PREVIEW: Junior and Intermediate Titles on the Line
PREVIEW: Junior and Intermediate Titles on the Line
May 16, 2025
LADIES FOOTBALL – WEEKEND PREVIEWS
Compiled by Jackie Cahill
THERE’S more provincial silverware up for grabs next Sunday – with the Leinster and Ulster Junior and Intermediate Finals down for decision.
There’s a Leinster Final double-header at TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar, with the Junior decider featuring Carlow and Louth followed by the Intermediate showpiece between Laois and Westmeath.
There’s also a double-header at O’Neills Healy Park in Omagh for the TG4 Ulster Finals, with Antrim up against Derry in the Junior Final, while holders Down will take on Cavan in the Intermediate game.
All four games will be available live, with the Leinster Finals at https://bit.ly/3S3ZJwB while the Ulster Finals can be accessed via the Ulster LGFA Facebook Page: https://bit.ly/3GYNMG2
Sunday May 18, 2025
TG4 Leinster Junior Championship Final
Carlow v Louth; TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2pm – Live at https://bit.ly/4j9hDcl
In a repeat of last year’s final, holders Louth will put their crown on the line against Carlow.
This is a meeting between counties who have won the last five Leinster junior titles on offer, with Louth champions in 2024, 2019 and 2018, while Carlow landed silverware in 2017 and 2023.
The sides have already met in the provincial campaign, with Louth winning by 5-8 to 2-15 in the round-robin phase.
This will be the third competitive meeting between the sides in 2025, while they also locked horns three times in 2024 in championship fare.
Most recently, and just a fortnight ago, the sides were involved in the proverbial game of two halves.
Louth were 13 points clear early in the second half, before Carlow rallied to within two points at full-time.
While named on the bench for this one, Mischa Rooney is a player Carlow will need to look out for, as she scored 3-1 in that game.
Louth had also left it late earlier in the campaign against Longford, with captain Áine Breen popping over a couple of crucial late scores to snatch victory.
Carlow booked their place in the final last weekend by staging a late comeback of their own to pip Longford.
With nine minutes left, the Barrowsiders were three points down but they rallied superbly to progress.
Carlow: N Hanley; S McCullagh, C Mahon, K Tunstead; T Lyons, A Carroll, R Bermingham; R Bailey (capt.), E Ware; B Nolan, E Hayden, E Molloy; A Kiernan, C Ní Shé, K Burke.
Louth: R Lambe Fagan; S Matthews, E Hand, H Lambe Sally; C O’Reilly, S McLaughlin, A Russell; G McCrave, Á Breen (capt.); E Gartlan, E Byrne, R Leonard; K Flood, C Woods, C Nolan.
TG4 Leinster Intermediate Championship Final
Laois v Westmeath; TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 4pm – Live at https://bit.ly/3S42EW5
A midlands derby awaits in the 2025 TG4 Leinster Intermediate final.
Laois advanced to the final with a comfortable semi-final victory over Wicklow, as Westmeath got the better of Wexford in the last four.
That was a sweet one for Westmeath, who lost out to Wexford in last year’s provincial decider.
Westmeath finished just a point behind Wexford in the 2024 Final but now have the chance to erase those painful memories.
But they’ll get nothing easy from an improving Laois side, who won this title last in 2018.
Westmeath are chasing a first TG4 Leinster Intermediate crown since 2011 and they’ll also look to launch a strong push for the All-Ireland title and promotion to the senior grade.
Before all of that, there’s a provincial title on offer and the result will also impact on the make-up of the TG4 All-Ireland Championship groups.
The winners will join the Ulster runners-up and Tyrone in Group 2 of the All-Ireland series, with the losers to face Roscommon and Fermanagh in Group 1.
Laois: E Barry; S Farrelly, F McEvoy, G Lalor; A Gorman, A Moore, A Moran (capt.); F Dooley, J Moore; S Havill, L Walsh, C Crowley; A Galvin, C Burke, M Nerney.
Westmeath: A Temple; L McCartan, S Murphy, F Coyle (capt.); C Gonoud, L Power, S Buckley; V Carr, A Roche; L McCartan, S Dillon, T Dillon; G Byrne, A Jones, C Kilmurray.
