Meath sides bid for provincial glory Ladies Leinster Club JFC & IFC finals
This Saturday, Boardsmill will become the fourth Meath team in five years to contest the Ladies Leinster Club IFC final when they take on Clonee from Wexford in Baltinglass at 3pm. In a double header at the venue Ratoath will contest the Ladies JFC equivalent prior to the IFC decider, 12.45pm.
Sean Fitzgerald’s Boardsmill side have impressed on their way to the final an, most recently in the semi-final they put six goals past Edenderry, including a hat-trick of goals from Amy Troy.
Throughout the 2010s Boardsmill were a consistent senior side in Meath and reached three deciders in the SFC grade. They slipped down the ranks in the early 2020s but they are now back on the rise and will play senior football again in 2027.
A win on Saturday would see them follow in the footsteps of Na Fianna and St Peter’s who are the last two Meath clubs to claim Leinster Intermediate glory.
Their opponents on Saturday were also goal-hungry in their semi-final. Clonee raised four green flags as they dispatched of Moate to book their spot in the decider. They have plenty of attacking threats and Boardsmill’s full-back line will have to keep particular close tabs on county stars Orlaith Byrne and Emma Tomkins.
That task won’t faze the Mill’s defence too much. In the Meath IFC final, they did a fine job of curtailing the influential and talented St Ultan’s star Rachel Casserly. Boardsmill are not short of attacking options themselves and you would have to imagine that Clonee will have a tough task on their hands in keeping the likes of Laura Dempsey, Susan Kealey, Paula Dorian and Amy Troy quiet.
If Boardsmill perform to the level that they have been doing all year, it is difficult to see them not celebrating Leinster glory on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, Ratoath will be hoping to become the first Meath team to taste Leinster JFC success since Navan O’Mahonys in 2019 when they take on St Vincent’s from Dublin.
Last year's Meath JFC champions, St Colmcille’s made it all the way to the final as well but came up short against Muckalee from Kilkenny.
At the start of the year, Ray Maloney’s charges were warm favourites to bounce back up to intermediate and they delivered on that hype with a comprehensive run through the Meath JFC. Dunshauglin Royal Gaels B had them under pressure in the first-half of the final but ultimately Ratoath came through that test comfortably enough.
They have been impressive on their way to the Leinster final and have scored 11 goals in three provincial outings. Fiona McNerney, Aine Cooke, Rebecca McIntyre and of course, their county star Amy Gaffney offer Ratoath plenty of options going forward.
A strong full-back line of Emma McGill, Louise Gaffney and Cara Reidy provides a strong defensive unit in what is an overall solid Ratoath side. Their opponents St Vincent’s, have also gone about their business well.
They were very solid in defence in their semi-final win over Milltown and only one opposition player contributed to the scoreboard.
Ava Lambe is the danger player for St Vincent’s and she scored 2-7, 2-5 from play in their convincing semi-final victory over the Kildare opposition. Although it must be said that Milltown were without the services that day of two very influential players in Lara Curran and Lauren Murtagh.
Ratoath probably have a slightly more uphill battle to climb than their county counterparts, Boardsmill on Saturday but they are in with a good chance of claiming the club's first-ever ladies' silverware at provincial level.