Team of the Year award for Moate CS ladies
The Moate Community School senior ladies football team has been selected as the Team of the Year in the 2020 Westmeath Independent Sports Awards.
They didn't get to play their All-Ireland Schools Senior 'A' final - but the Moate CS ladies have been recognised for their tremendous achievement in getting there.
The MCS team built on their Leinster success - they had defeated Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise in the provincial decider - by overcoming Loreto College, Cavan in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final in March of last year.
Shannon Mulvihill and Áine Gaynor scored the goals in Moate's Leinster final win over their Laois opponents (2-11 to 0-9).
In the All-Ireland semi-final against Loreto College, Annie Heavin (two), Ava Cornally and Aoife Dalton found net in the 4-8 to 1-7 victory.
The Moate ladies were due to play Loreto SS, Clonmel in the All-Ireland final just over a year ago.
However, in a year when the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on sport, the team never got the opportunity to play that All-Ireland final.
The Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) cancelled the post-primary schools competitions due to the Covid-19 outbreak – and despite heartfelt pleas from the Moate CS camp, their final was never played.
Moate CS have been a rising force in ladies football over recent years and, in 2019, the school won the All-Ireland Schools Junior ‘B’ title.
Seven different clubs were represented on last year's Moate senior panel, with players from both sides of the Westmeath-Offaly border involved.
With players from areas such as Mount Temple, Baylin, Castledaly, Rosemount, Streamstown, Drumraney, Tang, Garrycastle, Clara, Tubber and Ballycumber, in addition to Moate itself, they had plenty of support on route to an All-Ireland final that, sadly, never happened.
The Team of the Year award was accepted on behalf of the Moate CS team by last year's captain, Róisín Ennis from Ballycumber, vice-captain Emma Kelly from Rosemount and team manager Fidelma Nolan (Quinn). Fidelma was joined on the management team by fellow Galway native Michelle Delaney, Niall Daly (the Padraig Pearses and Roscommon footballer) and Castledaly's Patrice Smyth.
The Westmeath Independent Sports Awards were broadcast online (due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions) last night (Friday).
The event was supported by the sponsorship of Action Physio, Byrne Carolan Cunningham Solicitors, Baysports and the Shamrock Lodge Hotel.
Moate CS 2020 Ladies Football Panel
Holly Keenan (Moate)
Emma Quigley (Caulry)
Emma Kelly (vice-captain, Moate)
Megan Clinton (Caulry)
Therese Geoghegan (Moate)
Cliona McCormack (St Joseph's)
Áine Gaynor (Caulry)
Ava Cornally (Clara)
Róisín Ennis (captain, Naomh Ciaran)
Ailbhe Sheridan (Clara)
Hazel Kelly (Moate)
Shannon Mulvihill (Garrycastle)
Maria Farrell (Moate)
Anna Sheerin (Moate)
Saoirse McGuinness (St Manchan's)
Chloe Moran (Moate)
Joyce Conway (St Joseph's)
Aine Maxwell (St Joseph's)
Hannah Doolan (St Manchan's)
Aoife Dalton (Clara)
Ruth Martin (Caulry)
Annie Heavin (St Manchan's)
Therese Robbins (St Manchan's)
Roisin Killian (St Joseph's)
Sinead Robbins (St Joseph's)
Kacey Burslem Rotheroe (Moate)
Caoimhe Cassidy (St Manchan's)
WATCH
Click below to see the awards ceremony - held online due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions - including interviews with Róisín Ennis, Emma Kelly and Fidelma Nolan.