Mount Saint Michael look forward to another All-Ireland final

ALL-Ireland finals are nothing new for Mount Saint Michael or the Claremorris ladies.

They’re certainly nothing new for Bree Hession. Excluding an FAI Schools Cup Final appearance with Claremorris FC, the 18-year-old Brickens bomber has played in two All-Ireland finals - once with her club in the 2023 All-Ireland junior club final and once with her school, in the 2022 decider of the very competition they are seeking to win later this month.

“We’re just so excited. It’s the place you want to be, in All-Ireland finals,” Hession told The Mayo News after kicking 3-6 against St Joseph’s of Spanish Point.

“We just hope this time we’ll do it right and we’ll have our homework done.”

Hession and many of her Claremorris won county ‘A’ titles in every grade from U-14 to Minor.

Though they may have felt untouchable during that great crusade, they certainly didn’t feel invincible in their recent All-Ireland semi-final.

“We are just relieved to get over it now. In the middle of the second half, we kind of fell asleep a bit, but we are just so happy to be in another one and redeem ourselves from three years ago hopefully,” said Hession.

Her manager, Emma Galligan, felt ‘amazing’ afterwards but was equally as cautious.

“That was a lot closer than I wanted at certain points in the game but then at least they brought it back and it’s good to have a good challenge,” Galligan told The Mayo News.

“We conceded a goal in the first minute and I think when they came back from that and they played the way that they can, the running off the shoulder, passing the ball, I think that was excellent,” she observed from the same field where the school won the 2022 All-Ireland ‘B’ semi-final.

“But it’s unreal to be in All-Ireland final and now in two teams from Claremorris are in two All-Irelands in the space of two weeks so it’s really good for the town.”

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Times to be savoured, surely.