Ballinacurra Gaels host Ladies Football Inter-county challenge game

History was made in Ballinacurra on last Saturday , when Ballinacurra Gaels GAA hosted their first ever intercounty fixture, welcoming Limerick and Kerry Ladies Football teams to their green oasis in the heart of Limerick City. Limerick defeated Kerry last weekend. Sean Kiely's and Mike Quilligan's side have a break this weekend in the National Football League. 

The Shannonsiders will travel to Laois next weekend.

A team of volunteers had the pitch in fantastic shape for the time of year and both teams were heartened to see the Green & White and Green & Gold flags flying high in the February breeze.

Welcoming both teams to the field, Limerick LGFA Vice Chair and longtime Ballinacurra member, Eoin Buckley said “Since forming Ballinacurra Ladies Football in 2022 we have seen a huge uptake in girls participating in Gaelic games. It is a special honour for a new club to welcome both their county team and a county with the history of Kerry LGFA to our home field.”

Many local ladies football clubs were represented, and the Ballinacurra officials were delighted to also welcome families of both teams’ players, especially those who travelled from Kerry, and both teams mingled in the clubhouse for some light refreshments after the match.

Chairperson of Ballinacurra Gaels, Shane Curtin said "It was a memorable day for the club to host an intercounty match for the first time. This made it a very good start to 2025 for Ballinacurra Gaels, a year when we hope to see significant growth in our already burgeoning LGFA teams.”

Ballinacurra Gaels were grateful to see club members and the wider community come together to provide a very warm welcome and add to the matchday experience for both teams. It was especially lovely to see many of Ballinacurra’s young players enjoying the game, watching their heroes on the same field that they play on and seeing the level that is possible for them to attain. It was a great display of footballing skills, with Limerick coming out on top on this occasion.

Maria Donoghue, Vice Chair and U14 Ladies Football manager said “It was a source of great pride for our club to see county jerseys worn on our grounds by legends of the ladies’ game, and their esteemed managers and coaches. In addition, we welcomed a good number of spectators from across the city and county, and we hope to see visitors in our club again soon, attending fixtures, events and matches as our club calendar for 2025 unrolls.”