FBD Insurance Junior B Championship Preview

Moycarkey fancied for Junior B Success

Ray Ralph’s Moycarkey Borris side will be favourites for this year’s Junior B championship having reached the final last  year and also winning the league final earlier this year. They have great underage talent coming through in both camogie and football having won both the U16 A camogie and football in 2021 and 2022. Kate Ralph, Emma O’Sullivan, Molly O’Dwyer, Amy Callanan, and Alisha Kearney all featured on this year’s county minor panel while Sarah Corcoran, Ciara Shelly and Caitlin Shelly were all part of the Tipperary U16 panel. More experienced players such as Maeve Corcoran and Cathriona Walsh give the side the perfect blend of youth and experience. They have a tough opening game away to Gortnahoe Glengoole who have competed well at Junior B in recent years and also reached this year’s U21 A final. Helen Lanigan is the manager with Brendan Hogan and Darren Coady as selectors. They didn’t have a good league campaign and suffered a heavy defeat to Moycakey in the group stages but will be determined to reverse that this Friday.

It will be a tough task for Cashel King Cormacs this year who come up from Junior B2 this year where they  were beaten finalists. Cashel are a club with great underage talent with Emer Dwan and Hannah Butler on the Tipperary U16 team while Lisa Blair, Ciara Moloney, Saoirse Davis and Kellie Browne are all involved in the U17 county development squad. If they don’t loose any players to the senior team they could go very well in the Junior A. Their opening game is away to Carrick Swans a team that boasts a real family affair with 3 sets of sisters - Sarah and Lisa Connolly, Shannon and Cailin Power and Helena and Sarah Walsh. Portroe make up the 5^th team in group 1 and will be another side who will look to make a big impact on this year’s championship. Aisling Sheedy had a good season at full back for the Tipperary junior team while Trisha O’Halloran is a former Tipperay senior player. Nessa O’Driscoll in the goals and Claire O’Brien and Yasmin Madden are other key players for them.

Group 2 is made up of Ballingarry, Moyle Rovers, Silvermines and St Cronan’s. On Sunday Ballingarry are at home to Moyle Rovers while Silvermines welcome St Cronan’s to Dolla. Manager Marc Collins will be hoping his side can pick up all 3 points away to Ballingary. Rosin McGrath captains the team while Tipperary U16 corner back Eabha Dolan is also in the side. Having won the Junior B2 county final Silvermine’s second team will relish the opportunity of playing in the Junior B Championship. Both the senior and junior panel are managed by Donie Kennedy while Ellen Maher captains the side. St Cronan’s travel to Dolla on Friday evening hoping to get their championship off to a winning start. Aoife Moloney is the sole survivor of the team that last won the Junior B county title in 2015 and is likely to feature in midfield. Up front Claire Carey at only 20 years of age is their top scorer and is a huge asset for this very young St Cronan’s side.

Friday 19th August

Jnr B C /Ship Grp 1

Gortanhoe Glengoole v Moycarkey Borris at 7pm

Ref: Pat lynch

Sunday 21st August

Jnr B C/Ship Grp 1

Carrick Swans v Cashel King Cormacs at 6pm

Ref: Luke Foran

Jnr B C/Ship Grp 2

Ballingarry v Moyle Rovers at 6pm

Ref: Julian o Dwyer

Friday 26th August

Jnr B C /Ship Grp 2

Slivermines v St.Cronan’s at 7pm

Ref: Jim Lee's