Mourneabbey manager Ronayne: ‘We might never get a sweeter one’

Having presided over a remarkable haul of six consecutive Cork and Munster titles, as well as back-to-back All-Ireland crowns, Mourneabbey manager Shane Ronayne described Saturday’s one-point victory as “the sweetest win we have ever had”.

Mourneabbey had been a senior club of no success for six years when Ronayne came in as manager ahead of the 2014 season.

His transformation of the team has seen them contest five of the last six All-Ireland finals, taking ownership of the Dolores Tyrrell Cup for the first time 12 months ago and prolonging her stay in Mourneabbey over the weekend.

“We worked so hard to win our first one. We didn’t want to be a one-year wonder, where we got our win and that was it.

“Champions die hard. We kept going and kept going, and what a way to win it,” said Ronayne.

“It is probably the sweetest win we have ever had.

“We might never get a sweeter one. We are very proud of what we have done in Cork and Munster, and now to go back-to-back, it takes a serious team to do it.”

The Mourneabbey boss praised the composure of his players to work the ball up from their full-back line, with a minute on the clock, to manufacture a winner as the sound of the hooter drew near.

“I don’t know how the girls got the ball up to Laura because they were so tired but an unbelievable way to win it. The likes of Doireann [O’Sullivan] and Noelle [Healy] have multiple All-Irelands won, All-Stars too. They have that composure when the shit hits the fan.

“They were very clever back there, even though our hearts were in our mouths. We got the break and we just got out of our own half.”

The winning manager alleged that a “television official” made the call which saw Laura Fitzgerald’s goal during the first half ruled out for square ball. Ronayne called on the LGFA to be more open and transparent in how match officials are adjudicating on contentious scores after Saturday’s decider was held up for several minutes as referee Maggie Farrelly and two of her umpires deliberated on the legality of Fitzgerald’s goal.

Ronayne believes the call to rule out the goal came from upstairs.

“The decision was in no way made by the umpires. I’ve never seen umpires discuss any decision for that long. They were holding their ears while they were doing it.

“If it is being made by a TV official, fair enough, but tell us that is the way the rulebook has gone.

“Everybody in the whole ground could see what was going on, the LGFA know it as well, but they won’t admit it. I wish they did because we could all move on and know what is going on. All the decisions can then be made properly and there will be no more mistakes in ladies football, that’ll be great for the game.

“Don’t tell us that it is the umpires making [the decision] because that is laughable. Don’t be telling us it wasn’t a TV official.

“I’ll probably get in trouble for saying this. I don’t know why I should get in trouble for saying it because the whole country is talking about it now. It happened during the summer, as well.

“I’ve no issue if the right decision was made. I want the right decisions made.

“If I had lost an All-Ireland because of a goal that shouldn’t have been given, we’d be very upset.”

Kilkerrin-Clonberne manager Kevin Reidy, meanwhile, was left to rue the succession of chances his team failed to convert prior to Fitzgerald’s winner.

“Mourneabbey stuck at it right to the death. We had our chances and we didn’t take them.

“They had one at the end and they took it.

“Bitterly disappointed, but very, very proud of our players.”