Mayo Rounders team with second All-Ireland triumph in a row

The celebrations have just begun. Kilmeena Rounders mixed team pulled off an impressive feat last Sunday. After winning the All-Ireland Junior championship only last year, they followed up with the All-Ireland Intermediate crown. A fantastic feat, regarding the fact, that the Rounders section of the club was only founded four years ago: “It's a great achievement. We have a great sense of pride in our community” says Stephen Cox, Kilmeena Rounders club chairman: “We made a few stops on our way home on Sunday. Especially walking the cup over the Shannon in Tarmonbarry was a special moment, and then there were bonfires when we arrived in Kilmeena. A few guys booked a couple of days off to celebrate the big win as well. It's not often that All-Irelands are won!”

Kilmeena Rounders already have two of them in the cabinet. A success that did not come easy. The final against Raheen from Wexford was a tight affair and went down right to the wire: “It was nip and tuck going into the third innings of five. We ended up needing three runs to win it and fortunately we held our nerve and scored four runs in the final play. The experience from winning an All-Ireland last year helped us stay calm” explained Cox.

Since its foundation four years ago, the Rounders club in Kilmeena has been continuously growing. “We have husbands and wives and uncles and nieces playing together on the same team, with an age range from 20s to 50s”, said Cox. Of course the goal for the mixed team next year will be to make waves on senior level.