Tipperary and Kilkenny players join forces in Mullinahone's bid for glory

Inter-county rivalry will be put to one side again this weekend when a Tipperary club goes in search of a first All-Ireland ladies football title in the grade for the county.
The Mullinahone team that will contest Saturday’s currentaccount.ie All-Ireland junior final against St Jude’s of Dublin at 1.30 in Baltinglass includes players from across a nearby county border that’s usually the dividing line for one of the fiercest rivalries in the GAA.
Kilkenny players who will throw their lot in with a Tipperary club and represent Mullinahone in Saturday’s eagerly-awaited decider include the team captain Molly Walsh and camogie star Denise Gaule.
Molly Walsh takes up the story.
“There are a good few players from Windgap (Co Kilkenny) in the team,” she says.
“I’m one of them, but I’ve been playing football with Mullinahone since I was about ten, so I’m here long enough anyway. And a few more of the girls have joined in the last few years.
“It’s great to have Mullinahone to play football with because I would have had no chance to play football in Windgap. And there are a few Mullinahone players playing camogie with us in Windgap.
“Lorraine O’Shea is playing camogie with us, and over the years there were a few who would have been over and back.
“Somebody was telling me the other day I was a blow-in but the girls said don’t mind them!”
Molly says that whether they’re from Tipperary or Kilkenny, the players go out “as one” when they don the Mullinahone jersey.
“And there are loads of supporters from Windgap as well as Mullinahone and it’s brilliant. The supporters have been following us the whole year. Hopefully they’ll turn out in force for the final, they’re all so excited. No doubt they’ll travel in numbers. Everyone is really getting behind us.”

Above: Mullinahone players, from left, Emma Cody, Michaela Kenneally and Aoibhe O’Shea celebrate after the semi-final win over St Brendan’s

Another Windgap player on the team is the experienced Denise Gaule, who has won two All-Ireland camogie championships and four All-Stars with her native Kilkenny.
“She just came on board this year when the camogie finished early and she was looking for a bit more to do,” says Molly.
“I’m used to playing camogie with her in Windgap. She has adapted to football very well and I would say she would adapt fairly quickly to anything she would put her hand to.”
There’s plenty of experience on the sideline too, with the team managed by All-Ireland-winning Tipperary hurler and All-Star Paul Kelly.
“Paul is brilliant, we’re so lucky to have him and he has so much experience,”says the captain.
“He knows his stuff and he puts in so much work for us, as do the other selectors, Eanna (Ryan), Jack (Lonergan), Mary (O’Shea) and Daire (O’Brien).”
Whatever happens this weekend, it has been a memorable year for Mullinahone, who last year won their first-ever county junior ladies football crown, beating Moycarkey Borris 5-11 to 3-5 in the final.
From there it was onto the Munster semi-final, when they scored a surprise but deserved win over Cork side Castlehaven. They secured the provincial title by beating MKL Gaels from Kerry in the final and the journey continued in the All-Ireland semi-final, when they edged out St Brendan’s from Galway by 1-6 to 0-6.
“At the start of the year our goal was to win the county final and we’re delighted that we’ve come this far,” says Molly.
“In the Munster semi-final against Castlehaven we were underdogs going out, nobody really expected much from a small village in Tipp. That was such a tough match, as was the Munster final against MKL Gaels. We were probably underdogs going into all our matches but we don’t mind that, it suited us.
“St Brendan’s were a great team and the standard has been high among all the teams we’ve played. They’ve all been very close matches .
“As for St Jude’s, a Dublin team is obviously known much more for its football than we would be down here. They will be a brilliant side, there’s no doubt about that.”

Above: Mullinahone manager Paul Kelly

Mullinahone are determined to give the best possible account of themselves in Saturday’s big match which, for those who can’t make it to the Wicklow venue, is being streamed live on the LGFA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com
/LadiesGaelicFootball/.
Extra-time will be played if necessary and the result will be decided on the day.
“We said we would give it a good go in Munster after winning the county championship. We’ve come this far now and we can’t wait for the final. We’ll give it our best shot,” says Molly.

It was a great year at camogie and ladies football for one mid Tipperary club