Month: September 2021

Galway 4-28
Waterford 3-23

John Fallon reports from Pearse Stadium

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GALWAY GOT BACK to winning ways when they took control before half-time and eased their way to victory in a game where the goals and points flowed and nine players from each side scored.

Galway also shot 15 wides to eleven for Waterford in a game where the Tribesmen didn’t have a free in the second-half and with scores coming from way out the field by both sides.

Waterford led by seven points at one stage in the opening half but turned around trailing by 3-13 to 2-12 after Galway got on top in the second quarter after Cathal Mannion came out to midfield.

Galway opted to play against the wind and Waterford made the most of it initially with Calum Lyons superb at wing-back and the three Bennett brothers showing up well in attack.

Jack Prendergast gave them a perfect start when he found the net after two minutes after being put through by Shane Bennett and that helped them lead by 1-9 to 0-5 after 21 minutes.

Galway hit back with a goal from Adrian Tuohey after 24 minutes after a pass from Brian Concannon but then the three Bennetts combined with Shane supplying the finishing touch to the net with a drop shot seven minutes from the break and a point from Dessie Hutchinson pushed them 2-11 to 1-8 ahead.

But Galway finished the half strongly with Joe Canning blasting to the net after being set up by Cathal Mannion and Concannon three minutes from half-time.

And Concannon then found the net after Waterford goalkeeper Shaun O’Brien had done well to save from Conor Cooney to lead for the first time in the game before he quickly landed a point and Canning took his opening half haul to 1-6 to lead by four at the break.

Hutchinson blasted to the top right corner after a pass from Montgomery two minutes after the restart but the points kept coming from Galway through the likes of Canning, Cathal Mannion and Conor Whelan to lead by 3-22 to 3-16 after 53 minutes.

Efforts by Jack Prendergast and Dessie Hutchinson, who caused the Galway defence a lot of bother, either side of one from Evan Niland, reduced the margin to five points but that was as close as Waterford got.

Whelan disposed Austin Gleeson after a short puckout and Canning flicked the ball through for Concannon to get his second goal after 56 minutes as Shane O’Neill’s men eased to a facile win with sub Niland, who hit 14 pointed frees against Limerick, scoring four from play after coming on.

Scorers for Galway: Joe Canning 1-8 (0-4f, 0-1 sideline), Brian Concannon 2-2, Conor Whelan 0-6, Evan Niland 0-4, Adrian Tuohey 1-0, Conor Cooney 0-3, Cathal Mannion 0-2, Sean Loftus 0-2, Daithi Burke 0-1

Scorers for Waterford: Stephen Bennett 0-8 (6f, 1 ’65), Dessie Hutchinson 1-3, Calum Lyons 0-5, Jack Prendergast 1-2, Shane Bennett 1-1, Neil Montgomery 0-1, Jamie Barron 0-1, Kieran Bennett 0-1, Patrick Curran 0-1.

Galway

1. Eanna Murphy (Tommie Larkins)

2. Shane Cooney (St Thomas), 6. Gearoid McInerney (Oranmore-Maree), 4. Darren Morrissey (Sarsfields).

5. Padraic Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), 3. Daithi Burke (Turloughmore), 7. Fintan Burke (St Thomas).

8. Johnny Coen (Loughrea), 12. Sean Loftus (Turloughmore)

10. Adrian Tuohey (Beagh), 11. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), 9. Joe Canning (Portumna)

13. Conor Whelan (Kinvara), 14. Conor Cooney (St Thomas), 15. Brian Concannon (Killimordaly)

Subs

22. Evan Niland (Clarinbridge) for Coen (30)

19. Aidan Harte (Gort) for S Cooney (35+3)

18. Jack Fitzpatrick (Killimordaly) for Harte (38)

21. Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields) for Tuohey (49)

