Outstanding Acheivement Finalist: Loreto College claim two All-Ireland crowns
LORETO College, Cavan have proven themselves the leading ladies football school in the country over the last decade and they under-pinned that again in the last 12 months when winning their second and third All-Ireland Junior ‘A’ titles in succession.
To win any All-Ireland title is a great achievement but to claim a national crown, in the A grade, with 37 points to spare denotes a truly special team and performance. That was the case in March 2023 at the National GAA Campus in Abbotstown, Dublin as Loreto College cruised to an emphatic victory over Munster champions St Mary’s from Middleton in Cork, winning on a scoreline of 10-14 to 0-7.
The Cavan girls were simply magnificent and looked levels above their opponents in all areas of the pitch. Clearly very well coached, they played well all over the pitch and, in truth, the result was beyond doubt as early as 12 minutes into the game – or before.
By that stage, the Cavan side were 5-2 to 0-1 up. By half-time, they had extended that advantage to 6-8 to 0-3 and they continued to dominate, hitting the woodwork on a couple of occasions as they over-ran the Cork side, who battled hard but just found Loreto too good. In a game where every player performed close to their maximum, a few individuals still stood out.
Mullahoran’s Kate Fegan picked up the Player of the Match award while full-forward Clodagh Clarke was deadly, as was captain Sarah Clarke, and the midfield pairing of the athletic Lauren Miney and Ruby Gilmartin completely dominated. At the back, Caitlin Crowe was a tower of strength, with Ailbhe Kennedy playing the sweeper role to perfection. The truth was that there was no weak link on the winning side.
Loreto made further history in March of 2024 when retaining their title with a 3-16 to 3-5 win over Wexford’s FCJ Bunclody. The reigning champions were sublime across the hour with an all-round team performance helping them retain their title in style. A defensive masterclass along with a clinical attacking edge led them to a deserving victory over FCJ who were playing in their schools first ever All Ireland A final.
A goal from Kate Fegan, who scored 4-6 in the 2023 final, got them off the mark and when Katie O’Meara found the net, they were well on their way. By half-time it was 2-7 to 2-1 and another O’Meara goal left Loreto in command. With 54 minutes played the point of the game came from the boot of Kate Fegan who scored an unbelievable long-range effort. The excellent Muireann Donohoe followed this up with her fourth point to finish the scoring for the school as they sailed to a memorable third consecutive All-Ireland title.