Kerry lost to Dublin this afternoon in the Lidl Ladies National Football League, 2-10 to 2-12.
Dublin played with a sizeable breeze in the first half and were much too lively in the early exchanges for a Kerry side that were giving a number of fringe players a start on the day.
By the 16th minute the Dubs led by 2-4 to 0-1. Their movement and skill was causing the home side a lot of problems and Niamh Hetherton, Hannah Tyrrell with two (1 free) slotted points and in the 14th minute Sophie McIntyre fed Chloe Darby for a brilliant goal.
Darby followed up with a point straight afterwards and then came Dublin’s second goal when Eilish O’Dowd sliced through the Kerry rearguard to finish confidently past Mary Ellen Bolger in the Kerry goal to put her side 2-4 to 0-1 ahead.
Kerry were threading water at this stage but got a lifeline when full forward Julia Curtin finished confidently past Katie Moran Tighe, with Danielle O’Leary and Leah Boyle heavily involved.
Jodi Egan, with a monster, and Boyle for Kerry traded points, and with Kerry now pushing up on the Dublin kickout, all they had to reward them was an O’Leary free whilst Kate Murray raised a white flag at the short whistle to see Dublin take a double scores 2-6 to 1-3 lead at half time.
Kerry made nine changes at half time but it was Dublin who started brighter with scores from Chloe Darby (free) and Jodi Egan but Siofra O’Shea (free) and Rachel Dwyer replied in kind for Kerry.
O’Shea added another brace for the home side before Jadyn Lucey got a good score from distance. By the 55th minute Dublin continued to lead by 2-11 to 1-9 before Katie Hannan in the Kerry goal was forced into a great save from Jodi Egan.
Kerry came at Dublin with all guns blazing for the last few minutes. Dwyer rattled the crossbar and in the 60th minute Siofra O’Shea finished brilliantly past Moran Tighe.
It was too little too late though as Dublin held on for a hard fought two point victory.
Scorers: Dublin: C Darby 1-2 (1f), H Tyrrell 0-5 (4f), E O’Dowd 1-0, J Egan 0-2, N Hetherton 0-2, K Murray 0-1.
Kerry- S O’Shea 1-3 (0-1f), J Curtin 1-0, D O’Leary 0-2f, J Lucey 0-2, L Boyle 0-1,R Dwyer 0-1, A Galvin 0-1.
Dublin: K Moran Tighe; J Tobin, L Caffrey, A Kane; A Curran, A Nyhan, K Murray; É O’Dowd, H McGinnis; A Timothy, C Darby, J Egan; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, S McIntyre. Subs: M Byrne for A Nyhan H/T, K Sullivan for A Timothey 43, S Birnie for K Murray 49, G Kos for J Egan 60.
Kerry: ME Bolger; F O’Donoghue, E Lynch, K Cronin; A O’Connell, K O’Connor, C McCarthy; N Quinn, M O’Connell; L Boyle, N Ní Chonchúir, J Gill; C Evans, J Curtin, D O’Leary. Subs: R Rahilly for K O’Connor, K Hannan for ME Bolger, A Galvin for N Quinn, N Carmody for , J Lucey for D O’Leary, L O’Shea for L Boyle, R Dwyer for J Curtin, A Dillane for C McCarthy, N Carmody for N Ní Chonchúir, S O’Shea for J Gill, (all H/T), K Enright for M O’Connell 41, É Ní Laighin for E Lynch, É O’Connor for A O’Connell (both 45), K Sugrue for F O’Donoghue, R Smith for K Cronin (both 50), D O’Leary for C Evans 60
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).
Kerry manager Mark Bourke
Armagh 4-5
Meath 2-12
By Shaun Casey
A late rally from the Royal County saw them grab a one-point win over Armagh at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in the last round of the LIDL National League. In a dead rubber contest, the three-points on offer made no impact on the final placing in the table.
Defending champions Armagh qualified for the league final last weekend despite suffering their first defeat of the season to Waterford. For long periods of Saturday’s encounter they held the lead, but Meath nipped ahead late on.
Both sides emptied their benches in the second half, with the home side making 13 changes while Meath introduced seven new players. Shane McCormack’s side finished the stronger of the two teams, with the incredible Emma Duggan proving the hero.
With both defences on top during the early exchanges, Duggan was the difference and her three points had Meath 3-1 ahead by the end of the first quarter, with Armagh’s sole response coming through Blaithin Mackin.
Armagh struck a purple patch, hitting 2-2 on the bounce with Kelly Mallon slotting over frees either side of the goals. Niamh Coleman ghosted behind the Meath defence to nail the first while Mallon flicked home an Eve Lavery shot that dropped short.
Ciara Smyth and Duggan (2) split the posts but Armagh bagged their third major. Some incredible quick hands from the home attack saw the ball worked to Aoife McCoy, who fired her side into a 3-3 to 0-6 half time lead.
Duggan closed the gap at the start of the second period with a brace before Mallon grew her personal tally to 1-3. Substitute Caoimhe McNally hit the net but 1-1 from Smyth, along with a point from Ella Moyles kept Meath in touch.
Lauren McConville, who shadowed Vikki Wall, landed a brilliant long range free before Duggan nailed a goal to tie the score. With the final play of the game, Duggan tapped over a free on the 70th minute to earn a final day win for Meath.
Scorers – Meath: E Duggan 1-9 (4f), C Smyth 1-2, E Moyles 0-1.
Armagh: K Mallon 1-3 (3f), A McCoy 1-0, N Coleman 1-0, C McNally 1-0, B Mackin 0-1, L McConville 0-1f.
Meath: M McGuirk; A Sheridan, S Wall, K Kealy; K Newe, MK Lynch, A Gaffney; N Gallogly, O Sheehy; M Thynne, M Farrelly, C Smyth; M Byrne, V Wall, E Duggan. Subs: K Berminham for M Byrne (36), C Lawlor for A Gaffney (40), E Moyles for O Sheehy (44), N Troy for K Kealy (47), O Callan for M Thynne (50), N McEntee for M Farrelly (55), O Smith for A Sheridan (56).
Armagh: B Mathers; M Ferguson, C McCambridge, L Kenny; G Ferguson, L McConville, R Mulligan; N Coleman, B Mackin; E Druse, A McCoy, E Lavery; K Mallon, C O’Hanlon, N Henderson. Subs: M McCann for L Kenny (temporary sub, 35), M Lennon for E Lavery (40), C McNally for E Druse (47), C Traynor for B Mathers (50), L Kavanagh for B Mackin (52), M McCann (52), C Garvey for G Ferguson (54) E McConaghy for N Henderson (54), E McGeown for K Mallon (56), S Quigley for M Ferguson (56), L Marsden for A McCoy (60), B Hendron for C McNally (67), M Lavery for N Coleman (69).
Referee: David Hurson
Waterford 2-13
Mayo 1-6
By Oisín McGovern
Mayo suffered relegation to Division 2 of the Lidl National Football League for 2026 after going to a superior Waterford outfit at Kilmacthomas.
Two goals from Lauren McGregor were the main highlights as Tomás Mac a t’Saoir’s side, who finished third in the Division 1 table, triumphed as Mayo finished bottom after just one win from seven games.
Mayo led briefly when Annie Gough buried a well-taken goal in the second minute with their best move of the game.
However, Liam McHale’s side failed to replicate that ingenuity as Waterford re-took the lead when McGregor finished a goal at the end of the first quarter.
The Déise played the rest of the game with a tempo and intensity that Mayo did not match.
The Green and Red mounted several attacks but failed consistently to get the ball into the scoring zone.
All the while, their hosts pulled further in front, with six different players scoring before half-time. The 1-8 1-0 half-time score was a fair reflection of a half where Mayo worked hard but misfired up front.
Even after Danielle Caldwell moved from wing-back to full-forward, Mayo struggled to keep up with Waterford’s slick attacking play.
The visitors began the second half well when Sinéad Walsh (a free) and Ciara Whyte added two to their tally.
However, Mayo — who needed to defeat Waterford and for Tyrone to beat Kildare for a chance to survive Division 1 — did not build on their good start.
Spurred by their substitutes, Mayo conjured some goal chances but struck several wides.
Waterford, meanwhile, pressed ahead and went 2-10 1-2 up after 40 minutes when McGregor shrugged off a challenge to finish her and Waterford’s second goal.
Niamh Mooney countered with a point for Mayo before Aoife Brazil narrowly missed the chance to raise Waterford’s third green flag soon after.
The impressive Kellyann Hogan kicked the pick of the scores through a free as Mayo responded with late, but ultimately futile, efforts from Nicola O’Malley and Alannah Devereux.
Scorers - Waterford: L McGregor 2-1, K Hogan 0-6 (6f), C Fennell (1f), C Walsh 0-2 each, B McMaugh, A O’Neill 0-1 each.
Mayo: A Gough 1-0, S Walsh 0-2 (1f), A Devereux, N O’Malley, N Mooney, C Whyte 0-1.
