Lidl All-Ireland PPS Senior A Final
Skibbereen Community School 2-10
Loreto College Cavan 3-6
Damien Donohoe reports from UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny
WITH SECONDS TO go in this brilliant Lidl All-Ireland Senior A Post-Primary Schools Final, it looked certain that extra-time would be needed to separate the sides at UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny.
Meabh Collins had other ideas, however, as she landed a famous winning point for Skibbereen Community School.
With that, the silverware was back in Cork for the first time since 2022, when St Mary’s High School from Midleton were victorious.
The Munster champions, playing with the wind in the opening half, led by seven points at the break. Eabha O’Donovan opened the scoring for the Cork side two minutes into the game with a free. Loreto worked their way into the lead, with Kate Fegan instrumental, as Katie O’Meara sent over a free and Ruby Gilmartin raised a second white flag.
Skibbereen took advantage of some wasteful Loreto play, with O’Donovan sending over two points and Collins pointing to gain a two-point lead. Cavan senior Ellie Brady replied with a point at the other end but quick hands by Kate Carey and O’Donovan set up Hannah Sheehy, who restored Skibbereen’s two point lead with 14 minutes played.
Loreto once again edged into the lead, with a little bit of luck, as Katie O’Meara’s shot from distance dropped just under the crossbar, catching out the Skibbereen ‘keeper.
But the would-be winners bounced right back with a pointed free from O’Donovan and a goal by Meabh Collins, after Carey intercepted a Loreto kick-out.
With two minutes to go to the break, Collins extended the Skibbereen lead with a point. In the last attack of the half, the Cork side were given their share of the luck when Hannah Sheehy’s point effort dropped into the net leaving her side seven ahead at the break, 2-7 to 1-3.
Brady wasted no time after the restart with a point from the throw-in but Carey cancelled that out two minutes later. Loreto, now with the wind at their backs, took control with an O’Meara pointed free. Pressing up on the Skibbereen kick-out, Kate Fegan intercepted and Kayla Bartley finished to the net, leaving just three between the sides.
With 11 minutes played in the second half, an O’Meara free narrowed the gap but Skibbereen kept plugging away and Carey sent over her second point. Loreto again pressed up on the kick-out and this time Brady made the interception and O’Meara levelled the side with a palmed goal with seven minutes to go.
Skibbereen retreated to form a blanket defence as Loreto went in search of the winner in the dying minutes. With less than a minute to go, a brilliant counter-attacking move from Skibbereen side ended in the hands of Collins and she calmly split the posts for the winner.
Scorers for Loreto, Cavan: K O’Meara 2-3, K Bartley 1-0, E Brady 0-2, R Gilmartin 0-1.
Scorers for Skibbereen CS: M Collins 1-3, H Sheehy 1-1, E O’Donovan 0-4 (2f), K Carey 0-2.
Loreto College Cavan: A. McDermott; K. Cahill, D. McGovern, N. Smith; A. Kennedy, C. Crowe, K. McSeain; E. Brady, L. Miney; R. Gilmartin, S. Clarke, K. Bartley; K. McGahern, K. O’Meara, K. Fegan. Subs used: A Galligan for N Smith (34), C Clarke for D McGovern (44).
Skibbereen Community School: T. O’Regan; M. O’Sullivan, A. Tobin, A. McCarthy; E. Connolly, E. Keating, L. Carey; A. O’Driscoll, K. McCarthy; M. Collins, B. Sheehy, H. Sheehy; E. O’Donovan, K. Carey, C. O’Regan. Subs used: M O’Shea for B Sheehy(41), S Carey for H Sheehy(61).
Referee: Sinéad McHugh (Donegal).
Katie has it all. Passion for the sport, amazing skill and loyalty to those who helped get her to the top. It’s admirable. You’re the best Katie!!!!
Don’t forget the God bothering.
Um, what? Pele, Maradona or even Zidane would like a word…. and Thierry Henri brought all that contempt upon his own head by demonstrably and publicly cheating, while wearing the colours of his nation, then treating such contempt as naïveté. Even French sports fans were unhappy with his conduct. It was disgraceful then, and remains disgraceful now. Why do you think his endorsements dried up? Now he will play out his career playing for New York. Sad.
shes religious, so what? people have a right to their beliefs as long as they dont force it on others, im not religious but i dont have the right to attack somebody elses religon or force my own views on them where theres no harm!
I should add that I am not against Katie talking about how god helped her, I think it’s great that she has such faith and it’s what gets her through. What I am against is people like mairead trolling this site and trying to force religion down peoples throats!
Oh and on a note actually related to this headline here’s hoping that Zaur stays with the Irish boxers because by all accounts they owe much of their success to him!
Agree 100% with that. I think mairead us just looking for a reaction to be honest
I would be worried about Katie Taylor turning professional, will she still have her dad at her side? & can she still wear the helmet? Or will she be beaten to a pulp? What protection is there in professional boxing?
ah will ye cop on….whatever she does she is a national hero…fair play to her,,,
That was a fair point Cian, where is the need to cop on with her comment? I agree Susan I’d worry that we’d run away with the wins so far, small timely dedicated steps needed to continue her success.
The only protective gear carried to pro boxing is the mouthpiece, as far as I know. But a big difference between the two levels is that while Am-boxing has one worldwide governing body, pro-boxing does not and the rules can therefore differ from organisation to organisation. As regards being beaten up, there is definitely a different emphasis on impact boxing in the pro level. In amatuer, points are given on technique and landing a hit – the actual force involved is irrelevant. At pro level, more points are awarded for the impact a blow has (eg, a knockout or knockdown), and the ref really only intervenes for actual fouls (not technique issues). A lot of boxers have a hard time of it when they first move up to pro.
@ryan… she is a boxer not a professional tiddlywinks player of course she will be hurt hence my comment to “cop on”
Monsieur Troll DuVal you speak for yourself & not France !
Bravo Katie :-)
Andrezj why exactly are you in Ireland if Poland is so great??
We should reward the coaches in boxing with good new contracts. We usually only reward failure on this country, why not reward success for a change.
Katie Taylor is a sporting hero and someone young people can look up too & aspire to be? Why do her religious beliefs have to come into it? That’s her business
She brings them into it. Every time she’s on camera she’s talking about god.. the magic man in the sky who miraculously gives her the adrenaline needed to throw her punches.. nothing at all to do with the spinach and carrots.
Every major nation in the world competes in boxing, what a misinformed stupid comment.
Ah Mairead give it a rest
Contact sports are not violent.
Come on Journal.ie! Why don’t you just block these stupid trolls?
Great tribute video montage to Katie Taylor. https://vimeo.com/47361394
Lots of people die in sports not just boxing.
Tell that to the thousands of brain-damaged amateur and professional boxers, or pray for those that died in the ring! Please don’t be ignorant.
Seriously mairead?! Jesus you’d put anybody off going to church!! Save the bible bashing for people who care. We’re all sick of your nonsensical rants at this stage!