Fermanagh ladies will look to make the All-Ireland Junior Championship final when they take on London on Sunday in Dunleer, County Louth at the home of Lannliere GFC at 12 noon.
The game promises to be a watershed for a young Fermanagh team with a sprinkling of experienced heads that has proved an irresistible force this year. All the more remarkable given that Fermanagh ladies did not win a game last year and now stand 60 minutes away from an All-Ireland final and A run out at Croke Park.
Fermanagh take on a London team that is widely tipped as the favourites to lift the crown but on the back two of high scoring displays so far in the All-Ireland series, Fermanagh, equally, will go into the game with little to fear.
London are a bit of an unknown quantity but one face will be familiar with Irvinestown’s Naoimhín Daly who will be lining out for London.
Naoimhín was part of the Fermanagh squad that made an All-Ireland final in 2014 when still at College and played for Fermanagh at the end of last year when she returned from Liverpool. Now relocated to London where she is a teacher, Naoimhín is looking forward to the challenge and the lure of an All-Ireland final in Croke Park.
“It will be a bit strange coming up against Fermanagh but hopefully we can do the business,” said Naoimhín who has also worked at the Bawnacre Centre in Irvinestown.
“Whenever you go out it always about winning and everyone is looking forward to the challenge at this stage. We won the All-Britain championship and then we defeated Kilkenny to get to this stage and we are only one game away from Croke Park. We have been training hard and trained four times last week and but are winding down a bit this week. Our team is made up of players from all over including a couple of British natives and we travel over on Saturday evening. It should be a good game,” revealed the Irivnestown native.
The man who has overseen this Fermanagh transformation is Emmett Curry and the Derrylin man is certainly looking forward to Sunday’s clash.
Following the recent club championship clashes, he is happy to have a clean bill of health to choose from.
“All is good , we have no injuries and we have a clean bill of health with 24 girls out training. We played a challenge game on Friday and they all came through that and we are just ready to go at this stage,” explained Emmett.
He added: “The mood in the camp is good, we have a good mix of youth and experience with the likes of Aisling Moane, Roisin Gleesson, Marita McDonald and Sharon Little complemented by the young talent coming through like Eimear Smyth, Blathain Bogue and Danielle McManus.
“Micky Cadden has done a superb job training them so it’s all systems go. This team has a really bright future no matter what happens on Sunday but we know chances like this do not come around too often, so we must take it. Everybody is excited and looking forward to the game.”
Emmett has been running his eye over the London team in preparation.
“We have videos of them playing and we have been looking at that. Everybody is saying that they are the favourites for the whole thing but we will see. I would be hopeful that if we play to our best we can win and I suppose Sunday will tell the tale,” concluded the Fermanagh boss.
All a far cry from last year then for Fermanagh but whatever happens one thing is for sure, there will be some Fermanagh representation in the final be that Naoimhín or this up and coming young team.
Sunday, as always will tell the tale.
Sunday, September 3
TG4 All Ireland Junior Championship Semi Final
Fermanagh v London,
12 noon in Dunleer, County Louth