Sarah and Stephen have revenge mission in their sights
Westport vice-captain Aoife Staunton and captain Janette O’Malley and with Knockmore captain Sarah Mulvihill and vice-captain Lara Sweeney.
The club that started a brand new era for ladies football in Mayo is looking to win not just their third senior title in five years, but their first at the home of Mayo football.
James Stephens Park in Ballina was the venue in October 2021 when Knockmore not just won their first ever Mayo senior title but ended the long reign of perennial queens Carnacon, who had won the previous 21 championships. That they did it so comprehensively made it all the more impactful.
Knockmore have featured in every decider since. They were edged out by Burrishoole a year later but won back the cup in 2023 by beating Westport. The same opposition got one over them last year in MacHale Park but Knockmore will hope to get another big win over their newish rivals.
“We're in a great position; it's our fifth county final in-a-row,” Knockmore captain Sarah Mulvihill told the .
“I suppose for certain players the nerves are easier to handle, younger players coming up it's a new experience for them, so we just try to manage the nerves by obviously guiding the younger players. We just see it as one more game so if you don't let the occasion get to you, the nerves are usually okay.
“I think it's great that the ladies finals are in MacHale Park. We're lucky that they're here and we're very thankful. Last year was the first year that they've been here, so it'll be great to walk up those steps.”
Watching Westport go up the steps last year to lift the trophy will have stung the ladies from the Parish of the Backs. Sarah Mulvihill conceded they did not perform to their potential on the day.
“We were not happy with ourselves at all last year, never showed up, never got going, which was disappointing obviously after the year that we'd put in. We worked really hard to get there and then to just not show up on the day; we'd be definitely hoping to bring a better game and bring a better performance anyway.”
Mulvihill has played in each of those finals to date. In fact, fifteen of the players who were in action in their ruthless semi-final win over Castlebar Mitchels played on that historic day four years ago. For any of the younger players coming into this final for the first time, they have plenty of experience around to guide them.
“We do have five or six younger players come along every year, which is great, and it's just important to put the arm around them, talk to them, because obviously there's a lot of emotion there. There's a lot of nerves, so if there's players that have experienced those emotions and nerves, it's good to give them tips and guide them along and just to help them with the occasion,” said Mulvilhill.
Ruthless is also an accurate description of Knockmore’s overall championship to date. Across their three group stage games and semi-final rout, they have scored 19-52 and only conceded 3-13, of which 2-07 came in the group game with Kilmovee Shamrocks.
An argument could be made that Knockmore have yet to receive a stern examination ahead of the final but manager Stephen Sweeney, who is back managing the ladies senior team for a second time after a previous stint, believes competition for places among the panel is keeping everyone on their toes.
“We have 34 girls there in the panel and throughout the league we used everyone to the best of our capability. The training is very competitive. There’s a solid group of core girls there and a fair amount of them seniors, county experience, through underage and all that to seniors past and present. It bodes well for the coming years,” said Sweeney.
“He just brings the same standards, added Sarah Mulvihill. “Really good quality training, a lot of passion. [He’s a] very strong Knockmore man so yeah, we're lucky.”
To become a force in any sport, you also need someone or something pushing you along and that is exactly what Westport have done. Both the county champions and Knockmore have appeared to pull away from the chasing pack and it could be a conflict that defines this decade.
“There's a serious rivalry. There's two very competitive teams and two teams that's very evenly matched in strength and depth, free-flowing football. Full of quality players on both sides,” said Stephen Sweeney.
"It seems to be that there's a bit of a gap developed there, ourselves and Westport. It’s everyone else's problem to get up with it. We can only do our own thing.
“I suppose we're both lucky, ourselves and Westport, that there's a great crop of young players that come through every year, and that you have to retain your senior players to kind of pass down those standards and culture and all that,” offered Mulvihill.
“We're lucky we have all stuck around, but there's a great variety of ages in both our camp and their camp. I suppose that's kind of what clubs need. They really need older players to stick along with younger players coming through. That's just, I think, the key to keeping that standard high.”
That high standard will see many from both clubs under the watchful eye of newly appointed Mayo manager Diane O’Hora as she looks ahead to the next inter-county season. Mulvihill has not been a part of the Mayo setup since 2023 as she took a step back to focus on club commitments. The Knockmore captain did not rule out a return but her primary focus right now is on winning another county title.
“I haven't given it much thought to be honest. Obviously with Knockmore at the moment, the season is so competitive. It's so demanding that we're very tunnel vision. I’ll have a think about it maybe towards the end of the championship.
“It means everything (to win), that's your goal at the beginning of the year. It should be every team's goal at the beginning of the year to get to a championship final. So hopefully we can put a good performance in and reap the rewards at the end.”
Her sentiments about this Sunday’s final were echoed by her manager.
“When you get to a final everyone wants to win it. I suppose there's a lot of hurt there from last year. The girls would like to redeem themselves and they're looking forward to the challenge.”
