Kilkerrin/Clonberne ladies face daunting challenge
GALWAY senior ladies football champions Kilkerrin/Clonberne will look to dethrone reigning provincial and All-Ireland club holders, Carnacon of Mayo, when the sides meet in what promises be a high-octane Connacht decider at Ballyhaunis this Sunday (3pm).
What is so fascinating about this contest is that it pits one of the emerging forces of the ladies club game, Kilkerrin/Clonberne, against arguably the best side of all-time in Carnacon, who, incredibly, have won 14 of the last 16 Connacht titles and are currently pursuing their ninth provincial crown in a row.
The sub-plot is that this game also sees two of ladies football greatest exponents – Carnacon’s Cora Staunton and Kilkerrin/Clonberne’s Annette Clarke – cross swords and, in many respects, the extent of the influence each of these wield over the 60 minutes will go a significant way to deciding the outcome.
Kilkerrin/Clonberne recently claimed their second consecutive senior title in the same fashion as they did in 2013 – with a replay victory over Corofin – before sweeping aside St. Brigid’s of Roscommon (2-20 to 1-8) in the Connacht semi-final.
In addition to Clarke, the side is backboned by Galway senior footballers and twins, Nicola and Louise Ward, and another rising star Olivia Divilly. Those three, of course, also played key roles in the county’s All-Ireland minor win over Cork this year while Ailbhe Mahoney was also part of that underage success.
Heading into this one, mentor Michael Divilly had no real injury concerns. “We are looking forward to the final, for sure,” said Divilly. “You don’t get to too many chances to play the All-Ireland champions in a competition like this and we aim to do the best we can. If we are good enough? Well, Sunday afternoon will tell.”
When the sides met at the same stage of the championship last year, Carnacon won by eight points, despite only a single score between them at the interval. Understandably, the Galway champions were disappointed that the tie got away from them in such a fashion in the second period.
“Absolutely. No question they deserved to win the game but we felt the scoreline of 19 points to 11 was a little bit harsh on us. A four-point margin might have been a more accurate reflection,” recalled Divilly, who has two daughters, Siobhan and the aforementioned Olivia, on the team.
Full preview in this week's Connacht Tribune.