Galway will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky when the ladies’ u-14 Gaelic footballers contest the All Ireland final on Sunday (3.30pm ) in Bruff, Co Limerick.
Their opponents are Cork, the Munster champions who overcame last year’s winners Kerry, and this is set to be a hard-fought battle between the two best sides in the country.
Galway’s record at provincial level is strong, but having lost two All Irelands, they will be keen to make the breakthrough.
This season they had a tough task to dispose of Mayo in the Connacht Championship, finally eking out a single-point victory 4 - 10 to 5 - 6 to record their fifth straight provincial title. However inlast Sunday’s All Ireland semi-final, they enjoyed a comfortable victory over Ulster champions Donegal in Tubbercurry.
The whole team played well to run out easy winners in the end, 9 - 18 to 2 - 6. In the other semi-final Cork were showing their class as well, overcoming Dublin by 5 - 9 to 1 - 8.
Cork are also this season’s All-Ireland u-14 blitz champions, notching up an impressive total score of 20-39 in six games to regained their crown. In doing so they overcame Galway in the opening round by 0 - 18 to 1 - 1.
In Doireann O’Sullivan they have a captain who leads by example, and is a strong points scorer, along with the forward line. They will present the Galway backs with a tough task, but Galway, managed by Barry Cooney, with assistance from Roisin Ni Shuilleabhan, Crissie Ward, and Hubert Newell, will be quietly confident of upsetting the odds.
To do that they will need the mid-field pairing of Cora Creavan and Haley Sommers to take hold of the game as they did against Mayo, along with captain Nicola Ward. Up front Galway boast some skillful points scorers in Aislin Newell, Louise Ward, twin sister of Nicola, and freetaker Michelle Dunleavy. Against Mayo, Dunleavy was in unstoppable form as Galway capitalised on all their chances.
They will need to do so again to upset a confident and in-form Cork outfit.
Galway: S Burke, N O Connor, S Ni Shuilleabhan, E Carey,K Malone, A Crowley, N Ward (capt ), C Creaven, H Somers, M Ni Loingsigh, L Ward, A Newell, A Lane, O Kemple, M Dunleavy, A Finnerty, N Conway,N Folan, O Geoghegan, A Noone.
Seniors
The Galway seniors and juniors were in action last weekend, with the seniors up against Sligo in the championship, and juniors playing Roscommon.
The junior game was a one-sided affair with Galway running out easy winners by 7 - 19 to 0 - 2, while the seniors, although taking a while to settle, also posted a comfortable victory, 2 - 18 to 1 - 8.
Both teams will now meet old rivals Mayo in the Connacht semi-finals which will be held on Sunday July 5 in Charlestown Co Mayo.
Galway juniors: M K Killilea, C Feerick, N Connaughton, A Joyce, M Connell, F Conney, A Hyland, E Curley, H Dolan, N Breathnach, C Gannon, K Keane, O Seagrave, M Casserly, A M Flanagan, R Walshe, T Mullins, A Hannion, I Gorman, E Flatley, J Fahy.
Galway seniors: T Hughes, N Lohan, E Flaherty, M O’Connell, A Seoige, A Daly, R McPhilbin, L Coohill, A Clarke, AM McDonagh, S Burke, G Conneely ,L Joyce, U Carroll, E Conncannon, P Glesson, R Walshe, S Murphy.
