Rose of Tralee helps Cill Óige reach county final

Rose of Tralee Rachel Duffy swapped the glitz and glamour of the famous festival for a rain swept Tubberclair GAA pitch to play for Cill Óige last Sunday.

Rachel scored two points, one in each half, as Cill Óige (a combination of Rosemount/Castledaly) edged out Goldsmiths in their Westmeath LGFA Junior Championship semi-final.

The young Rosemount woman was crowned as this year's Rose of Tralee last month, thereby becoming the first Rose representing Westmeath to take the title. A graduate of NUI Galway graduate, Rachel currently works in P. Egan’s traditional pub in Moate, and plans to return to university to complete a Master’s Degree in order to become a Spanish and English teacher.

Considering the miserably wet conditions, Cill Óige and Goldsmiths served up an entertaining contest last Sunday. The teams were evenly matched teams and the outcome was in doubt right until the end, with Goldsmiths (a combination of Tubberclair/Tang/Drumraney) missing a late penalty which could have forced extra-time.

Mairead Fox scored 1-2 for Cill Óige while Anna Sheerin's three points from play in the second half also proved crucial. Hazel Kelly scored five points from frees and, in addition to Rachel Duffy's brace of points, influential defender Emma Kelly contributed Cill Óige's remaining score. But it took a team effort from everybody involved to get Cill Óige over the line.

Emma Tumelty scored 1-3 for a youthful Goldsmiths team with their other scores coming from Lisa Seery, Gemma Guinane, Rebecca Higgins and Sinead Seery.

Cill Óige will play St Joseph's in the final after the Streamstown/Horseleap side defeated Athlone in the other semi-final at Páirc Chiaráin on Sunday last. The final is due to take place in Garrycastle on Saturday week, September 24.

Cill Óige: Eliza Jane Sheerin; Clare Molloy, Lisa Gallagher, Anna Cornally; Ciara Nugent, Emma Kelly, Orlaith Fox; Therese O'Reilly, Anna Sheerin; Rachel Duffy, Kacey Rotheroe, Mairead Fox; Hazel Kelly, Michelle King, Aisling Boland. Subs used: Patricia Dubure, Amanda Collins, Aaliyah Farrell. Management team: Patrick Costello, Damien Kelly, Paulette Meehan, Claire McDermott.

Goldsmiths: Rebecca Bowden; Aoife Irwin, Eva Fitzpatrick, Nuala Reynolds; Aisling Nally, Ellen McCabe, Sarah Conlon; Deborah Keneally, Laura Madden; Rebecca Higgins, Lisa Seery, Sinead Seery; Gemma Guinane, Emma Tumelty, Cara Fitzpatrick. Subs used: Aisling English, Leah Duffy, Molly Horan, Aoife Mulligan. Management team: Tom Conlon, Ger Curran, Therese Bannon.

*See full reports on the Cill Óige v Goldsmiths and St Joseph's v Athlone semi-finals in this week's Westmeath Independent.