All-Ireland glory for magic Mount girls

Lidl LGFA All-Ireland Post Primary Senior ‘B’ Football Championship – Final 

Mount Saint Michael, Claremorris 1-11 

Eureka Secondary School, Kells 0-9 

Anthony Hennigan in Kiltoom 

Mount Saint Michael created history last Thursday when becoming the first school to ever win the All-Ireland senior ‘B’ football championship for a second time. Beating Eureka Secondary School from Kells also means the title stays in Connacht for a third consecutive year, after the wins of Convent of Mercy, Roscommon (2023) and St Attracta’s, Tubbercurry (2024). In fact, it could have been a fourth year in-a-row were it not for Mount St Michael losing to Coláiste Oiriall of Monaghan in 2022.

Incredibly, Mount St Michael retained seven players who had all played some part in that game four seasons ago, and there’s no doubt that the experience of ’22 starters Bree Hession, Siomha McNulty (both now Mayo senior panellists), Ashleagh Salmon and Amy Cummins, and that of Ashling Cummins, Sienna Kelly and Caoilinn Walsh too, was of vital importance to the Claremorris school in this well-attended final in Kiltoom.

Walsh scored the game’s only goal after just eleven minutes while Bree Hession kicked seven points in total, including four from play during a first-half when the elements were firmly in the Mayo side’s favour. And yet, to signify just what a team effort this was, it was none of that seven, but Lily Hession who picked up the Player of the Match accolade at full-time, after a dynamic display by the wing-forward, which included two points in a critical period just before half-time.

Indeed, given the strength of the wind that had blown into their faces, not to mention the driving rain, Eureka Secondary School would have been feeling quite content to only trail by two points – 1-3 to 0-4 – entering the final four minutes of the first-half, believing they were well positioned to drive on after half-time and become the third Meath school to lift the cup. However, four points in the closing stages of that opening half, including Lily Hession’s two and one apiece by Ashleagh Salmon and Bree Hession, helped to give Mount St Michael – champions back in 2010 – enough of a cushion that they could see out the rest of the game in relative comfort.

Bree Hession, set up by a combination of Caoilinn Walsh, Isobel Phillips and Éabha Finnerty, kicked the game’s first point after four minutes, but replies by Deirdre O’Reilly and Cara Brennan meant that Eureka were a point in front after eight minutes.

Mount St Michael full-forward Roisin Horkan, who worked exceptionally hard throughout the match in her roving role, had already drawn a save from Eureka goalkeeper Caragh Reilly Brady when the Claremorris side’s second attempt on goal drew the green flag to be raised.

Ashling Cummins, who belied her No.2 jersey by proving herself as one of Mount St Michael’s best attacking assets in the first-half, lashed in a kick towards goal and like any good corner-forward should, Caoilinn Walsh gambled on a goalkeeper’s error and pounced on a fumble by Reilly Brady to stab the loose ball into the net.

It was another error, with Eureka kicking a ’45 short to a Mount St Michael player, that saw Isobel Phillips tear off downfield to supply Bree Hession whose second point gave the Mayo girls a 1-2 to 0-2 lead after fourteen minutes. The latter also traded a point with Deirdre O’Reilly before a single by Eureka captain Ella Morgan reduced her side’s arrears to two points in the 27th minute.

The Leinster champions had two very capable performers in midfielder Cora McDonnell and centre-forward Lauren Finnegan, whose ability to carry ball into the wind was opening up a lot of scoring opportunities, but Mount St Michael defended doggedly and their repellent efforts were rewarded by that late scoring burst from the Hession girls and Ashleagh Salmon, which saw them turnaround with a 1-7 to 0-4 advantage.

The lead became seven points when a foul on Ashling Cummins, after another break up the pitch by the corner-back, saw Bree Hession convert her first point from a free, two minutes after the restart. But it wasn’t long until Eureka were signalling their intent again and their opening point of the second-half was a real beauty, with corner-forward Jane Hetherton stylishly taking on a trio of Claremorris defenders in the top right corner before cutting inside onto her left boot and superbly splitting the posts. That was followed by a point from Lauren Finnegan, after a big win out the field by wing-back Eadaoin Morgan, so after 39 minutes the Mount St Michael lead was back to five points, 1-8 to 0-6.

Bree Hession and Jane Hetherton traded frees but when full-forward Ella McGlue pointed from play in the 45th minute, the fact she was the sixth of the Meath side’s starting attack to have scored from play was proof why Mount St Michael could not for one moment afford to relax.

In saying that, it would have been curtains for their opponents had a thunderous goal attempt by Bree Hession not skidded wide off the crossbar, but Eureka were unable to capitalise on that let-off with each of Katie Lynch, Lauren Finnegan, Cara Brennan and Ella McGlue failing with scoring efforts in a five-minute window.

Bree Hession’s third pointed free and, after Mount won the subsequent kick-out, a point from play by substitute Aine Lynch, stretched the gap back out to six points and while Hetherton hit back with her third point of the half, the seven minutes of stoppage time that followed was totally devoid of scores, which was totally to the liking of Mount St Michael whose supporters, at the sounding of referee David Hurson’s full-time whistle, flooded the pitch to celebrate with their history makers.

Scorers – Mount St Michael: Bree Hession 0-7 (3f), Caoilinn Walsh 1-0, Lily Hession 0-2, Ashleagh Salmon and Aine Lynn 0-1 each.

Eureka SS: Jane Hetherton 0-3 (1f), Deirdre O’Reilly 0-2, Cara Brennan, Ella Morgan, Lauren Finnegan and Ella McGlue 0-1 each.

Mount St Michael: Alyssa Murphy; Ashling Cummins, Jessica Commins, Anna Roche; Sienna Kelly, Amy Cummins, Emma Higgins; Siomha McNulty, Isobel Phillips; Éabha Finnerty, Bree Hession, Lily Hession; Caoilinn Walsh, Roisin Horkan, Ashleagh Salmon. Subs: Aine Lynn (for Finnerty 42), Clodagh Keane (for Walsh 58).

Eureka SS, Kells: Caragh Reilly Brady; Nicole Smith, Issey McKeon, Dearbhaile Flynn; Aifric Larkin, Katie Lynch, Eadaoin Morgan; Katie Kavanagh, Cora McDonnell; Ella Morgan, Lauren Finnegan, Cara Brennan; Jane Hetherton, Ella McGlue, Deirdre O’Reilly. Subs: Jodie Loughran (for O’Reilly 40), Jasmine Tegetmeier, Grace Conachy and Zoe Farrelly (for Finnegan, Eadaoin Morgan and Flynn 60).

REF: David Hurson (Monaghan)