunger on Sunday last to make up for the disappointment of twelve months ago.

In poor weather conditions, it was the Northern side that opened the scoring with a point from Niamh McNulty but her effort was soon cancelled out with an effort from Kate Lynch.

Maria Haughey edged the Tyrone side back in front on fourteen minutes after which Gailltir won two frees which went narrowly wide.

Eglish put pressure on the Gailltir defence and looked as if they were going to hit the first goal of the game but Ciara Jackman did brilliant to keep an effort from Aisling Jordan from reaching the net.

Leanne and Aisling Donnelly added further scores for the Ulster side and Áine Lyng hit one for Gailltir as they tuned around at the break trailing 0-4 to 0-2.

Scores in the second half in the weather conditions were as had won as they were in the first half.

Gailltir drew level with points from Kate Lynch and Áine Lyng by the midway point in the second half, before the Sky Blue’s had a great goal scoring opportunity but they were pulled for moving into the small square before the sliotar had arrive inside it.

Co Antrim referee Owen Elliott award the Ulster side a free out and it was from this free that the Tyrone side worked the sliotar to the Gailltir net for the games first green flag, as Leanne Donnelly finished to the net on the third attempt following two outstanding saves from Ciara Jackman with ten minutes to go.

Had the sliotar gone into the Eglish net moments earlier, the Barony Girls would have been on a high and surely would have gone on to win this game. But that is an ‘if’ and ifs and buts never win games.

The goal failed to ignite the Eglish forwards. Gailltir refused to throw in the towel and they were rewarded for their efforts when Kate Lynch picked out Áine Lyng with a long ball and Áine in turn found Trish Jackman who blasted to the Eglish net to level matters for the second time in the second half.

But there was to be no fairy-tale finish for Gailltir as Eglish won a free on the Gailltir ’45 metre line and when presented with a chance Aisling Jordan made no mistake in securing the game for her side on a 1-5 to 1-4 score line.

It was a case of so near for Gailltir. There can be no disputing that after the game they will have felt down, but they can keep their heads very high. 2016 was a very successful year for the club, one that they will remember for a long time.

They will learn from this game and come back a better team when they play in the County League and Championship, but they will know that they will have to be at their very best to win honours in 2017, but they will be very confident that this will happen, and more over now that the team will be hungry to make up for the defeat to Eglish.

Gailltir: Ciara Jackman; Áine O’Keeffe, Clara Hogan, Claire Dunne; Aileen Cummins, Sally O’Grady, Jenny O’Grady; Emma Roche, Áine Lyng; Annie Glavey, Shauna Fitzgerald, Trish Jackman; Roisin Flood, Eilis Cullinane, Kate Lynch. Subs Used: Emer Walsh for Eilis Cullinane, Aisling Flood for Roisin Flood, Emily O’Mahony for Jenny O’Grady. Rest of the Panel: Sinead Cunningham, Fiona Conroy, Hannah Hutchinson, Sarah Smith, Emma Frampton, Emma Tallon, Shannon Delahunty, Margo Heffernan, Chloe Murphy, Claire O’Riordan.

Scorers: Trish Jackman 1-0, Áine Lyng, Kate Lynch 0-2 each.

Eglish: Leona Gallagher; Laura Mason, Kelley Cuddy, Cathy Jordan; Aisling Donnelly, Brenda Horsfield, Claire Jordan; Shauna Jordan, Ciara McGready; Ciara Donnelly, Maria Haughey, Niamh McNulty; Aisling Jordan, Meabh McHugh, Leanne Donnelly. Subs: Julie Lagan, Lisa Marie Skeffington, Amy Barrett, Denise Galvin, Annette Jordan, Áine Donnelly, Siobhan Hughes, Meabh McGlennan.

Scorers: Leanne Donnelly 1-1, Aisling Jordan 0-2 (2f), Maria Haughey, Niamh McNulty 0-1 each.

Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim).

Waterford and Clare end all square at Carron

Waterford and Clare had to settle for a point each of the three available in the opening round of games in this year’s Lidl Ladies National Football League Division Two campaign when the two sides met at Carron on the North Clare coast on Sunday afternoon.

Both sides played with a number of changes to the sides that achieved success for the two counties in 2016.