17. TJ Brennan (Clarinbridge) for Burke (61)

20. Sean Linnane (Turloughmore) for Loftus (61)

23. Kevin Cooney (Sarsfields) for Canning (64)

26. Conor Walsh (Turloughmore) for Fitzpatrick (70+2)

Waterford

1. Shaun O’Brien (De la Salle)

4. Shane McNulty (De la Salle), 3. Conor Prunty (Abbeyside), 2. Conor Gleeson (Fourmilewater)

5. Colum Lyons (Ballyduff Lower), 6. Austin Gleeson (Mount Sion), 7. Seamus Keating (Ardmore)

8. Jamie Barron (Fourmilewater), 9 Jake Dillon (De la Salle)

10. Neil Montgomery (Abbeyside, 15. Jack Prendergast (Lismore), 12. Kieran Bennett (Ballysaggart)

13. Dessie Hutchinson (Ballygunner), 11. Shane Bennett (Ballysaggart), 14. Stephen Bennett (Ballysaggart)

Subs:

24. Jack Fagan (De la Salle) for Montgomery (50)

20. Darragh Lyons (Dungarvan) for Dillon (53)

21. Patrick Curran (Dungarvan) for S Bennett (53)

19. Kevin Moran (De la Salle) for Gleeson (58)

23. Billy Power (Clones) for K Bennett (58)

17. Shane Fives (Tourin) for Keating (67)

Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).

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OFFALY ARE RETURNING to top flight hurling in the league after dispatching Down by 5-25 to 1-19 in their Division 1B tie this afternoon.

Michael Fennelly’s side made it four wins from four in the Allianz Hurling League to seal promotion with a game against Wicklow still to play. 

Offaly were defeated by Down on penalties in last year’s Christy Ring Cup semi-final, but never looked anything other than convincing winners here.

Brian Duignan, son of two-time All-Ireland winner and county board chairman Michael, scored a goal for the Faithful inside the opening 13 seconds. Liam Langton helped himself to 2-3 as Oisin Kelly and Eoghan Cahill scored the other goals. 

Elsewhere in Division 2A, Carlow put up the biggest score of the hurling weekend with a 5-28 to 0-17 defeat of Meath.

Marty Kavanagh posted 1-12, as Kevin McDonald registered a brace of goals and Chris Nolan and John Michael Nolan also raised green flags.

In Division 2B, Kildare consolidated their position on top of the table as former county footballer David Slattery was among the goals in a 4-25 to 0-10 win over Roscommon in Dr Hyde Park. 

Derry beat Donegal by 3-22 to 3-21 in an entertaining score, while in Division 3B Louth saw off Fermanagh by 3-16 to 0-15 and Cavan defeated Leitrim by 1-20 to 1-17.

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Winners: Ciara O’Sullivan, David Clifford, Ciarán Clarke and Gráinne Egan.

Source: SPORTSFILE.

KERRY, CORK, OFFALY and Antrim stars have scooped May’s Player of the Month awards in their respective Gaelic games codes.

Cork footballer Ciara O’Sullivan and Offaly’s Gráinne Egan are the first-ever winners of the new PwC GPA Women’s Player of the Month awards, with Kerry ace David Clifford and Antrim hurler Ciarán Clarke landing the PwC GAA/GPA men’s equivalent. 

• Ciara O’Sullivan (Cork) – PwC GPA Women’s Player of the Month for May in football
• Gráine Egan (Offaly) – PwC GPA Women’s Player of the Month for May in camogie
• David Clifford (Kerry) — PwC GAA / GPA Player of the Month in Football
• Ciaran Clarke (Antrim) — PwC GAA / GPA Player of the Month in Hurling

O’Sullivan has consistently starred for the Rebels; the Mourneabbey forward hitting 2-8 across three games to steer them into this weekend’s league semi-finals, where they now face Donegal.

Dual star Egan shone for Offaly’s football and camogie teams during May and on one memorable weekend, she racked up a combined tally of 4-13, helping the Faithful County to two big wins. 

Clifford again underlined his class with a string of high-quality performances for Kerry through the month of May, scoring a remarkable 3-6 against Galway and 1-6 against Dublin.

And Clarke has been central through Antrim’s return to Division 1 hurling, particularly catching the eye when he chipped in with 1-11 (1-1 from play) as the Saffron recorded a massive opening day win over Clare.

