St Judes crowned All Ireland champions

(Pictured above: Hannah Hegarty of CLG Naomh Jude in action against Jennifer Brett of Mullinahone LGF during the 2021 currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Ladies Junior Club Football Championship Final in Baltinglass Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile)

By DARREN KELLY

Captain Aoife Keyes scored a crucial goal as St Judes were crowned the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Junior club champions following a seven-point victory over Mullinahone in Baltinglass on Saturday.

Three first half goals from Caoimhe McGrath, Keyes and Aisling Gannon gave Jeff Kane’s charges a 3-4 to 1-4 half-time lead against the elements, and they kept their opponents at bay afterwards to become the first Dublin club since St Maurs in 2016 to win the title.

But it was the Tipperary outfit who got off to a stunning start with a goal after just 28 seconds. Nicole Shelly and Denise Gaule were involved, with the latter finding Aoibhe O’Shea who finished to the net.

Mullinahone were determined to use wind to their advantage and an excellent point from Catherine Foley put them four clear.

And with the O’Shea sisters causing mayhem, Lorraine set up Aoibhe for two more scores to help Mullinahone into a 1-3 to 0-0 lead on 10 minutes.

But gradually St Judes got their running game in gear and the Leinster representatives finally got off the mark in the 13th minute as Hannah Hegarty and Caoimhe McGrath linked before the latter scored the goal.

A free for Ellie Young reduced arrears but when St Judes attacked again through Hegarty and Niamh Kerr, Keyes struck the second goal and made it 2-1 to 1-3 at the water break.

Mullinahone were on the back foot and on 20 minutes St Judes made them pay again with Kerr and Young assisting Aisling Gannon for goal number three.

Kerr and Young added points before Lorraine O’Shea ended a 17-minute drought for Mullinahone leaving them 3-3 to 1-4 in arrears before Young got the final score of the half.

A yellow card for Lisa Morris reduced St Judes to 14 players after the restart but they held par with Mullinahone during the next ten minutes.

Hegarty and Young converted against two Lorraine O’Shea scores for Mullinahone.

St Judes applied pressure to the opposing kick outs and reaped the benefits as Claire Gannon and Young made it 3-8 to 1-6.

While the O’Sheas added to their respective tallies, Mullinahone needed a goal that didn’t come.

Emma Cody was closed out for one chance while Lorraine O’Shea missed with two efforts.

Young completed St Judes’ tally with her sixth point of the afternoon and they clinched a first ever All-Ireland for the club.

St Judes managers Jeff Kane said he was in ‘heaven’ after his side won their first ever currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Junior club championship.

Caoimhe McGrath, Aoife Keyes and Aisling Gannon scored the goals as St Judes joined fellow Dublin outfits; Foxrock-Cabinteely, Thomas Davis and St Maurs, in this roll of honour.

It was a fantastic game in Baltinglass and despite dominating for much of the opening quarter, Tipperary champions Mullinahone went into half-time 3-4 to 1-4 behind. And St Judes consolidated their advantage in the second half to seal the historic win.

“We started the club in 1978. We’ve challenged in senior championships in football and hurling and we’ve a really successful camogie set up. This is heaven, it’s absolute heaven,” said Kane.

“I’m with the guys four years now. We’ve been through ups and downs, lost a championship final to a really good Ballinteer St John’s team last year. We made a promise to ourselves that we wouldn’t leave anything out there anymore.

“Came together as a unit and we’re All-Ireland champions.”

Mullinahone, who contained a sprinkling of Kilkenny camogie talent including Denise Gaule, started fast and Aoibhe O’Shea scored their goal inside 30 seconds.

She brought her tally to 1-2 in the tenth minute when she gave Mullinahone a 1-3 to 0-0 lead and they were in cruise control with the wind at their backs.

But crucially McGrath found the net five minutes before the first water break and that lead had been whittled down to 1-3 to 1-1 by that juncture.

On the resumption, Keyes and Gannon scored two goals in a devastating five-minute spell and that was enough for St Judes to push for victory.

Mullinahone battled all the way, with Lorraine O’Shea continuing to take the fight to St Judes but it wasn’t enough in the end.

“We’re naturally disappointed,” said Mullinahone manager Paul Kelly.

“We came across a very good Judes side. We knew coming here today that we were going to be up against it, given the population of St Judes GAA club in general, plus they have inter-county footballers like Caoimhe McGrath from Waterford.

“At the end of the day, we’re a small rural club and we got six players from Windgap. We always knew it was going to be a tough battle.”

Scorers – St Judes: E Young 0-6 (4f), A Keyes 1-0, A Gannon 1-0, C McGrath 1-0, C Gannon 0-1, H Hegarty 0-1, N Kerr 0-1.

 

Mullinahone: A O’Shea 1-3, L O’Shea 0-4 (1f), C Foley 0-1.

 

ST JUDES: A McAuliffe; L Doherty, E Browne, L Butler; C McGrath, A Walsh, C Devlin; H Hegarty, N Kerr; A Gannon, E Young, C Nicoletti; L Morris, A Keyes, C Gannon.

 

Subs: N Murphy for Butler (37), H Begley for Morris (43), L Martina for Keyes (50), R Connolly for Devlin (56), A Darcy for Doherty (58).

 

MULLINAHONE: A Browning; E Horan, G Horan, A O’Brien; E Cody, M Walsh, J Brett; N Shelly, D Gaule; C Gunn, M Kenneally, C Foley; L O’Shea, A O’Shea, C Egan.

 

Subs: M Gillman for Egan (30), A Fennelly for Foley (59).

 

Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford).