Lilting accents and warm welcomes

THE morning broke softly with early fog around the region but lifted in good time for what was hoped would be a special day for the Claremorris region. We were not disappointed on an afternoon that delivered a superbly entertaining showdown that gripped the big attendance in a special way.

From the land of Ó Caháin (Keane) where bleak mountains rise, they came to support their girls with the warm and endearing hearts that is such a part of the Derry tradition. Claremorris has never had so many lilting Derry accents ‘in town’ before and they were the finest of people, beautiful in their gentle nature that Seamus Heaney, one of their own from Bellaghy, celebrated in his wonderful poems.

The first people from Derry I met on the way into the game were Vincent and Mary O’Neill from Lavey. They were so appreciative of the warm welcome of the Claremorris Ladies Club in erecting a welcome sign for the Derry girls as they came off the N17. Their affinity with Mayo did not end there.

Mary recalled how Mayo is engraved in the family circle in a very special way. Her grandfather died in the old Parish Church in Knock back in 1954 while on a pilgrimage visit to the Marian Shrine. The bond between her family in Derry and Mayo has lingered down the years.

Local man Eamon Kelly was on the PA address and did a fine job welcoming the supporters of both teams.

The fondness for the progress of Claremorris ladies team this year has, as they might say down in Wexford, set the heather blazing. You could sense it in every conversation in recent days and the goodwill manifested itself superbly with the big home support on Sunday.

Two early goals from Nina Wallace gave them a lead they were never to surrender and here was no prouder grandfather in Claremorris that the genial Frank Donnelly in Lower James Street who recently celebrated his 90th birthday!

But the Derry girls rallied in style and cut the margin to three later in the half. But then team captain Laura Kelly delivered a goal of beauty. Former Claremorris players from the mid-1970s, Teresa Higgins (Ward) and Norrie Duggan (Walsh) were already dreaming of an All Ireland appearance for the brave hearts of the current generation.

The Lavey girls carried the game to Claremorris in the second half, full of Derry pride and resilience. But it was Ashleagh Sammon from Curneen, the youngest player on the field, along with Bree Hession, who raised the loudest cheers of the day with a brace of superb goals that were ultimately to carry Claremorris over the line.

Claremorris had outstanding players in Alana Fitzpatrick, Aisling and Amy Cummins, Marian Cawley, Bree Hession, Ashley Sammon, Laura Kelly, Nina Wallace, Ellie McGuire, Rebecca Kean, Joanne Regan and Isobel Phillips but it was truly an overall team performance that saw them home.

Erin’s Own from Lavey can be proud of their 2023 season. Caitriona and Eilís Toner, along with Carla Collins, were outstanding for the Derry side. There was a dignity to their style and ethos that impressed us all. On this occasion and far away from lovely Derry on the banks of the Foyle, they were superb ambassadors for their county.

Aidan Brennan becomes the first Claremorris man to lead a club team from the parish to an All Ireland Final when they will now meet O’Donovan Rossa from Skibbereen in the All Ireland Final the weekend after next. Claremorris abú!