Fethard 7-a-side team strikes a blow for Tipperary ladies football

Above: The Fethard Ladies Football senior team that finished runners-up in the All-Ireland 7 a-side cup final at Naomh Mearnog GAA club in Portmarnock, Dublin. Back, Micheal Spillane, Emaleigh Cuddihy, Heather Spillane, Kelly Ryan, Kate Davey, Sinead Delahunty, Carrie Davey, Sandra Spillane. Front, Lucy Spillane, Niamh Hayes, Nell Spillane, Emily Spillane, Meah Cuddihy and Megan Coen  

Fethard ladies football club was fortunate to be accepted into the 2022 All-lreland senior ladies football 7 a-side at Naomh Mearnog GAA club in Portmarnock, Dublin.
In the senior grade there were four groups of five teams, with the top team in each group going into the cup semi-finals and the second team in each group going to the shield semi-final.
Included in Fethard’s group were Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins from Leitrim, Blessington from Wicklow, St Brigids from Roscommon and Bryansford from Down.
The first group game was against Ballinamore Sean O’ Heslin and in a tight game Fethard came out on top, 3-9 to 3-6.
Next up was Blessington and Fethard won again by 3-8 to 3-2.
The third game was against a very impressive looking Bryansford team, who had scored 14 goals in their first 2 games. However in an excellent game Fethard won by 5-9 to 4-8.
This result meant that regardless of the result in the last group game, the Fethard girls had at the very least qualified for an All-Ireland shield semi-final, while a win in the last group game would put the Fethard girls through to the cup semi-finals.
St Brigids were the last group game opponents and even though bodies were starting to ache, another good display from the Fethard girls ensured they went through to the cup semi-finals, winning 4-11 to 3-5.

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The semi-final was against Clann Eireann from Armagh, who had topped their group which included teams from Corofin from Galway, St Laurences from Kildare, Donaghmoyne from Monaghan and Clann Na Gael from Roscommon.
Clann Eireann got off to a great start, playing some of the best football witnessed all day and it was looking like there would be only be one winner. However Fethard refused to wilt and by half- time had reduced the deficit to a manageable two points.
The second half was nip and tuck the whole way but when it mattered most the girls ground out an impressive two-points victory against their dejected northern opponents to qualify for the All-Ireland 7 aside Cup final.
Their opponents in the final were the reigning All- Ireland senior club champions winners Kilkerrin Clonberne from Galway.
Kilkerrin Clonberne showed their class in the final, blitzing the Fethard defence in the first half and scoring six goals to go in at half-time leading 6-0 to 0-3.
It was looking bleak for the Fethard girls in the second half, such was the quality of the Kilkerrin Clonberne side.
However the Fethard girls were determined to give it their all and in the second half added 1-3 to Kilkerrin Clonberne’s 1-4, to leave Kilkerrin Clonberne winners on a scoreline of 7-4 to 1-6.
While no one wants to lose an All-Ireland final, there was nothing but admiration for the Fethard girls from everyone, who complimented the girls on their performances all day against the cream of ladies football teams from all over the country.
The ability of a star- studded Kilkerrin Clonberne team, which included ten of the Galway senior ladies football panel, including sisters and All-Star winners Nicola and Louise Ward, to get goals, and their greater experience proved the difference against a youthful Fethard team.
Fethard are the only team from Tipperary to reach the All-Ireland 7 aside Cup or shield final in the last 37 years since the competition started back in 1985, which is a tremendous achievement.