All-Ireland Club Senior Football Championship final: Donaghmoyne (Monaghan) v Mourneabbey (Cork) (tomorrow, Parnell Park, 2.45pm)
IT MIGHT be their sixth All-Ireland Senior Club Ladies' Football Championship final in 11 years, but Donaghmoyne are as hungry as ever for success as they go in search of their fourth Dolores Tyrell Memorial Cup in Sunday’s decider against Mourneabbey in Parnell Park.
Not that Donaghmoyne ever needed any added incentive to claim the title of the best club team in the country, but this year in particular, they have attacked the provincial and All-Ireland competitions with renewed vigour.
“It’s a great feeling to be back in the All-Ireland. The team and management have put in a massive effort all year and this has been the ultimate goal, to get back into the final,” said captain Eileen McElroy.
It has been on the tongue of every Donaghmoyne player interviewed before and after their games this year, but very much to the forefront of this desire to deliver All-Ireland honours is the memory of their chairman Martin Daly, who passed away during the summer.
“It would mean everything to Donaghmoyne to win the All-Ireland. The hunger is there, just as if it was our first one again,” said the 24-year-old.
“I think, especially this year after the passing of our chairperson Martin Daly in June of this year, we are doing it for him. I have every faith in all of our girls that we can bring the Dolores Tyrell Cup back to Donaghmoyne once more.”
The nine-time Ulster champions were last at this stage in 2013, losing out to familiar foes Carnacon of Mayo, while Mourneabbey are making their second successive All-Ireland senior club final appearance, hoping to erase the heartache of losing to a Geraldine McLaughlin-inspired Termon side last year.
To get back to an All-Ireland final for the second successive year is testament to the talent and ability of this Mourneabbey side and they will certainly give Donaghmoyne their toughest test to date this season. Their semi-final win over Dublin and Leinster champions Foxrock-Cabinteely was by no means easy. However, as impressive as it is for a team to make back-to-back finals, an even more impressive statistic is Donaghmoyne’s continued presence on the club scene that has spanned over a decade.
“The final is going to be a lot tougher than any game we have played this year,” added McElroy.
“We know how tough the opposition will be. It takes a very good team to make the All-Ireland final two years in-a-row and Mourneabbey will be even more determined to win this year, but so are Donaghmoyne. We are hungrier for success this year, more so than ever and I firmly believe we’ll be ready for the challenge on Sunday.
“The semi-final against Foxrock-Cabinteely was one of the toughest Donaghmoyne have played... This will be the first time we have come up against Mourneabbey. We are aware of the threat.”
PATHS TO THE FINAL
Donaghmoyne
Monaghan semi-final:
Donaghmoyne 2-27 Emmet Óg 1-8
Monaghan final:
Donaghmoyne 1-11 Emyvale 0-5
Ulster quarter-final:
Donaghmoyne 5-18 Carrickcruppin (Armagh) 2-03
Ulster semi-final:
Donaghmoyne 2-13 Lurgan (Cavan) 3-5
Ulster final:
Donaghmoyne 0-14 Termon (Donegal) 0-7
All Ireland semi-final:
Donaghmoyne 1-8 Foxrock-Cabinteely (Dublin) 0-7
Mourneabbey
Cork round 1:
Mourneabbey 1-11 St Vals 2-3
Cork round 2:
Mourneabbey 4-21 Inch Rovers 0-5
Cork semi-final:
Mourneabbey 3-21 Clonakilty 0-9
Cork final:
Mourneabbey 1-11 St Vals 1-11
Cork final replay:
Mourneabbey 3-09 St Vals 0-9
Munster final:
Mourneabbey 3-18 Ballymacarbry (Waterford) 0-14
All Ireland semi-final:
Mourneabbey 2-11 Kilkerrin-Clonberne (Galway) 2-10
