The Under 15 Girls’ Republic of Ireland Schools has
been named for two International Friendly games later this month as they rev up
preparations for Bob Docherty Cup.
Two Galway students have been named in the squad.
They are Kate Thompson from Colaiste Iognaid and Rola Olusola from Merlin
College.
Northern Ireland will be first up for Head Coach Richard Berkeley’s charges as they visit Dublin on Saturday, February 29 while England will pop over to the Capital to compete in the John Read Trophy a week later on Saturday, March 7.
These useful excursions will be an opportunity for
the 18 players to confirm their place on the flight to Lilleshall as the squad
jet off on April 14 to take on Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland in
the three-day International tournament.
Berkeley will be optimistic for the elusive three
in-a-row as he looks to defend the Bob Docherty Cup and John Read Trophy this
season. Since taking over the reigns from Lorraine Counihan, the Tallaght
native has secured back to back success in both competitions. He will want to
replicate such triumphs in 2020.
To strengthen his odds, he has three exceptional
players returning to the setup. Jessie
STAPLETON (Palmerstown Community School) will be making her third consecutive
appearance at Schools level and has notched up some splendid performances in
the series of campaigns thus far. Stapleton is currently in camp with the Irish
Women’s Under 17 squad as they take on Iceland in Waterford later this week.
Alongside her will be Ulster star Ellie LONG
(Carndonagh Community School) who has been capped for Sue Ronan’s Under 16
squad.
Another Leinster student surpassing all expectations
is Liadan CLYNCH (Bush Post Primary School, Dundalk) who also enjoyed an outing
with Ronan’s side in England earlier this year.
The trio will be well aware of the Northern Ireland
and England threat as they featured heavily in last season’s campaign.
Stapleton even got on the score-sheet against
Northern Ireland when they met in 2018.
However, it was a scoreless draw in Armagh City last
season when the sides last did battle which was a physical encounter. The
pressure will be firmly on the hosts to impress in their first major outing of
the season as Stephen Graham’s squad look to upset the odds.
Also on the schedule is the tasty tie with England
who are now competing for the coveted John Read Trophy for a seventh time. The
Irish were slow to start in this series as England won the first three on the
bounce but the Irish responded with the last three titles sown up nicely.
GALWAY
TEST
As well as numerous sessions in Abbotstown, Berkeley
travelled West for a two day training camp a fortnight ago. A squad of twenty
enjoyed a fruitful training session in Salthill Devon FC on the Saturday and
played a Galway Under 17s select on the Sunday afternoon in Eamonn Deacy Park
in front of an incredible 952 supporters.
The Galway challenge saw them overcome a smart new
outfit 3-1 with Abbie Larkin, Ellie Long and Jessie Stapleton all converting in
the first half as Galway’s Abbie Callanan responded just before the break.
INTEPROVINCIAL
SERIES
The Irish team have enjoyed a series of trials and
training camps since the conclusion of the Interprovincial Tournament last
November. Berkeley and his staff use this tournament as the main recruiting
tool for the International trial process.
The tournament was a huge success with an
outstanding pedigree of football played over the weekend.
Leinster only required a draw in the tie to see them
victorious and Rob Ellison’s side duly delivered.
A goal in each half was enough to see off title contenders
Munster in a really entertaining contest.
The victory securing a seventh title in a decade for
the province so it was no surprise that the Class of 2020 would see a dominance
of Leinster students in the mix as they produced some amazing football in the
Interprovincial series.
Dublin’s catchment area of Lucan, Ringsend,
Castleknock and Palmerstown are represented with Aoibhe Fleming, Abbie Larkin,
Tara O’Hanlon and Jessie Stapleton flying the flag for their educational
institutes.
Dundalk students Liadan Clynch and Drogheda’s Summer
Lawless should make major strides at this level as well as Kildare schoolgirls
Claudia Keenan from Rathagan and Orlaith O’Mahony of Prosperous.
Katie Law of Wexford and Carlow’s Aoife Kelly are
joined by Bray scholar Eve O’Brien as they progress from provincial team-mates
to an Irish force.
There is an exciting Munster contingency including
graduates from Corbally, Cork City, Thurles and Blarney all making the
cut. Jodie Griffin, Heidi O’Sullivan,
Grace Flanagan and Ellie O’Brien starred heavily for their province and are
sure to be leading lights for Richard Berkeley’s side.
Carndonagh’s Ellie Long is the sole survivor in
Ulster with a fantastic rep in our various schools competitions as well as her
continued underage International experience.
While Connacht will be represented by Coláiste
Iognáid and Merlin College, both in Galway as Kate Thompson and Rola Olusola
are included. Kate Captained the Irish a fortnight ago in that local outing so
it was a proud moment for the Thompson family.
The management staff also have a new look with Cork
City player Katie McCarthy joining the coaching team. McCarthy is applying her
trade in St. Colman’s of Midlton. She will be joined by Performance Analyst
Molly Cassidy who is currently competing a degree in DCU.
While the team prepare for these competitive
fixtures, wilth Head Coach and his staff
will have one final training session on Saturday, April 4 to access the results
and finalize their squad for the Bob Docherty Cup.
REPUBLIC
OF IRELAND PROVISIONAL SQUAD | Kate THOMPSON
(Coláiste Iognáid, Galway), Rola OLUSOLA (Merlin College, Galway), Summer
LAWLESS (Ballymakenny College, Drogheda), Liadan CLYNCH (Bush Post Primary
School, Dundalk), Aoibhe FLEMING (Lucan Community College), Jessie STAPLETON
(Palmerstown Community School), Eve O’BRIEN (Woodbrook College, Bray), Katie
LAW (Presentation Secondary School, Wexford), Abbie LARKIN (Ringsend College),
Orlaith O’MAHONY (St. Farnan’s Post Primary School, Prosperous), Tara O’HANLON
(Castleknock Community College), Claudia KEENAN (Ardscoil Rathagan), Aoife
KELLY (Presentation College, Carlow), Ellie LONG (Carndonagh Community School),
Jodie GRIFFIN (Ardscoil Mhuire, Corbally), Ellie O'BRIEN (Scoil Muire gan Smál,
Blarney), Heidi O'SULLIVAN (Regina Mundi College, Cork), Grace FLANAGAN
(Presentation Secondary School, Thurles),
MANAGEMENT | Head Coach Richard BERKELEY (Sancta Maria College, Louisburgh) Coach Emma MULLIN Coach Katie McCARTHY (St. Colman’s Community College, Midleton) GK Coach Scott GAYNOR (Presentation SS, Wexford), Performance Analyst Molly CASSIDY Kit Person Karen HENRY (Mulroy College, Milford), Physio Aoife BURKE
