Tag Archive for: St Kierans Rounders

GAA Rounders Mixed All-Ireland Finals Previews – 13 September 2026

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We’ve made it lads! We’re at the last of our three weekends of Finals and there’s every chance the best has been saved for last. That’s a lot of pressure!

Both our Women’s and Men’s Days were amazing in every way – close games, excellent catches, fantastic batting and decent enough weather! – but as our USP, our code that marks us apart from any other Gaelic game at adult level and the GAA’s most inclusive sport, our Mixed finals will be a very special day in our calendar. The first year all three Mixed finals have been played on the same day in the same venue, this promises to be a thrilling, fast-paced and excitement-packed day for players, officials and spectators alike.

Moving out of Leinster, our venue for Sunday will be Mallow GAA and we’re very much looking forward to playing in their excellent facilities. With use of the main pitch, with a covered stand and terrace, we’re anticipating some amazing Rounders all day.

Junior Final: Galway City Rapparees vs Kilmore

I really should have told someone in March so you could believe how impressive my future telling skills are, but this was the Junior Mixed final I had hoped to see from before the 2026 season started! Two über-skilled squads with talent to burn on both sides, both highly entertaining to watch and both made up of some of the nicest people you could meet. Having watched, and refereed, both throughout the season, they have only improved as the year went on and are, without a doubt, our two best Junior Mixed sides from the 22 teams which started the year in May.

GAA Rounders President Paula Doherty with Jamie Sharkey and Nicola Craughwell of Kilmore and Mel Mannion and Ajay Kumar of Galway City Rapparees

Kilmore, from Roscommon, topped Mixed Group B winning all six of their games….without needing to ever play five innings. Hitting the knockout stages at the end of July, their quarter-final was against Carlow side Myshall who had also impressed all season. Tight until the fourth innings, Kilmore then found another gear and pulled ahead, going on to win the game 30-12 with a bat in hand.

Kilmore Junior Mixed

This led to a semi-final match-up against Na Piarsaigh of Limerick who had impressed in their quarter-final against Carrickmacross Emmets, winning by the tightest of margins. Having lost their Women’s semi-final to eventual winners St. Kieran’s of Limerick that morning – and having also lost their First Base minder, Ana Carr, to a broken leg and dislocated ankle that morning – the Roscommon side were fired up to ensure that this result went their way. And went their way it did, running out winners on a 16-1 scoreline. On fire that day, Oisín Boland missed nothing and was responsible for six outs from clean catches. A few others helped him out on the day but safe to say Oisín was Player of that Match!

Galway City Rapparees played less matches to get to the knockout stages – their Mixed Group A only had four teams but with three wins in the bag, they were quarter-final bound and met Emo of Laois in Tymon Park. In a fairly clinical display of both batting and fielding skill, they won that game 15-3 with standout performances from Ajay Kumar, Greg Mannion and Cat Carty. Their semi-final pairing was against Monaghan side Inniskeen Grattans who had overcome Leighlinbridge in an exciting and fast-paced quarter-final. Once again, Rapparees hit the ground running and cruised to an 18-7 win with a bat in hand.

Galway City Rapparees Junior Mixed

And now, here we are, with the two top teams facing off in the ultimate challenge to see who is the top Junior Mixed team in Rounders for 2026.

We’re really looking forward to seeing the skill, ability, tactics, game awareness and speed of these players. We can’t wait for the catches – from infielders and outfielders alike. We know we’ll be bowled over (see what I did there!) by the pitchers and the quick reflexes of the back catchers. And we’re expecting top class batting, speedy running and a bit of base stealing! But most of all, we know this will be a display of sportsmanship of the highest level because as well as talent in abundance, these two sides have displayed all year just how sporting and respectful they are – to Referees and their opponents. And win, lose or draw, that’s one of the most important things we could have in an All-Ireland final.

I can’t tell you how excited and honoured I am to be Referee for this game and I’m delighted to be joined by local umpires, St. Kieran’s Michael Sheahan, St. Senan’s Ian Sheehy and Kildimo Pallaskenry’s Hazel Hartigan.

Ádh mór oraibh go léir

Intermediate Final: Emo vs Galway City Rapparees

Nope, not a typo, those Galway City Rapparees will be back again at 1pm in yet another final – three in one year, not too shabby! This time their Intermediate Mixed team will be hoping to take the leap to join their Men in the Senior Ranks in 2027. And standing in their way will be last year’s Intermediate Mixed beaten finalists, Laois’ finest, Emo.

GAA Rounders president Paula Doherty with Intermediate Mixed finalists Tomás Kenny, left, and Alex Stewart of Galway City Rapparees and John Paul Tynan and Claire Hyland of Emo

Since losing out last year, by just one run, to Erne Eagles, Emo have spent this year honing their skills, practicing hard, recruiting a few new players – The Heath’s Austin O’Meara and Aaron Keane – and just doubling down on the great play that got them to last year’s final.

With two geographically split groups in Intermediate Mixed, Emo were drawn against Dublin Metropolitans, Glynn Barntown, Gusserane and Raheen and won all four of their games by at least five runs, setting them up for a semi-final rematch of last year’s final against Erne Eagles. On that August morning in Galway, Emo showed their grit and resilience by winning 17-10 and marching on into the final.

Emo Intermediate Mixed

And what of the Galway Rapparees and their path to the final? In Intermediate Mixed Group B, consisting of Connacht, Munster and Ulster teams they also won all four of their games – against Erne Eagles, Michael Glavey’s, St. Clare’s and St. Senan’s – comprehensively in some cases, and got themselves to a semi-final against Dublin Metropolitans. Another decisive victory (28-6) saw them move one step closer to another title and set up a final against Emo.

Having met last year at the semi-final stages, a game which Emo won by one run, Rapparees will be anxious to overturn that result and take the win and the title. Both sides show excellent game knowledge and we can expect to see clever play, smart batting and some base stealing if infielders are slow.

One of the interesting things about this game is that both teams have very different styles and come at the sport from different angles, but it still has the makings of a very close contest and of being a fine example of how spectacular our game is when played well.

Galway Rapparees Intermediate Mixed

As with the Junior Mixed final, this Intermediate decider will be contested by the top two teams in the country at this level which, on paper, means that we’ll see the best of the best battle it out for the title. In reality what we’ll hopefully see is two teams that really want to play senior next year, 18 players, and substitutes, that want to give their all for their club to take the cup and the honours, and two clubs who have spent an entire year preparing for and working towards this moment showing us just how ready to be part of our 2027 Senior Championship they are.

Ádh mór gach duine…bainigí taitneamh as an cluiche!

Our Intermediate final Referee will be PJ Lalor of Myshall, and he will be assisted by umpires Hazel Hartigan, Michael Sheahan and Niall Sheehy.

And for the final time in these articles I need to recognise and acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the five Club Secretaries of the teams involved in Sunday’s finals for their help and assistance all year. Anyone who hasn’t held the title of Club Secretary really can’t understand the number of hours, the commitment, the patience and tenacity and the sheer determination that keeps them going through an entire season of organising, emailing, WhatsApping, chasing, writing, replying and sometimes just annoying people until they get a response. You – and the 62 other Club Secretaries of our 2026 affiliated clubs  – are the backbone of our organisation and I’m in awe of the amount of work you all do voluntarily, for no other reason than that you love Rounders. But today, my special thanks are extended to Joe, Ruth, Claire, Ciara and Aileen – superstars every one of you!

Senior Mixed Final: Breaffy vs Glynn Barntown

Our Final game of the day, and of the Championship season, will be our Senior Mixed final and the honour of lifting the Dympna Reilly Cup will fall to either the defending Champions, Breaffy of Mayo, or Glynn Barntown of Wexford.

As a wise man once said “you don’t just accidentally show up in the finals”! And he’s right – it takes a lot of hard work and dedication – winter leagues, pre-season strength and conditioning, training all season long, hours of travelling, the highs and lows of winning and losing, injuries, arguments, difficult decisions and a lot of jersey washing! And these teams have seen all that, and more, since April when we started back for 2026.

GAA Rounders president Paula Doherty with Senior Mixed finalists Victor del Rosal and Michelle Hopkins of Breaffy and Aileen Kelly of Glynn Barntown

The year started with seven Senior Mixed teams – from Breaffy in the north west to Glynn Barntown in the south east, Limekiln on the east coast to Kilmeena on the west coast, Carrickmacross Emmets, and Erne Eagles in Ulster and Cúchulainn in south Leinster. With everyone playing everyone else, a lot of miles were driven and 21 games played over three and a half months.

Our semi-finals took place on 23 August in Monaghan GAA Centre of Excellence with the first match being contested by Breaffy and Carrickmacross Emmets.

Unbeaten all year, Breaffy won all their league games. With the exception of their May encounters with Cúchulainn and Glynn Barntown, both of which had tight scorelines, they won by multiple runs and often with a bat or more in hand. Their ability to punish mistakes, spot opportunities and work together as a team is why they are going for their third Senior Mixed title in a row. Champions don’t stay Champions unless they put in the work, continue to develop their skills, develop their squads and show up continuously.

Breaffy Senior Mixed

The Breaffy team who won their semi-final against Carrickmacross Emmets was a tried and tested formula of players who know what to do and how to do it, who can anticipate each other’s moves and know how to win games. Leading from the first innings and adding to their score in each successive at bat they kept Carrickmacross bringing home no more than two runners in any innings and scoreless for the final two. While most of the outs were from clean catches – Colin Cannon, Colm Jordan, Michelle Hopkins, Katie Groonell, Victor del Rosal and John Gibbons all getting in on the action – there were also outs on base – from Mark Jennings and Gráinne Gavin – showing their speed at getting the ball to base.

Glynn Barntown’s route to final was similarly impressive with only their defeat to Breaffy marring their perfect record. Their final scores were mostly tighter but a win is a win! Their semi-final was against Carlow side Cúchulainn and it was a cracker, as we knew it would be. Although the Wexford team lead from the first innings, it was one of those games that always had the potential to turn around and every innings was hard fought, by both sides. Glynn Barntown set down a marker in the first with three up, three out which is the start every team wants. But Cúchulainn made them work for their victory with some spectacular catches and outs on base of their own. At their seventh time to bat, Cúchulainn needed five to draw but with two catches and an out on base Glynn Barntown closed that down within the first four batters and booked their place in Sunday’s final against Breaffy.

Glynn Barntown Senior Mixed

As we’ve seen for the past two Sundays in our Senior Finals, coming into a final as defending Champion brings its own level of pressure and Breaffy will be aware of this. They will also want to complete this three in a row while Glynn Barntown will be anxious to take the title – which they last won in 2019 – back to Wexford.

We know that both teams can produce the goods – we’ve seen how skilful and strategic they can be, we know they can catch balls from the sky, hit sliotars 80m, run fast and throw long, we know they both support their fellow players through good and bad and we’re really looking forward to seeing all that, and more, from 3.30pm on Sunday in Mallow.

