Ladies All-Ireland titles for Castleisland and Murroe-Boher

Castleisland Desmonds and Murroe Boher have been crowned Tesco Homegrown All-Ireland Intermediate and Junior Ladies Club Football champions respectively this afternoon.

In the Intermediate decider Castleisland Desmonds were 2-11 to 1-6 winners after An Fhairce Clonbur, while Murroe-Boher recorded a 3-11 to 1-1 win over St Ciaran’s in the Junior final.

At Corrofin in Clare, Castleisland Desmonds claimed their first All-Ireland Ladies Football club title since 1983, adding the Intermediate crown to the Senior title they picked up that year.

Desmonds became in powerful fashion, and led by 0-7 to 0-1 after 20 minutes, with Leanne Mangan firing five of their early scores.

In overcast conditions, An Fhairce’s lone score at this stage came from the boot of Mairead Seoige after 11 minutes to cut the gap to three points.

However, Castleisland fired three further unanswered scores to move six points clear, with Mangan again proving dangerous in front of the posts.

An Fhairce-Clonbur’s chances for scores were limited up to this point, but the Galway and Connacht Champions fought hard.

In front of a large crowd they battle back before the break, with a brace of scores to cut the gap to four points on a 0-7 to 0-3 interval score-line.

Desmonds moved 1-8 to 0-3 ahead 10 minutes after of the restart, with Mangan netting their goal, after a speculative shot from 30 metres.

An Fhairce never gave up and responded with 1-2 without reply, including a Michelle Carney goal to bring them back into contention.

A Sinead Egan point cut the gap to three points to give An Fhairce hope, but Desmonds continued to be composed.

Another Mangan point, after a foul on Cait Lynch ensured a 1-9 to 1-5 score-line in the 54th minute.

Mangan and Lorna Joyce traded points, but with a lot of injuries in the second half, there was still plenty of injury-time to follow, and Desmonds added a second goal late on, with Elaine Guiney’s effort confirming an eight-point win.

In Duggan Park, Ballinasloe, Murroe-Boher became only the second Limerick club to take All-Ireland Junior honours, as they led from start to finish following their comfortable 16-point win over St Ciaran’s of Roscommon.

Murroe-Boher brought the title to Limerick for the first time since Gerald Griffins in 2000, after laying the foundations in the opening half and making a powerful start to this contest.

Noel Regan’s charges were hugely convincing in the opening half and stormed to a 2-4 to 0-0 lead by the fifth minute of first half injury-time.

Midfielders Shauna Ryan and Niamh Richardson claimed their opening points, before a spectacular Michelle Norris goal helped open up a 1-2 to 0-0 lead, before Claire Keating extended the lead to six points.

Murroe-Boher were hugely dominant at midfield, with 16-year old Lisa Leonard bagging their second goal deep in injury-time.

St Ciaran’s worked hard, and tried to respond with a Rachel Fitzmaurice effort before the break.

The Roscommon outfit eventually broke their scoring dead-lock in the sixth minute of injury-time.

A Laura Fleming effort was caught by keeper Aoife Barry, but the net-minder made a mistake on her clearance as she handed passed the ball straight to Aoife Brandon who pounced for a goal to ensure a 2-4 to 1-0 interval score-line.

Murroe-Boher failed to ease up on the restart, with Leonard snatching her sides third goal.

The teenager watched the ball come off the cross-bar, and capitalised on a mistake in the Ciaran’s defence to pounce and help her side to a 3-4 to 1-0 interval lead.

Another goal chance came the Limerick sides way soon after, but Paula Daly made a fine save for Ciaran’s.

However substitute Keely Lenihan got a point from the follow-up, and Murroe-Boher outscored Ciaran’s by six points to one over the remainder of the game.

After the game, Murroe Boher captain Louise Crowley accepted the cup.