The new ladies football and camogie monthly awards come after PwC agreed a new sponsorship deal with the Gaelic Players Association [GPA] to benefit female inter-county players.

The monthly awards scheme recognises outstanding individual achievements in both codes, and were presented for the first time alongside their male equivalents with equal prizes on offer.

Award winners across all four codes are voted for by the GPA’s membership.

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GRÁINNE EGAN’S SCHEDULE is currently, as she puts it, ‘hectic’.

The Offaly dual star is coming off the back of a superb month, with her exploits leading her to winning the inaugural PwC GPA Women’s Player of the Month award for camogie. It’s been hard earned. 

“Monday was my only day off for a couple of weeks which was a bit mad, but I was managing it,” Egan explains. 

“I was at training every day but they were sound enough to say that, ‘look, you’re not doing sprints here’ or ‘you should manage it a bit there’.

“Saturday nights were a bit mad. I was going to the local shop and getting bags of ice so I could make a homemade ice-bath that I could get into for a while before a hot shower. I was just trying to do everything I could to try and recover.

“I think it’s just about being smart about it. And, like I said, management are really good and they’re balancing it very well for me so that takes a bit of pressure off. I couldn’t imagine trying to do this if there was any opposition or if people were going, ‘this isn’t a good idea, you shouldn’t be doing this’. That would be very difficult. 

“There are two of us as well, Roisín Egan is doing both too. So that makes it a bit easier as well, that you’re not on your own stepping out of the runs and that. But, yeah, Monday is my day off to sleep for the day.”

Egan was an obvious choice for May’s player of the month award, hitting the headlines when she scored 3-5 for the Faithful in their win over Dublin – adding 1-8 against Carlow for the footballers 24 hours later.

“It’s funny because the matches which have got attention over the last few weeks, in my mind, wouldn’t have been great matches [for me],” she says.

“Taking the frees and that does help a little bit in terms of the end result. It looks better on paper. I wouldn’t have been too happy with my own game. I was lucky in the Dublin game that I got on the end of some well-worked stuff from the other girls.

“I still want to work more on pin-pointing passes. That’s something we’ve pointed to ourselves in Offaly camogie that we need to work on more. When we come up against the likes of Kilkenny, every pass from them is pinpoint accurate. We’re looking to get to that level, we’re not quite there.”

Egan scored 3-5 in Offaly’s win over Dublin last month.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

While there is plenty of room for improvement for Offaly, it’s been a hugely positive month for the county as a whole, with one memorable weekend seeing all four senior teams – the men’s hurlers and footballers, and the ladies football and camogie teams – winning in the league. 

Egan says that feel-good factor is tangible within the county.

We have the Faithful Fields out the road which is the centre of excellence and for the first time now, all four teams are training in there. So there is that bit of a buzz. You’re walking out and you’re passing Michael Fennelly and all the boys as they’re training, and you’re on the pitch right beside them. The U20s are training there, who have a Leinster final coming up, and then the minor hurlers. There is a bit of a buzz. It’s the first time in a long time there’s been a bit of a buzz around Offaly GAA as a whole.

“You know, the weekend we won both matches, the camogie and the football, the men won as well, (Shane) Lowry was going well, and there was kind of that – Jesus, Offaly are coming back. 

“So hopefully it keeps going. The hurlers are after getting promotion now, the footballers are going well. Camogie, unfortunately we’ve slipped a little bit but if we can pull it back for championship it would be great for us.”

Speaking shortly after being named the player of the month winner in camogie, Egan said she’d love to see less differentiation between the men’s and women’s games going forward.

It’s funny, a lot of trainers that we would have come in to us are hurling trainers, and they’d often say ‘come on lads’ or ‘we’re going hurling’, and then they’d correct themselves and say ‘sorry, camogie.’ And it’s something that always annoys me, because in my head, and I think for anyone who plays, it is hurling, and we’re going out hurling and it’s great hurling and whatever it is. 

“I don’t think that differentiation comes from the players anyway. I think we all want to be moving in that way.

