Another month and another Female Sports Star in Waterford

Another month has passed and so it is time to look back at just some of the women involved in sport in Waterford and pick one who has made a telling contribution for their team and sport and maybe at someone who has done that little bit something special off the field of play.

To fit in everyone that that something special is near impossible and those that do get a mention here each month are just some of those that excel in their chosen sport or sports.

As pointed out in the four previous months when Emily Foley, Kelly Proper, Alannah O’Sullivan and Aileen Wall were the winners were adjudged to be the monthly winner, there is nothing to be got from winning here, but the satisfaction that the winner is getting some positive publicity for themselves and their sport.

Once again, I am making an offer to those involved in women’s sports, that I am offering them an opportunity free of charge to promote their sport on http://mna-na-deise-abu.blogspot.ie/ It does not matter if the sport is a team sport or an individual sport, so long as it is women that are involved.

All you have to do is to forward to me by email the details in a word document that you want uploaded onto the site to promote the sport. They can be emailed to keanethomas@eircom.net and will be uploaded as soon as possible after I get them, and if required photo’s can be included. The clearer photo’s are that are wanted to be uploaded the better they will look.

So who is going to be the person or team that stands out most in the month of May.

Once again there is plenty of contenders and to pick one over the other is not an easy task.

In swimming, Shauna O’Brien again made headlines setting a new Irish Senior Record at the 2015 Irish Long Course Open Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre at Blanchardstown in Dublin.

The Kilmeaden lady in the 100m fly she knocked .3 of a second of the 2012 record time set by Bethany Carson.

She also took part in the 50m Fly competition winning in a time of 27.19 seconds.

Both times were inside the time required to take part in the World University Games which are due to take place in Gwanju in Korea during July.

In soccer, Dungarvan United won the Under 16 league locally in some style. The Old Boro ladies were in fine form all season and had a number of players that stood out over the course of the season including Shauna McGrath, Katie Duggan-Sullivan, Emma Gildea, Aisling Baumann, Kaiesha Tobin, Emily O’Mahony and Atlanta Raher.

In Badminton, Lismore won the All-Ireland Inter-League Final, spread over 2 venues the 2015 All Ireland Inter-Leagues was yet again a great success with teams from all over the country converging in the capital to represent their province with the sole aim of being crowned the best in their grade from all leagues in Leinster, Munster and Connacht, With teams from Connacht stealing the show by topping 4 of the 6 grades.

Lismore took 1st place in the grade D beating Galway Lawn Tennis Club 4-3 and Kilcullen at The Terenure Badminton Centre on a similar score. Teams were made up of four men and four women with Therese Heffernan, Lisa Lenihan as well as Nicola and Tanya Morrissey playing a part for Lismore.

However, it is in Camogie and Ladies Football that some of the best performances were again served up.

In Camogie, Waterford won the National Division Two league Final for the second time since 2011.

On the day and right throughout the campaign Waterford had some outstanding performers, including Beth Carton, Trish Jackman, Claire Whyte, Jennie Simpson, Niamh Rockett and Deirdre Brennan, and Waterford in the coming weeks with a league final win at their backs will go into the Championship in a confident mood, knowing that they are good enough to get past the semi final stages which they reached in the last three years and maybe to go a step further.

The County Junior League Final was played during the month at Cleaboy between Portlaw and Ferrybank who retained the title won twelve months earlier.

On the night, Ferrybank had some excellent performances from Iona Heffernan, Aisling Oates and Laura Kinsella in defence while at the other end of the field, Orla O’Neill, Debbie Boden and Niamh Ahearne were impressive.

While defeated on the night Portlaw can take heart that the runners up twelve months ago went on to win the championship in the autumn. The Tannery Town ladies no doubt will be hoping that history does repeat itself.

The senior final between Lismore and Cappoquin at Tallow was in line with other recent finals a real dinger of a game where victory could have gone either side.

Lismore were well on top in the first half and turned around with a 1-8 to 0-3 advantage at the break but the Cornerstone ladies came right back into contention in the second half, and with five minutes left on the clock having held Lismore scoreless in the second half there was just two points between the sides, but in those closing minutes, Lismore added two points to win 1-10 to 0-9.

On the night there were good performances throughout. For Lismore Aoife Hannon hit five points. Catriona McGlone hit 1-1, Nicola Morrissey hit 0-2 and Laura Buckley and Ruth Geoghegan hit 0-1 each.

For Lismore Aisling Power was top scorer hitting 0-5 while there was also good performances from Laura Murray, Carole McCarthy and Lorraine Bray.

Apologies to Butlerstown and Brickeys for not having anything on their Intermediate final which Butlerstown won. It was a little difficult to source information from the game.

Staying with Camogie there was four Waterford players Beth Carton, Charlotte Raher, Lorraine Bray and Valerie O’Brien were selected to play for Munster in the Inter provincials in Portlaoise. Munster reached the final having beaten Connacht in the semi finals, but in the final had to give second best to a strong Ulster side loosing out on a 3-15 to 1-10 score line.

In Ladies Football Waterford contested the Division three league final for the second year in a row and for the second year in a row had to settle for second best going under 2-12 to 2-8 against Sligo.

On the day Waterford had a number of top drawer performances with Megan Dunford, Karen and Michelle McGrath, Linda and Aileen Wall, Grainne Kenneally, Sinead Ryan and Maria Delahunty all putting in a good hours work.

Last week Waterford’s Intermediate ladies footballers began their quest for a seventh Munster title in a row with a 3-17 to 4-7 win over Limerick and had fine performances on the night from some of the players already mentioned above plus from Mary Foley, Elaine Power and Emma Murray.

At under 14 level Waterford missed out on recording a fourth Munster Under 14 ‘B’ League final loosing out to Tipperary in a final replay after extra time in Stradbally.

The sides fought out a 1-8 to 0-11 draw in the final at Clonmel recently with Sheena McGuckian, Sarah Lacey and Aoife Fitzgerald all putting in excellent performances.

In the replay at Stradbally, Waterford lead 2-3 to 2-2 at the break and at full time the sides were all square 3-7 to 3-7.

At the break in Extra Time Waterford were in front, but after another ten minutes, they had to settle for second best as Tipperary ran out narrow winners.

Best for Waterford in the replay were – Sarah Lacey, Annie Fitzgerald, Aoife Kennedy, Kelly Anne Hogan, Clodagh Carroll, Keeley Corbett-Barry and Mary Kate Curran.

 

At under 16 level, Waterford won a Munster Final beating Tipperary in the decider at Kilmacthomas with Chloe Fennell and Abi Dunphy, Kaiesha Tobin, Abbie Dalton and Katie Duggan-Sullivan all putting in excellent performances as Waterford ran out 4-12 to 4-7 winners.

And so to this months winner. While there were some outstanding performers, there can only be one winner.

In the Camogie League Final, 17 year old Beth Carton stood head and shoulders above the rest. The De La Salle sharp shooter hit 2-1 on the day for Waterford and played a major roll in her side adding another 1-3 of the side’s tally of 3-10 on the day.

As pointed out above she was also selected to play for Munster in the Inter Provincials and did not look out of place.

The teenage De La Salle star has received a number of rave reports in the past few months, to go with ones she has received in the past two or three years and have no doubt that in the years to come, you will hear a lot more about the brilliant De La Salle star.