Dual stars Healy, Looney and Coppinger to play in two league finals this weekend

Aoife Healy, Hannah Looney, and Libby Coppinger are integral members of both camps, with camogie boss Ger Manley confirming that they’ll tog on Saturday for the footballers and unless injury gets in the way, they’ll do so again less than 24 hours later.

DUAL STARS: Libby Coppinger, Hannah Looney and Aoife Healy will play two National League finals in the space of 24 hours this weekend as the respective managements have agreed not to prioritise one fixture over the other.

Cork dual stars Aoife Healy, Hannah Looney, and Libby Coppinger will play two National League finals in the space of 24 hours this weekend as the respective managements have agreed not to prioritise one fixture over the other.

The Cork ladies footballers are in Croke Park this Saturday (3pm) for the Division 2 League final against Galway, while the camogie team are in action at Semple Stadium the following afternoon (2.15pm) in the Division 1A League final against the same maroon opposition.

Healy, Looney, and Coppinger are integral members of both camps, with camogie boss Ger Manley confirming that they’ll tog on Saturday for the footballers and unless injury gets in the way, they’ll do so again less than 24 hours later.

Two weeks ago, Healy and Looney did not line out for the camogie side in their final round-robin outing against Galway, instead travelling to Donegal the following day with the footballers. Coppinger did not feature in Donegal having been at full-back for Manley’s team as they went down at home to Sunday’s opponents Galway by 0-19 to 0-13, an immaterial result for the Rebel women given they had already secured their Camogie League final berth a round previous.

“They are playing Saturday with the footballers and hopefully they will come through that, and they’ll be togging for us then on Sunday. So we’ll just have to monitor them in between, really. Hopefully they won’t get injured,” said Manley.

“It is not brilliant going into two national finals so close together, but it is just the way it is. We’ll just get on with it.” 

The Cork ladies footballers are chasing a first piece of national silverware since 2019, while the camogie women are attempting to bridge a 12-year gap to the county’s last League success. Cork have lost five Camogie League finals in the interim, including two of the last three.

Their bid to end that wait has been strengthened by the return to full fitness of Cliona Healy. A permanent fixture in the half-forward line during last summer’s run to All-Ireland glory, Healy has not featured in red this year.

“Cliona will be in the squad for the final,” said Manley. “She’s been training for the last week and a half. She’ll be a big addition to us. She had a calf injury and was finding it difficult to get through. Training very well the last week and a half. Came through a couple of very good sessions. In the mix for Sunday.”