“The GPA coming together has been massive already. It’s visible and it’s only going in the right direction, so if we can keep it going you would love to see them coming together and get rid of the skorts and start just trying to bring them closer. 

“Changing the rules as well this year, the physicality in camogie has gone right up, which is great. It’s made it more enjoyable to play, it’s more enjoyable to watch. Hurling is nearly going the other way, but that’s a different conversation. 

“But it’s much more enjoyable and hopefully we can keep going, keep making those changes and keep modernising it.”  

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IT’S A SIGN of Antrim’s positive start to the 2021 season that one of the stand-out Saffron stars, Ciarán Clarke, finds himself sitting down for an interview after being named PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for May.

The Ballycastle McQuillan’s man was at the forefront of Antrim’s superb win over Clare in the opening round of the league, scoring 1-11 in that 1-21 to 0-22 victory at Corrigan Park.

Since that blistering start to the league, Antrim have fallen to a seven point defeat in Kilkenny and lost by eight points away to Dublin, before a hard-fought draw with Wexford back in Corrigan Park

And with championship hurling on the horizon – Antrim play Dublin in the Leinster quarter-finals on 26 June – Clarke feels Antrim have the capacity to kick on again and build on their early-season promise.

“We think it’s different this year. We believe we can compete with these teams and we believe we can go far, but it’s about building on our last game and the game before that,” Clarke says.

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“You’re always aiming to be the best you can be and compete against the so-called bigger teams.”

PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for May, Ciarán Clarke (Antrim) with his award today at his home club Ballycastle GAA.

Source: Harry Murphy/SPORTSFILE

When asked to explain the team’s steady improvement, Clarke lays the credit firmly at the feet of manager Darren Gleeson, who joined the county in September 2019. 

“Since Darren’s come in in the last couple of years it’s a very professional set up,” Clarke explains.

There’s nothing you want for. If you ever need something, it’s there for you. You don’t have to ask. It’s probably the first year that we had all the best players in the county playing for us. They want to commit and, as you can see with the size of our panel, I think we have 36 in the panel, which is the first time we’ve ever had a panel that size and people wanting to go into it.

“I think the main thing (Gleeson has brought) is probably the belief. We are just the same as the so-called big teams, we just need to believe it. I think you have seen the belief there in our league campaign.

“Maybe we did start slow (in some games) and maybe we were waiting to see what these other teams could do. But then when we realised that we can compete and we can challenge, that’s maybe when we started clawing back the leads.”

There are of course plenty of challenges facing hurling in Antrim, including the lack of a recognised home ground as the long-delayed redevelopment of Casement Park continues to come into difficulty.

Clarke outlines why finally getting the project over the line would represent a huge boost for the future of hurling in Antrim.

“You need somewhere (to be your home stadium). Whenever I was growing up you were going to your big Antrim games there and having the big crowds there.

“For the younger generation, it plays a big part that they can see their county team, and the other county teams, coming there. It gives them inspiration of where they want to be, progress from underage up to senior, it gives you a pathway.

“You need somewhere you can permanently call home and somewhere you can try to make it tough for teams coming up, make teams not want to come to Casement Park. Because at the minute, we’re playing at Corrigan this year, a few years ago we played at Ballycastle, Cushendall too, so we didn’t or don’t really have a home venue or a place we call home, so it’s vitally important for that as well.

“I’m not really following it that closely because there seems to be that many twists and turns, we’re getting it then we’re not getting it. It’s hard to keep on track with it, but you’d like to be back playing there.” 

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CIARA O’SULLIVAN BELIEVES Cork are taking the right steps in terms of closing the gap on Dublin, who are chasing a fifth straight All-Ireland title this summer.

Dublin beat Cork by five points in the 2020 decider, and the two teams recently played out a thrilling league encounter in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, with the visitors winning by the slimmest of margins on a scoreline of 3-15 to 4-11.

With the game coming either side of wins over Waterford and Tipperary, it represents the only blip in Cork’s league campaign to date, as they prepare for Saturday’s Division 1 semi-final meeting with Donegal in Tuam.

