Knockbride (Cavan) 3-10

Caltra Cuans 0-4

By DARREN KELLY   AT CROKE PARK

THE dream ending to a memorable year didn’t materialise for Caltra Cuans on Saturday as Cavan’s Knockbride created history with a dominant display in this All-Ireland Club Intermediate Ladies Football Final at Croke Park.

Goals from Sarah and Gia McCabe, and Katie Rogers, were the critical blows from the Breffni women who seized the early scores to control this contest.

It was another disappointing effort for the north Galway parish who’d suffered a similar defeat in the camogie decider against Kerry’s Clanmaurice 12 months earlier.

And it also highlighted how lonely Croke Park can be when things are just simply not going according to plan. After an early Knockbride penalty trickled over the line, their worst fears were realised as the Cavan team became the first from their county to win this competition.

This result and performance shouldn’t take away from Caltra Cuans’ heroics in 2025 that saw them overcome multiple hurdles and setbacks to chart a course that led them to the biggest game of the year.

County seniors Aoife Ní Cheallaigh and Maryanne Jordan were among a quintet of regular starters out injured. Laoise Kirwan and Molly Mulryan were other absentees but one big positive was the return of captain Denise Kelly for the final moments.

It ended with experienced campaigners getting their opportunity to play in Ireland’s most prestigious ground. Young stars unearthed during this run will learn from this experience as Caltra Cuans return to the senior ranks in 2026.

“We met a good Knockbride team and that’s the end of it, stated Caltra Cuans manager Peter Birch. “We probably didn’t show up in the game.

“Look back on the year, it was a great year and one game doesn’t show a true reflection on a team. They might have their heads down now but they need to come out of Croke Park with their heads held high and say ‘we’d a great year even if it didn’t go to plan today.’

“I thought we started quite well. In the first couple of minutes, we were controlling the ball and looked good but we just couldn’t get that score.

“I’m delighted Denise got back. She’s put in serious work since she got injured and I’m absolutely delighted that she got out on the pitch for a few minutes today.”

The hope was, with the mix of youth and experience and the fact they’d played here in 2024, that the girls in green would settle quicker and certainly looked less nervous than the Ulster champions in the opening exchanges.

Pictured: Laura Naughton of Caltra Cuans tries to halt the progress of Knockbride’s Abbi Connor during Saturday’s All-Ireland Club Intermediate Ladies Football Final at Croke Park. Photos: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile.