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Magheracloone celebrate at the final whistle of the Monaghan senior semi-final. Magheracloone Ladies GFC Facebook.

'Just brilliant for the club' - Ending a 22 in-a-row bid to reach first final since 2002

Magheracoone dethroned Donaghmoyne in Monaghan.

IT SLIPPED SOMEWHAT under the radar at national level, but there was a huge story in ladies club football last weekend.

The 21 in-a-row senior champions in Monaghan were dethroned.

Donaghamoyne saw their remarkable winning run ended by Magheracloone at the semi-final stage. Magheracloone triumphed on a scoreline of 0-9 to 0-4 and will now contest their first senior county final since 2002.

That, indeed, was when Donaghmoyne’s reign began.

Having also won 14 Ulster titles and five All-Irelands in that period, Donaghmoyne’s dominance has been striking, but now they must watch from afar as new county senior champions are crowned.

Magheracloone last reigned supreme in 1997, and they face long-time runners-up Emyvale in the decider at St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, next Sunday.

“To be in a Monaghan senior championship final is just brilliant for the club,” Magheracloone defender Ciara McDermott tells The 42.

“It’s been a long time since we have been in one, and for a lot of us, this is our first senior final. Growing up playing club football in Monaghan, getting to a county final is something I haven’t even dreamed about, because Donaghmoyne have been so dominant, and rightly so.

“They’re a fantastic team, they’re always a team I’ve looked up to with all they’ve accomplished in Ulster and All-Irelands. They won the Monaghan championship even before I started playing football.”

That’s the case for the majority of the Magheracloone team, with memories of ’02 sparse or non-existent for most.

A handful of those involved are coming full circle, though: Christina O’Reilly and Lorraine Freeman are still playing over two decades on, while management trio Niamh Kindlon, Fiona Kindlon and Susan McCahey were their team-mates in those fruitful years.

niamh-kindlon Three-time All-Star Niamh Kindlon is on the Magheracloone management team, alongside her sister Fiona. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

It hasn’t been a straightforward few years for Magheracloone, on or off the pitch. A sinkhole destroyed their facilities in 2018, while the ladies team have seesawed between senior and intermediate.

Reaching the 2024 county final was “not something we foresaw coming,” McDermott admits.

“It’s actually been quite a tough year for us. It wasn’t going well. We were relegated in the league and we’ll be playing Division 2 football next year. We lost our first championship match, but somehow we managed to regroup and ended up topping our group on points difference.”

This turnaround earned them a home semi-final, but pitted them against Donaghmoyne. Magheracloone’s latest beating to their familiar foes came just last month, with 18 points the deficit in their final league game.

As always, they knew the height of the challenge that lay ahead, but there was hope.

“There definitely was a feeling that we could beat them,” McDermott, who has played senior inter-county football for Monaghan and won an O’Connor Cup with UCD in 2016, says.

“We knew deep down that if we played well, it would be close. It wasn’t about, ‘If we win, then we’re in a county final.’ The final wasn’t even a thought.

“We went into the match with no expectations or no pressure on ourselves to win. I mean when you’re going up against the reigning 21 in-a-row champions, you’ve nothing to lose. We just wanted to perform — and that we did.

“The girls played unbelievable, I was so proud of them. I was lost for words at the end of the game, but I think that was mostly with relief that we actually had gone and won.”

The scenes at the final whistle said it all, and that excitement hasn’t let up since. The flags and bunting are up for next Sunday’s final, and it’s the main topic of conversation around the parish. 

Standing in Magheracloone’s way is another heavyweight in Emyvale. The records aren’t widely available but it’s believed they have lost 18 finals to Donaghmoyne.

“As long as Donaghmoyne have been so dominant the last 21 years, Emyvale have been the second best team in Monaghan,” McDermott concludes. “They’ve been in the majority of the finals, they’ve both set the standards so high.

“They’re hungry for it and we know they are. They will see this as a massive opportunity to win, and we know that too.

“County finals don’t come around too often. I’m sure there’s plenty of clubs in Monaghan now looking at us thinking, ‘If they can get that far, so can we.’”