And O’Sullivan, who was yesterday named PwC GPA Player of the Month for May having chipped in with 2-8 across those three game, is confident Cork are getting closer to Mick Bohan’s side.

“I hope so,” O’Sullivan says. “It’s funny, after the match everyone was saying ‘it was a great game and ye gave them a good run, ye went five (points) up, eight down and ye fought back and ye will take loads of learnings from that, etc, and it is only the league.’ And you listen to all that and you are still absolutely just sickened that you lost. It does not make it any better.

“I think it is good that we did feel so disappointed to lose or at least not get the draw but what we were happy with was the fightback in terms of having gone eight points down and coming back into it and being within a point, because in previous years we maybe would not have had that kick and we would have let them win comfortably and that didn’t happen, which was a positive.

PwC GPA Women’s Player of the Month for May for ladies football, Ciara O’Sullivan (Cork) with her award at her home club Mourneabbey GAA.

Source: Matt Browne/SPORTSFILE

“In that sense, I would like to think we are getting a bit closer. There is no doubt that they are the standard bearers but I think what was good was the fightback and the way we went at 50/50 balls and not being kind of being physically dominated, which we would have been in previous years. So there definitely was a lot of positives to take from it. As I said, if you could just get a little bit closer to them in every match you play it would be good.”

That gap in terms of the two teams’ physicality is something O’Sullivan has found particularly frustrating.

It’s not even physically in terms of what we’re doing in the gym or strength and conditioning wise,” she explains, “it’s when it comes to the actual match, not being bullied, pushed off the ball easily and stuff. Because we don’t let that happen against other teams and I don’t know why in recent years we kind of half stepped back a bit from Dublin and let them dictate the pace of the game.

“I think that was a good learning for us last year coming out of the final, and bringing it into the league game – to just assert our dominance on them as much as possible and not just wait for them to bring the game to us.”

The opening round league game against Tipperary also represented the first time O’Sullivan – an eight-time All-Ireland winner – had the opportunity to play in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, with the Mourneabbey star missing last year’s historic game against Westmeath through injury.

“This is my 14th year and that Tipp game was my first time playing in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, so it was great. I really enjoyed it. It was unbelievable. The facilities and we were very lucky with the weather both days, it was like summer football so it had a championship feel about it which was brilliant.

I think it is great for Ladies Football to be played in the main stadiums in different counties now. It is great to see the progress because that hadn’t happened a few years ago. It was kind of a big deal for me to be playing in Páirc Uí Chaoimh before I do retire, which probably won’t be that far long now, so it was nice to have that.”

On the subject of improving standards, O’Sullivan says she would love to see the LGFA officially merge with the GAA and operate under the one umbrella.

“I think there seems to be an appetite among players anyway for that to happen, and I think from my own point of view the main reason for that is probably two-fold; a fixtures point of view and also the clashes that we have seen with camogie as a dual county, and I see Tipperary are in a bit of bother this week again with the camogie semi-final and their relegation (game) in football clashing, which is very disappointing to see.

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“So from that point of view I think, you know, if you look at a men’s team they know their fixtures and then know where a match will be played so far in advance and that’s great to see. It’s a bit of certainty. If joining the GAA would give us that bit of certainty of knowing fixtures and knowing where matches are on, I think that would be great and it would mean…like, we were playing in Páirc Uí Chaoimh there, it would mean playing in the better stadiums around the country which would be great.

“If we were under the same umbrella and the GAA and camogie were as well, it would mean not having the clashes that the dual players have had so frequently over the last number of years.”

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Updated Jun 10th 2021, 8:00 PM

ARMAGH ENTER A fight to retain their Division 1 status as they clash with Roscommon in the relegation play-off on Sunday at the Athletic Grounds.

Having led the Orchard to their first season in the top flight since 2012, Kieran McGeeney will be reluctant to make it a brief visit. 

They enjoyed a four-point win over Monaghan and drew with Donegal, with exposure to the top sides in the country expected the stand to Armagh ahead of the Ulster championship. 

