Four Westmeath ladies on Leinster football duty this weekend
By Kieran Galvin
Four Westmeath players have been selected on the Leinster ladies football squad for the MMI Interprovincial Tournament this Saturday.
The quartet includes Glasson native Laura Walsh (a former Garrycastle player, who now plays her club football in Dublin), and Athlone IT student Johanna Maher (Tyrrellspass).
The other Westmeath players on the squad are Maud Annie Foley - a sister of Westmeath senior football panellist Ronan Foley - and Ruth Kearney (Milltown). With Kinnegad the venue for the MMI Interprovincial Tournament, Maud Annie will be playing on home turf if she tastes any action.
Westmeath reached the semi-finals of this year's NFL Division 2 - where they were comprehensively defeated by Kerry - and they are now preparing for the championship.
Meanwhile, the Connacht squad includes three Roscommon players - Jennifer Higgins, Natalie McHugh and Sarah Brady.
Roscommon were recently edged out by Offaly in the NFL Division 4 final at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick.
AIT students Emma Curley and Nora Ward (both Galway) are also in the Connacht squad.
The MMI Interprovincial Tournament takes place on Saturday with the best ladies footballers in each province coming together to compete in this unique, day-long tournament. Connacht, Ulster, Munster and Leinster will all compete for the title in Kinnegad from 11am.
The teams will play off in a round robin tournament, with the top two teams going on to compete in the Cup final, and the 3th and 4th ranked teams competing in the Shield final. The finals of the tournament will take place at 3.45pm. Matches will last for 20 minutes a half and there will be penalties in the event of a draw.
The best players in the country will be present on the day for what promises to be a brilliant day of competition.
MMI Interprovincial Tournament
Round 1:
11.00am
Connacht v Ulster
Leinster v Munster
Round 2
12.30pm
Connacht v Leinster
Ulster v Munster
Round 3
2.00pm
Connacht v Munster
Leinster v Ulster
MMI Interprovincial Finals - 3.45pm
Connacht Squad: Yvonne Byrne (Mayo) Martha Carter (Mayo) Noelle Tierney (Mayo) Kathryn Sullivan (Mayo) Sinead Burke (Galway) Claire Egan (Mayo) Emer Flaherty (Galway) Emma Curley (Galway) Aileen Gilroy (Mayo) Jennifer Higgins (Roscommon) Annette Clarke (Galway) Fiona McHale (Mayo) Aine Tighe (Leitrim) Cora Staunton (Mayo) Roisin Colleary (Sligo) Michelle Guckian (Leitrim) Sarah Brady (Roscommon) Edel Concannon (Galway) Catriona Cormican (Galway) Aoibheann Daly (Galway) Deirdre Doherty (Mayo) Ethna Flanagan (Sligo) Barbra Hannon (Galway) Roisin Leonard (Galway) Natalie McHugh (Roscommon) Tracy O’Hara (Sligo) Sarah Rowe (Mayo) Mairead Stenson (Leitrim), Nora Ward (Galway) Deirdre Ward (Leitrim)
Management: Francie Keane (Roscommon), Liam McDonagh (Sligo), Gerry Carmody (Mayo), Shane Curley (Galway).
Leinster Squad: Mary Hulgraine (Kildare), Kiri Lowry (Kildare), Aedin Murray (Meath), Marie Brady (Longford), Clara Donnelly (Wexford), Aisling Quigley (Laois), Sinead Goldrick (Dublin), Tracey Lawlor (Laois), Denise Masterson (Dublin), Johanna Maher (Westmeath), Noelle Healy (Dublin), Laura Walsh (Westmeath), Laurie Ahern (Wicklow), Maria Moolick (Kildare), Kellie Kearney (Wexford), Caoimh Dollard (Laois), Lyndsay Davey (Dublin), Aisling Holton (Kildare), Aishling Savage (Kildare), Jacinta Brady (Longford), Geraldine Doherty (Meath), Maud-Anne Foley (Westmeath), Ruth Kearney (Westmeath), Martha Kirwan (Laois), Grace Lynch (Louth), Jane Moore (Laois), Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow), Katie O’Brien (Meath), Alison Taylor (Laois), Sharon Treacy (Longford)
Management: Dominic Leach (Wicklow), Keith Tighe (Dublin), Aisling Clery (Meath), Irene Munnelly (Meath).
Munster Squad: Elaine Harte (Cork), Ann Marie Walsh (Cork), Brid Stack (Cork), Elaine Power (Waterford), Briege Corkery (Cork), Michelle McGrath (Waterford), Geraldine O'Flynn (Cork, capt.), Bernie Breen (Kerry), Annie Walsh (Cork), Nollaig Cleary (Cork), Linda Wall (Waterford), Sarah Houlihan (Kerry), Niamh O'Dea (Clare), Louise Ni Mhuirtheaigh (Kerry), Aileen Wall (Waterford), Edel Murphy (Kerry), Aislinn Desmond (Kerry), Aisling Barrett (Cork), Michelle Ryan (Waterford), Maria Kelly (Clare), Claire Carroll (Tipperary), Dymphna O'Brien (Limerick), Orla Finn (Cork), Orlaigh Farmer (Cork), Mairead Morrissey (Tipperary), Ailish Considine (Clare), Rhona Ni Bhuachalla (Cork), Emma Farmer (Cork), Valerie Mulcahy (Cork), Sarah Harrington (Cork)
Management: Derry Peters, Pat O'Brien & Peter O'Leary.
Ulster Squad: Linda Martin (Monaghan), Grainne McNally (Monaghan), Sharon Courtney (Monaghan) (Captain), Christina Reilly (Monaghan), Aoife McAnespie (Monaghan), Ciara Hegarty (Donegal), Sinead McCleary (Armagh), Amanda Casey (Monaghan), Caroline O'Hanlon (Armagh), Fionnuala McKenna (Armagh), Caoimhe Mohan (Monaghan), Cora Courtney (Monaghan), Geraldine McLaughlin (Donegal), Ellen McCarron (Monaghan), Ciara McAnespie (Monaghan), Emma Joyce (Down), Clara Fitzpatrick (Down), Laura McEnaney (Monaghan), Clare Timoney (Antrim), Roisin O'Keefe (Cavan), Eilish Ward (Donegal), Yvonne Connell (Monaghan), Cathy Carey (Antrim), Clara O'Reilly (Cavan), Eileen McKenna (Monaghan), Niamh Henderson (Armagh), Niamh McLaughlin (Donegal), Sinead Greene (Cavan), Catherine Mullan (Antrim) Caoimhe Marly (Armagh)
Management: Paddy Donnelly, John Downey, John-Joe Brady, Liam Swift.