St Ailbe's and Mungret St Paul's celebrate Limerick Ladies football glory

ST Ailbe's and Mungret St Paul's enjoyed Limerick Ladies Football County Final glory over the weekend as they captured the senior and intermediate titles in Cappamore on Sunday.

The wait is finally over for St Ailbe's after they were crowned the 2024 3Dental Limerick Senior ‘A’ Ladies football champions.

After losing out to Monagea in three different county finals over the last number of years, St Ailbes finally got their hands on the sliverware with a three-point victory over Ballylanders in this year's decider in Cappamore.

The senior final between Bally’ and Ailbe's was as exciting as expected with both sides going all out from the beginning of the fixture.

Ballylanders started the game with a quick point after only a minute of play before scoring a crucial goal to get them off the mark quickly after two minutes.

Caroline Hickey got Ailbe's on the scoreboard, quickly followed by an effort from Georgia Keane. Kate Kennedy then levelled the game after 10 minutes as the final settled into a rhythm. Ballylanders were determined though as they battled hard to level the game at 0-6 each on the 23 minute with a pointed free.

St Ailbe's remained ahead though by three points at the half-time break, 0-9 to 0-6. It was ‘Landers’ who began the second half better, putting another two points on the board and applying pressure to Ailbe's once again.

Mairead Kavanagh was clinical for Ailbe's in the closing 30 minutes kicking another two scores. At the full-time whistle, St Ailbe's had gotten the better of Ballylanders 0-13 to 1-7.

It was an extremely tight affair in the Intermediate final between Mungret St Paul's and Knockainey earlier in the afternoon in Cappamore.

Mungret St Paul's were ultimately crowned champions with a single point to spare over their opponents at full-time. In a game that could have gone either way, it was Mungret's resolve and resilience that won the game for them. A standout performance from goalkeeper Carol Bateman was crucial for the winners as she saved several goal attempts from Knockainey's impressive forwards.

Pointed frees from Grainne McKenna were also vital for Mungret. Knockainey's Caoimhe McNamara and Aine Cleary impressed in attack as they cut through the defence, but Mungret slotted over the final point of the game to gain the win and promotion to senior ranks for next season.

ST AILBES: Brid Madigan, Aoife Dalton, Joanne McGuire, Emma Donnelly, Meadhbh MacNamara, Niamh Ryan, Katie Heelan, Caroline Hickey, Órla Ryan, Sinead McNamara, Mairead Kavanagh, Laura Nash, Georgia Keane, Kate Kennedy, Eimear Ryan,  Briana Donnelly, Dearbhla Egan, Aisling Kelly, Enya Maher, Ciara Ryan, Aoife Kennedy, Sarah Prendergast, Sinead Ryan, Lily Mannix, Pauline McCarthy, Emma Ryan, Amy Enright, Libby Casey, Laura McCarthy, Marthy Stanley, Ciara Ramsbottom, Alex Russell, Aishling Enright, Leah Stanley.

BALLYLANDERS: Orla Moriarty, Katie O'Connor, Aisling Meade, Triona O'Donnell, Ciara Meade, Rachel Walsh, Rose Hyland, Rosemary Rea, Mairead Ryan, Nadine White, Cathy Mee, Kristy Carroll, Andrea O'Sullivan, Riona Walsh, Laoise Browne, Ailis Walsh, Mary-Kate Hyland, Áine Blade, Laura O'Conor, Fifi McCarthy, Clodagh Lane, Olivia O'Donaghue, Briodhna Lee, Eibhlis Lee, Maria Murphy, Clodagh Noonan, Leah O'Brien, Aoife Noonan, Caoimhe Martin, Áine McGrath, Leanne Frewen, Katie Henneddy, Sinead Haplin, Mags Frewen, Sarah Blade.

MUNGRET ST PAUL'S: Carol Bateman, Mairead Clancy, Laura Dunne, Sarah Horgan, Shannon Burke, Cameryn Maloney, Jillian Buckley, Aine Ryan, Clare O'Meara, Emma O'Rourke, Grainne McKenna, Niamh Crowley, Fiona Morrissey, Aoife Morrissey, Niamh O'Keffee, Lisa Reilly, Jayne Casey, Katie O'Mahony, Claire Coughlan, Caoimhe O'Neill, Yvette Culhane, Aine Ahern, Roisin Duffy, Megan O'Malley, Molly Tobin, Laura Hanlon, Aine Murphy, Siadbh Redmond, Roisin O'Connor, Orlagh Burke, Justine Kennelly, Anna McGuigan, Jennifer O'Malley.

KNOCKAINEY: Lily O'Donnell, Ciara Hynes, Amy O'Connell, Chloe Naughton, Moya Bourke, Ava Hartigan, Eva Butler, Caroline Brennan, Lillian Hogan, Laura Boyle, Caoimhe MacNamara, Michaela Cumes, Aine Cleary, Roisin O'Carroll, Annalise Hogan, Naoise Carroll, Sophie O'Keeffe, Sophie Naughton, Ciara Ryan, Isabel O'Rourke, Sarah Jane Cooke, Maeve Barry, Clara Hartigan, Lorna Donegan.