The Girls Interprovincial Tournament will take place this weekend, November 8 to 10 in the AUL Complex, Clonshaugh.

The Interprovincial series is the first step in the process of selecting the FAI Schools U15 International squad for next year’s Bob Docherty Cup so as well as provincial honours; there is plenty at stake with sixty eight of the top players in Irish schools taking part.

Paul Howard’s Leinster side are reigning champions having snatched victory from Connacht in the dying minutes of the final game last season.

Leinster have four youngsters returning from last year’s Provincial panel which include Niamh Farrelly (St. Joseph’s College, Lucan), Chloe McNamee (St. Oliver’s CC, Oldcastle), Lauren O’Callaghan (St. MacDara’s CC, Templeogue) and Alex Kavanagh (St. Michael’s SS, Finglas)

Alex Kavanagh of St. Michael’s Secondary School joins the ranks of her older brother Cian who was part of the Leinster Interprovincial squad last month and is currently on trial with Ollie Horgan’s International select which competes in the Centenary Shield in early March.

Also joining the Leinster quartet will be Nimmy Chemaou of Coláiste Cois Life. Nimmy missed out on the Interprovincial series last season due to injury but made a rapid recovery to make the final cut for the International squad last April.  Nimmy was capped alongside her colleagues, Farrelly and O’Callaghan last April. The girls collected a runner-up medal in the Bob Docherty Tournament in Belfast seven months ago and will be looking to go one better this season.

Leinster’s opposition on the opening day will be Dom Coll’s Connacht side. The westerners will have plenty of experience as four players return this season. They include goalkeeper Emma Sheeran (Davitt College), Captain Sinead Heffernan (St. Paul’s SS, Oughterard), Heather Payne (Colaiste Mhuire, Ballinasloe) and Jennifer Chambers (Sacred Heart School, Westport) making the cut. One of the youngest in the panel, Andrea Trill, Claregalway has been named as Vice Captain and will be one to watch out for.

This match up should make for a pulsating start to the Interprovincial series with the memories of 2012 still in the mindset of the Connacht management. Coll has been at the helm for nearly twenty years and he still has yet to capture the elusive title with his Province. