Rebelettes aiming to stay ahead of the pack
The Rebelettes have won three successive All-Ireland titles and all but one of the last four league crowns, the last of which was claimed with a 15-point destruction of this week’s opponents in May.
It is a record that is all the more remarkable given the fact the county had never recorded a title in either competition until 2005.
Heavily-tipped for success again this September who do Cork see as their chief challengers?
“It is hard to say,” said captain Angela Walsh. “You can’t really pick out anyone. Mayo, I suppose, are going to be up there again. They never go away. Kerry are a very strong team and we can’t afford to look beyond them.”
Walsh’s reluctance to single out any side is understandable, not only for the reluctance to cause offence or serve as motivation to opponents, but because of recent trends in the game.
For all Cork’s dominance, eight different counties have reached the All-Ireland final in the past eight seasons while Sligo reached a Connacht final for the first time last weekend. Admittedly they were well-beaten by Mayo but they still had to beat Galway, the 2004 All-Ireland champions to get there.
“That’s the great thing about ladies football. You never know who will be there or thereabouts. There are always different teams. It is just a very competitive competition. Maybe in camogie it wouldn’t be as competitive.”
Cork may lord over the sport but they have had just enough experience of defeat to keep them focused. Mayo got the better of them in last year’s league semi-final and Dublin did likewise in the group stages in Mallow earlier this year.
“Dublin were playing their third game in three weeks but I’m not making any excuses. They were the better team on the day and we just didn’t play. It was a wake-up call, which we needed. The same thing happened when Mayo beat us in the league semi-final. We’re hoping that we can just drive it on from there to the end of the year.”
They appear set to do just that. The inspirational Mary Collins may have left the management team but
Eamon Ryan has clearly kept the show on the road and the influx of new blood has contributed much to their continuing good fortune.
“We have a few new girls after coming in now from the minor ranks and they have done fantastically. They have integrated very well with the group and that has added to the fight for places. That’s great because it is always something you need, especially after losing one or two girls to injuries from last year.”
Kerry are a vastly-improved outfit and proved their metal by accounting for Waterford a week after their league final disappointment. Geraldine O’Se will lead the Kerry attack but the influence Grainne Ni Fhlatharta is able to exert at the back may prove more valuable. Cork will have too much class and firepower for the girls from the Kingdom but expect Kerry to progress through the qualifiers.
Meanwhile in tomorrow’s Leinster decider, Laois face Dublin in Dr Cullen Park (3.45pm).
CORK: E Harte, C Walsh, A Walsh, L Barret, S O’Reilly, B Stack, G O’Flynn, J Murphy, B Corkery, N Cleary, M O’Connor, A Murphy, V Mulcahy, A O’Shea, D O’Reilly.
KERRY: L O’Driscoll, R Ni Chinneide, G Ni Fhlatharta, K Gleeson, J Brosnan, C Kelly, M Finnegan, S J Joy, B Breen, S O’Sullivan, M O’Donoghue, E O’Mahony, P Dennehy, L Ni Mhuirtceartaigh, G O’Se.
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