By DARREN KELLY

WITH their silver jubilee coming up in 2026, Caltra Cuans might never get a better opportunity for a perfect celebration then this Saturday (Croke Park, 2pm) when they clash with Cavan’s Knockbride in the All-Ireland intermediate ladies football final.

They complete the set for the parish as all four codes will have played in GAA headquarters. Caltra’s men were crowned All-Ireland senior football winners in 2004; Ahascragh-Fohenagh went down in the 2017 intermediate hurling decider; as did Ahascragh-Caltra camogie 12 months ago.

It’s the latter experience the girls in green will hope stands to them when they try and become Galway’s fifth winners of the second-tier competition. Eight starters faced Kerry’s Clanmaurice in 2024; the panel features 19 dual players.

They suffered a heavy defeat to the Munster outfit, in the same year they surrendered their senior football status, ending a 13-year stay in Galway’s top flight. For Caltra Cuans, 2025 was about sink or swim and they’ve shown no issue keeping their heads above water.

And while the camogie pain from 2024 should be a motivating factor, they’ve other generals who’ve mastered the pathways beyond Connacht in the past.

Goalkeeper Theresa Loughnane, Helen Cullinane, Sarah Noone and Laura Naughton from their 2010 All-Ireland junior success will also line up in Croke Park.

Emma Naughton and Orlaith Hannon provide options from the bench. They went on to take provincial intermediate glory in 2011 (with Nicole Conway and Meghan Kelly involved) but a quarter-final reversal cross-channel ended back-to-back national plans.

That All-Ireland win 15 years ago, after a replay against Tyrone’s St. Enda’s, Omagh, was played in Mullahoran in Cavan. Now it’s Breffni opposition standing in the opposing corner for Caltra Cuans’ greatest day.

Knockbride, east of Cavan town, are the first club from the county to contest an All-Ireland intermediate final.  The only other Ulster winners were Monaghan’s Emyvale in 2008.

While their All-Ireland semi-final win two weeks ago was low scoring, the green and red have registered 27 goals in 11 games, conceding just seven.

They dominated the Cavan championship, beating Templeport, St. Finbarr’s and Belturbet-Redhills in the group stages. Cornafean (1-9 to 0-7) fell in the quarter-finals before taking down Cúchulainns (3-10 to 3-6) in the semi-final.

A first county title since 2012 was gained when they dispatched Gowna (3-12 to 0-6). In Ulster, they accounted for Down’s Carryduff (2-15 to 1-4) and Donegal’s Gaeil Fhanada (1-8 to 0-4). The latter success came at a cost as attacker Abby Reilly departed injured.

Pictured: Emma Reaney of Caltra Cuans on the charge against Róisín Kavanagh of St Fechin’s during the All-Ireland Club Ladies Football Intermediate semi-final. The Galway champions face Knockbride in the final at Croke Park on Saturday.