For the home side, Niamh Keane, Emma O’Driscoll, Eva O’Dea, Laura Egan and Caoimhe Harvey have all opted out of the intercounty scene in 2017, while they have brought 11 new panel players into their set up.

Waterford were without a number of the side which helped win the Division Three league final back in May, as Linda Wall has retired from the inter county scene, Grainne Kenneally is on United National Duty while a number of players including the Ryan Sisters and Maria Delahunty were not in the starting line-up.

Despite all the changes on both sides, it’s a testimony to both counties and the work they are doing to promote the game of Ladies Football that they were able to still field strong teams.

To say this was a game of two halves would be a major understatement.

Waterford had first use of the very strong wind and made full use of it, racing into a six point lead with just 12 minutes showing on the clock.

The first score of the game was a Waterford goal coming from Lauren McGregor with just two minutes of the game played.

This was quickly followed with points from Aileen Wall soon after McGregor’s opener and further points from Nicola Fennell and Róisín Tobin in a two minute spell.

The home side opened their account on the quarter of an hour mark when Niamh O’Dea put over a free and the same player slotted over again two minutes later, again from a free, but Waterford hit back with points from Emma Murray and Lauren McGregor.

Niamh O’Dea and Ailish Considine kicked further points for Clare who were coming more into the game as the first half went on to draw within four of Waterford, but Lauren McGregor hit the last score of the half to give Waterford a 1-6 to 0-4 lead as the sides changed ends.

With the home side playing with the wind in the second half, they dominated the remainder of the game.

Ailish Considine hit an early second half score and Niamh O’Dea hit a brace to bring the sides to within a single score on the scoreboard, with nine minutes of the second half played.

Waterford struck a second goal on forty minutes, Lauren McGregor getting her second of the game, but it was quickly cancelled out when Grainne Harvey set up Niamh O’Dea for a similar score at the other end of the field just seconds later, to leave just two between the sides.

While Clare with the wind at their backs were dominating, they hit just two further scores.

Becky Mahon pointed to leave one between the sides in the forty second minute of the game and they had to wait till five minutes from time to have another flag waved by the umpires, another point from the impressive Niamh O’Dea, to get her side a share of the spoils.

Both sides are out again next weekend and have tough encounters.

Clare are away to Cavan who lost out to Westmeath (1-9 to 2-4) who were in last year’s Division two final, while Waterford are at home to a Laois side who beat Kildare 2-11 to 2-9 in the first series of games.

Waterford: Katie Hannon; Mairéad Wall, Michelle McGrath, Kate McGrath; Deirbhile Nic Aodha, Caoimhe McGrath, Megan Dunford; Karen McGrath, Hannah Power; Róisín Tobin, Nicola Fennell, Emma Murray; Lauren Mc Gregor, Aileen Wall, Lauren Guiry. Subs: Rebecca Casey for Lauren Guiry, Eimear Fennell for Lauren Mc Gregor and Geraldine Power for Róisín Tobin.

Scores: Lauren McGregor 2-2 (0-1f), Aileen Wall 0-1, Emma Murray 0-1), Roisin Tobin 0-1), Nicola Fennell 0-1.

Clare: Ciara Harvey; Nicole O’Doherty, Laurie Ryan, Grainne Harvey; Róisín Considine, Ellie O’Gorman, Amanda Mulcair; Kayleigh McCormack, Becky Mahon; Lizzy Roche, Ailish Considine, Sarah Bohannon; Ciara Hickey, Niamh O’Dea, Grainne Nolan. Subs: Roisin Looney for Sarah Bohannon, Tara Kelly for Róisín Considine (55)

Scorers: Niamh O’Dea 1-5 (0-3F), Ailish Considine 0-2, Becky Mahon 0-1.

Referee: S. Mulvihill (Kerry)  

Gailltir and Eglish are sixty minutes from All-Ireland appearance.

Camogie in Waterford has received many boosts of the past few years and on Sunday afternoon next it could receive another massive boost if Gailltir were to advance to next month’s All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Club Final at Croke Park.

Should Gailltir come through against Tyrone side Eglish, there is nobody that deserves a date at G.A.A. Headquarters than the Barony Ladies.

