TERMON put their county, provincial and All-Ireland titles on the line when they take on Glenfin in the Donegal Senior Ladies' Football final at Convoy on Sunday (3pm).
There is a lot at stake and it is not just the three titles on the line. Captain Geraldine McLaughlin reckons this will be their toughest final in recent years because of Glenfin’s strength.
“This will be the biggest county final not just because we put the titles on the line, but because Glenfin will be back to full strength with all their players back to line out for them,” said the club and county star.
“It would definitely be disappointing but it would be same for both teams, we will both want to win and whoever plays the best on the day will come away with the title.”
The All-Ireland Club champions are vying for their fifth county title in six years and it is hard to look past them achieving that, but with Donegal’s excellent season culminating in a first ever Ulster Senior title, and so many Termon players involved it has been a bit more difficult to get some momentum going. However, Termon has everyone’s full attention now.
“With county going further this year it took longer to get our county players back training with club and with seven of us, the numbers would have been low when we weren't there but everyone is working hard to get where we were last year,” explained McLaughlin.
McLaughlin, who is still just 22, is hoping that her year does not end with back-to-back defeats, Donegal’s All-Ireland quarter-final exit to Armagh still a disappointing pill to swallow, and one, she feels, could have been.
“It was very disappointing to lose against Armagh. Our decision making wasn't the best and that cost us the game. We achieved what we wanted we went out this year to win Ulster and that's what we done so we have to be delighted with that. I think the disappointing thing was that we knew we could have got further than the quarter-final.”
TWO other county finals take place this weekend with the Tyrone and Armagh titles up for grabs.
Tyrone sees one of the most keenly anticipated senior deciders in recent years between defending champions St Macartan’s and Errigal Ciaran (Tomorrow, Killyclogher, 6pm)
St Macartan’s, who are managed by former Tyrone player Ryan McMenamin, are vying for their eighth senior county title while Errigal are hoping to reclaim the Jarlath Kerr Cup for the first time since 2012.
Macartan’s have remained unbeaten so far this season while Errigal have lost just three games, including a 3-13 to 2-6 defeat to their Clogher Valley rivals, although as is the old adage, the formbook can be thrown out the window at championship time.
CARRICKCRUPPEN will start as favourites for the Armagh Senior County Championship title against Armagh Harps tomorrow evening (Athletic Grounds, 7.45pm).
It’s the Camlough club’s fifth final in the past decade having lifted the Marie Hoye Cup for the first time in 2010 and more recently two years ago. In stark contrast, this is Harps first senior final since 1998 when they beat Killeavy in the decider.
However, the Harps are a team on the up and although Cruppen are fancied to take the title, this game is certainly not a forgone conclusion. Harps have been gathering momentum and building in confidence with a series of convincing victories in the league since their semi-final win over Grange.
Armagh big guns O’Hanlon and Fionnuala McKenna will lead their respective sides into battle and the direct clash between the opposing skippers in midfield should be well worth watching.
TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship
THERE might not be any Ulster teams competing in this year’s TG4 All-Ireland Finals Day later this month, but there will be plenty of Ulster interest in the first game of the triple header at Croke Park – the junior decider between Scotland and Louth.
That is because there are no less than 10 players from the province who will line out for their adopted county Scotland. They include Donegal quartet Olive McCafferty, Karen Feeney, Angie Callaghan and Annette Loyd, Antrim pair Bronagh Hegarty and Helen Ward, Tyrone’s Shauna McWilliams, Monaghan’s Laura Sherry, Siobhan Reynolds from Cavan and Fermanagh’s Katie Mohan.
All these girls play their club football with one of four clubs in Scotland, except one, Olive McCafferty who still togs out for All-Ireland Senior Club champions Termon.
“I just couldn’t leave them,” laughs McCafferty, who has been based in Scotland since she went there to study physiotherapy in Aberdeen in 2009, where she is still based and working as a physio in Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
It is a similar situation for the rest of the 24-strong panel. All the girls are originally from Ireland and moved to either study or work in Scotland while manager Alan Ward is originally from Boyle in Roscommon.
It is a busy time of the season for McCafferty, who plays centre half-back for Scotland, dividing her football time between Termon, who are preparing to defend their county, Ulster and All-Ireland titles and Scotland, who are also preparing for their first ever All-Ireland final. And all that is juggled between her full-time job. But she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Certainly, when the draw for this year’ All-Ireland Junior Championship was made, many would have forecast a final between Louth, who are clear favourites, and either Derry or New York, who later withdrew, but last weekend Scotland had other ideas.
They bounced back from a heavy first round defeat to Louth to defeat Derry in the semi-finals to seal their place in the decider and another chance at Louth.
“Against Derry we gained a few players that we didn't have against Louth and we all knew each other a bit better. We thought we had nothing to lose and we were under no pressure, which I think helped us,” said McCafferty.
“We had no expectations as this was our first year so we were just happy to have a team. Louth are a great outfit with very talented players, but we'll give this All-Ireland our best shot; we have nothing to lose.”
SIDELINES
THE Ulster Club Championship begins this weekend with preliminary round intermediate and junior games.
In the Intermediate competition, Cavan champions Killgarry host Fermangh side Lisnaskea, who won the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship back in 2011, on Sunday (2pm) while Derry champions Steelstown travel to Armagh side Mullaghbawn in the junior competition, also on Sunday (2pm).
Schools’ Football
THE new St Ronan's College in Lurgan was the venue for the launch of this year's Ulster Ladies Schools competitions with new sponsor Paidi McKeever from the GAA Store.
As two times Ulster title winners last year, the former St Michael's Grammar School will be hoping that the new maroon and green of St Ronan’s College will bring even greater success.
Speaking after the launch, St Ronan’s principal, Michelle Corkey said: “ As we begin our new school year as St Ronan’s College we are aiming to ensure even greater success for our pupils in sporting competitions across many disciplines.
“We have come together as one to give our students more opportunity to compete in as many sports as possible and with our combined forces, we will be the school to watch in the future.”
