Fifth Straight All-Ireland Ladies Football Titles For Victorious Cork

On Monday night last (28th Sept. 2009) the village of Inch in East Cork was a hive of activity, its not often a team can return home with one All Ireland under their belt never mind 5 in a row, which this  Cork team have achieved. Cork captain Mary O’Connor, Angela Walsh, Annie Walsh, Ann Marie Walsh and Amy O’Shea all from the Inch Ladies football club returned home to a heroes welcome. As they took to the stage at around 10.30pm the crowd roared their approval.
Report/Photo/Video  Shane Supple

As a child we all dream of winning the cup that makes us heroes, our dreams are filled with us scoring that winning goal or point, crossing the line for the last try of a game, serving an ace at Wimbledon, whatever sport it is, as children we are always on the winning side, sadly as we grow older these dreams and hopes are pushed to one side as we go through school, get a job, get married and grow older but for a dedicated team of ladies from Inch and Cork this dream was never pushed to one side, not forgotten, but worked on throughout the long winter months running up and down wet muddy fields, training and playing football.

All over the county these players who had already won 4 All Irelands in a row and didn’t owe the Cork fans anything more were working hard, planning ahead, getting fit, playing through the pain barrier, practicing, training living their lives around the game of Ladies Football. Doing everything it takes to make these dreams come true and on Sunday afternoon last in the stronghold of GAA Croke Park these ladies became one of the greatest ladies football teams ever by achieving the impossible 5 All Ireland Titles in a row. The dream was no more it was reality.

If you take the astonishing record of some of these players its amazing when you look at them so young and fit eager and happy with a full life still ahead of them. Take Mary O’Connor for example a young lady who so far has won an incredible 5 All Ireland Senior Ladies football medals, add to that the 7 All Ireland Camogie Senior medals you have what many players can never achieve. 12 All Ireland medals at senior level playing for Cork.

Some counties cant even win one and she has 12. Add in the rest of the girls Angela Walsh with her full compliment of Camogie and Football medals along with many of the 15 who played on Sunday its an amazing feat. We all talk of Kilkenny winning 4 in a row but five in a row in any sport is superhuman. Many things will be written about how good the men are, how fast how strong they are and how dedicated but today I have seen women far more dedicated to their own sport then many others, that is why Cork can celebrate 5 in row.

Last night at the welcome home for these girls I looked around the crowd at many of the younger players, they were mixing freely with these legends of sport chatting, Talking, playing and interacting with some of the greatest sportswomen they will ever meet, to those children who went home last night and dreamt of their day in the sun on the steps of the Hogan stand we wish them every success and pray they can do all it takes to make their dreams come through.

Every credit must also go to the back room team behind the girls, for local football wizard and Inch manager Noel O’Conner well done, to Eamon Ryan Cork Coach what can you say about this man that hasn’t been said, he is a great manager and a great tactician but most of all he knows football and has done Cork proud leading this panel of players to their fifth All Ireland in a row.

Video: Shane Supple

The homecoming was a great evening for all concerned with local singer Art Supple on hand to sing the Banks, the local hall filled to capacity, the ladies who made the tea and sandwiches, DJ Ollie McCarthy who entertained everyone with his disco and to the Cork Ladies Football panel in its entirety a big well done to you all for a great night of memories.

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