Loreto Clonmel will represent Tipperary when they try to complete three-in-a-row in Munster

Loreto Clonmel will be trying to win the Lidl Munster Ladies Football Post Primary Schools Senior A  Championship title for the third year in-a-row when they face St. Mary’s of Midleton in the final in Mallow next Wednesday, February 26.

Loreto’s season began last October with a home game against St. Augustine’s of Dungarvan.

The Clonmel school were slow to start and the signs of not playing together during the summer started to show. But after a settling period in the latter stages of the first half, they went on to win comfortably and get their campaign off to a flying start.

Cashel Community School were the next opposition a week later. This was a tough, physical battle but Loreto again ran out comfortable winners. 

They then began working towards the final round of the group stages, facing a formidable St. Mary’s High School team from Midleton.

Having contested the Senior A Munster and All-Ireland finals for the previous two years, Loreto were the favourites going into this game. However it did not take them long to realise that this was a serious Middleton outfit who meant business. 

Above - Loreto footballers Leah Crotty, Jess Redfern, Caoimhe Mulcahy and Triona Ryan are all set for the Munster final - Pictures: John Kelly

It was a game played in an excellent sporting fashion, with some tough encounters and battles. Midleton put the ball over the crossbar with the last kick of the game to run out winners by a single point.

This was definitely a learning curve for Loreto, who felt it was a game they could have won. Missed chances and taking too much out of the ball proved their downfall. 

However, defeat didn’t spell the end for the Clonmel team, as they now had to contest a Munster quarter-final, while Midleton had the comfort of progressing straight to the semi-final. 

All roads led to Pairc Ui Caoimh for a quarter-final against Presentation Thurles. 

Loreto found their feet very early on and having learned from the Midleton game, they stuck chances in the net when the opportunities arose, winning the game comfortably and progressing to the semi- final.

Here, they renewed rivalry with St. Augustine’s in a tie played at the Gold Coast in Waterford. On a bitter January afternoon, Loreto shook off the Christmas cobwebs and won a tough, physical battle that included three sin bins by 4-16 to 0-7.

Above - Looking forward to the Munster final are, back: Alice Ryan, Gretta Nugent, Sadhbh Hallinan, Brid McMaugh, Eimear Quirke, Keri Tarleton and Kellyann Hogan. Front: Clare Walsh, Ciara Ryan, Brigita Valuntaite and Ailis O’Meara

And so the stage is set for a re-match with St. Mary’s Midleton in the final, in what should be a great contest between two talented teams with plenty of ability.

Loreto also won the B title in 2017 so success next week would wrap up a fourth Munster championship in-a-row for the Clonmel school.  

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