Clare’ history as Blues book their ticket to senior
Jubilant Claremorris players Ashleagh Salmon, Siomha McNulty, Cara Higgins, Bree Hession (Player of the Match), Nina Wallace and Amy Cummins in joyful mood after their side's county final win last Sunday.
Claremorris will be playing senior football in 2026 for the very first time after holding out to win the intermediate title against a resilient MacHale Rovers on Sunday afternoon at MacHale Park.
Ashleagh Salmon was central for Claremorris in the first-half and she translated this good play into a return of four points in the second-half on route to the county title. Bree Hession was also deadly accurate from frees and matched her teammate’s return of four points to help her side’s cause.
All-Star nominee Sinead Walsh was star of the show for MacHale Rovers and lit up this game in the opening seconds. She surely entered the record books for the earliest goal in a county final as she hit the back of the net after just twelve seconds. Walsh won the throw-in and marched up field, playing a one-two with Emily Murray before burying the ball past Claremorris goalkeeper Claire Keane.
Kayla Doherty popped over a free after three minutes but the Claremorris response was quick. They countered and Rebecca Kean unleashed a shot having found herself in space beyond her defender. Kean’s arrow landed in the net and with a goal apiece in the opening four minutes, the tone was truly set for a fast and frantic first-half.
Doherty scored another free before Bree Hession replied at the other end. Doherty scored her third and fourth points, the former a point, the latter a free. Hession, Nina Wallace and Amy Cummins hit three points in three minutes to make it level once more.
Eilis Keane scored for MacHale Rovers in the 19th minute to edge the North Mayo side ahead but Rebecca Kean responded to tie the game once more. Sinead Walsh, who had been well subdued by Claremorris since her goal, scored MacHale Rovers’ last point of the half.
There was still time, however, for another free from Bree Hession while Alana Fitzpatrick added a point from play to send Claremorris in at the break ahead by one.
Hession scored her fourth of the game at the start of the second-half, landing another free between the posts. Sinead Walsh very nearly forced a goal at the other end as her fisted effort hit the crossbar and came back down to the MacHale Rovers player but she blazed the follow-up wide. She scored a point in the 38th minute to cut the deficit to a point.
Ashleagh Salmon scored her first point after 42 minutes and Walsh responded once more. Salmon added another before Kayla Doherty replied. The game was in the balance with a point between the teams but Claremorris hit four unanswered to establish control. Emma Higgins and Sienna Kelly both scored either side of Salmon striking two more from play.
Kayla Doherty scored her sixth of the game from a free before Rebecca Kean took her tally to 1-2 for the day. Claremorris were five points to the good but were made to sweat in the closing stages. Annie Gough sent a thunderbolt of a strike into the back of the net to bring MacHale Rovers within touching distance. However, Laura Kelly would show tremendous experience for Claremorris to help them over the line.
First, she broke away on a counterattack and took the ball to the opposing arc, cut inside and sent a sweet point over the bar. On the next counterattack, she took the ball to the corner and killed vital seconds off the clock.
Ger Carmody’s full-time whistle sounded and the Royal Blue and White went wild, with senior football now awaiting them in 2026 and the Connacht intermediate series awaiting them in the coming weeks.
Scorers – Claremorris: Rebecca Kean 1-2, Ashleagh Salmon and Bree Hession (4f) 0-4 each, Amy Cummins, Sienna Kelly, Nina Wallace, Laura Kelly, Alana Fitzpatrick and Emma Higgins 0-1 each.
MacHale Rovers: Sinead Walsh 1-3 (0-1f), Kayla Doherty 0-6 (4f), Annie Gough 1-0, Éilis Keane 0-1.
Claremorris: Claire Keane; Marina Cawley, Isobel Phillips, Eilis Higgins; Aishling Cummins, Amy Cummins, Sienna Kelly; Alana Fitzpatrick, Siomha McNulty; Ashleagh Salmon, Bree Hession, Emma Higgins; Nina Wallace, Laura Kelly, Rebecca Kean. Subs: Aine Lynn (for Wallace 45).
MacHale Rovers: Charlie Reilly-Benson; Deirbhle Doyle, Laoise Coyne, Ruth Queenan; Bronwyn McAndrew, Annie Gough, Grace Murray; Éilis Keane, Sinead Walsh; Amy Murphy, Emily Murray, Caoimhe Walsh; Martina Gallagher, Kayla Doherty, Amy Doherty. Subs: Ally Gallagher (for McAndrew 40), Katelyn Leonard (for Coyne 50).
REF: Ger Carmody
