Daughter of Limerick rugby great helps Milford NS to county title
The boys and girls finals both took place at Na Piarsaigh GAA Club grounds
LISNAGRY NS are County Football Shield Winners for 2026. The coveted trophy returns to Lisnagry after a four year gap and there was no doubt that their victory was well deserved.
The tournament featured the winners of the 15-a-side A football competitions in each of the four divisions within the county.
Lisnagry NS overcame neighbours and city champions Gaelscoil Chaladh an Treoigh in their semi-final.
Conor English, Fionn Ó Lanagáin, Lucas Salem and Sam Brosnan were in top form for the Gaelscoil while Lisnagry had excellent performances throughout the field with Tadhg Ryan, Ollie Sheehy, Killian Buckley, Tom Lynch and Hugh Bourke catching the eye.
West champions Killoughteen NS defeated South champions Bruree NS in the other semi-final. Remarkably, this game saw Killoughteen NS lead by two points at half-time on a scoreline of 1-1 to 0-2.
The Bruree boys attacked in waves after the interval but the Killoughteen defence was steadfast and neither side registered a score in the second half.
Killoughteen NS advanced to the final after a game of great skill and sportsmanship. Fionn Freney and Matty Herlihy were steadfast defenders for Bruree NS with Cathal Browne and Aidan Liston also prominent.
In the final, Lisnagry NS hit the ground running and three quick goals meant that Killoughteen were chasing the game from an early stage. Killoughteen rallied in the second half and notched some fine scores but Lisnagry NS ran out comfortable winners.
Adam Barrett, Luke Cummins, Joey Liston and Donagh Carr caught the eye for Killoughteen NS.
After the final, Joe Lyons, Chairman of Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Luimnigh, presented the Mackey Cup to the joint captains of Lisnagry NS, Tadhg Ryan and Tom Lynch.
Mr Lyons praised all four teams for their performances on a great day for football. He said that he had no doubt that many of the players in the 2026 tournament will wear the Limerick jersey in years to come.
He also paid tribute to referees Philip Dee and Cyril Doolan, great friends of Cumann na mBunscol Luimnigh. Mr Lyons thanked all teachers involved in selecting and coaching teams.
“The hours of voluntary effort put in by teachers year after year often go unappreciated, but without them, there would be no games for children in primary schools,” he stated.
Elsewhere, Milford NS won the girls football equivalent. The 12-a-side Celtic Image Shield tournament saw the four divisions across the county also face off against each other.
Milford NS defeated competition experts Herbertstown NS in their semi-final. It was the fifth year in a row that Herbertstown the top grade competition in south Limerick.
The Herbertstown team got off to the perfect start with two early goals but the city girls settled and found their shooting boots to run out comfortable winners.
In the second semi-final Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh, Roxborough overcame west champions Broadford NS. This semi-final produced some top quality fare but the scoring power of the East champions saw them safely through to the final.
The Ballysheedy girls hit the ground running and a brace of early goals meant that the West champions had an uphill task.
Although they created several scoring opportunities, the Broadford girls could not breach a resolute Roxborough defence. Sadie McNamara and Dalia Almukhtar were outstanding for the Roxborough girls. Molly O’Connor was very impressive for the Broadford girls who never gave up.
It was Milford who had a dream start in the final as Ava Barry and Ruth Larkin found the net in the opening minutes.
The Roxborough girls found themselves pinned down in their own half and it was difficult to lift the siege. Laurie Earls was here, there and everywhere as she won possession all over the field.
The Roxborough girls started the second half in a positive mood and they took the game to their opponents from the throw-in. However, Milford extended their lead by a point following a quick breakaway.
Back came the Roxborough girls with three points to cut the deficit. However, hard as they tried they could not find a way to score a goal and Milford prevailed after surviving some fierce pressure. Milford tacked on a point to see them through to a well deserved victory.
Dalia Almuktar,Hazel Keogh, Sadie McNamara, Millie English and Lily Conway never stopped trying for the Roxborough team.
Milford NS were strong throughout the field. Laurie Earls, Éillidh McMillan, Ella Burns, Laurie Earls, Lola O’Connell, and Ruth Larkin were key figures in a great team performance.
After the game, Joe Lyons of Allianz Cumann na mBunscol thanked all 4 teams who had represented their Divisions with pride and skill.
He thanked the teachers who had trained the teams and the parents who had supported the teams. Special thanks again to Philip Dee and Cyril Doolan who once again refereed and did an excellent job.
On behalf of Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Luimnigh, Mr Lyons thanked Na Piarsaigh GAA club for making their facilities available for the games.
He then called upon Micheál Cahill, manager of the Limerick senior football team, to present the Celtic Image Shield to Milford NS captain Zara Glynn.