Munster Age-Grade Girls League Finals Roundup

The Munster Age-Grade Girls League Finals Day kicked off in great fashion in Tipperary’s Rockwell College yesterday.

Up for decision were the U14, U16 and U18 league titles.

Shannon 28 – 12 Skibbereen-Bantry Bay

The Under 14 final kicked off the day in glorious sunshine as Limerick side Shannon faced the West Cork amalgamation of Skibbereen and Bantry Bay.

Shannon struck first as Molly Deere crossed the whitewash in the 16th minute for the sides first converted try.

The West Cork outfit lodged their reply just six minutes later as Libby Hicks ran in under the posts before slicing the uprights with her conversion.

But Shannon got the final say of the half as Molly O’Riordan drove over the line to bring the score to 14-7.

Molly Deere was in for her second early on in the second half as she ran in and converted her own score.

A second Shannon try all but secured the victory as the clock ticked into the red.

But Skibbereen-Bantry Bay had one more play up their sleeve as they barreled over in the final play of the game. The conversion dropped just short of the posts to bring the full time score to 28-12.

After a fantastic battle between the sides Shannon were crowned champions while Skibbereen-Bantry’s Isabella Wood was named player of the match as selected by the Munster Rugby Women’s Development Officers.

To view the full gallery from the game click here.

Shannon: Niamh Fraher; Edon O’Brien, Bronagh Mullally, Daire Hayes, Fay Ryan; Molly Jane Deere, Clara Shanahan; Roley Cronin, Ruby Fitzgerald, Lucy Bennis; Isabelle O’Carroll, Mia Hally; Callie McMahon, Fiona Hayes; Molly O’Riordan.

Replacements: Annaliese Flynn, Emily Gibson, Aimie Kelly, Líadh Murphy, Sarah Carroll, Libby O’Shaughnessy, Ashley O’Donnell, Leilani O’Donoghue.

Skibbereen-Bantry Bay: Katie Keohane; Jasmin Deane, Charlotte Kent, Isabella Wood, Aoife Bignell; Libby Hicks, Alice Donovan; Lily O’Sullivan, Farrah Ridgeway, Sarah Louise O’Shea; Siobhan O’Donovan, Aoibheann Mcgee; Annie Hourihane, Emily McSweeney; Oluwafemi Aba.

Replacements: Caoimhe Hourihane, Alice Cronin, Laura Worboys, Saoirse Minehane Ryan.

Clonakilty 27 – 21 Richmond-Scarriff

It was another end-to-end game in the Under 16 final as Clonakilty locked horns with Richmond-Scarriff in the second fixture of our Finals Day triple header.

The West Cork side were quick off the mark as they ran in back-to-back unconverted tries in the eight and 13th minute from winger Jenny O’Donnell and number eight Isabelle Aherne.

Richmond-Scarriff fought back and earned their first points of the game in 20th minute as out-half Eden Waters crossed over and converted her own score.

The Limerick-Clare amalgamation weren’t finished as they were in for a second just seven minutes later as Gracie Walters touched down. Waters added the extras as the side put themselves in front with a half time score of 10-14.

Clonakilty were quick out of the traps once again in the second half as Rachel Buttimer barreled over in the 38th minute. Buttimer also added the extras to give the West Cork outfit the lead once again.

Jenny O’Donnell was next to cross the whitewash as she ran in her second of the day. In a repeat of the first half number eight Isabelle Aherne followed suit as she added to her tally of the day bringing the score to 27-14 with just minutes left on the clock.

Richmond-Scarriff never gave up the fight as Eden Waters crashed over and converted the sides final try.

But it was not enough as the game finished 27-21, which awarded Clonakilty their first league title of the day. Richmond-Scarriff’s Sadhbh Whelan was named player of the match for her spirit and work ethic throughout the game.

To view the full gallery from the game click here.

Clonakilty: Sadbh Hart; Thea Bell, Ella Haughney, Siún McCarthy, Jenny O’Donnell; Lara Twomey, Matilda O’Donovan; Claire Scanlan, Lucy McCarthy, Róisín O’Brien; Rachel Buttimer, Molly Deegan; Emer O’Connor, Caoimhe Mccarthy; Isabelle Aherne.

