Sile Moynihan enjoying journey with St Ailbe's senior ladies football team

ST AILBE'S senior ladies football manager Sile Moynihan says that thoughts of back-to-back county titles are not on her team’s minds ahead of this weekend’s final. The reigning champions face Monagea in the Limerick senior ladies football championship decider in Knocklong on Sunday at 3:30pm, hoping to defend the crown they won last year.

"It hasn't came into any of our conversations, it's a new year the cup is there to be won again so we have prepared the same as we would have any other year. The challenge really for ourselves is balancing the camogie and trying to keep the girls fresh. Most of the girls are playing both codes and both teams," Moynihan told Leader Sport.

"It would mean a lot to us we've did back to back before in 2011/2012 and 2019/2020 so we have experencience of doing it before. We do take it year by year and the goal at the start of every year is to win senior county championship."

Moynihan believes her side has been building momentum as the championship has progressed. St Ailbe’s claimed wins over Mungret St Paul’s, Feohanagh Castlemahon and Oola before overcoming Dromcollogher Broadford in a tense semi-final that was decided on free kicks, which St Ailbe’s won 3-0.

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Moynihan's side are strongly backboned by Limerick players Meadhbh MacNamara, Georgia Keane and Joanne McGuire.

"The semi-final was a great game, it shows the standard of Limerick football. If you look at the results in any of the games, they have all been tight games. We were under no illusions of the challenges that were facing this year so we are delighted to reach the final. We've been building slowly I suppose with each performance we are trying to improve from the previous game. We feel like we are on an upward curve, Sunday is the big test and we will see where we really are on Sunday at 5 O'Clock," said Moynihan.

St Ailbe’s and Monagea know each other well, having met regularly in recent years, and Monagea recorded a convincing 2-11 to 0-4 win over the champions earlier in the group stage.

The St Ailbe's manager acknowledged the rivalry by saying, "We know eachother inside out, there hasn't been any year where we haven't faced eachother. It's just trying to get ourselves right and get out heads right and give it our best shot on Sunday."

Moynihan, who formerly played with St Ailbe’s, has embraced her role on the sidelines.

"I've been involved with them now for a long time, I've played with most of them. Unfortunately I picked up an injury myself and I've been coaching them for four or five years and managing the last two years. They're a really dedicated and honest bunch of girls and they're great to work with."