For a number of years two clubs Lismore and Saint Anne’s have dominated the game of Camogie.

Prior to Gailltir winning a first senior county final since 2008, both Lismore and Saint Anne’s shared the County Senior Finals played in between and the two have shared the County Senior League titles played over the past number of years.

But it was no surprise to see Gailltir break the dominance of the two giants of the game in recent years within the Déise County.

A great deal of work was put in on the underage front in the Gailltir Club, and while underage success does not always guarantee success at adult level, it is a help.

The last number of years has seen the sky blues win three Feile Titles in successive years and they have managed to bring forward players that were on these teams to their senior team in the past year where they have played with some established players.

They are also lucky to have a number of Roll Models within the club. Trish Jackman is one of the fines players of the game within the country and those coming after her have an excellent roll model to follow and try and if they were to achieve half of what she has achieved then they can look back in later years as having a successful Camogie career.

They also have another Roll Model in Áine Lyng a member of their club. Áine showed so much promise when playing underage camogie and after a few years away from playing with Gailltir she is back playing once more and will surely be in demand with the county selectors for the year ahead.

And up to 2015 they had another high profile player in their club in Emma Hannon. She was part of the Waterford side that captured the League Title against Laois in Carlow in 2015, but she had left the area by the time the All-Ireland win was achieved.

Gailltir know that they have achieved so much in the past year, but they will also know that there is so much more that they can achieve.

When they travel up the M9 on Sunday morning and head for Ashbourne after reaching the outskirts of Dublin, they will know that they are just sixty minutes from doing something that no other club have achieved up to now, to win an All-Ireland Club Final for Waterford at Croke Park.

But they will know that before they get a chance to do this they face a tough battle against the Tyrone representatives.

It might be hard for some to believe that when Eglish take to the field on Sunday it will be only the third time that they have played a championship game in this competition.

Because they are the only senior club in Tyrone, they automatically were crowned champions, and so represented the county in the Ulster Intermediate Championship, in the same way Gailltir as Waterford Senior Champions represented the county in the Munster Intermediate Championship.

Their first championship game played in 2016 was an Ulster Senior semi-final against Leitrim Fontenoys from Down, a side that Lismore beat a few years back on route to winning an All-Ireland Final.

Having come through this game successfully they played Grangemore from Armagh in the Ulster final, another game that they came through in with flying colours.

Sunday’s journey may be new to Gailltir but for their opponents it is a familiar one.

Last year they played in the same stage of the competition, having won a fist Ulster Final at the tail end of 2015, but they lost out to the Galway champions that day.

They no doubt will feel that the experience of playing in a game of this standard twelve months ago will stand to them this time.

They have some very good players within their ranks.

Leona Gallagher is their goalkeeper while Julie Lagan is a key member of their defence. In the middle of the field Shauna and Aisling Jordan are key, while the likes of Niamh McNulty, Maebh McHugh, Leanne and Ciara Donnelly who has played inter county camogie for Armagh, Ciara McGeady, Laura Mason and Kelley Anne Fay are key players throughout the field.

Just as Gailltir have worked on the youth of the area, so two are Eglish. Last year alone they won Leagues and Championships at under 14, 16 and minor grades.

Gailltir will know that while they are putting in tremendous work with their underage teams and are now getting their rewards, they will not be resting on their laurels.

They will need no reminding that Lismore and Saint Anne’s will want to get back to dominating the game in the county in the year ahead and will also be weary of the challenge of Cappoquin and De La Salle who are playing in the senior grade for the first time in 2017 having played in the adult grades for the first time in 2015.

But for now, Gailltir will only worry about getting past Eglish in Sunday’s game at Ashbourne.

They will only be too well aware of the challenge posed by Eglish, bit they also know that in the likes of Ciara and Trish Jackman, Ciara Hogan, Sinead Cunningham, Sally O’Grady, Aileen Cummins, Shauna Fitzgerald, Annie Glavey, Roisin Flood, Kate Lynch and Áine Lyng they have the players to lead them to the next stage of the competition.

Lismore and Ahascragh Fohenagh do battle for Croke Park spot

Lismore and Ahascragh Fohenagh travel to O’Connor Park in Tullamore on Sunday next for the All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Semi Final, where the prize on offer to the winner is an All-Ireland Final date at G.A.A. Headquarters at Croke Park in the middle of next month.

The Galway Club is a relatively new one, only formed fifteen years ago, when neighbouring clubs Ahascragh-Fohenagh came together as junior clubs and amalgamated due to the drop off of numbers available to both as the 90’s went on.

Since coming together first as a Juvenile Club in 1999 they have proven to be a very successful outfit, winning titles at under 10, 12 and 14 levels.

At adult level they have also proved successful winning Junior and Under 21 titles, losing the Galway Intermediate final against Killimordaly and again in 2014 against Cappataggle before winning a first intermediate title in 2016.

For Lismore, it has been a roller coaster 16 months for Lismore.

They lost their senior status which they held from the late 1960’s towards the end of 2015, but regrouped well at intermediate level with Tony Browne as coach and proved too strong for all in the county and province capturing, West Waterford, County and Provincial Crowns.

Along the way, especially in the west they had a few close calls, and were pushed all the way in what is a very competitive competition.

To many, the Shanahan Brothers, Dan and Maurice are the sides standout players, but those that would think they are their only big guns they would be mistaken as over the course of the past 12 months they have had big performances from the likes of former inter county goalkeeper Brendan Landers, the Barry Brothers as well as John and Paudie Prendergast.

Another player that has stood out is Jack Prendergast, a cousin of the already mentioned Prendergast duo and nephew of former Waterford hurler Sean (Growler) Daly.

This young lad has a big future in the game and while he has not had a chance to show Derek McGrath and his selectors what he can do in the white and blue of Waterford in recent weeks, he no doubt is a player that will come into the reckoning for a place in the final Waterford panel when it is announced in a few weeks’ time.

This is a game that could well go right to the wire, where the team that shows the most hunger comes out on top.

The Heritage Town side have what it takes to win, and having seen and matched the successes of neighbouring clubs, Ballysaggart, Cappoquin and Modeligo in the recent years, they will want to go further than they did but first they have to ensure that they win here.

Linda Call’s Time on Inter County Career

There can be no disputing that if a history of Ladies Football in Waterford was to be compiled it would stretch many chapters, with different era’s and different players getting a chapter to themselves.

One such player that could well be afforded a chapter to them self is Linda Wall, who recently announced her retirement form the Inter County Game.

She is one of three lots of three sisters that helped Waterford win the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship in 2015, a year when Linda took over the captaincy of the team from a fellow Ballymacarbry player Michelle McGrath. For the record the other two lots of three sisters on that Waterford panel were the Ryan’s from Ballymacarbry and the Murray’s from Comeragh Rangers who in fact are triplets.

Linda’s time in the white and blue of Waterford and indeed the blue and white for a short while is an interesting one.

She came into the Waterford set up at a time when the great team of the 1990’s that achieved so much including winning five All-Ireland Finals between 1991 and 1998 was coming to an end.

There followed a few lean years for Waterford, but Linda and others like Elaine Power who announced her inter county retirement shortly after Waterford’s All-Ireland win in 2015 and Michelle Ryan who is still involved all came into the panel around the same time and stuck by the game they loved when others could have given up when success was not coming their way.

Along the way other players came into the panel as more and more of the familiar games left the inter county scene they helped younger players settle into the set up.

Getting relegated a  grade is often seen as a disaster by some but it often allows for sides to regroup and get experience playing against sides of their own standard, and not suffer heavy defeats to stronger sides.

In the intermediate grade Waterford had seven good years, winning seven Munster Finals in a row, with Linda one of a number of players to play a part in all seven victories.

In this time Waterford reached All-Ireland Final’s in 2010 and 2012 against Donegal and Armagh but defeat was Waterford’s lot on both occasions, again with Linda involved.

Waterford however, with Linda as Captain made up for these defeats by beating a fancied Clare side in 2015 at Croke Park.

Waterford also reached National League Finals along the way. Defeat was Waterford’s lot in the 2010, 2014 and 2015 Division Three League Finals, before Waterford came out on top in 2016 when they defeated Tipperary after a replay in Thurles. (Waterford must have something about not liking playing Ulster teams in finals, losing to Donegal in the Championship and Cavan in the league in 2010, Armagh in the Championship in 2012 and the same county in the 2014 league final). 