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    Mute Meatloaf
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 2:56 PM

    Sheer boredom must have got him

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    Mute Frainc Ó Broin
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 3:13 PM

    @Meatloaf: he didn’t start once this year, he was just getting a sub appearance at the end of most championship matches. May have been frustrated with that.

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    Mute Meatloaf
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 3:21 PM

    @Frainc Ó Broin: yeah bad enough having to play could you imagine being forced to sit there an watch most of them!

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    Mute Frainc Ó Broin
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 3:27 PM

    @Meatloaf: you aren’t from Dublin and don’t remember the feeling of winning, it’s not something that gets boring. Worth noting mannion probably has studies to complete and the lad has given his all for so many years so deserves a break

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    Jan 22nd 2021, 3:20 PM

    Unreal work rate and and ability to kick scores from any where. He’ll be missed for sure, thanks for your service Paul. Up the Dubs

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    Mute Gerard Smith
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 3:56 PM

    @my name: point taking is fabulous. Dependable from anywhere. A real loss to the team

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    Jan 22nd 2021, 4:06 PM

    @Gerard Smith: I should have mentioned he kicks off either foot too. Massive loss

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    Mute Finnster
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 4:13 PM

    @my name: they are dropping like flies but the lads that are replacing them are just as good . Any chance they would take a year out and let Galway one of the traditional top four football teams in history win another one ; )))

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    Jan 22nd 2021, 4:23 PM

    @Finnster: part of me would like that as Galway really are the only side capable of taking Sam across the Shannon pal. But nah. We want more titles

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    Mute James Gorman
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 9:20 PM

    @my name: just not unreal eneough to make the starting 15 now – hence his sensible decision not to give over his life to warm the bench. Dublin have the pick of a province. Ten more lads to fill his boots.

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    Jan 22nd 2021, 9:59 PM

    @James Gorman: unreal enough to get 3 All Stars in a row James

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    Mute Looney Tunes
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 3:01 PM

    Players have no interest as its too much commitment & 1 way traffic for the Dubs, no competition & the Dubs are expected to win sam every year now, monotonous every year, ps good luck Paul, a fabulous player

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    Mute Seán Óg
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 3:21 PM

    @Looney Tunes: Monotonous winning? That’s loser talk right there. You’re not from Mayo by any chance?

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    Mute Togs
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 3:24 PM

    @Looney Tunes: you lost me when you said the players have no interest. That’s complete and utter malarkey. You must now spend a few hours looking for the 5 lamps as a penance..

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    Mute Looney Tunes
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 4:02 PM

    @Seán Óg: it’s too easy Sean

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    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 7:41 PM

    @Togs: Why are they leaving early so?

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    Jan 22nd 2021, 10:51 PM

    @Thomas O’ Donnell: ehh.. Not cuz it’s boring anyway fjs..

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    Mute Pauliebhoy
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 3:15 PM

    Apparently taking time off to complete his Masters

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 5:31 PM

    Great, great player with a sweet left foot. Good luck with the studies Paul and hope to see you back in blue in 22.

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    Mute Brian James Moss
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 3:08 PM

    Offaly for Sam!!

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    Mute Eddie Walsh
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 4:18 PM

    I think it’s very worrying that we are losing such Brilliant players from our game
    In any other Sport this would not happen
    Time for a rethink.

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    Mute JG
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 4:25 PM

    @Eddie Walsh: rethink of what exactly. Paddy A and MD are at retiring age and Mannion will be back. Don’t exaggerate the extent. Lads retire every year from every sport.

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    Jan 22nd 2021, 4:25 PM

    @Eddie Walsh: players have careers to think of in Gaelic games though Eddie. Mannion already has to take a year out to got to China as part of his studies

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    Mute Moya Power-kelly
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    Jan 23rd 2021, 11:24 AM

    @Eddie Walsh: Paul’s taking a year out to consatrete on his master’s which he’s obviously decided he can’t do both he hasn’t actually come out and said he’s retiring from inter county football

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    Mute Stephen Mc Dermott
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    Jan 22nd 2021, 4:22 PM

    The weekly eulogy to retiring Dublin players is now as boring as the sport itself.

    Correct that, its sickening.

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