CLANN EIREANN MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW
CLANN EIREANN 0-15 CARRICKCRUPPEN 1-4
Richard Bullick at Silverbridge
Captain Niamh Henderson delivered a Player of the Match performance as Clann Eireann completed their first hat-trick of Orchard county title triumphs since the noughties in condemning Carrickcruppen to a fifth consecutive decider defeat.
Sunday’s Buttercrane Senior Championship showpiece was played at Silverbridge because Armagh GAA didn’t make the Athletic Grounds available but Cruppen couldn’t repeat their historic success of 2010 at the same venue.
The awful weather which had been anticipated all day thankfully failed to materialise during the first two matches of the triple-header but the torrential rain arrived with a vengeance ahead of the big game between these traditional rivals.
With a star-studded team packed with county players, provincial champions Clann Eireann were odds-on favourites to retain the Marie Hoye Cup, although history has taught them to be wary of familiar foes Carrickcruppen.
This was Carrickcruppen’s 15th final in the past 17 seasons, though their last success came in 2018 when two magnificent goals in the space of five minutes by the incomparable Caroline O’Hanlon dashed hot favourites Clann Eireann’s hopes of three-in-a-row.
Now 40, the legendary O’Hanlon started at full forward with her lower left leg still heavily strapped due to the calf problem which has plagued her in recent months but the Armagh midfield maestro still find a way to impact proceedings.
A ball launched in by Ciara Garvey was flicked to the net by O’Hanlon to give unfancied Cruppen an unlikely lead early in the second quarter against Greg McGonigle’s Clann Eireann, who were playing downhill with the breeze behind them.
Up until then, the Lurgan giants had registered just three points courtesy of two frees by Niamh Murray and a point from play by Niamh Coleman after former captain Megan Cinnamond had given Carrickcruppen an early lead by converting a free.
You suspected Clann Eireann were always going to have two much for the Lowe’s Lane ladies but these big games don’t win themselves and the defending champions must thank Tiarna Grimes for really stepping up in the second quarter.
Currently taking a break from Orchard duty, Grimes looks in fantastic shape and she kicked three stupendous points as Clann Eireann eased themselves into a three-point interval lead despite O’Hanlon putting Cruppen in front for a third time with a nice point from play.
Clann Eireann responded to that O’Hanlon score by raising three white flags in as many minutes, with another Murray free and fisted point by Niamh Coleman being followed by a long-range effort from Grimes, who then got her third of the day in injury-time.
It was still all to play for as Cruppen would have the elements behind them after the break but Clann Eireann struck twice within six minutes of the resumption, Eimear McConaghy pointing and Grimes getting her fourth point, this time with her left foot.
Cruppen stalwart Rebecca O’Reilly needed treatment after taking the ball in the face bravely blocking a shot by Niamh Henderson and Anna Carr saved from Murray but McConaghy added another point for Clann Eireann between wides from Cinnamond and O’Hanlon.
A fourth free from Murray gave the team in orange a seven-point buffer and Clann Eireann were content to keep possession for a prolonged period early in the last quarter until the opportunity presented itself for the increasingly influential Niamh Henderson to point.
The end of what had felt like an interminable passage of play allowed Niamh’s 15-year-old niece Cassie Henderson, fresh from winning Junior Female of the Year at Friday night’s ABC Junior Sports Awards, come on for her first Armagh Senior Championship final appearance.
The former European age group boxing champion soon had a low shot towards the far post dealt with by the Cruppen rearguard and the team in red and white finally got their first score of the half when O’Hanlon was the provider for Caitriona O’Hagan in the 60th minute.
Not for the first time in a county final against Clann Eireann, Armagh goalkeeper Carr saved an opposition penalty, launching herself to her right to parry away the spot-kick from Murray though her heroics weren’t going to affect the outcome.
A floated free from Cinnamond was taken wide by the wind and another great break by Grimes led to a point by captain Henderson, who pipped her fellow half forward to the Player of the Match award.
Deep in injury-time, Armagh’s most special sportswoman of the past two decades was being challenged in the middle of the field by the young gun with the potential to dominate the next two, and referee Leo Dougan adjudged Cassie Henderson to have fouled O’Hanlon.
Cinnamond took the free short to her skipper Sharon Reel, got the ball back and launched it inside where it was won by O’Hanlon and laid back for O’Hagan to complete the scoring by reducing Clann Eireann’s eventual victory margin to eight points.
Proud Carrickcruppen will never come to a county final just to make up the numbers but in the circumstances this was a very respectable result – and an improvement from last year’s 14-point decider defeat – against a team with All Ireland title aspirations.
This was the 12th time these clubs have met in the domestic showpiece since 2008, with Clann Eireann’s third consecutive victory being their ninth triumph out of those dozen deciders and a 13th county title win in the past 19 seasons.
Club captain Henderson, along with her Orchard counterpart Clodagh McCambridge and siblings Niamh – who had a fine game in midfield – and Dearbhla Coleman had all picked up Irish News Ulster All Stars on Friday night, as had Cruppen’s Carr.
Another of Clann Eireann’s Armagh regulars, Cait Towe, was named on the national All Stars shortlist the day after the final, with the eight nominees from the Orchard county also including McCambridge, O’Hanlon and Carr.
The ominous thing though for any clubs hoping to challenge Clann Eireann’s domestic dominance in the seasons ahead is the conveyer belt of talent coming through in north Lurgan with young flame-haired defender Erin Melanophy the latest to establish herself.
Minor captain Aoibhin Donohue broke through last season, Cassie Henderson started this year’s quarter and semi-finals while other rising stars such as Aoife McDonald were unused subs last Sunday so it definitely feels like the future is orange.
Clann Eireann will now travel to take on new Monaghan champions Emyvale in the preliminary round of the Ulster Senior Championship this Sunday, with the winners away to the Fermanagh standard-bearers in the next round.
Impressive Emyvale won 5-12 to 1-6 in last weekend’s Monaghan showpiece against Magheracloone, the team who had dethroned Donaghmoyne after more than two decades dominating Farney football, so it will be a real test for McGonigle’s side.
Undefeated this season so far having gone through their McGuinness Plumbing League campaign with a 100 percent record and clinched another domestic double, Clann Eireann will need to find further gears to retain the provincial crown won last autumn for the first time.
Lifting the Marie Hoye Cup for the third year running after being presented with her Player of the Match award rounded off a wonderful weekend for Clann Eireann captain Henderson, who had collected her first Ulster All Star on Friday night.
Having become the first female to captain a club team from the Orchard county to an Ulster title triumph, Henderson returned to the Armagh ranks after a nine-year absence and won Player of the Match as the women in orange reclaimed the provincial crown from Donegal.
CLANN EIREANN: C Lawless; E Melanophy, C McCambridge, G Carvill; R Mulligan, M McCann, D Coleman; C Towe, N Coleman (0-2); A Donohue, N Henderson (capt; 0-2), T Grimes (0-4); E McConaghy (0-2), N Murray (0-5; 5f), M McCambridge. Subs used: C Henderson for McCann (53mins), L Towe for McConaghy (63).
CARRICKCRUPPEN: A Carr; M Watters, R O’Reilly, A McAteer; N Campbell, S Reel (capt), S Kelly; N O’Hagan, C Garvey; K McArdle, M Cinnamond (0-1; 1f), A Carroll; C O’Hagan (0-2), C O’Hanlon (1-1), S McSorley. Subs used: O O’Callaghan for Campbell (55).
Referee: Leo Dougan.
