Captains representing the six clubs set to compete in the 2023 currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Ladies Football Club Finals gathered at Croke Park yesterday ahead of three eagerly-anticipated fixtures taking place this weekend.
There is nothing quite like the excitement of an All-Ireland Club final where you travel to the game with people you have been club members with for at times decades or even generations.
The players are local heroes in every way and the buzz of this happening in the week before Christmas is very special.
Clubs from five counties – Cork, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Waterford – have their eyes firmly set on silverware as they look ahead to the Senior, Intermediate and Junior deciders.
And it’s very much a case of West meets South in the capital next weekend as each Final pits a Connacht club against Munster opposition.
First up on Saturday, December 16, Croke Park will play host to a double-header as the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Intermediate and Senior Finals are down for decision.
The action gets underway at 3pm when Leitrim’s Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins pit their wits against Cork’s Glanmire in the Intermediate decider.
That’s followed by the Senior showpiece between current holders Kilkerrin-Clonberne from Galway, who are chasing a third successive title, and ten-time winners Ballymacarbry from Waterford at 5pm.
Both games will be televised live by TG4.
On Sunday, December 17, attention switches to the 2023 currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Junior Final between Mayo club Claremorris and opponents O’Donovan Rossa from Cork, a fixture that will be played at Parnell Park with a 2pm throw-in.
The Junior Final will be available to watch live LGFA’s Facebook and YouTube channels
For Kilkerrin-Clonberne, managed by Willie Ward and captained by his daughter, Louise, this will mark the club’s fourth successive appearance in a Senior All-Ireland Club Final.
They lost out to Mourneabbey in 2019 but beat their Cork opponents to claim the 2021 title before defeating Monaghan’s Donaghmoyne at Croke Park last December to retain the national crown.
Willie’s twin daughters Nicola and Louise, will lead the Kilkerrin-Clonberne charge while the Divilly sisters, Olivia and Siobhan, are both experienced county players, and joined by sister Niamh on the club team.
The Kilkerrin-Clonberne side is sprinkled with inter-county talent from various grades, including the Noone sisters, Hannah, Eva and Lynsey, Lisa Finnegan and goalkeeper Lisa Murphy.
Standing in Kilkerrin-Clonberne’s way as they go in search of three successive All-Ireland titles are Ballymacarbry, the ten-time winners who are back in an All-Ireland Senior decider for the first time since 1998.
Ballymac captured back-to-back Munster Senior titles before going on to defeat Clann Éireann from Armagh at the All-Ireland semi-final stage, as Kilkerrin-Clonberne required extra-time to get past Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes.
Just like the holders, Ballymac are a team with a potent mix of youth and experience.
Goalkeeper Lauren Fitzpatrick plays inter-county football for Tipperary while the club team is captained by long-serving Waterford player, Aileen Wall, who excelled against Clann Éireann, scoring a vital goal on the day.
The vastly-experienced Michelle ‘Hopper’ McGrath and Michelle Ryan are other key players to look out for, as well as BrÃd McMaugh, Kellyann Hogan and Sadhbh Hallinan.
This will be a 13th All-Ireland Final for Ballymac – and their first at Croke Park.
Down through the years, Ballymac have played All-Ireland Finals in Cashel, Tullamore, Callan, Athy, Thurles, Carlow, Dungarvan, New Ross and Birr.
This fixture is also a repeat of the 2022 All-Ireland semi-final between the sides, won comfortably by Kilkerrin-Clonberne on a 2-10 to 0-2 scoreline, with a much tighter game expected this time.
“We have three terrific games in store and there’s a real sense of anticipation in the air with three Connacht clubs pitting their wits against three from Munster across the Finals,” said LGFA President Micheál Naughton.
“It’s been a long journey for all six clubs to reach Dublin on All-Ireland Finals weekend and the standard of football across the board has been of the very highest quality.”
“I would also like to pay a special word of thanks to our sponsors, currentaccount.ie, whose representatives will join us at Croke Park and Parnell Park over the coming weekend.”
“There’s a wonderful synergy between the Credit Unions and the LGFA, with a huge emphasis on the volunteer spirit in action.”
“Currentaccount.ie and our participating Credit Unions – almost 280 offices throughout Ireland – are delighted to sponsor this year’s All Ireland Club Championships,” added CEO Seamus Newcombe.
“Payac, a Credit Union owned company, is represented by the currentaccount.ie brand, and this is an exciting finale to the club season after some hard-fought matches and overseas travel along the way, with teams from the West and South of the country featuring strongly.”
“Community is at the heart of Irish culture and currentaccount.ie is proud to help promote community enhancement with the availability of our excellent Current Account service from participating Credit Unions throughout the country.”
“These Finals are a great opportunity for communities to come together and support their local and neighbouring teams, a sentiment that greatly resonates with our Credit Unions, as one of their focal points is building strong and stable communities.”