Replacements: Lauren Murphy, Leah Ní Dhonnabhain, Emily Williamson, Sally McAuley, Elena Harrington, Nadine O’Driscoll Hayes, Aoife Walsh, Ciara Coakley.

Richmond-Scarriff: Lexie O’Donnell; Phoebe Fitzgerald, Hollie Turner, Sadhbh Whelan, Rachel Barry; Eden Waters, Ciara White; Brooke Earls, Ali McNamara, Evie Griffin; Lucy Hughes, Saoirse Madden; Alanna Loughman, Hannah Clancy; Ava Duggan.

Replacements: Mia Kennedy, Lucy McNamara, Ellen Wale, Alannah Bourke, Zara Joyce, Gracie Walters, Cáit Moloney, Leona McGrath.

Clonakilty 48 – 34 Killarney-Iveragh-Killorglin-Listowel

The final matchup of the afternoon saw Clonakilty’s U18 side meet the amalgamated Kerry outfit of Killarney-Iveragh-Killorglin-Listowel.

It was an end-to-end game with 14 tries scored in total between the two sides.

Killarney-Iveragh-Killorglin-Listowel were out of the blocks quickly as speedy full back, Keelin O’Shea, ran in back-to-back unconverted tries in the fifth and 12th minute giving the side an early ten point lead.

Clonakilty responded with two tries of their own just minutes later as Keelin McCarthy and Jo McCaughey both crashed over in the 16th and 19th minute respectively bringing the sides all square after 20 minutes.

Kerry put themselves back in front in the 32nd minute after a pick and drive off the back of a messy ruck saw them make the line. The conversion that followed drifted just wide of the posts.

But Clonakilty saw out the half on top as Jo McCaughey crashed over for her second while flanker Ciara O’Driscoll also added her name to the score sheet. Lani O’Donovan added the conversion for one of the two tries bringing the half time score to 22-17.

Clonakilty’s Julie Finn was first to touch down in the second half after a fantastic line break. The scrum half scored in just the second minute of play in the half with O’Donovan adding the extras.

The Kingdom natives bit back in the 50th minute as inside centre Cara Reilly crashed over. Out-half Eliza O’Sullivan kicked the extras to bring the score to 29-24 with 20 minutes left on the clock.

The West Cork side still had the drive as they scored three back-to-back tries from Julie Finn, Laura Sexton and Clodagh McCarthy to all but secure themselves the title as Lani O’Donovan converted two out of the three scores.

Killarney-Iveragh-Killorglin-Listowel never backed down from a fight as they crossed the whitewash twice more as Ella Guerin Crowley and Daniel Naughton both crashed over before full time bringing the final score to 48-34.

Clonakilty were crown champions for the second time while Killarney-Iveragh-Killorglin-Listowel’s Ella Guerin Crowley was named player of the match.

To view the full gallery from the game click here.

Clonakilty: Laura Sexton; Keelin McCarthy, Jo McCaughey, Elsa Quirke, Clodagh McCarthy; Lani O’Donovan, Julie Finn; Sinead O’Callaghan, Maya McMahon, Julie Cunningham; Chloe Galwey, Leona Arra; Ciara O’Driscoll, Amie Millin; Niamh Hilliard.

Replacements: Charlotte McCabe, Yasmine Asare, Emily Bell, Holly O’Leary, Seodhna Walsh, Shona Fleming, Annabel Tapia, Malena Vallebueno.

Killarney-Iveragh-Killorglin-Listowel: Keelin O’Shea; Mary Ellen McDonnell, Orla Murphy, Cara Reilly, Hannah Collins; Eliza O’Sullivan, Muireann Vivier; Sara O’Connor, Lily Mae Donnelly, Eibhlín Lynch; Holly Barrett, Isabelle O’Shea; Ella Guerin Crowley, Danielle Naughton; Melissa McCarthy.

Replacements: Ellen Gleeson, Grace O’Keeffe, Elisa Orsini, Emma Looney, Lola O’Neill, sarah Mangan, Eimear Murphy, Daimhin McKenna.