Beirigí bua gach duine!

A special final deserves a legendary Referee and we’ve kept the best til last and asked our Vice President Michael Dowling to officiate for this game. Keeping it in The Heath family, his umpires will be Danielle Keane, Serena Lewis and Grace Salmon.

Just a reminder for those of you unable to attend that all three finals will be live streamed on TG4 Sport’s YouTube channel with live commentary for all matches. Coverage will start at 10.50am.

For anyone who can attend, tickets are required and can be purchased at the following link

GAA Rounders Mixed All-Ireland Finals 2026 – Universe

For the last time this year, the very best of luck to all five clubs involved in Sunday’s finals. One last day of top-quality Rounders, one final Championship Sunday of standing pitchside, one last day of sandwiches and coffee in a tent in the wind and rain…what are we all going to do on 20 September?!! Luckily, we have the InterPros to look forward to on 27 September😉

But first, let’s enjoy our day in The Rebel County and all the excitement and thrills of our Mixed All-Ireland Finals Day. For players and managers alike, what we hope for you for Sunday is that you have a great game, that you do yourselves proud, that you leave it all on the pitch and that you show the entire world watching – in person and online – what a great game Rounders is when it’s played by passionate, talented, committed players.

And the last word goes to Babe Ruth – “Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game”.

GAA Rounders Men’s All-Ireland Previews – 6 September 2026

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As we approach the middle weekend of our trio of Finals for 2026, the excitement and nerves are peaking – the bar has been raised pretty high after our Women’s Finals Day, the expectation is for three great games, a day of brilliant Rounders accompanied by an amazing atmosphere and some outstanding play and we know our Men’s finalists won’t disappoint.

We’re moving venues this weekend to Offaly – a county that is this year, for the first time, hosting two prestigious days of Rounders. On 9 August our Junior Semi-finals took place in Edenderry GAA and this Sunday Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence, Kilcormac will host our most important day of the year in Men’s Rounders – our Junior, Intermediate and Senior All-Ireland Finals.

Our semi-finals and finals this year are moving around the country to give all our clubs the chance to experience a Finals Day near them and we hope that lots of our players and supporters use the opportunity to travel to a midlands venue to experience a Finals Day that promises to showcase our Men’s game at all three levels.

Junior Final: Gusserane vs Myshall – 11am

Our Junior Women’s final was all-Munster, our Intermediate Women and Junior Mixed finals both feature two Connacht teams, our Senior Men will be all-Ulster and, keeping things provincially equal, our Junior Men’s game is contested by two south Leinster teams.

GAA Rounders President Paula Doherty with Junior Men’s finalists PJ Lalor of Myshall, Carlow, and Mark Molloy of Gusserane, Wexford

Wexford side Gusserane have been impressive all season, only losing one league match – to Myshall. Their other three games were won with a bat in hand and, as the group runners-up, they qualified for a quarter-final against Inniskeen Grattans of Monaghan on 25 July in Tymon Park. In a very hard fought, close contest they didn’t have it all their own way. Gusserane were winning after the second innings, but Inniskeen had a great run in the third to pull two ahead. The Wexford men brought seven home in the final two innings and kept Inniskeen runs to only three more. Impressive Gusserane play from Conor Murphy, Matthew Flynn, Morgan Nash Colfer and Carel van der Merwe meant they emerged 31-29 winners and set up a semi-final contest against Galway City Rapparees in Edenderry.

Unbeaten all year, Rapparees were favourites to win this game but smart fielding from Ned Molloy, John Flynn and Matthew Flynn, and impressive batting from Niall Molloy, Conor Flynn, Morgan Nash Colfer and Matthew Flynn saw Gusserane lead from the first innings and open the gap further with each time at bat. The final score was 25(4)-11(5).

Myshall’s path since the league games has been shorter. As group leaders, they qualified straight to semi-finals and met Dublin side Na Gaeil Nua in Edenderry. Again, leading from the start, the Carlow men impressed with excellent fielding from Shane Coburn on Second Base and Catcher Matthew Roberts and super base running from Matthew Roberts, James Nolan, PJ Lalor and Eolann McDonald meant that they took the game 29-18 with a bat in hand.

Our final will be contested by two very well-matched sides with talent across the pitch – outfielders, baseminders and pitchers are all strong and tactical. However, what’s very exciting is how well both teams can bat and base run. And if the two Back Catchers – both called Matthew and both extremely good at what they do – bring their A game on Sunday, we can expect to see lots of outs at home base and on first.

Our Junior Men’s final will be refereed by Breaffy’s Mark Jennings and his umpires will be Gretta Davis (Elphin) and Emo’s Michael Slevin and JP Tynan.

We know that our two Junior Men’s Finalists can give us an entertaining, close, hard-fought battle and we look forward to them showing the supporters and those watching on our TG4 Sport Live Stream just how skilled our Junior Men are and just how exciting our sport is when played at this level.

Ádh mór oraibh go léir

Intermediate Final: St. Clare’s vs St. Senan’s – 1pm

Junior title decided, it will be time for our Intermediate finalists to take it up a notch and show us why they deserve to play in our Senior Championship next year.

GAA Rounders president Paula Doherty with Intermediate Men’s finalists Barry Walsh of St Clare’s, Cavan, left, and Kevin Doody of St Senan’s, Limerick

St. Senan’s won the Junior All-Ireland Men’s final in 2025 and only twelve months later are contesting an Intermediate final, which just shows the level of hard work and dedication these Limerick men have put in since that win. St. Clare’s made it to an All-Ireland semi-final in 2025, losing out to eventual winners Galway City Rapparees, and have taken it one step further this year and made the final. Both teams have worked hard this year and want to win – but only one can take home the trophy and the title of Intermediate Men’s All-Ireland winners 2026.

St. Clare’s topped the table with four wins from six, only losing to Kilmore and St. Senan’s in the group stages. Their semi-final against Kilmore saw them rack up 11 runs in the second innings, leaving them 15-4 ahead going into the third. A scoreless third and a good fourth innings for Kilmore meant it was 16-11 at the top of the final innings. St. Clare’s batted first and only got one home, but their defensive play was good with excellent catches for outs by Ciarán Gray and Antonio Larrochia and an out on First Base to leave the final score 16-12 and a place in the final booked.

St. Senan’s league campaign had mixed results with two wins – over Kilmore and St. Clare’s – a draw – with Emo – and two losses – to Kilmeena and Dublin Metropolitans. Their semi-final in Galway against Laois side, Emo, with whom they had drawn the previous month, meant that it was hard to predict which way this semi would go. With no more than one run in it until the fourth innings – and the lead switching between the two teams – St. Senan’s managed to bring four home to open their lead to 15-11. In an exciting fifth innings, Emo matched this score and St. Senan’s came in to bat for the final time, needing just one run to book their spot in the final. Declan Rattigan was first up and got safely on base. The next two batters were caught out leaving it very tense when John Hanlon came to bat. He made it safely to base as well, leaving Senol Yamac all to do to get a runner home. His hit was caught by JP Tynan but it gave enough time for Declan Rattigan to safely run home and secure the victory.

St. Senan’s Intermediate Men

Both finalists met during the group stages and, while St. Senan’s came out on top that day in May (wining in Tymon Park by two runs), a lot has happened since then and a lot of games have been played, training sessions have been had and lessons have been learned. St. Clare’s have three very skilled and experienced players in PJ Kelly, Bryan Dolan and Jason Cawley as well as lots of talent in their squad with outfielders like Ciarán Gray and Barry Walsh and infielders such as Chaz Solomons and Darragh Johnston. St. Senan’s also boasts a mix of experience – Ian and Niall Sheehy, John Hanlon and Stephen Lynch – and new talent like Euan Sheehy and Declan Rattigan as well as excellent fielders and batters like Kevin Doody, JP Mulvihill, Dean Hogan and Dean McCarthy. If both teams can play their best Rounders, keep calm and composed and take their scores and their outs, this will be an excellent game between two very well-matched, on the cusp of being Senior, teams and we look forward to a great display of our sport from 1pm on Sunday.

Ádh mór gach duine…bainigí taitneamh as an cluiche!

Our Intermediate final Referee will be Philip Keane of The Heath, ably assisted by fellow The Heath players Danielle Keane, Serena Lewis and Grace Salmon as his umpires.

Once again, I can’t write this without thanking all six teams’ Club Secretaries for their help and assistance all year – and especially while I’ve been annoying them 24/7 over the past two weeks! Míle buíochas Mairéad, Anita, Louise, Ian, Lindsey and Ronan!

Senior Final: Carrickmacross Emmets vs Erne Eagles – 3.30pm

And, in the final game of the day in Offaly, and a rematch of the 2025 Senior Men’s All-Ireland Final, two Ulster teams will take to the pitch to battle it out for the Corn Aodh Rua. Resident in Monaghan for the past twelve months, and in Cavan for the year before that, this cup is getting very comfortable living in Ulster – but which of the Drumlin counties will be taking it home on Sunday evening?

GAA Rounders president Paula Doherty with Senior Men’s finalists Damien McArdle of Erne Eagles, Cavan, left, and Oran Kiernan of Carrickmacross Emmets, Monaghan

Unbeaten all year, Erne Eagles have won every game by at least five runs – and often with a bat or more in hand – making their cruise to the final look effortless. But this would fail to take into account the amount of hard work, effort and dedication these Cavan men have put into their 2026 campaign and their desire to avenge last year’s final which they lost by one run to Carrickmacross Emmets. Having Darryl Dolan back as pitcher has undoubtedly made a big difference to the Mullahoran side but everyone on the squad has played their part in ensuring that this year’s wins were achieved. Baseminders such as Shane Sheridan, Gerard Clerkin and Karl Dolan are accurate and composed, catchers Paul Mollaghan and Damien McArdle quick and exact, outfielders Owen Roe O’Reilly, Nathan Loughnane, Justin Perrin and Dylan McKeever secure outs and throw to base with consistency and skill. And the whole team works together to ensure constant communication and working towards a common goal.

Erne Eagles Senior Men

One of the best places to be on any pitch is as a base umpire. None of the pressure of being a Referee and the best seat in the house to observe play and the interactions between fielders. I had the pleasure of umpiring the Erne Eagles vs Galway City Rapparees semi-final on 16 August and it was clear that these lads are a unit, they work for each other and the good of the team and, unless it was all a really good act, they seem to like each other and get on well too! I also umpired the Erne Eagles vs Breaffy Women’s semi-final that same day and got the exact same vibe so I’m going to say it’s part of the ethos of the club which filters through to every team from underage right up to senior.