Oh yes, since making her Championship Debut for Waterford against Cork back in 2001, Linda has also played an important part with her club Ballymacarbry.

I am sure that we have not seen the end of her yet in the Blue and White of Ballymacarbry, where she has already won 19 yes 19 County Senior Ladies Football Finals in a row. She has helped her club win Four Munster Senior Club Championships, a 7’s All-Ireland Final and an All-Ireland Club Senior Final.

Have another quick look at some of what Linda Wall has won in an illustrious career. A National League Division three medal, an All-Ireland Intermediate Football medal, nominated for an All-Star, Captain of an All-Ireland winning team, and so far with her club, 19 Senior County Finals, Munster Senior A and B Club Championships, an All-Ireland 7’s competition, Munster Senior Inter County Medals. How much more can she win in her career.

And when she decides to hang up her playing boots for the last time, she could have a career as a coach to look forward to. Last year she was on the line for Ballymacarbry against the Tipperary Champions Brian Borus encouraging her side and helping her side to keep its shape.

We have heard a lot about Wall’s in the recent past coming out of America.

Waterford had its Wall’s before Donald Trump was even mentioned as a possible candidate for the position of President of the United States of America.

President Trump’s walls may be about to keep people from other counties from entering his, while Waterford’s Wall’s has managed to keep many sides from winning numerous games.

Whether President Trump’s Wall’s ever come to fruition or not remains to be seen. Waterford’s Wall’s no doubt be around for an while to come, as Mairead and Aileen, Linda’s younger sisters will be doing to their best to keep sides out.

But for now, Linda Wall’s inter county career is over, but I have no doubt we have not seen the end of her.

Waterford and Clare meet in League Opener

Waterford Senior Ladies Football Team make the journey to Cusack Park in Ennis on Sunday to play Clare in the first round of this year’s Division Two National Ladies Football League.

Waterford move up a division this year having won the division three title beating Tipperary after a replay at Semple Stadium, having lost the two previous finals against Armagh in 2014 and Sligo in 2015 in the same division.

Nobody will have to tell anyone with an interest in Ladies Football that Waterford has a tough encounter in their league opener.

The Banner Ladies last year reached the Intermediate All-Ireland Final, beating a fancied Tipperary side in the semi-finals but lost out to Kildare in the All-Ireland Final who made up for the disappointment of losing out to Waterford at the same stage of the championship twelve months earlier.

The two sides have met a number of times in recent years in the Munster Championship and while Waterford would lead on the head to head games between the two sides, Clare have always really put it up to Waterford and are likely to do so again this Sunday.

The home side will go into the game confident as they have played in a division higher than Waterford in recent years, something that they will feel that will stand to them.

Last year in addition to reaching the All-Ireland Final, they more than held their own, reaching the semi-finals losing out to Westmeath 4-12 to 1-11. The Midland County lost out in the final against Donegal.

From last Clare will have a number of changes to their team for this weekend.

Goalkeeper Emma O’Driscoll has opted out of the Inter County scene as have wing forward Niamh Keane, while centre field player Louise Henchy has retired from the inter county scene.

Eva O’Dea is out with a long term injury while Laura Egan another player involved in recent years and who was part of the panel that won the 2009 Intermediate All-Ireland Final is also expected to be out this coming weekend.

However, Neil Moynihan who is manager of the Clare side still has plenty of talent available to him in the likes of Niamh O’Dea, Ciara Hickey, Grainne Nolan, Ailish and Roisin Considine and Ellie O’Gorman.

Waterford manager Pat Sullivan will also have to do with players that have served him well since he took over as manager in 2015, as Linda Wall as retired from the Inter County scene while Grainne Kenneally is away on United Nations duty.

However, Pat Sullivan will feel that he has readymade replacements for these players.

In the last few years he has not shied off giving young players that he has worked with in the underage scene prior to becoming the senior team manager a chance to show what they can do and they have not let him down and no doubt any new players brought into the set up this year that he has worked with in the recent pass will not let him or his management team down.

Waterford this year also welcome Hannah Landers back to the fold this year having taken a year out from the game in 2016 and the Ballyduff Upper player no doubt will prove to be a major addition to the panel once more.

In the last few years, Pat Sullivan have started many of the league games his side have played in with some young players before bringing on more experienced players as the game progresses.

This is something that have served Waterford well in recent years and it will be interesting to see if the Management team go down the same route again in 2017, but no doubt they will be mindful of the fact that they are playing in a division higher this year and playing against better players.

While Clare will fancy their chances of winning the game on home soil, Waterford are good enough to get this year’s league off to a good start with three points from this game.

Transfer Deadline Day has passed.

Transfer Deadline Day in England might be a week away, but here in Waterford when it comes to inter club transfers between clubs in the G.A.A. all transfers for the year ahead have gone through.

There were two standout transfers this year. Former Waterford football goalkeeper Tom Wall has transferred back to his native Bonmahon after spending a number of successful years with The Nire, while Kenny Moore has left Dungarvan and will throw his lot in with County and Munster Intermediate Hurling Champions Lismore for the year ahead. Lismore play an All-Ireland semi-final this coming weekend but their newest recruit will not be available to play as the competition is a 2016 competition.

When it comes to player gain’s Naomh Pól are the bigger winners, gaining ten new players, four of which have transferred from the Saint Saviours Club.

There are also substantial gains for Tramore who have five extra players for the year ahead.

The list of transfers in full are:

Name	From	To
Adam O'Riordan	Old Parish	An Rinn
Nicholas Condon	Old Parish	An Rinn
Richard Stillwill	Old Parish	Ardmore
Lee Mulhearne	Abbeyside/Ballinacourty	Kilmacthomas
Con Williams	Brickey Rangers	Abbeyside/Ballinacourty
Simon Waters	Colligan	Old Parish
Mark Shanahan	Dungarvan	Colligan
Kenny Moore	Dungarvan	Lismore
Thomas Coffey	Fourmilewater	Kilgobinet
Thomas Coffey	Kilrossanty	Kilgobinet
Gerard Hickey	Kilrossanty	Kilrossanty
Bobby Power	Kilrossanty	Kilmacthomas
Shane Ahearne	Lismore	Affane/Cappoquin
Jack Houlihan	Lismore	Melleray
Conor O’Callaghan	Melleray	Brickey Rangers
Eoin O’Donoghue	Melleray	Modeligo
Michael Horgan	Modeligo	Colligan
Joe Duggan	Modeligo	Dungarvan
Rory Kiely	Saint Oliver’s	Affane/Cappoquin
Rory Byrne	Saint Oliver’s	Affane/Cappoquin
Aidan Hallahan	Saint Oliver’s	Affane/Cappoquin
Eoin Fitzgerald	Stradbally	Abbeyside/Ballinacourty
Thomas McGrath	Stradbally	Tramore
Thomas Wall	The Nire	Bonmahon
John Butler	Saint Saviours	Naomh Pól
Jason O’Halloran	Saint Saviours	Naomh Pól
Stephen O’Donoghue	Saint Saviours	Naomh Pól
Patrick Buckley	Saint Saviours	Naomh Pól
Sean Kelly	Mount Sion	Naomh Pól
Sean Murphy	Mount Sion	Naomh Pól
Gearoid Mac Cheirigh	Roanmore	Naomh Pól
Dale Sheridan	Roanmore	Naomh Pól
Anthony O’Brien	Dunhill	Naomh Pól
Thomas Power	Rathgormack	John Mitchells
Willie Cullinane	Fenor	Tramore
Tom Breen	Fenor	Tramore
Noel Geary	Fenor	Dunhill
Anthony Whelan	Fenor	Ballyduff Lower
Mark O’Rourke	Fenor	Ballydurn
Simon Keane	Dunhill	Roanmore
Bryan Moran	Kill	Tramore
Rhys Moran	Kill	Tramore
Willie Cullinane	Kill	Tramore
Noel Geary	Kill	Dunhill
Donal Power	Gaultier	Mount Sion
James Murthagh	Gaultier	Tramore
Cian Flanagan	Tramore	Mount Sion
Sean Veale	Newtown	Kilrossanty
Joseph O’Brien	Portlaw	Naomh Pól
Colm Kennedy	Ballyduff Lower	Mount Sion

*Transfer list as per Waterford News and Star