Ballinrobe end 25-year wait for All-Ireland schools title
Emma Stagg of Ballinrobe Community School in action against Hayleigh O'Shea. The Hollymount star was awarded player of the match after scoring 2-5 in the final.
Ballinrobe Community School cruised to victory in the All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools Junior ‘C’ Final defeating St. Mary’s Macroom in a packed-out field at the University of Limerick.
The first half started off in a tight manner with St. Mary’s starting fast and furious and getting the first point of the game through Cora Delaney. Ballinrobe rallied and scored three unanswered points through Kate Brennan, Ali Hughes and Emily Jennings before they tested the goal where keeper Ellie Deasy was equal to both attempts.
However, the ball finally hit the net when captain Kate Brennan began what was to be a monumental performance as she drove through a sea of red shirts to bury the ball in the bottom corner and add a goal to what was already turning into an unassailable lead. Matters got worse for the Cork side when wing-forward Orla O’Brien was sin-binned for pulling her opponent down by the hair.
Ballinrobe used the extra player to their advantage as they added another goal through Emily Jennings who fired a long range effort into the top corner. Ballinrobe went in at the break with a 2-5 to 0-2 lead just after Róisín Ní Liatháin sent a free through the posts on the cusp of half time. Both teams were roared off to rapturous applause with both schools being accompanied by four buses full of support each.
Once both teams had returned to the field and the second half begun, normal service had resumed. Ballinrobe came flying out of the blocks as they replied to St Mary’s opening point again with a flurry of points to further extend what was already a huge lead.
Ballinrobe captain Kate Brennan and full-forward Emma Stagg then added to their impressive tallies in the first half with two quick goals early on in the first half. Róisín Ní Liatháin hit two frees for St. Mary’s either side of an Ursula Shaughnessy point. But once the set of goals went in, the floodgates had opened for the Mayo side.
Seven straight points for Ballinrobe turned what was a big lead on the scoreboard to look like something of a hammering. Matters for St Mary’s only got worse when corner-forward Isabella Hughes added a fifth goal later on to put the women in blue completely out of sight.
The big lead did not deter the Mayo girls as the Ballinrobe back line kept St Mary’s to just five attempts all game. Keeper Kayla Hughes was undisturbed throughout the match. And just a short few moments after Ballinrobe’s fifth goal, referee Seamus Mulvihill blew the whistle for full time which was followed by scenes of manic celebrations as the entire school fleet that came to support the Ballinrobe girls flooded the pitch to commemorate the players efforts with cheers for everyone involved.
Ballinrobe had put on a sensational show, with special mentions going to the Hollymount and Mayo star duo, Ballinrobe captain Kate Brennan and full forward Emma Stagg who combined for a staggering 4-8 between them to drive Ballinrobe to All-Ireland glory for the first time in ladies football since 1995.
Stagg scored an amazing 2-5, but the standout player was definitely Brennan, who had scored 2-3 from half-back and commanded a back line that dominated from start to finish keeping St. Mary’s out of the game with just four points conceded and a mere two wides let through.
On the St. Mary’s side of things, Róisín Ní Liatháin scored three of the four points for the ladies in red. And Cora Delaney did cause some issues from corner forward with her pace and drive on the ball. The scoreline does play down some of the efforts from the Macroom side who had some impressive build-up play in the midfield. But it is tough to stay in the game when you are coming up against what was a colossal back line performance from Ballinrobe.