Carrickmacross Emmets come into this game as reigning Champions and that brings its own level of pressure. However, these lads are well used to that sort of pressure and it’s unlikely to cause them many sleepless nights this week. With only two games lost at league stages – to Breaffy and Erne Eagles – Carrickmacross improved as the season progressed and finished the league with a 25(3)-12(5) win over Glynn Barntown in Wexford, ensuring that confidence was high for their semi-final against Mayo side Breaffy. Turning the result of their earlier encounter on its head, the Monaghan men took the win 12(7)-4(7) with some excellent batting from Colm Kiernan, Barry Lambe and Frank Duffy. Fielding stars that day included Ronan Kiernan – with three catches for outs and involvement in a further two outs on base, Short Stop Paddy Bermingham, Frank Duffy on First Base with six outs and Justin Burns on Third Base involved in five outs. The Carrick team is a tried and tested formula of players who know their positions, the game and each other. They play seamlessly and well and can be relied upon to produce excellent displays at just the right time.

Not unlike Erne Eagles, the support from within the entire Carrickmacross Club – from Club Chairman Colm Birdy down to the small flag wavers who will cheer the players onto the pitch – is remarkable and shows just how much of a community Rounders creates within towns and villages across the country. Irrespective of which team takes the Corn Aodh Rua on Sunday, the win will mean everything to people across the entire club, and this is one of the special things about the GAA in general, but Rounders in particular. We saw it last week with St. Kieran’s, Galway City Rapparees and Limekiln‘s wins and the joy it brought to supporters and family members as much as to the players on the pitch. And we’ll see it again this weekend…and this is why we all spend wet Sundays and muddy midweek evenings playing and training and driving the country to compete in and watch this addictive game that we all love.

Beirigí bua a bhuachaillí!

The honour of refereeing this Senior Final will go to The Heath’s Danielle Keane and her umpires will be her brother Philip Keane (returning the umpiring favour!) and fellow The Heath players Serena Lewis and Grace Salmon.

Just a reminder for those of you unable to attend that all three finals will be live streamed on TG4 Sport’s YouTube channel with live commentary for all matches. Coverage will start at 10.50am.

For anyone who can attend, tickets are required and can be purchased at the following link GAA Rounders Men’s All-Ireland Finals 2026 – Universe

Finally, the very best of luck to all six clubs involved in Sunday’s finals. Bígí fíor as bhur ghnóthachtáil and enjoy the day! We can’t wait for another day of top-quality Rounders and the excitement of a September All-Ireland Finals Sunday – remember them?!! 😉

See you all in Offaly!

 

GAA Rounders All-Ireland Women’s Final Review – 30 August 2026

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Sunday 30 August was a remarkable for GAA Rounders in many ways. It was our first ever Women’s All-Ireland Finals Day: one Senior team was going for a record-matching five-in-a-row; one Senior team barely made the closing date for entering; two years ago both Intermediate finalists were playing Junior rounders; and one of our Junior finalists was newly formed for this season.

Added to that, our Women’s final presentations were being made by our first ever female GAA Rounders President. And added again was the first time all nine of our finals would be live streamed on TG4 Sport with full commentary. The build-up to the day was fantastic, the media coverage – social, print, and radio – was more than ever seen before, and the excitement was evident in the days leading up to the finals.

Although weather forecasts had predicted a wet, miserable day with rain threatening to make playing conditions poor, the day started bright and sunny. While the sun disappeared early enough, the rain held off for large portions of the day, which was very welcome! With players sporting their green GAA Rounders 2026 wristbands, a full guestlist of invited guests, and over 200 tickets sold, the day promised to be colourful, loud, and full of excitement.

Junior Final: St. Kieran’s vs St. Senan’s

At 10.40am, with children from both clubs involved in the Junior Final lining the entrance to the pitch waving their sides’ flags, and to the strains of Limerick’s finest—The Cranberries’ Dreams – Emma Galvin led her St. Kieran’s team onto Pitch 1 Abbotstown. Followed shortly afterwards by Kyra Hogan and St. Senan’s – to Free From Desire by Gala—the noise level went up a notch and stayed that way for the rest of the day’s proceedings. After team photographs were taken, the anthem was sung by Máire Dineen of St. Kieran’s and proceedings got underway.

Junior Women’s Captains Kyra Hogan (St. Senan’s) and Emma Galvin (St. Kieran’s)

Winning the toss, St. Kieran’s elected to field, and the first innings for both teams was a settling period where nerves got the better of players a few times and catches or outs that would never have been missed in training were fumbled. That said, both teams got through their full batting order and scored four runs each.

In to bat for the second time, St. Senan’s managed to get another four runs on the board, while excellent fielding meant that they held St. Kieran’s scoreless, going into the third with a four-run lead. However, the St. Kieran’s ladies doubled down on their fielding and got three of the first four batters out, then stormed into bat and brought six home, leaving the score 10-8 in their favour.

In their penultimate batting innings, St. Senan’s were once again held scoreless, returning the favour to St. Kieran’s at bat, meaning that St. Senan’s went into their final bat needing at least two to draw the game. It wasn’t to be, with only pitcher Louise Kelly managing to get home before the third out, leaving the final score 10-9 to St. Kieran’s.

Junior Final Referee Jay Hall presents the match ball to Player of the Match Sandra Walsh of St. Kieran’s

The game was refereed – for the first time with a live microphone feed which helped spectators follow along with the ball calls and outs – by Galway City Rapparees’ Jay Hall, with umpires Áine McLaughlin and Ciarán Weldon of Limekiln and Justin Perrin of Erne Eagles. The match officials’ pick for Player of the Match was St. Kieran’s Centre Outfielder Sandra Walsh, who had some fantastic catches and got home twice.

Intermediate Final: Elphin vs Galway City Rapparees

At 1pm, and with a change of direction on the pitch to protect the grass, it was time for our Intermediate Final. After just one season at the grade, last year’s Junior Final runners-up Elphin took on Galway City Rapparees.

Elphin Intermediate Women run onto the pitch before the Intermediate Final

Batting first, Elphin, in a great display of base-running bravery, got one runner – Avril Coyne – home.  Rapparees went one better and got two on the scoreboard in their first innings. What followed for the next three innings was the highly unusual situation where neither side got anyone home, and we went into the final innings with the same score as we had at the bottom of the first: 2-1 to Rapparees.

With some smart batting and tactical running, Elphin got two runners home, leaving Rapparees needing one to force the game to extra innings or two to win. With bases loaded, Jessie Pereira stepped up to bat and sent the ball out over first base to bring two home and win the game for the Galway side.

Galway City Rapparees Intermediate Women

Referee for this game was Erne Eagles’ Darryl Dolan and his umpires – also from Erne Eagles – were Shane Sheridan, Gerard Clerkin, and Paul Mollaghan. Darryl’s Player of the Match, for her excellent double out with a clean catch and throw to second to get an out on base, was Caitríona Carty. Our Intermediate Final Anthem singer was Galway City Rapparees’ Jay Hall.

Senior Final: Breaffy vs Limekiln

Our final game of the day was our Senior Final between reigning Champions Breaffy of Mayo and Dublin side Limekiln. Breaffy have won the CJ Haughey trophy for the past four years in a row and were aiming for a record-breaking five-in-a-row to match Castlebar and Rathdowney. Limekiln, meanwhile, weren’t even sure they had a team for this year’s Championship until the closing date! Both sides had good league campaigns, with Breaffy winning all their games while Limekiln’s only loss was to Breaffy (they also drew with Erne Eagles).

Senior Final Referee AnnMarie Brennan with Michelle Hopkins of Breaffy and Emma Hudson of Limekiln

Captains Emma Hudson and Michelle Hopkins led their teams onto the pitch to great support and colour, and having won the toss, Breaffy elected to field first. They took an early 5-2 lead with a strong performance in the first innings, both batting and fielding. Both sides scored two in the second innings and, in a repeat of the Intermediate game’s third innings, no runs were scored due to some tight fielding from both sides.

The fourth innings was where the gap started to close, with Breaffy only managing to get Short Stop Gráinne Gavin home while Limekiln’s three former Kevin’s players – Serena Costelloe, Erica Meslin, and Merilin Neiland – all sprinted home to leave the scores level at 10 all going into the fifth.

While Breaffy scored two runs in the fifth, Limekiln only got one home, and so Breaffy went into the sixth innings again with a slight lead. However, the sixth was the innings that made all the difference for Limekiln, bringing five home, to Breaffy’s two, and giving them a four-run lead. Breaffy’s Helen Gallagher and Michelle Hopkins both managed to get home in the seventh before the third out, but it was too little and Limekiln took the win and the title of All-Ireland Senior Women’s Champions 2026.

Referee AnnMarie Brennan (Cúchulainn) officiated with her umpires PJ Lalor of Myshall, Justin Perrin of Erne Eagles, and Leah Mullins of Cúchulainn. Their pick for Player of the Match was Emma Johnson of Limekiln, who had some outstanding catches at Left Outfield. The final anthem of the day was sung by Dearbhla Lennon.

Limekiln -All Ireland Senior Women’s Champions 2026

Special Guests & Thanks

In the stand were supporters of all six finals teams, players from Nobber Rounders in Meath (who won the Facebook competition for tickets to attend the Finals), and our invited guests:

  • Camogie Association President Brian Molloy and Ard Stiúrthóir Karen Dessain-Gelinet
  • LGFA President Trina Murray and CEO Lyn Savage
  • Active Disability Ireland CEO Brenda O’Donnell
  • Author and Podcast Host Sarah McDevitt
  • Nora Stapleton, Director with Sport Ireland
  • Former President of the Camogie Association, Phyllis Breslin
  • Former Ard Stiúrthóir of the Camogie Association, Sheila Wallace

GAA Rounders President Paula Doherty with Camogie Association President Brian Molloy and LGFA President Trina Murray

All three games were live streamed on TG4 Sport’s YouTube Channel by Click Zoom with commentary from Eddie Healy, Emma Perrin, and Shirley Lennon. Brady Sound & Lighting supplied the excellent background music as well as the PA system to allow our Referees to be heard and our MC to introduce our teams and keep spectators updated on the score. Karl Gormley was on hand to photograph every moment, and we look forward to seeing his record of the day.

Huge thanks to the following Ard Chomhairle, Juvenile Committee, and club members, without whose help the day would not have run as smoothly as it did: Aidan Carr, Craig Davis, Paula Doherty, Michael Dowling, Mag Doyle, Séamus Keegan, PJ Lalor, Shirley Lennon, and Carmel Moloney.

Up Next: Men’s Finals Day!

And the best bit is that we get to do it all over again next Sunday, when our Men’s All-Ireland Finals take place in Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence, Kilcormac from 11am!

Schedule for Sunday:
  • 11am (Junior Men’s Final): Gusserane (Wexford) vs Myshall (Carlow)
  • 1pm (Intermediate Men’s Final): St. Clare’s (Cavan) vs St. Senan’s (Limerick)
  • 3.30pm (Senior Men’s Final): Carrickmacross Emmets (Monaghan) vs Erne Eagles (Cavan)

Previews for all three matches will be on our website later in the week – but one thing is for sure, the lads have a lot to live up to in order to match the spectacular Rounders, the brilliant atmosphere, and the amazing day we all had in Abbotstown on Sunday!

Link to buy tickets for Men’s Finals Day GAA Rounders Men’s All-Ireland Finals 2026 – Universe

Link to buy tickets for Mixed Finals Day GAA Rounders Mixed All-Ireland Finals 2026 – Universe

 

Historic First for GAA Rounders – Croke Park Championship Launch

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GAA Rounders Championship Launch – 26 August 2026

In a historic first, GAA Rounders launched our All-Ireland Championship at Croke Park on Wednesday 26 August 2026. After a successful season which commenced on 19 April and has run all summer, the 103 teams who entered the Championship have been whittled down to the final 18 who will contest All-Ireland finals over the next three Sundays.

 

Players from all 18 finalist clubs were in attendance as were Uachtarán CLG Jarlath Burns and Uachtarán GAA Rounders Paula Doherty.

This marks the start of another first where we will have three weekends of finals starting on Sunday 30 August in NGDC Abbotstown with our three Women’s finals – Junior, Intermediate and Senior – followed on Sunday 6 September by our three Men’s finals in Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence, Kilcormac and finishing on 13 September with our three Mixed finals in Mallow GAA, Cork

In another landmark event for our organisation, all nine finals will be live streamed on TG4 Sport’s YouTube channel, with live commentary. All finals will be available on GAA Rounders YouTube channel after the matches.

 

Key Fixtures Include:

Sunday 30 August, NGDC Abbotstown, Dublin 15

  • Junior Women’s Final (11am): St. Kieran’s (Limerick) vs St. Senan’s (Limerick)
  • Intermediate Women’s Final (1pm): Elphin (Roscommon) vs Galway City Rapparees (Galway)
  • Senior Women’s Final (3.30pm): Breaffy (Mayo) vs Limekiln (Dublin)

    • GAA Rounders president Paula Doherty with Senior Women’s finalists Emma Hudson of Limekiln, Dublin, left, and Michelle Hopkins of Breaffy, Mayo

     

    Sunday 6 September, Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence, Offaly

  • Junior Men’s Final (11am): Gusserane (Wexford) vs Myshall (Carlow)
  • Intermediate Men’s Final (1pm): St. Clare’s (Cavan) vs St. Senan’s (Limerick)
  • Senior Men’s Final (3.30pm): Carrickmacross Emmets (Monaghan) vs Erne Eagles (Cavan)

  • GAA Rounders president Paula Doherty with Senior Men’s finalists Damien McArdle of Erne Eagles, Cavan, left, and Oran Kiernan of Carrickmacross Emmets, Monaghan

Sunday 13 September, Mallow GAA, Cork

  • Junior Mixed Final (11am): Galway City Rapparees (Galway) vs Kilmore (Roscommon)
  • Intermediate Mixed Final (1pm): Emo (Laois) vs Galway City Rapparees (Galway)
  • Senior Mixed Final (3.30pm): Breaffy (Mayo) vs Glynn Barntown (Wexford)

GAA Rounders president Paula Doherty with Senior Mixed finalists, from left, Victor del Rosal of Breaffy, Mayo, Aileen Kelly of Glynn Barntown, Wexford, and Michelle Hopkins of Breaffy, Mayo

“Today’s launch in Croke Park marks the beginning of one of the most exciting periods in the GAA Rounders calendar said Paula Doherty, Uachtarán GAA Rounders. It is a wonderful opportunity to bring together players, volunteers, officials and the wider Gaelic Games family as we look ahead to three exciting weekends of All-Ireland Finals competition.

Reaching an All-Ireland Final is a significant achievement, and I want to congratulate every club, team and volunteer who has helped make this stage of the season possible. We look forward to welcoming supporters to what promises to be three outstanding weekends of competition and celebration.”

GAA Rounders president Paula Doherty and Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns with Women finalists, back row, from left, Emma Hudson of Limekiln, Dublin, Linda Clifford of St Kieran’s, Limerick, and front row, from, left, Clodagh Naughton of Galway City Rapparees, Galway, Georgina McDermott of Elphin, Roscommon, and Kyra Hogan of St Senan’s, Limerick.

Uachtarán CLG Jarlath Burns said: “The growth in the numbers playing GAA Rounders is a really exciting development for the sport. It is not only a brilliant, skilful game to play and watch, but an opportunity for our clubs to really embrace the manifesto of a GAA Where We All Belong and champion inclusivity. For more than 25 years TG4 have done so much for the development of Gaelic games through their exceptional coverage, and I am delighted that they will add these 2026 Rounders All-Ireland Finals to their schedule and look forward to the enhanced promotion this will bring. Go n-eirí an tadh libh go leir.”

GAA Rounders president Paula Doherty with players from Galway City Rapparees, Galway, back row, Tomás Kenny, left, and Alex Stewart, right and front row, from left, Ajay Kumar, Mel Mannion, and Clodagh Naughton

Tickets for all finals days are available now via Universe

Women’s Finals – 30 August 2026

https://www.universe.com/events/gaa-rounders-womens-all-ireland-finals-2026-tickets-GP4DRF

Men’s Finals – 6 September 2026

https://www.universe.com/events/gaa-rounders-mens-all-ireland-finals-2026-tickets-3KJS9B

Mixed Finals – 13 September 2026

https://www.universe.com/events/gaa-rounders-mixed-all-ireland-finals-2026-tickets-9S8MP1

Broadcast coverage begins at 10.50am on all three dates.

Club Focus: Kilmore – Family, Community and a Club That Thinks Big

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GAA ROUNDERS • CLUB FOCUS

Kilmore

Family, Community and a Club That Thinks Big

One of the special privileges of these Club Focus articles is highlighting the clubs that encapsulate everything great about GAA Rounders.

Last week, we featured

Galway City Rapparees

– a club that has achieved meteoric success while keeping community and friendship front and centre.

This week, our focus shifts to another Connacht club where those same core values are immediately evident, with the added bonus of family being hugely important: Kilmore from Roscommon.

Club
Kilmore
County
Roscommon
Province
Connacht

“

Ask anyone in our organisation to name a club that is welcoming, fun, hard-working and highly competitive, and the “boys and girls in blue” will instantly come up.

In a remarkably short space of time, Kilmore has become an integral part of the national Rounders family.

Kilmore • Roscommon • GAA Rounders

It’s time to take a closer look at their story!

A Small Club With a Big Place in GAA History

Many of you may have made the trip to Leitrim’s Carrick-on-Shannon for a hen or stag weekend, but just 10km outside the town, across the border in north Roscommon, lies Kilmore GAA.

For a small rural club, Kilmore has already left a remarkable mark on Irish sport. It was Kilmore GAA that brought forward the historic motion to amend Rule 42, paving the way for rugby and soccer internationals to be played at Croke Park while Lansdowne Road was being redeveloped.

That history of a small club being willing to think big feels particularly fitting when you look at what Kilmore Rounders has achieved in such a short space of time.

From Junior Day to National Contenders

Founded in 2023 by Nicola Craughwell and Clare Connellan – who sent a simple “who would be interested in joining a Rounders club?” text to their local group – it soon became evident that many people were! Their very first training session saw an incredible 40 interested players turn up.

Kilmore’s playing journey began that winter in the Connacht Winter League, where their first competitive games came against Galway City Rapparees. That off-season competition proved invaluable for a brand-new club. Game by game, they learned the sport, developed their fielding and batting and improved enormously over the winter months.

Their national debut came at the 2024 Junior Day in Fenagh, Co. Carlow – where they promptly went and won the Mixed competition! Anyone watching that day could see this was a club destined for big things, driven by genuine talent and exceptional team chemistry.

With Rounders firmly established in the parish, Kilmore prioritised youth development in that foundational first year, bringing an U14 Mixed team to Monaghan for the All-Ireland competition in Cloghan. Meanwhile, their adult Mixed team entered the Championship and went from strength to strength, qualifying from their group and storming into the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals in Tymon Park with a win over Wexford side Gusserane. Although their journey ended in the Semi-Finals against Inniskeen Grattans in Clonguish, reaching the final four in their inaugural Championship season was a massive achievement.

Rising Through the Ranks

Ambitious from the outset, Kilmore expanded in 2025 to field Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed teams in All-Ireland competitions. Building on their initial experience, all three setups performed brilliantly during the group stages, with both the Men’s and Women’s panels advancing.

While the Men earned a direct route to the Semi-Finals, the Women’s team faced Monaghan side Inniskeen Grattans in a hard-fought Quarter-Final in Clonguish. Inniskeen took the win and ultimately went on to claim the 2025 All-Ireland title.

Ironically, the following month in Galway, Kilmore’s Men’s team faced that very same team – Inniskeen Grattans – in the Semi-Finals. A tight, well-deserved victory provided sweet redemption, propelling Kilmore into their first Junior All-Ireland Final against Limerick’s St. Senan’s in Dunganny.

That final was an absolute classic that kept spectators on the edge of their seats for all five innings. Outstanding performances from Aidan Carr, Jamie Sharkey, Oisín Boland, and others kept Kilmore right in the mix, before St. Senan’s eventually edged out a 10-6 victory.

Junior Men’s All-Ireland Finalists 2025

The 2026 Campaign: Triple Threat

Kilmore’s powerful 2025 campaign earned their Men’s team promotion to the Intermediate grade for 2026 and they hit the ground running with an explosive 30-6 opening-day win over Dublin Metropolitans. Narrow losses against Emo and St. Senan’s followed, but Kilmore proved they could go toe-to-toe with established Intermediate opposition.

They bounced back in style with a 15-10 win over Mayo’s Kilmeena, followed by an impressive 21-14 victory over St. Clare’s in Cavan. Having found their rhythm, the Men now look ahead to this Saturday’s Intermediate Semi-Final – a rematch with St. Clare’s – where a place in the All-Ireland Final is on the line in their very first year at the grade!

Kilmore Junior Women

It has been an equally impressive 2026 for the Women’s team, who put together an unbeaten group campaign before defeating Wexford’s Gusserane 27-10 in the Quarter-Finals. Their run came to an end against a powerful St. Kieran’s side in the Semi-Finals on Sunday, 9 August. Despite the 33-18 defeat, Kilmore showed tremendous heart, with brilliant defensive catches from Nicola Craughwell (Back Catcher), Joann Sharkey (2nd Base) and Ruth McElhone (3rd Base), alongside sharp base-running from Clodagh Sheerin, Carmel Murphy and Sinéad Beirne.

Oisin Boland

Meanwhile, Kilmore’s Mixed team has produced a superb season – and their journey isn’t over yet! After topping their group with a perfect record, they defeated Carlow’s Myshall 30-12 in the Quarter-Finals. The sides were closely matched until the fourth innings, when Kilmore found another gear and brought an incredible 18 runners home in a single turn at bat.

They followed that with a dominant 16-1 Semi-Final victory over Na Piarsaigh in Edenderry, driven by standout performances from Mark Harrington, Nicola Craughwell, James Jamieson and an on-fire Oisín Boland, who recorded no fewer than five clean catches and assisted another two outs on base!

That sets up a mouth-watering All-Ireland Junior Mixed Final on 13 September in Mallow GAA. In another one of our sport’s great moments of showing how anything is possible with hard work and dedication, two clubs who first met less than three years ago playing in the Connacht Winter League will face each other again – this time with an All-Ireland title on the line.

A True Family Club

While training, tactics, and talent explain their rapid rise, they only tell half the story. What makes Kilmore truly special is the extraordinary personal bonds within the squad.

Team management is entirely player-led:

  • Women’s Team: Managed by Aidan Carr
  • Men’s Team: Managed by Ana Carr and Nicola Craughwell
  • Mixed Team: Managed by Seán Boland and Mark Harrington

Remarkably, the playing roster boasts no fewer than six married couples (Aidan & Ana Carr, John & Nicola Craughwell, Kevin & Irene White, Jamie & Joann Sharkey, Breian & Siobhán Carroll, and Oisín Boland & Clodagh Sheerin) and two parent-child combinations (Mark & Eli Harrington, and Seán & Oisín Boland), taking the concept of a “family club” to a whole new level! That togetherness shows on the pitch. Kilmore plays with seamless trust, genuine warmth, and a refusal to give up on a play – or a teammate.

 

Kilmore’s Jamie & Joann Sharkey, Barbara & JP Murray, Orla & Mark Harrington, Nicola & John Craughwell and Ana & Aidan Carr at the 2025 GAA Rounders All-Stars

While the whole club contributes to this unique culture, a few individuals deserve special mention:

  • Seán Boland (Chairman), Ruth McElhone (Secretary) & Nicola Craughwell (Communications): This trio is the cornerstone of the club. Ruth manages seamless administration and fixtures while anchoring 3rd Base, Seán leads with warmth and vision, and Nicola is always available to assist with queries and step in wherever needed. Together, they epitomise the spirit of GAA Rounders.
  • Aidan & Ana Carr: The unmistakable faces of Kilmore Rounders. Whether playing, managing, coaching underage teams, driving nationwide to support fixtures, or umpiring, their absolute devotion to promoting and supporting Rounders is inspiring. Everyone across GAA Rounders sends their best wishes to Ana for a speedy recovery following her injury in last Sunday’s Women’s Semi-final – we can’t wait to see you back on a pitch!

Kilmore’s special place in the hearts and minds of their fellow clubs was made official when they won the Junior Club of the Year Award at the 2025 All-Stars – an award voted for directly by their peers. Their hard work was further recognised when pitcher Aidan Carr was selected to represent GAA Rounders in the Men’s Exhibition Game at the GAA World Games on 16 July in Waterford.

The Next Chapter

Looking Ahead

A Club With Plenty to Play For

With an Intermediate Men’s Semi-Final this Saturday, an All-Ireland Junior Mixed Final awaiting on 13 September, underage training reintroduced this summer and 40 registered members, the future could not be brighter for the Roscommon club

Kilmore’s story is a reminder of what makes GAA Rounders special. You don’t need to come from a huge club or have decades of history behind you. Get good people together, make everyone feel welcome, put in the work and enjoy doing it, and remarkable things can happen.

For a small rural club that once helped change the course of Irish sporting history by thinking big, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that Kilmore Rounders is doing exactly the same.

Whatever happens over the coming weeks, Kilmore has flown the flag for Roscommon, Connacht and GAA Rounders with immense pride, skill and joy

We wish Kilmore the very best of luck in Saturday’s Intermediate Men’s Semi-Final and September’s Junior Mixed All-Ireland Final

Family • Community • Ambition
Something tells us the Kilmore story
is only getting started

GAA Rounders – Meet the Referees – Women’s All-Ireland Finals

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With our 2026 All-Ireland Finals line-ups almost complete, it is time to turn the spotlight on the dedicated officials who will be managing the game, tracking every pitch, and ensuring our showpiece games run smoothly.

While the focus will, rightly, be on the teams, the players and their management, the Referees and their umpires are an important part of the day too. Officiating an All-Ireland Final is a major honour. Over the next three days, we will reveal the appointed referees for each of our upcoming Finals Days.

We will begin today with our Women’s Finals. In a first for GAA Rounders, all three Women’s finals – Junior, Intermediate and Senior – will take place on the same day – Sunday 30 August – at the NGDC, Abbotstown, Dublin 15.

This will be a day to celebrate the women who play our sport, at all levels, and it’s shaping up to be a fantastic day of Rounders. Starting at 11am with our Junior final – between St. Kieran’s and St. Senan’s, continuing at 1pm with our Intermediate final between Galway City Rapparees and Elphin and culminating in our 3.30pm Senior Final between Breaffy and Limekiln.

Junior Women’s Final

Taking charge of the all-Limerick Junior derby is a man playing his Rounders west of the Shannon, though his journey began much further west. Originally from Philadelphia, the Galway City Rapparees Back Catcher, actor, and singer Jay Hall is our 2026 Junior Women’s Final Referee.

Jay Hall

Jay began refereeing in 2025, taking charge of Junior fixtures across Connacht and Limerick, and rapidly demonstrated his sharp command of the Rule Book. After progressing to Junior quarter-finals and Intermediate semi-finals this season, Jay now takes on his first national decider.

Fun Fact: Jay’s referee match reports read like novels! Every single play, catch, and out is chronicled in meticulous detail. Other Referees take note – getting Jay’s reports is so entertaining we might just make that level of storytelling mandatory for 2027!

Intermediate Women’s Final

With the Intermediate final being an all-Connacht clash between Galway City Rapparees and Roscommon’s Elphin, an Ulster official steps in to take the reins. Multi All-Ireland winner, All-Star recipient, and Erne Eagles stalwart Darryl Dolan brings a wealth of experience to this game.

Darryl Dolan

The Cavan team’s Senior Men’s pitcher, and sometime outfielder, returned from injury this season, showcasing his usual high standard across Senior Men and Senior Mixed campaigns while juggling refereeing duties.

Fun Fact: This is far from Darryl’s first All-Ireland final, either playing or officiating. When asked how many finals he has refereed over his career, his official answer was simply: “I dunno”—so we will safely assume it’s well into double figures!

Senior Women’s Final

The final game of the day sees four-in-a-row champions Breaffy of Mayo face Dublin’s Limekiln, and will be officiated by one of our most experienced senior referees, Carlow’s AnnMarie Brennan.

AnnMarie Brennan

Representing Cúchulainn Rounders Club, with whom she has collected numerous national honours, AnnMarie has been officiating since her teenage years. Her extensive rule knowledge, calm game management, and long-standing dedication make her an ideal choice for the Senior decider.

Fun Fact: Officially on maternity leave following the arrival of baby Oisín in May, AnnMarie initially returned for a one-off refereeing appearance at the World Games in Waterford this July. Having caught the Refereeing bug once again, she offered to cover some local fixtures before answering the call for the Senior Women’s decider – and we are delighted she did!

Each of our Referees will have three base umpires to assist them. With a wealth of experience, knowledge and skill behind them, we know that all three Women’s finals will run smoothly and show spectators just how great our game is.

On Wednesday we will reveal the Referees who will be responsible for our three Men’s finals on Sunday 6 September in Offaly GAA’s Centre of Excellence in Kilcormac.

 

Junior Quarter-finals Review – 25 July 2026

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Great Day for Connacht & Munster Clubs at Junior Quarter-finals

Saturday 25 July saw 20 Junior Rounders teams from all over Ireland descend on Dublin 12 to play quarter-finals in Tymon Park. Just think about that for a minute – 20 teams all playing on the same day, in the same venue. Before we go any further, we need to sincerely thank Chris, Christy, Eileen and all of the Limekiln Rounders team for hosting the event and for all their help with preparation and planning. GAA Rounders is very lucky to have a club like Limekiln and a facility like Tymon Park available to us.

Junior Women

Our four 11am matches were all Junior Women and were located in close proximity to each other to facilitate spectators making the most of all games.

Carrickmacross Emmets (Monaghan) vs St. Kieran’s (Limerick)

First to start – and finish! – was Carrickmacross Emmets vs St. Kieran’s. With a clash of team colours, Carrickmacross very kindly agreed to wear white for this game. Unfortunately for them, white jerseys didn’t bring them the same luck they brought Mayo the following day. St. Kieran’s first batting innings saw three Home Runs and a total of 13 scored. Carrick were unable to come close to this, scoring just three. The Limerick side added to this in the second innings, with another Home Run and a total of five home, leaving them with 18 on the board. An under par Carrickmacross team struggled to get runners home and only managed a further one until the final innings, when they got six runners in. But it was too little too late and the final score was 18-10 to St. Kieran’s with three bats in hand.

St. Kieran’s Junior Women

Best for St. Kieran’s on the day were pitcher Deirdre Ambrose, involved in four outs, and Short Stop Emma Galvin and 3rd Base Caitríona Hough, both involved in five outs. Back Catcher Siobhán Halligan got home three times, twice on Home Runs.

The Monaghan side’s Pitcher and Catcher, Mary Lambe and Emma Fay, were each involved in two outs while Sinéad Murphy was the only Carrick player not to be put out while batting.

Referee Chris Hughes officiated this “under an hour” game which started with a minute’s silence to remember Carrickmacross Emmets’ GAA player Stephen Gallogly who passed away earlier in the week.

St. Senan’s (Limerick) vs Myshall (Carlow)

St. Senan’s Junior Women

On the other side of the same pitch, Limekiln’s Áine McLaughlin was taking charge of another Limerick side, St. Senan’s, as they took on Carlow’s Myshall. With their two recent Senior signings, eyes were on Myshall to see what difference this would make to their team dynamic and both Gillian Nolan and Margaret Simpson contributed to the game with three catches, two outs on base and four assists between them. Neither managed to get home while batting and this can largely be contributed to St. Senan’s pitcher, Louise Kelly, who, between foul outs, catches and throws to base, was involved in six outs. Other great plays from St. Senan’s included catches from Short Stop Dympna O’Brien and two outs from Back Catcher Catríona Hanlon. Low scoring until the fourth innings, St. Senan’s took off while batting, bringing 10 home to go into the fifth 12-1 up. Myshall had no answer and it ended 15-2 to the Limerick side.

Leighlinbridge (Carlow) vs Skryne (Meath)

Leighlinbridge Junior Women

Two Limerick wins in the bag on Pitch 1, the first match on Pitch 2 was always going to have a Leinster winner, being contested by Leighlinbridge of Carlow and Skryne of Meath and refereed by Galway City Rapparees’ Jay Hall. Leighlinbridge came into this match not having lost a game and were favourites to win. Batting first, they only got two home before Skryne came in but Leighlinbridge were text book perfect with three up, three out. In the second, the Carlow side’s batting power started to show with nine home. Skryne’s Back Catcher Noeleen Greally got two outs in succession with batters seven and eight. Skryne managed five home, leaving the score 11-5 going into the third. Both sides scored five this innings and after a low scoring fourth for both, the fifth started 18-11. Leighlinbridge brought four home, leaving Skryne needing 11 to bring the game to extra innings, or 12 to win. They only managed to get one home, so the final result was 22-12 to Leighlinbridge.

Best on the day for Skryne were Zita Harris who got home twice and caught one out and Caoimhe McKenna who was involved in six outs, three of them clean catches! Leighlinbridge notables were Tracy McNally with a Home Run, Louise Riddell involved in three outs and Tara Roche involved in five outs.

Gusserane (Wexford) vs Kilmore (Roscommon)

The fourth Women’s match of the morning was between Wexford’s Gusserane and Roscommon’s Kilmore. Both sides had teams involved in Junior Finals in 2025 and both have been ones to watch all season, so this had the makings of a great match and the honour of refereeing it was given to National Secretary Shirley Lennon. Both sides were slow to start, and nerves got the better on a few occasions, but it was Kilmore who made the most of their opportunities in the first innings, leading 8-1 going into the second. Gusserane had a much better showing here, bringing nine home, to Kilmore’s seven. However, in the third innings, Gusserane got nobody past 3rd base while Kilmore got 12 home. When Gusserane failed to bring anyone home in the fourth, they elected to bat on but unfortunately that was their lot for the day, and the match ended 27-10 with two bats in hand for Kilmore.

Kilmore Junior Women

Although on the wrong side of the scoresheet, Gusserane’s pitcher, Mairéad Tubritt, 3rd Base Amy Ryan, Back Catcher Jenny McNamara and 1st Base Joanne Whitty all had great games. Kilmore’s star was Ruth McElhone with involvement in five outs, two of them from excellent catches, as well as getting home four times. Irene Reynolds’ pitching was spot on, leading to several foul outs while Nicola Craughwell at Back Catcher had three spectacular catches and got home four times. Also home four times was Clodagh Sheerin, with involvement in three outs.

Next up for the four winning teams is All-Ireland Semi-finals Day on 9 August in Edenderry GAA where the pairings will be

  • 11am – Kilmore vs St. Kieran’s
  • 1pm – St. Senan’s vs Leighlinbridge

Junior Men

With the top teams in each of the two Junior Men’s groups – Galway City Rapparees and Myshall – going straight to Semi-finals, there were only two Quarter-finals to be decided on Saturday. Yes, we know that mathematically that makes them not quite Quarter-finals but roll with it!

Na Gaeil Nua (Dublin) vs Na Piarsaigh (Limerick)

Both games were scheduled for 1pm and the ever-efficient Chris Hughes got his match started at 1.06pm and finished within an hour again! This featured Na Gaeil Nua from Dublin against Na Piarsaigh from Limerick in a test of experience vs enthusiasm.

With a scoreless first innings from both sides, Na Gaeil Nua got off the blocks with two home in the second while it took Na Piarsaigh until the third to get a score on the board, by which time Na Gaeil Nua were four ahead. The third innings saw the Dubliners bring 11 home, while Na Piarsaigh’s lone run in both the fourth and the fifth just weren’t enough to get them through and it ended 19-5 to Na Gaeil Nua with a bat in hand.

Na Piarsaigh Short Stop Ian Jennings and Pitcher Alan Healy both had a great game, being involved in four outs each. For Na Gaeil Nua, Javier Isern on 2nd Base, Emilio Piccione on 3rd and Short Stop Ryota Yamaguchi were each involved in multiple outs as well as making it home multiple times. Top run scorer was Robin Figueira who got home four times.

Gusserane (Wexford) vs Inniskeen Grattans (Monaghan)

The second Men’s game was between Wexford’s Gusserane and Monaghan’s Inniskeen Grattans. Gusserane’s Women had played earlier in the day while Inniskeen’s Mixed were playing at 3pm. The Heath’s Danielle Keane was in charge here and it got off to an impressive start with Gusserane leading 19-15 by the end of the second. Inniskeen had a great third and fourth innings and were behind by one going into the last. Batting first, they got one home in the fifth, leaving the score level and with all to do to make sure that Gusserane didn’t score in their final batting innings. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be and with Mark Molloy and Conor Murphy both making it home, the game ended 31-29 to Gusserane, sending them through to the semi-finals.

Gusserane Junior Men

For Inniskeen, Short Stop Trevor Hilliard had five outs from clean catches while Back Catcher Ciarán McArdle was involved in four outs of his own. Gusserane’s Morgan Nash Colfer, Matthew Flynn and pitcher Carel van der Merwe had the lion’s share of their side’s outs while Conor Murphy got home an impressive six times.

Men’s Semi-finals will also be on 9 August in Edenderry GAA where Gusserane will meet Galway City Rapparees at 11am and Na Gaeil Nua will play Myshall at 1pm.

Junior Mixed

Eight of our Semi-finalists decided, it was time to turn attentions to Junior Mixed and fill the final four slots available in Offaly on 9 August.

Emo (Laois) vs Galway City Rapparees (Galway)

First up at 1pm was the clash of Emo and Galway City Rapparees. Both sides have Intermediate Mixed teams – so the coaching strength is there; Rapparees have Senior Men – so the depth of panel is there; and Emo have been outstanding at underage for years – so the fundamental training is there. This was another fascinating match with Shirley Lennon in charge for her second game of the day.

Galway City Rapparees Junior Mixed

Emo batted first and managed to get one home and bases loaded before Rapparees got their first out from a super catch by Back Catcher Sorcha Dowd. The next batter was fouled out and, the following caught out as well. Rapparees got two home from their first batting but a very impressive one-handed catch from Emo’s Barry Ryan as well as a great high ball catch from Back Catcher Padraig Langford kept the scores low. Innings two and three were similarly low scoring for both teams and the fourth started 5-3 to Rapparees. Emo didn’t get anyone home. With bases loaded, Rapparees’ Ajay Kumar came to bat, sent the ball way out over second, cleared the bases and scored a Home Run. From there, Rapparees kept the momentum going and scored 10 before their first out. Great work by Emo’s Darragh Meredith on 2nd Base saw him get an out on base and then a great catch to finish the innings. Emo managed to get three home from their final batting, leaving Rapparees not needing to bat their final innings. The game ended 15-3 to Galway Rapparees with a bat in hand.

Other notable performances from both sides were Greg Mannion with three great catches and two further assists. Not content with a Home Run, Ajay Kumar was also involved in three outs while Mel Mannion on 1st Base was super composed and got two great outs on base.

Emo’s Padraig Langford had the bulk of their outs with super catches and throws. Darragh Meredith on 2nd was impressive while Niamh Horgan on 1st Base was involved in two outs.

Carrickmacross Emmets (Monaghan) vs Na Piarsaigh (Limerick)

In his longest match of the day, Chris Hughes took charge of the next Mixed game between Monaghan’s Carrickmacross Emmets and Limerick’s Na Piarsaigh. Carrick’s ladies and Na Piarsaigh’s men were both playing their second game of the day. Na Piarsaigh started strong with a 5-2 lead after the first, but Carrick pulled back and were leading 10-9 going into the fourth. Both sides were evenly matched and Carrick went into their last bat needing at least one to draw or two to pull ahead. Pull ahead they did, by the narrowest of margins, giving themselves the task of getting three outs before Na Piarsaigh got anyone home. They almost managed it with three outs but before the ball made it back into home base from a super outfield catch by Val Wallace, Miriam Kearns just ran in to claim the victory 14-13 and put Na Piarsaigh into the Junior Mixed semi-final.

Na Piarsaigh Junior Mixed

Outstanding for Na Piarsaigh were Short Stop Ian Jennings, Pitcher Alan Healy, Patrick Fitzgerald outfield and Back Catcher Sarah Stanley. Carrickmacross had some brilliant play from Pitcher Paul Boylan, Catcher Darren Hughes and infielders Rachel Boylan and Sinéad Murphy but it just wasn’t to be their day. Still in the running in the Senior Championship, all three Junior sides are now out of the competition for 2026.

Kilmore (Roscommon) vs Myshall (Carlow)

Meanwhile, on Pitch 3 Danielle Keane was presiding over the third quarter-final between Kilmore and Myshall. Again, both sides’ ladies had played that morning, Kilmore’s taking the victory while Myshall’s weren’t successful. But this was a new game and a new start and there was all to play for. In another ‘uneventful until the fourth innings’ game, it was 12-9 to Kilmore after the third. And then Kilmore found their stride, getting an incredible 18 home in that innings. Myshall could only answer with two and so elected to bat on but their fifth only yielded one home so it ended 30-12 with a bat in hand for Kilmore.

Kilmore Junior Mixed

Despite the scoreline, Myshall had some great play and Matthew Roberts, at Back Catcher, had a great game with five outs and got home three times. Also strong at bat were Gillian Nolan and PJ Lalor.

Kilmore’s stars were the ever-reliable Mark Harrington at Short Stop with four outs and home five times. Pitcher, Aidan Carr, was involved in five outs and Ana Carr on 1st Base got home three times and got the first out of the match with a great catch. Eli Harrington as Back Catcher was also impressive and is certainly one to watch for the future.

Leighlinbridge (Carlow) vs Inniskeen Grattans (Monaghan)

The final match of the day started late due to the overrun of the Men’s game between Gusserane and Inniskeen Grattans but Leighlinbridge waited patiently and it got started late but was well worth the wait. Limekiln’s Áine McLaughlin refereed this and, from the start, it was a tense affair that could have gone either way. Leighlinbridge took an early lead, which Inniskeen closed down well in the second. Leighlinbridge pulled ahead again slightly but by the bottom of the fourth Inniskeen had increased their lead to four runs. With nobody getting home in their fifth batting, the Monaghan side took the game 21-17 with a bat in hand.

Leighlinbridge great plays came from multiple players. Back Catcher Drew Dedula got his name on five outs. Louise Riddell who started the game on 1st Base but moved to pitching was also involved in five outs while Jason Curran, Chiara Trench and Skylar Bryska also all caught some impressive balls to get outs.

Inniskeen’s Trevor Hilliard, not content with five outs in the earlier Men’s game, was involved in a further eight outs in this game! Sinéad Hilliard was responsible for three outs while JJ Smith got involved in four outs. Pitcher Seán O’Connor, pitching for the second game in a row, was impressive with just one walk-on in the entire match.

Our Junior Mixed games on 9 August will both be at 3pm and will feature

  • Kilmore vs Na Piarsiagh
  • Galway City Rapparees vs Inniskeen Grattans

Summary

We’re slightly biased but Saturday was an incredible day of Rounders. The skill, the sportsmanship, the batting and fielding, the craic that was had…and that was just the quarter-finals! The future is bright for our sport if this is what our Junior teams can produce.

Before we finish up, a few words of thanks

  • To our Referees – Chris, Áine, Danielle, Jay and Shirley – as always, super job and none of these days would run without you and your hard work
  • Our Umpires – Colin, Serena C, Serena L, Grace, Cat, Seán and Shirley – thank you for making our Referees’ jobs just a bit easier
  • Limekiln Rounders – for an excellent hosting job as always
  • Our President – Paula Doherty, who was there to watch matches and support our players
  • And especially to our Quarter-finalists – thank you for your dedication and commitment, for training all year, for organising and playing your league matches and for coming to Tymon Park last Saturday and giving it your all. To the players, managers, coaches and Club Secretaries, míle buíochas – we hope that, whatever the result, you enjoyed the day!

There will be Intermediate and Senior League games for the next two Sundays but for our Junior Semi-finalists the next stop is Edenderry in Offaly on Sunday 9 August. Keep an eye on our website for the previews for all those games 😉

 

 

 

GAA Rounders Championship Preview – 9 August 2026

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We’ve made it to the last Sunday of our league! Over 260 games played in 16 short weeks – take a bow all of you who have organised, played in, refereed or travelled to watch one of those matches. You are the lifeblood of GAA Rounders and what keeps our organisation such an amazing community and our sport so exciting and compelling to watch and play.

Sunday will see Senior and Intermediate league games and Junior semi-finals all take place, all in Leinster when Dublin, Offaly and Wexford play host to 12 promising games. Let’s have a look at who’ll be taking to the pitches.

Senior Games – Dublin & Wexford

Wexford’s Glynn Barntown will host Monaghan’s Carrickmacross Emmets who will have an early start to travel the 235km between both clubs. First up at 12.30pm will be the Women from both clubs, followed, at 2pm, by the Mixed teams and the day will close out with the Men at 3.30pm.

In the Women’s competition, Breaffy and Limekiln have already qualified for semi-finals. A win or draw for Carrickmacross will mean they will also go through, leaving Erne Eagles taking the final spot. If the Wexford side win, it will leave a three-way tie between Erne Eagles, Carrickmacross and Glynn Barntown, meaning that Run Rate will decide the final two spots in the semi-finals. We love these “couldn’t be closer” final matches of the league!!

In Mixed, Breaffy, Cúchulainn and Glynn Barntown are all through and a win, or loss, for Carrickmacross will see them join that list of qualifiers.

Men isn’t straightforward either! Erne Eagles, Breaffy and Galway City Rapparees have already booked their semi-final slots, but the final place will go to the winner of Sunday’s game so there’s absolutely everything to play for in all three games.

Referee: Cúchulainn’s AnnMarie Brennan

Predictions: Women & Men – Carrickmacross Emmets; Mixed – Glynn Barntown

In Dublin, Limekiln will host Raheen in their final league games and, while the Dublin Women have already qualified for semi-finals, both sides’ Men’s teams are out of contention for this year. Don’t expect that to make it any less exciting to watch though!

Referee: GAA Rounders Vice-President Michael Dowling

Predictions: Limekiln to win both

Tymon Park will host one final game on Sunday when Intermediate Men from Dublin Metropolitans play Cavan’s St. Clare’s in the very last Intermediate league game of the year. St. Clare’s need to win to join Emo, Kilmore and St. Senan’s in the semi-finals next Saturday in Galway. A win for Dublin Mets will leave a three-way tie between St. Clare’s, Kilmeena and Dublin Mets for fourth place and so the qualifier will come down to Run Rate. This make-or-break game starts at 3.30pm.

Referee: GAA Vice President Michael Dowling

Prediction: St. Clare’s

Junior Semi-Finals

Rapparees Junior mixed team

Rapparees Junior mixed team

Cracking Junior games will take place all day in Edenderry GAA when our top twelve teams take to the two pitches for our Junior Men’s, Women’s and Mixed semi-finals.

We are very grateful to Edenderry GAA’s Committee for inviting GAA Rounders to their fantastic facility and for allowing us to host our Junior Semi-finals in Offaly.

At 11am Junior Women – Kilmore and St. Kieran’s – and Junior Men – Galway City Rapparees and Gusserane – will commence our day’s Rounders.

The Women’s match will see the unbeaten Roscommon side take on Limerick’s St. Kieran’s, runners-up in their league group. While Kilmore were favourites to win their quarter-final against Wexford’s Gusserane, St. Kieran’s were expected to have a harder time getting past Carrickmacross Emmets. Kilmore have demonstrated all year that they are excellent fielders – spectacular catches from Ruth McElhone, Clodagh Sheerin, Nicola Croughwell and Ana Carr in the quarter-final pay testament to that – and super base runners but they are also excellent batters, able to place balls outfield in the gaps between fielders. St. Kieran’s are also skilled batters and their pitcher, Deirdre Ambrose, is accurate and fast. With back catcher Siobhán Halligan, the two make a formidable team for getting outs. On the day, Kilmore’s experience, cool heads, calm fielding and strong batting should see them take the win.

Referee: National Secretary Shirley Lennon

Prediction: Kilmore

The Men’s match will also see unbeaten Galway City Rapparees take on Wexford’s Gusserane, runners-up in their league group. Topping their group and bypassing the quarter-finals, Rapparees will be rested and ready for this challenge while Gusserane had a tough fight on their hands in Tymon Park two weeks ago to get past Monaghan side Inniskeen Grattans. With pitcher Séamus Keegan and back catcher Colin O’Halloran working in sync to get outs on home and straight to first, Rapparees are a well-oiled fielding machine that also have the batting skills to get runs on the board. Gusserane, who played Intermediate Mixed this year, are also a tight outfit with a strong pitcher in Karel van der Merwe and excellent fielders in Conor Murphy and Morgan Nash Colfer. Expect neither side to give an inch in this potentially tight and super close game.

Referee: The Heath’s Danielle Keane

Prediction: Galway City Rapparees

After a short break, or not depending on how long the first games take, we’ll be back to action with two 1pm games – again one Women’s and one Men’s match.

In Men, Carlow’s Myshall will take on Dublin’s Na Gaeil Nua. Group toppers Myshall also skipped Quarter-finals, while Na Gaeil Nua beat Limerick side Na Piarsaigh to earn their place on Sunday. With an excellent pitching/catching combo in PJ Lalor and Matthew Roberts, Myshall have the potential to punish third good balls not hit or clips that go backwards. Newcomers to Rounders, Na Gaeil Nua have proved that experience isn’t everything and have shown all season that they can bat and catch like seasoned professionals. Shortstop Ryota Yamagochi and 2nd Base Javier Isern can both bat far and run fast and it will be containing them and their teammates that will cause Myshall problems.

Not the first time these sides have met, having played each other last month in the league, the victors that time were Myshall. Have Na Gaeil Nua learned from their mistakes that day or will Myshall be ready to win again?

Referee: The Heath’s Danielle Keane

Prediction: Myshall

Our lunchtime Women’s game is between unbeaten Carlow side Leighlinbridge and unbeaten Limerick team St. Senan’s so this really will be unchartered territory for the team on the wrong side of Sunday’s scoresheet.

Leighlinbridge Junior Women

St. Senan’s pitcher, Louise Kelly, has been their secret weapon all season and her ability to pitch fast and accurately has caused problems for all the sides they have met so far. Many of St. Senan’s women also play Intermediate Mixed and the skills honed at the higher grade have worked to their advantage in ensuring smart batting, fast fielding and quick outs. However, they have yet to come up against an opponent like Leighlinbridge who can also field and bat and have won several league games by more than double scores and with multiple bats in hand. Their quarter-final defeat of Skryne was clinical in its tactical efficiency with three up three out and no mercy given for any errors made. This will be both teams’ toughest battle to date – who will be strong enough to make it through?

Referee: The Heath’s Philip Keane

Prediction: St. Senan’s

And finally, at 3pm it will be time for our two Mixed semi-finals with repeat appearances from Kilmore and Galway City Rapparees, this time taking on Limerick’s Na Piarsaigh and Monaghan’s Inniskeen Grattans respectively.

The Galway side comprehensively beat strong Laois team Emo in their quarter-final with excellent performances from Ajay Kumar – scoring a Home Run, pitcher Séamus Keegan, back catcher Sorcha Dowd, Mel Mannion on 1st Base and 3rd Baseminder Cat Carty. Shortstop Greg Mannion missed nothing outfield and, at bat, had some great hits. While Inniskeen also had an excellent performance against Leighlinbridge to make their way into the semi-finals – shortstop Trevor Hilliard was a one-man wall past which few balls made it, it wasn’t quite as impressive or comprehensive. Their fielding was just a bit less tight and their batting not quite as sharp, but the intervening two weeks may have given them time to hone those skills and be ready for the Rapparees.

Referee: National Secretary Shirley Lennon

Prediction: Galway City Rapparees

Kilmore have impressed all season with their excellent fielding and clever batting and comprehensively won through their group, not losing a game. Their depth of squad is such that even on days when key players are not available, they can make it work and still get the runs in and outs needed to secure the win. Key to their success is pitcher Aidan Carr and his accurate, fast and smart bowling. His ability to catch short pop-ups and throw to base has caught many batters out. Outfield Mark Harrington is a powerhouse and has both an excellent catch and throw. Keeping it in the family Mark’s son, Eli, and Aidan’s wife, Ana, are both important infielders who can be relied upon to catch, throw and bat accurately. Jamie Sharkey at shortstop is dangerous if a ball is batted short and Oisin Boland is not an outfielder you want to direct a ball towards! Na Piarsaigh have their share of excellent fielders and Patrick Fitzgerald has been responsible for many outs. At shortstop Ian Jennings was formidable during their quarter-final defeat of Carrickmacross Emmets, while pitcher/catcher Alan Healy and Sarah Stanley were both responsible for multiple outs. Although Na Piarsaigh’s ability to keep calm during what was the most tense finish to any of the ten quarter-finals that day was seriously impressive and won them the match, they weren’t facing a team as collectively strong as Kilmore and it’s hard to see how they will have the batting power in particular to overcome the Roscommon side.

Referee: The Heath’s Philip Keane

Prediction: Kilmore

And then there’ll be six – our six Junior Finalists. The best of the best who will bring their A game to Abbotstown, Kilcormac and Mallow and aim to be crowned All-Ireland Champions for 2026. All we can say is bring it on! Sunday will be some day of Rounders and we can’t wait to be there to see every bit of it.