WATERFORD: K Gardiner; C Murray, R Casey, M Ryan; Á O’Neill, E Power, K McGrath; E Murray (capt.), H Power; C McCarthy, B McMaugh, K Hogan; K Murray, C Walsh, L McGregor. Subs: C Fennell for McCarthy (22), A Brazil for E Power (H/T), L Ni Harta for McMaugh (H/T), L O’Shea for O’Neill (48), A Murray for Walsh (48), A Murphy for Ryan (54), E Bolger for K Murray (48), N Power for H Power (54), O Kennedy for C Murray (55), M Dunford for E Murray (55), C Reynolds for Casey (59), N Whelan for E McGrath (59), D Beresford for Hogan (59)
MAYO: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, N O’Malley, C Durkan; D Caldwell (capt.), C Whyte, S Lally; H Reape, A Geraghty; C Doherty, E Murray, S Delaney; A Gough, C Keane, S Walsh
Subs: N Mooney for Keane (H/T), E Brennan for Doherty (H/T), M McHale for Whyte (40), J Mortimer for Reape (48), A Flanagan for Geraghty (50, inj.), S Tuohy for Gough (52), A Devereux for Delaney (58)
Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford)
Kildare 4-10
Tyrone 2-8
By Pat Costello
A second half hat-trick by Róisín Byrne helped Kildare turn around a lack-lustre first half and a one point half time deficit to defeat Tyrone in Round 7 of the Lidl NFL Division 1 tie at Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge and so retain their Division 1 status for 2025.
In the process the Kildare win sends Tyrone down to Division 2 for next season.
It was also an historic day as it was the first ladies football game to be played at the newly developed Kildare county grounds.
Kildare opened the brighter and Lara Curran pointed inside two minutes. The Lilywhites won possession from the kickout and Róisín Byrne sent Aoife Murnane in to finish a left footed shot to the net.
The Lilywhites looked to be blooming at that stage but they failed to capitalise on possession and recorded a number of wides. This inspired Tyrone and on their first major attack they came away with a goal after Chloe McCaffrey’s 14 yard free was defected past Mary Hulgraine in the Kildare goal.
The sides were level on three occasions in the first half but Tyrone knocked over three points in a row in the third quarter through Niamh O’Neill, two from frees to lead by two as half time approached.
Róisín Byrne finally stopped Kildare’s wastefulness with a point just before half time to see her side trail 1-3 to 1-4 at the break.
Kildare got the perfect start to the second half with a point from Aoife Rattigan inside ten seconds and the corner forward then set up Byrne for the first of her three second half goals two minutes later. Byrne got her second from a free in the 37th minute after the Tyrone goalkeeper, Caitlin Donnelly and the defence failed to stop the ball from crossing the line and Kildare were now firmly in the driving seat at 4-6 to 1-4, despite losing Amy Mahon to the sin bin in the 33rd minute.
Byrne’s hat-trick arrived in the 40th minute when substitute Gillian Wheeler’s long punt was flicked to the net by the corner forward. Despite losing Meabh Mallon and Jayne Lyons to yellow cards in the closing stages Tyrone continued to fight and they were rewarded with a goal from substitute Aoife McGahan on the stroke of full time.
It was too late, though, to trouble Kildare and their bid to retain Division 1 status as the Lilywhites ran out comfortable winners on the day.
Scorers: Kildare: R Byrne 3-1, A Murnane 1-0, A Rattigan 0-2, L Curran 0-1, M Aspel 0-1, M Doherty 0-1, L Shaw 0-1, N Dooley 0-1 (free), A Prizeman 0-1, L McGovern 0-1.
Tyrone: C McCaffrey 1-2 (2 frees), N O'Neill 0-5 (4 frees), A McGahan 1-0, S Gormley 0-1.
KILDARE: M Hulgraine; R Sargent, L Lenehan, E Wheeler; M Doherty, L Dunlea, M Aspel; C Sullivan, L Curran; C Moran, L Shaw, N Dooley; A Rattigan, A Murnane, R Byrne. Subs: G Wheeler for C Sullivan 8, A Mahon for C Moran H/T, S Galvin for L Curran 37, E Dowling for A Rattigan 45, A Prizeman for L Shaw 45, L McGovern for A Murnane 53, K Miley for A Mahon 53, E Brereton Foley for N Dooley 58, R Fennin for M Hulgraine 60, A Kilkenny for M Doherty 60, H Murphy for L Lenehan 60 +3, Z Brierty for R Byrne 60 +3, L Reilly for E Wheeler 60 + 3, C Wheeler for R Sargent 60 + 5.
TYRONE: C Donnelly; J Lyons, C Campbell, E Quinn; T McElroy, M Corrigan, S McCarroll; M Mallon, A McHugh; E McNamee, E McCanny, C McCaffrey; N O’Neill, S Gormley, A Horisk. Subs: A McGahan for E McCanny H/T, C Canavan for A Grimes 40, G McKenna for E Quinn 40, E Conroy for E McNamee 48, A Strain for T McElroy 52, M Canavan for A Horisk 59.
Referee: Angela Gallagher (Meath)