On this week’s episode of The42 GAA Weekly, Kerry legend Marc Ó Sé says he believes McGeeney’s men are “not far off being a very good team.”

“I always say in the National League, you look at the top eight teams in the top division,” he said. “For me, there’s a gulf there. I think there’s a top six, even a top four and the rest of them are a good bit off that. 

“I was lucky enough to go the Armagh-Donegal match. Watching Armagh closely and what they’ve brought to them, Ciaran McKeever, Kieran Donaghy and Kieran McGeeney, in particular. 

“I’ve been watching him closely [since he went to] Kildare. The influence he has on this Armagh team is unbelievable and the players he has at his disposal.

Ó Sé added: “The one thing I noticed was the chemistry between the O’Neill brothers, Rian and Oisin. Anytime Rian got the ball, the first thing he wanted to do was put that ball straight into Oisin.

“You’ve players like Niall Grimley in midfield and I think they’re not far off being a very good team once the emphasis is on putting quick ball into the full-forward line.

“Rian and Oisin, these guys are serious talents. Stefan Campbell, who was poor the week previous to that, had a hand in 1-8 or 1-9 in that game against Donegal which is phenomenal. Kieran has moulded a fantastic group of players here.

“[They’re] taking on Roscommon the next day in a relegation battle, which is disappointing. But the only thing is it’s a home venue for them and we’ve seen Roscommon’s over reliance on Enda Smith.

“If Armagh have their homework done here it’s a great opportunity to avoid the drop. It would be disappointing to see them going down after seeing all the hard work Kieran McGeeney has done.” 

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REIGNING CHAMPIONS Cork have made two changes to their starting team ahead of tomorrow’s Lidl National League Division 1 semi-final against Donegal, while four-in-a-row All-Ireland winners Dublin made one for their last-four battle with Mayo.

All-Star full-back Roisin Phelan and dual player Libby Coppinger come into the Rebels’ starting line-up, with Méabh Cahalane and Katie Quirke dropping to the bench — on which the returning Eimear Scally is named.

Ephie Fitzgerald’s side come into this one after wins over Waterford and Tipperary, and a narrow defeat to Dublin, looking to defend their 2019 crown.

A rematch of the 2017 final — Donegal’s only ever top-flight decider — Tuam Stadium plays host to tomorrow’s clash, which throws in at 3pm and is live on TG4.

Here is our Starting Team for our @lidl_ireland @LadiesFootball Div 1 Semi Final Vs @DonegalLGFA , taking place Tomorrow (Saturday) in Tuam Stadium at 3pm
LIVE on @TG4TV from 2:45 .
We are very kindly sponsored by the good folks in @SuperValuIRL pic.twitter.com/iUEnuMgftp

— Cork LGFA (@CorkLGFA) June 11, 2021

Donegal, fresh off a massive win over Galway last time out, are unchanged, with captain Niamh McLaughlin, and deadly full-forward duo Geraldine McLaughlin and Karen Guthrie, among those in electric form for Maxi Curran’s outfit.

In Saturday’s later throw-in, Dublin and Mayo reignite their recent big-match rivalry, the sides having met in the 2018 Division 1 final when the Sky Blues won their one and only top-flight league crown, and of course, in the 2017 All-Ireland senior championship final.

Limerick’s LIT Gaelic Grounds hosts this one [throw-in 5pm, live on Sport TG4 Youtube] with both sides looking strong.

Mick Bohan keeps switches in personnel to a minimum after last weekend’s comprehensive win over Tipperary, with evergreen stalwart Lyndsey Davey replacing Lucy Collins in attack. Carla Rowe is in line for her first appearance this year, appearing among the substitutes for the first time, such is the strength in depth Dublin boast.

*** TEAM NEWS ***

HERE is the Dublin team to face Mayo in Saturdays @lidl_ireland Div 1 NFL Semi-Final, 5.15pm on @SportTG4 YouTube

Just one change from the team that defeated Tipp with Lyndsey Davey coming into the starting 15 for Lucy Collins #COYGIB https://t.co/Mq92xLKsAY pic.twitter.com/wkNyPQ3snM

— DublinLGFA (@dublinladiesg) June 11, 2021

Their full-forward line is certainly potent with the in-form Hannah Tyrrell — recently-retired Ireland rugby star — starting once again alongside captain Sinéad Aherne and former soccer international Siobhán Killeen.