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Junior Women’s Quarter-finals Previews – 25 July 2026

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Saturday, 25 July 2026 | Tymon Park, Dublin

Our Junior League games for 2026 have now concluded, with the results of 57 Junior Women’s matches collated and analysed. Group tables have been double-checked, and of the 22 teams that set out in May, we are now down to the final eight.

These eight teams – Carrickmacross Emmets, Gusserane, Kilmore, Leighlinbridge, Myshall, St. Kieran’s, St. Senan’s, and Skryne – will take to the pitches at Tymon Park in Dublin on Saturday morning, each giving their all in a bid to secure a place in the Junior Semi-finals on 9 August. We are very grateful to Limekiln Rounders for hosting all ten matches on Sunday and are looking forward to a wonderful day of Rounders!

Let’s take a closer look at how these four quarter-final pairings match up!

St. Senan’s (Limerick) vs Myshall (Carlow)

  • Time: 11am
  • Referee: Áine McLaughlin (Dublin)

St. Senan’s topped Group A (consisting of Limerick and Galway sides) with a maximum 25 points. Myshall finished third in a highly competitive Group C featuring Carlow and Wexford teams. Although Myshall equalled Gusserane on 26 points, the Wexford side took second place owing to their head-to-head victory.

St. Senan’s hold a significant asset in pitcher Louise Kelly, who also plays Intermediate Mixed. Accustomed to the 12m pitching distance, her delivery from the 10m Junior Women’s mark comes in faster and harder than many batters are used to facing. Teammates Josephine Hickey, Kyra Hogan, Gráinne Noonan, and Dorothy Cullagh have also played Intermediate Mixed this season, giving St. Senan’s a battle-tested edge.

Myshall, meanwhile, recently secured the transfers of former Senior players Gillian Nolan and Margaret Simpson, whose expertise will inject huge confidence into the squad. Alongside established stalwarts like Alma Rae, Mya Farrell, Anita Donoghue, and Audrey Roberts, Myshall possess a wealth of big-game experience.

The key test for Myshall will be handling the pace and power coming off Louise Kelly’s pitches. Their fielding is strong and their base-minders remain calm under pressure. On the flip side, St. Senan’s have rarely had their fielding or batting fully tested this year – aside from close encounters with St. Kieran’s and Athenry, their wins were comprehensive. Despite an impressive Run Rate five times higher than Myshall’s, St. Senan’s have batted seven fewer innings overall, meaning their comfortable path to the last eight may leave them with something to prove when tested in a high-stakes knockout.

Prediction: Myshall

Kilmore (Roscommon) vs Gusserane (Wexford)

  • Time: 11am
  • Referee: Shirley Lennon (Meath)

Like St. Senan’s, Kilmore topped Group B with a perfect 30 points, defeating teams from Monaghan, Meath, and Longford. Gusserane edged past Myshall to secure second place in Group C.

Rather than relying on a single standout, Kilmore boast a well-balanced, cohesive squad whose players have built strong chemistry over several seasons. Pitcher Irene Reynolds and Catcher Nicola Craughwell form a dynamic duo, complemented by Ana Carr – an exceptional Short-stop who reads the game brilliantly and covers huge ground. Joann Sharkey is rock-solid on 2nd Base, while their outfielders attack long balls fearlessly and at bat the entire squad is able to place their hits smartly into outfield gaps.

Gusserane launched their 2026 season in style by winning at Junior Day before the Championship even began, followed by an opening win against Myshall. Defeats to group leaders Leighlinbridge and St. Martin’s slowed their momentum, but Gusserane responded strongly with victories over Kilanerin Ballyfad and Castletown Liam Mellows. While injuries have tested their squad depth this term, they will hope to be back at full strength for the weekend.

Several Gusserane players feature in Intermediate Mixed, which will stand to them in tense moments. However, Kilmore’s dugout is guided by Intermediate Men’s pitcher Aidan Carr, whose calm tactical leadership and ability to get the best out of his team cannot be underestimated.

Prediction: Kilmore

 

 

Leighlinbridge (Carlow) vs Skryne (Meath)

  • Time: 11am
  • Referee: Jay Hall (Galway)

Leighlinbridge, the second Carlow side in the last eight, became the third team to reach maximum league points, cruising through Group C with an outstanding Run Rate of 8.8.

Their opponents, Skryne, qualified from a contrasting Group B that featured a mix of seasoned contenders and new teams in their debut Championship season. Having competed in Junior Women since 2021, Skryne possess plenty of experience, though they had to battle hard in an opening match win over newcomers Nobber before reaching the knockout stages for the very first time.

Leighlinbridge reached this exact stage in 2025 before being halted by Dublin Metropolitans. However, their technical development and team cohesion over the past 12 months have been clear to see. They look every bit a side that learned from last year’s setback and is now primed to go further.

To disrupt Leighlinbridge’s momentum, Skryne’s outfielders must react quickly to get the sliotar back to home base rapidly and limit multi-run innings. They will also need clinical, aggressive display at the batting mat to keep pressure on the scoreboard.

Prediction: Leighlinbridge

 

 

St. Kieran’s (Limerick) vs Carrickmacross Emmets (Monaghan)

  • Time: 11am
  • Referee: Mary Roche (Wexford)

The second-placed side from Group A meets the third-placed finisher from Group B in what looks, on paper, to be the most evenly balanced tie of the round.

St. Kieran’s enjoyed a fantastic group campaign, dropping points only to group winners St. Senan’s. Carrickmacross Emmets similarly pushed hard, with their only setbacks coming against Kilmore and Skryne. Both clubs feature seasoned players, astute coaching, and the big-match temperament required when knockouts arrive—making this a strong candidate for game of the morning!

Carrickmacross can call on key game-changers in Rachel Boylan, Sinéad Murphy, Emma Fay, Mary Lambe, and Tracy McMahon. St. Kieran’s rely on a proven core – Deirdre Ambrose, Ellie Bucke, Caitriona Hough, and Steph Downes – who have driven their success all season long. Both management setups will be backing their leaders to produce their best performances when it matters most.

Prediction: Carrickmacross Emmets

By lunchtime on Saturday we’ll know who’s taken one step closer to becoming our 2026 Junior Women’s All-Ireland Champions. Best of luck to all eight teams – beir bua agus go mbuafaidh na foirne is fearr!

Tomorrow we’ll be looking at our Junior Men’s Quarter-finalists and on Thursday it will be the turn of our Junior Mixed qualifiers – you won’t want to miss either of those!

Munster Winter League Returns as Rapid Growth Transforms the Province

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Munster Winter League Returns as Rapid Growth Transforms the Province

The Munster Winter League is back for its second year, and even in such a short space of time it has already become a cornerstone of Rounders in the province. What makes this season stand out isn’t just the fixtures — it’s the extraordinary rate of growth happening across Munster. Only a few years ago, the province had three championship clubs competing nationally. Today, that picture has changed completely.

This weekend marks the opening round of the 2025/26 competition, and the line-up reflects a province expanding faster than anyone could have predicted.

Naomh Pol Enter the Scene

A major talking point is the competitive debut of Naomh Pol, a brand-new club from Waterford who will play their first ever matches this weekend. Their opening test is a tough one: a full set of games against St Senan’s, the reigning All-Ireland Junior champions, on Saturday morning.

It’s a challenging start, but a historic occasion too — the beginning of Waterford’s involvement in Munster Rounders and the first steps for a club determined to establish itself in the sport.

St Senan’s Continue to Grow

St Senan’s themselves arrive into the winter league with renewed strength. Already one of Munster’s leading clubs, they now field a new Ladies team, adding depth and competition to the women’s grade. Their expansion reflects the broader trend — established clubs growing stronger while new ones form around them.

A Surge of New Clubs Across the Province

Perhaps the most exciting sign of Munster’s progress is the number of clubs currently forming across the south. A few seasons ago, Rounders struggled for numbers in the province. Now, interest is spreading county by county.

  • In Cork, both Glenville and Kildorrery are laying strong foundations.
  • In Tipperary, Moneygall have begun attracting players from across the parish.
  • Mungret St Paul’s in Limerick are assembling coaching teams and structures for their launch.
  • A new club is forming in South Kerry, marking the county’s first serious involvement in the sport.
  • And in Clare, three separate groups are taking steps towards full club status.

If even the majority of these developing teams reach competitive level, Munster could soon boast over 12 clubs and more than 20 teams — a remarkable rise from the days of just three championship clubs.

Leadership Driving Expansion

Behind much of this rapid development is the tireless work of Michael Sheahan of St Kieran’s, the Munster provincial representative. His support for new clubs, combined with strong backing from the national administration, has accelerated the sport’s growth.

“Loads of Rounders in Limerick city and county this weekend! We start on Saturday with a most historic day for one of our new clubs, Waterford’s Naomh Pol, who make their Rounders debut in men’s, women’s and mixed in Shanagolden as guests of All-Ireland junior champions St Senan’s on Saturday morning. In the late afternoon they travel back to the city as guests of Na Piarsaigh’s men’s, women’s and mixed teams. We wish them a most enjoyable day of Rounders in Limerick.”

Michael also praised the cooperation behind the scenes:

“On Sunday morning, Kildimo-Pallaskenry and St Kieran’s women’s teams start their respective winter league campaigns with a 12.30 first pitch-in in Kildimo, and the second game between both clubs starting no later than 3pm — a record weekend of Rounders activity in Limerick!”

He added sincere appreciation for national support:

“We’ve had brilliant support locally in every county, and the enthusiasm from new clubs has been unreal. I have to thank our national secretary, Shirley Lennon. Anytime we needed help getting new clubs affiliated or needed guidance on the process, she was there straight away. That kind of support has made a massive difference to Munster Rounders and to clubs like my own, St Kieran’s.”


A Province on the Rise

As the 2024/25 Munster Winter League begins, the province finds itself in a new era — one defined by energy, expansion, and unprecedented momentum. Between Naomh Pol’s debut, St Senan’s continued growth, and the emergence of clubs across six counties, Munster is becoming one of the most vibrant regions in Irish Rounders.

This weekend is more than the start of a competition. It’s the next chapter in one of the fastest-growing stories in Irish GAA.

Weekend Fixtures

Saturday – 22 November

Naomh Pol vs St Senan’s

  • Men – 3 innings
  • Mixed – 3 innings
  • Ladies – 3 innings

Naomh Pol vs Sporting Limerick

  • Men – 3 innings
  • Mixed – 3 innings
  • Ladies – 3 innings

Sunday – 23 November

  • Na Piarsaigh vs Sporting Limerick – Mixed – 3 innings
  • Kildimo Pallaskenry 1 vs St Kieran’s – Ladies – 3 innings
  • Kildimo Pallaskenry 2 vs St Kieran’s – Ladies – 3 innings