Gaelic Games

Kilkerrin-Clonberne make it three-in-a-row as they prove too strong for Ballymacarbry

Eva Noone, Lynsey Noone and Chloe Miskell all prominent as Galway side defend their All-Ireland crown

Kilkerrin-Clonberne’s players celebrate with the cup after their win over Ballymacarby in the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship Final at Croke Park. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho
Kilkerrin-Clonberne’s players celebrate with the cup after their win over Ballymacarby in the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship Final at Croke Park. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho
Daire Walsh at Croke Park
Sat Dec 16 2023 - 19:19
All-Ireland Women’s Club SFC final: Kilkerrin-Clonberne (Galway) 0-18 Ballymacarbry (Waterford) 1-9

Kilkerrin-Clonberne delivered a clinical display against Ballymacarbry at Croke Park on Saturday evening to claim their third successive currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Senior Club Championship crown.

Until now, their opponents at GAA HQ were the only club to have collected more than two All-Ireland senior ladies titles on the bounce. The Galway side have some way to go to replicate the seven consecutive victories that Ballymac picked up from 1989 to 1995, but with Eva Noone, Lynsey Noone and Chloe Miskell all in outstanding form, they continued their current run of success in fine style.

While Kilkerrin-Clonberne started the game brightly with points from Miskell and Eva Noone, both of these efforts were cancelled out by Ballymac duo Kellyann Hogan (free) and Clare Walsh.

The Galway side were largely on top of possession in the opening quarter, however, and moved four points ahead with 0-2 salvos apiece from their ever-reliable attackers Eva Noone and Olivia Divilly.

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Willie Ward’s charges laid down a marker in the first half of last year’s decider against Donaghmoyne and maintained their stranglehold on this game as it wore on. Nicola Ward strode forward brilliantly from centre half back to kick an excellent 20th-minute point, before Lynsey Noone raised white flags either side of her sister Eva registering a fourth score for the title holders.

Waterford footballer Hogan finally disrupted this scoring sequence with another place-ball effort, only for another sublime Lynsey Noone point to give Kilkerrin-Clonberne a commanding 0-11 to 0-3 buffer at the break.

Lynsey Noone picked up where she left off on the restart with a point off another patient attacking move and her equally capable sibling Eva also split the uprights again after producing a superb dummy solo moments later.

Miskell had been a potent threat for Kilkerrin-Clonberne up to this stage, but she really came to life with four points in succession to move her side into an insurmountable 0-17 to 0-3 lead on 46 minutes.

A magnificent Clare Walsh goal was surrounded by points from Aileen Wall, Hogan (three) and Brid McMaugh (two) as Ballymac eventually built up a head of steam in the closing quarter, but a sixth point from Eva Noone during this juncture ensured Kilkerrin-Clonberne emerged as deserving winners.

KILKERRIN-CLONBERNE: L Murphy; C Costello, S Gormally, C Dunleavy; K Mee, N Ward (0-1), L Finnegan; S Divilly, H Noone; O Divilly (0-2, one free), L Ward, L Noone (0-4); E Noone (0-6, one free), C Miskell (0-5), N Divilly.

Subs: M Flanagan for Gormally (44 mins); A Madden for N Divilly (55); Caoimhe Boyle for Finnegan, Caitlin Boyle for E Noone (both 58).

BALLYMACARBRY: L Fitzpatrick; G Nugent, M McGrath, M Ryan; K McGrath, L Ryan, R Browne; K Hogan (0-5, four frees), A Barron; A Wall (0-1), B McMaugh (0-2), S Hallinan; S Peters, C Walsh (1-1), M Boyce.

Subs: G Carrigan for Boyce (h-t); M Ryan for Barron (41 mins); O Barron for M Ryan (55).

Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).

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