Limerick Ladies football joint-manager Sean Kiely: 'We need to push on'

LIMERICK Ladies football joint-manager Sean Kiely believes the Shannonsiders have strengthened their squad for 2025.

Kiely and Mike Quilligan are now into their second year as joint-managers of the Limerick ladies football team who begin their Lidl Ladies NFL Division 3 campaign with a game against Down at Mungret St Paul's GAA club this Sunday, 12.30pm throw-in.

“There is great strength and depth there. We've brought in new girls and they are starting to fit in fairly seamlessly. We're delighted with that. It's in a good place and with that side of it,” Sean Kiely said.

“If anything, we have strengthened our squad. The new players have impressed and a lot of them are pushing for spots in the first XV. We've made a couple of positional switches. It seems to be going quite well. The new girls have brought a great freshness to it,” Kiely added.

Kiely and Qulligan's charges have earned promotion to Division 3 of the League this year. The Hospital-Herbertstown clubman feels it will be a big step-up.

“Every game you play in Division Three is going to be a really tough game. You're playing against mostly intermediate teams. In Division Four, some of the teams in it wouldn't be the strongest.

“I think in preparation especially leading into the championship, you want your league to be very competitive. I think being in Division Three, it's definitely going to be that.”

Limerick's biggest aim is to maintain their Division 3 status, according to Kiely.
“For us as a group, the main thing is that we manage to maintain our status in Division 3. That's the first thing and anything else that comes above that would be a big plus for us.

“That would be the big thing for us. We don't like to push the goals of the panel too high. I think to be realistic what we want to do is just maintain our status in Division 3. And if we are good enough to press for honours in the National League, we'll have a go and see how it goes from there.”

2024 saw Limerick reach the Division 4 National League final where they were narrowly defeated by Carlow. All-Ireland junior champions Fermanagh got the better of Limerick in the All-Ireland junior semi-final.

It has given Kiely some time to reflect on the side's performances last year during the league and the championship.

“Last year's campaign, I suppose, it didn't end up where we wanted it to end up. Our conversion rate was a bit low and that probably caught us in a couple of games. I think the big take from last year was definitely getting promotion from Division 3 which is massive for us.

“The other was winning the Munster intermediate championship. It was a big thing as well because we had been on the road for a while. We hadn't managed to get any silverware, but that bit of silverware was a great help. Our ambition was to get to Croke Park and contest an All-Ireland final, so we are disappointed from that aspect.”

Down are Limerick's first opponents in Division three of the National League on Sunday. The Limerick joint manager feels it will be a tough task.

“Down are an excellent side. They're very well organised and have a really good management team. Any time we've played them over the last two years we've came out the wrong side of the scoreline. We just need to push on this year. Hopefully this is the year we take the points from them in Mungret.”

Kiely is encouraging supporters to get behind his team this weekend.

“Ladies football is end to end stuff and it's two teams going at it. It would great to get a big crowd behind the girls on Sunday and see exactly what they have on their own door step with the ability of these girls.”

Roisin Ambrose and Yvonne Lee continue as co-captains of the team for the second year in-a-row.

“They're standard bearers in fairness, the two of them. The drive and determination brings everyone on around them.

“And on big game days those two girls will never be found wanting. We're delighted to have both of them accepting the captaincy again.”

2025 LIMERICK LADIES FOOTBALL PANEL: Andrea O'Sullivan (Ballylanders), Caoimhe McGrath (Fr Casey's), Caoimhe McNamara (Knockainey),  Carol Bateman (Mungret St Paul's), Cathy Mee (Ballylanders),  Chloe Brosnahan (Fr Casey's), Chloe Collum (Feohanagh-Castlemahon),  Ciara Hynes (Knockainey), Deborah Murphy (Monagea),  Eadaoin Crowe (Oola),  Ellie Woulfe (Monagea),  Emma Kennedy (Oola), Georgia Keane (St Ailbes), Grace Lee (Monagea), Grace Mullane (Monagea), Iris Kennelly (Old Mill), Joanne McGuire (St Ailbes), Karen O'Leary (Monagea), Kate Kennedy (St Ailbes),  Lauren Ryan (Adare), Leah Coughlan (Oola), Lucy O' Brien (Feohanagh-Castlemahon),  Meadhbh MacNamara (St Ailbes), Rebecca Delee (Feohanagh-Castlemahon), Róisin Ambrose (Old Mill), Roisin Browne (Monagea), Sarah Dillon (Pallasgreen), Shauna Doellkan (Murroe Boher), Sophie Hennessy (Old Mill), Tara Geoghogan (Mungret St Paul's) and Yvonne Lee (Monagea).