Mayo boss Michael Moyles rings the changes, with five switches to the side after last week’s comfortable win over Westmeath.

All-Star Fiona McHale starts once again with Laura Brennan replacing Aisling Tarpey in goals. Saoirse Lally, Orla Conlon and Sinéad Cafferky also come in, with Amy Halligan, Ciara Whyte, Tara Needham and Amy Dowling dropping to the bench.

In tomorrow’s Division 1 relegation play-off, Tipperary and Westmeath go head-to-head as they look to avoid the drop in Banagher [throw-in 1.30pm].

Premier captain Aishling Moloney is among the substitutes after her injury last week, so there are question marks over her availability, while there are other changes across both sides.

Cork (v Donegal): M O’Brien (capt.); S Kelly, R Phelan, E Meaney; E O’Shea, A Hutchings, M Duggan; M O’Callaghan, H Looney; O Finn, C O’Sullivan, E Spillane; S O’Leary, B O’Sullivan, L Coppinger.

Donegal (v Cork): A McColgan; N Carr, E McGinley, E Gallagher; A.M. Logue, Nicole McLaughlin, R Rodgers; K Herron, S Twohig; B McLaughlin, Niamh McLaughlin (capt), N Boyle; N Hegarty, K Guthrie, G McLaughlin.

Mayo (v Dublin): L Brennan; S Lally, C McManamon (capt.), O Conlon; É Ronayne, T O’Connor, K Sullivan; F Doherty, S Cafferky; N Kelly, F McHale, G Kelly; M Reilly, S Howley, R Kearns.

Dublin (v Mayo): A Sheils; H Leahy, N Collins, M Byrne; L Caffrey, O Carey, O Nolan; L Magee, J Dunne; N McEvoy, L Davey, C O’Connor; S Ahearne (capt.), S Killeen, H Tyrrell.

Tipperary (v Westmeath): L Fitzpatrick; L Spillane, M Curley, E Cronin; L Dillon, C Kennedy, E Kelly; A.R. Kennedy, E Fitzpatrick; A McGuigan, E Carroll, A Fennessy; C O’Dwyer, R Howard, A Delaney.

Westmeath (v Tipperary): L McCormack; N Spellman, J Rogers, E Kelly; F Coyle, L Power, T Fagan; V Carr, T Dillon; F Claffey (capt.), L Archibold, A Jones; L McCartan, K Hegarty, S Dillon.

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Evelyn McGinley of Donegal in action against Andrea Trill of Galway during the Lidl Ladies Football National League match between Galway and Donegal at Tuam Stadium last week.

Source: Piaras Ó Mídheach/SPORTSFILE

EVELYN MCGINLEY IS dedicated to Donegal football — but she knows that if her phone rings during training, she may have to dash off because a cow is calving or a ewe is lambing and her skills as a vet are urgently required.

It’s not easy mixing the life of a country vet and an inter-county football career but the 26-year-old revels in all of the challenges and wouldn’t have it any other way.

It helps that Donegal manager Maxi Curran is understanding and appreciates that the versatile defender is not in a standard 9 to 5 job and that the vagaries of animal life don’t always rhyme with the demands of an elite athlete.

Aside from the routine demands, the vet is on call a couple of nights a week and one weekend in every three, but she’s able to juggle the demands and this weekend the top priority is today’s Lidl National Football League Division 1 semi-final showdown against Cork at Tuam Stadium.

“Since as long as I can remember I wanted to be a vet. I just wanted to help animals,” said McGinley.

“I know that’s very cringe but you do veterinary for your love of animals and not for anything else.”

The love is the driving force as she navigates a tricky schedule in the coming weeks.

At 26, she is entering her prime years as a footballer, but having returned to the game late, she still has plenty to give.

Yet the Termon star is never too far removed from Mulroy Veterinary in Milford, even when she gets the chance to lace up her football boots.

“It is very hard to juggle both, especially at county level. I struggle and all of the girls would be laughing because I’m never on time to training. The nature of the job means you can’t,” said McGinley.

“It is really hard but it’s good that Maxi Curran understands. If you had a really tough manager that wanted you to be there exactly on time it wouldn’t be manageable. He does give me a bit of leeway.

“As a vet, you have to do your time. I was trying to get cover the last day but my boss was away for the weekend. I had to go to a match and chance that I didn’t get any calls or hopefully I could put them back until after the game.

“That is the way I work, even with training. I bring the phone and give it to one of the boys on the sideline. If the phone rings they call me over and I have to answer it. If there’s an emergency I have to go.

“You could get a call to a calving and you have to go. If it’s a sick dog you might be able to put it back until afterwards. You weigh up if it’s an emergency.

“During Spring, it’s all lambings and calvings so I have to go.”

Having grown up on the family farm in Creeslough, just to the south of Dunfanaghy, McGinley was always going to be passionate about animals.

She has a horse called Lady, a dog, Glen, and a cat known as Mini, while the farm is stocked with cattle and sheep.

Her love for sport, and ladies football in particular, came and went throughout the years.
“I started at U10 and I didn’t want to play football at the very start,” said McGinley.

“You are playing with all the boys. You were the only girl. But I remember mom pushing me out the door.”

Evelyn McGinley holding a lamb who needed a cast for a broken leg.

Nevertheless, McGinley’s talents were noticed early and she represented Donegal at U14 and U16 level.

And while she stepped away from playing football competitively for a number of years, her younger brother Ciaran also went on to play for the county at underage level.

Evelyn dipped her toes back in, winning an All-Ireland with Donegal at U21 level, but with veterinary on the horizon, she placed her focus behind her studies.

She went to UCD and although she wasn’t ready for the full commitment of a return to football at the top level, she opted for the university’s second string.

“I took a few years out because with college it was a tough course,” said McGinley.

“I just joined the seconds and played for a bit of fun. Then in my last year of college I decided to go back to county.

“I remember Maxi asked me the year before that. But with placement during the summer I wasn’t going to be able to give it all. I didn’t know about travelling up and down.

“But I liked playing football. The other club I was with, for years people wouldn’t be turning up to training, it would be one or two games a year. I just took a notion then to go back.

“Maxi asked me the following year. I knew during the summer I would be finished college so I would be able to. That is why I went back.”

McGinley transferred from St Michael’s to Termon, the year they made it all the way to an Ulster final only to lose out to Monaghan’s Donaghmoyne.

Playing alongside the likes of Geraldine and Niamh McLaughlin and Emer Gallagher gave McGinley her taste for the Donegal set-up.

Niamh McLaughlin has been made captain this year and McGinley is thrilled to see her clubmate leading the county going forward.

“Niamh would drive us on. She would always be correcting and keeping you going even during a game,” said McGinley.

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“If you did something wrong she would tell you how to do it better. Always encouraging, never putting you down. It’s great.”

Maxi Curran’s charges are in the middle of a really positive Lidl National Football League campaign, where they hammered Galway last weekend.

Evelyn McGinley tending to a dog who was hit by a car and is getting a full health check and x-ray on the road to recovery.

And the TG4 All-Ireland championship remains an even bigger goal after the disappointment of missing out on the knockout stages in the condensed format last year.

McGinley will take a month out to coincide with that when it gets into full swing. But, for now, she needs to figure out her own timetable.

“I do have spare time outside of work and football, where I would meet up with my friends. I have a horse too, we have a wee horse-riding club. We meet up and go for a gallop on the beach,” said McGinley.

“But as a vet, our busiest time is during March, April and May. Last year would have been my first year working the Springtime. You didn’t really have anything going on with football so it kind of worked out.

“I take it as it comes but at the end of June I am taking a break for a month. I will try and focus on football a wee bit then.

“It is more for me, I want to play football and I don’t have many years left.”