AIB Ulster Club Ladies’ SFC final
Clann Eireann (Armagh) v Lurgan (Cavan)
(Sunday, O’Neill’s Healy Park, 3.30pm)
THE winner of Sunday’s Ulster Club championship will be Lurgan.
That is about as safe a prediction as you can get, but the question is which one: Clann Eireann from Lurgan in Armagh or Cavan champions
Lurgan?
Reigning champions Clann Eireann will be favourites to make it back-to-back Ulster titles against the first-time finalists and become only the fourth club to accomplish this, joining Donaghmoyne, St Eunan’s, Letterkenny and Monaghan Harps.
Last year was Gregory McGonigle’s side’s first senior final appearance as they defeated Bredagh to become just the fourth different team to capture the top provincial prize in club football since 2004 when Donaghmoyne’s dominance across two decades began.
They will know the feelings Lurgan are currently experiencing that come with a first senior provincial final appearance and will hope to take advantage of having been there and done that. They have also tasted success and know what it is like to win an Ulster title.
Apart from a nervy final quarter against Moneyglass in the semi-final, Clann Eireann have been very impressive en route to the final with comprehensive wins over Emyvale in the preliminary round and then Kinawley in the quarter-final.
They were 10 points up with 12 minutes remaining but failed to score for the rest of the game as Moneyglass came back with a late onslaught and they were holding on in the end, winning 2-10 to 1-10.
The experienced players they have in both current and former Armagh senior county players, from goalkeeper Catherine Lawless to Clodagh McCambridge, Grainne Carville, Roisin Mulligan and Dearbhla Coleman in defence, Niamh Coleman and Cait Towe in midfield, Tiarna Grimes, captain Niamh Henderson, Niamh Murray, Aoibhinn Donohue and Meabh McCambridge in the forward lines is remarkable. McGonigle is also helped on the sidelines by former club greats Mags Carvill [McAlinden] and Meabh Moriarity.
Lurgan will soak up the occasion but also will not be content with just making up the numbers – there is silverware on the line and who knows when another final appearance will come along?
Anthony Brady’s side have more than earned their place in this final with wins over Ballymaguigan in the quarter-final and then putting Termon to the sword in the semi-final a few weeks ago, winning by an impressive 15 points, keeping Termon to just five points, all from frees, in the 60 minutes.
Clann Eireann’s mix of experience and youth is impressive but so too is Lurgan’s with Evelyn Baugh in goals, Catherine Dolan, Ciara Brady and Roisin Dolan all lining out for Cavan.
Sinead Kelly, Kristia Grigorenko, Cora McDonnell, Emma Tolan, Cara Brady Reilly and Katie Noble were part of the Breffni Blues’ All-Ireland minor title winners the summer and were also among key players in Lurgan’s Ulster minor championship win over Clann Eireann just a few weeks ago.
Lurgan will not be pushed over easily but it is hard to look past Clann Eireann making it two in-a-row but on the day anything can happen, which makes this an interesting final pairing. One Lurgan team will be happy at the final whistle – if it does not end in a draw – but the question is: which one?
IFC final
Carrickmacross (Monaghan) v Mullahoran (Cavan)
(Sunday, O’Neill’s Healy Park, 1pm)
THE Ulster Club intermediate final has some added spice to it, being a Monaghan-Cavan derby, as Carrickmacross and Mullahoran battle it out for provincial honours.
Both sides bring their own type of experience to this final, the first of a double header in Omagh tomorrow, followed by the senior decider between Clann Eireann and Lurgan.
Carrickmacross won the Ulster junior title in 2021 when they defeated Moortown in the decider and so they have relatively recent experience of being in a provincial final and all that comes with it as well as how to win.
That day in Carrickmore, Sarah Capaldi, who is still pivotal to the Carrick cause, scored an injury-time winning point to snatch the silverware for the Monaghan side, who had been three points behind with just one minute of normal time remaining before hitting four points in the last five minutes for an incredible comeback win.
Mullahoran’s experience comes in the form of players like captain Sheila Reilly, sisters Aishling, Geraldine and Mona Sheridan, Ciara Denneny and Kate Smith and that is crucial when it comes to occasions like these. The presence of at least one of them in every line in the team will have a massive calming effect on the younger players alongside them.
Both sides have been impressive in their Ulster campaigns, so it is not surprising then that they are the last two teams standing.
Mullahoran are a team who know how to find the target and in their two Ulster games have found the net 14 times on top of hitting 26 points as they eased past Derrynoose of Armagh in the quarter-finals and then Antrim champions St Gall’s in the semis.
Carrickmacross had convincing wins over Fermanagh representatives Tempo, when they hit six goals, and Down champions Saul, the latter a 2-13 to 1-7 win away from home, which is never easy, and certainly will stand them in good stead for this one.
Knockbride were the most recent, and indeed the only, Cavan team to win the Ulster intermediate title, in 2012, while Emmett Og were the last Monaghan side to win it six years ago.
JFC final
Downings (Donegal) v Warrenpoint (Down) (Saturday, Kildress, 1pm)
BOTH of these sides are hoping for a historic first provincial title and to also become the first club from their respective counties to win this title.
Dungloe came close last year but lost to Derry side Lavey and Downings, who lost to Dungloe in the Donegal final last season, will hope to go one better.
This is huge occasion for both sides and with junior club football especially finals are hard to call and it could come down to a mix of who deals with the occasion and the conditions better and who can take their chances at one end and cut out the mistakes at the other end. Both finalists know they have as a good a chance as the other of winning it just who can make it count this afternoon.
It has been a difficult week for the Down club with the death of club stalwart and Down GAA committee memeber Aisling McGivern, which puts football into perspective.
The Warrenpoint players and management will have her very much
at the forefront of their minds and hope to add a little brightness
to a dark week by landing the title.
Both sides came through hard-fought semi-finals, which each will hope will stand to them as they go all out for Ulster glory.
Warrenpoint, who booked their place in the last four with a win over Antrim champions Lamh Dhearg, had to withstand a second-half fightback from Aughnamullen.
The Monaghan side came back to within one point, after being seven adrift, with nine minutes remaining before Warrenpoint finished with a late flurry of points from Emma Russell, Anna Craven and Enya
Quinn, who finished with six points to see them through to the final 0-11 to 0-7.
Downings claimed the Donegal title with a final win over Muff after previous final defeats in 2020 and 2023. Then then beat Cavan side Butlersbridge in the Ulster quarter-final before Shannon McGroddy scored the winning point two minutes from time as they edged out Derry’s Eoghan Rua by the narrowest of margins, 2-6 to 1-8, in the last four.
Denise Doherty grabbed both goals for the Donegal champions, one in either half, while their goalkeeper Charlie Shevlin kept her side in the game with some important saves.
