Gaelic Games

Kilkerrin-Clonberne overcome Clann Éireann to maintain four-in-a-row ambitions

Niamh Cotter’s haul of 2-4 helps Kilmacud Crokes to secure All-Ireland final spot

Ailish Morrissey of Kilkerrin-Clonberne is tackled by Clodagh McCambridge of Clann Éireann. Photograph: Sportsfile
Ailish Morrissey of Kilkerrin-Clonberne is tackled by Clodagh McCambridge of Clann Éireann. Photograph: Sportsfile
Daire Walsh
Sun Dec 01 2024 - 17:37
LGFA All-Ireland club SFC semi-final: Kilkerrin-Clonberne (Galway) 2-11 Clann Éireann (Armagh) 1-9

First-half goals from Aisling Madden and Ailish Morrissey paved the way for Kilkerrin-Clonberne to overcome Clann Éireann on their home ground in Lurgan and maintain their AIB All-Ireland Ladies Club SFC four in-a-row ambitions.

The reigning Galway and Connacht title holders built a 2-6 to 0-3 interval lead with a magnificent half-back line of Hannah Noone and Niamh Divilly flanked by recently crowned Players’ Player of the Year Nicola Ward providing a solid platform.

Kilkerrin-Clonberne never trailed and raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead inside the opening quarter with Eva Noone, Nicola Ward, Chloe Miskell and 2024 All-Star Olivia Divilly (free) all finding the target.

Niamh Henderson kicked Clann Éireann’s sole reply and though the Ulster standard bearers suffered a setback when Niamh Coleman spent 10 minutes in the sinbin, Greg McGonigle’s team moved to within a point through back-to-back Niamh Murray scores.

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Kilkerrin-Clonberne delivered the first major blow on 19 minutes when a trademark driving run from Nicola Ward set Aisling Madden free into open country and she finished low with conviction to the Clann Éireann net.

That began a match-defining run of 2-2 without reply before the break from Kilkerrin-Clonberne as a brilliant individual goal from Ailish Morrissey followed in the 29th minute, while Ward and Madden added further points.

The winners’ lead reached a high of 10 points with a Morrissey point straight after the restart, but a resurgent Clann Éireann battled back valiantly with Meabh McCambridge and Murray points cutting the deficit.

The Armagh club showed admirable resilience and closed to within six points when Murray, their best performer on the day, tucked away a 39th minute penalty to leave it 2-8 to 1-5. But Kilkerrin-Clonberne held firm with Miskell, Eva Noone and Olivia Divilly (free) cancelling out efforts from Niamh Coleman and the excellent Murray who finished with 1-6.

Kilkerrin-Clonberne march on to a mouthwatering final with Kilmacud Crokes at Croke Park on Saturday week – a repeat of their epic semi-final in 2023 that went to extra-time.

KILKERRIN-CLONBERNE: L Murphy; K Mee, S Gormally, C Costello; N Divilly, N Ward (0-2), H Noone (0-3, one free); S Divilly, L Ward (capt.); O Divilly (0-2, two frees), Aisling Madden (1-1), L Noone; E Noone, A Morrissey (1-1), C Miskell (0-2).

Subs: Aobhín Madden for Miskell (58), Caitlin Boyle for Morrissey (60).

CLANN ÉIREANN: C Lawless; G Carville, C McCambridge, M McCambridge (0-1); E Melanophy, D Coleman, R Mulligan; C Towe, N Henderson (capt); A Donohue, N Coleman (0-1), T Grimes; E McConaghy, N Murray (1-6, one pen, three frees), C Henderson (0-1). Sub: M McCann for McConaghy (51).

Referee: Kevin Phelan.

Grace Kós of Kilmacud Crokes in action against Kayla O’Connor of Castleisland Desmonds during the AIB LGFA All-Ireland SFC semi-final at Páirc de Burca in Stillorgan. Photograph: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
Grace Kós of Kilmacud Crokes in action against Kayla O’Connor of Castleisland Desmonds during the AIB LGFA All-Ireland SFC semi-final at Páirc de Burca in Stillorgan. Photograph: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
LGFA All-Ireland club SFC semi-final: Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 5-11 Castleisland Desmonds (Kerry) 1-5

Niamh Cotter recorded an excellent haul of 2-4 at Páirc de Burca as Kilmacud Crokes reached their first AIB All-Ireland senior club championship decider with an impressive victory over Castleisland Desmonds.

Amy Conroy, Michelle Davoren and Mia Jennings were also among the goals on a day when Crokes overcame semi-final defeats in the past two seasons to face the winners of Sunday’s clash between defending champions Kilkerrin-Clonberne and Clann Éireann in this year’s final at Croke Park on December 14th.

Playing on their home patch, the Stillorgan club stormed five points clear in the early exchanges after intercounty stars Ailbhe Davoren (Galway) and Lauren Magee (Dublin) kicked points either side of corner forward Conroy clinically bagged the first goal of the game in the eighth minute.

This threw down the gauntlet to Castleisland – who were captained by former Ireland women’s rugby international Ciara O’Sullivan (née Griffin) – but the Kerry outfit finally came to life when full forward Julia Curtin fired home an excellent goal on 10 minutes.

Although their Dublin counterparts responded to this effort with a well-worked point by Michelle Davoren, Leah Griffin was on hand to raise a white flag for two-time All-Ireland senior champions Castleisland at the opposite end.

Aisling Leonard also found the range for the visitors, but with Grace Kós and Cotter (two) firing over in the closing stages of the opening period, Crokes brought a 1-6 to 1-2 cushion into the interval.

Even though Castleisland made a bright start to the second half with a point from Andrea Murphy, Crokes turned on the style for the remainder of the third quarter.

When Crokes were awarded a penalty on 34 minutes, Cotter stepped up to the spot and ruthlessly dispatched the ball past Castleisland netminder Jennifer Drumm. This created significant daylight between the teams once again and after she had joined Conroy in adding an extra point to their personal tallies, Cotter registered her second goal of the action on the third-quarter mark.

This stretched a relentless Crokes into a seemingly insurmountable 11-point lead, before Michelle Davoren and Jennings claimed fourth and fifth goals for the south Dubliners in the 48th and 51st minutes.

Kingdom veterans Lorraine Scanlon and Eilis Lynch did kick points for Castleisland in the closing moments, but Cotter and Magee also found the target as Kilmacud eased their way into the final.

KILMACUD CROKES: D Gower; N Carr, E Sweeney, P Greene; A Kane, M Lamb, K Murray; G Kós (0-1), L Magee (0-2); N Cotter (2-4, 1-0 pen, 4f), A Davoren (0-1), M Jennings (1-0); A Conroy (1-2), M Davoren (1-1), É Rutledge.

Subs: S O’Donoghue for Kós (45 mins); C Regan for Greene (50); D Egan for Conroy, L Kane for Jennings (both 51); C Moran for M Davoren (55).

CASTLEISLAND DESMONDS: J Drumm; H Herlihy, E Lynch (0-1), H Bourke; G Kearney, K O’Connor, C Lynch; L Scanlon (0-1, f), C O’Sullivan; A Curtin, A Murphy (0-1), A Leonard (0-1); L Walmsley, J Curtin (1-0), L Griffin (0-1).

Subs: N Walsh for Bourke (37 mins); K O’Connor for Curtin, K O’Sullivan for Griffin (both 48); H Murphy for Herlihy (53), R Cronin for Murphy (54).

Referee: Brendan Rice (Down).