LAST UPDATE | 1 Jul 2023
Ladies All-Ireland SFC Round 3:
Mayo 2-15 Laois 0-8
Kerry 2-21 Cavan 2-5
Cork 8-12 Tipperary 2-3
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INTER-COUNTY LADIES football players escalated their protests on a busy day of action as Mayo, Kerry and Cork powered into to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Almost two weeks ago, ladies football and camogie stars held a landmark press conference and released a statement through the GPA explaining that they would play the remainder of the 2023 season “under protest”.
Last weekend, teams linked arms and stood together for the national anthem before sitting on the pitch, slightly delaying throw-in.
Today, they wore #UnitedForEquality t-shirts and left the pitch after Amhrán na bhFiann.
Players from both Kerry and Cavan wear #UnitedForEquality shirts and leave the pitch after Amhrán na bhFiann in protest before their match in Austin Stack Park today. pic.twitter.com/Mbjrfni8Xp
— Radio Kerry Sport (@radiokerrysport) July 1, 2023
A haul of 2-9 from Sinéad Cafferky and Sinéad Walsh ensured Mayo advance to the TG4 All-Ireland quarter finals.
The Connacht champions enjoyed near total dominance against a Laois at MacHale Park. Laois now bow out of the championship.
With the aid of the wind, Michael Moyles’ women started the game with seven points on the bounce.
The impressive Sinéad Cafferky — who lined out without her sister Lisa — finished the half with 0-4 while the equally excellent Walsh struck 1-2.
Throughout the first half, Mayo forced 15 turnovers. Laois struggled to create many meaningful scoring opportunities and didn’t get the scoreboard moving until Mo Nerney and Anna Healey pointed after 14 and 18 minutes.
Mayo got the opening goal when Deirdre Doherty sent a 40-yard pass into the isolated Walsh, who turned and delivered a fine finish to the net.
It was all Mayo again at the start of the second half, with Deirdre Doherty landing a free before Cafferky rattled the net after receiving a pass from Shauna Howley.
Walsh had to settle for only a point from two goal chances as Mayo cruised home with a second-half haul of 1-6.
Cáit Lynch, meanwhile, led the way as table-toppers Kerry booked a home quarter-final when they had 16 points to spare at Austin Stack Park in Tralee.
The lethal Kerry full-forward line of Siofra O’Shea, Caoimhe Evans and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh contributed 1-9 to Kerry’s total on a day when Lynch was the player in a match where both sides struggled with the strong wind.
Cavan played with the breeze in the first-half but with Kerry building a 1-10 to 1-4 interval lead, it was always going to be a difficult task for the Breffni side to get back into contention.
Aisling Gilsenan got Cavan off the mark 40 seconds into the second half with a free but by the 46th minute Kerry had raced 1-16 to 1-5 lead. A minute later O’Shea then lobbed Roisin O’Reilly with a deft flick after a fine ball from substitute Fiadhna Tangney and at 2-16 to 1-5 it really was game over.
Geraldine Smith scored a consolation goal in the 31st minute for Cavan but the last score of the game fell to Kerry’s Erica McGlynn and Kerry march forward to a home All Ireland quarter final whilst it’s a relegation play-off that awaits Cavan.
Cork went on a goalscoring rampage to confidently march into the quarter-finals following a one-sided defeat of Tipperary in Clonakilty.
Seven different players found the net for Cork as Tipperary were blown away by an early goal blitz from Shane Ronayne’s side.
The Rebels put the memory of a disappointing Galway defeat behind them and hit Tipperary for eight goals en route to claiming a place in the last eight of this year’s senior championship.
It was a real show of strength from Cork as they got their championship campaign firmly back on track.
Five goals inside the opening quarter did the damage as Eimear Kiely, Máire O’Callaghan, Orlaith Cahalane, Anna Ryan and Daire Kiely (penalty) found the net.
Overcoming the loss of Eimear Kiely to injury, Cork led 5-8 to 1-3 at the break with a brace of points from Emma Morrissey brace and 1-1 from Aishling Moloney all Tipperary had to show.
The loss of Ciara O’Sullivan to a red card and Anna Ryan for a 10-minute sin-binning saw Cork reduced to 13 players after the restart.
And when Moloney got in for her second goal for Tipperary, there was a hint of a revival from the visitors in Clonakilty.
But Cork regrouped and easily saw out the victory and their safe passage to the quarter-finals of this season’s race for the TG4 All-Ireland title.
Second half substitutes Dara Kiniry and Bríd O’Sullivan found the net and Anna Ryan got her second goal of the game as Cork pushed for home and wrapped up an emphatic victory.
Reporting by Dan Kearney, Oisín McGovern and Ger McCarthy.
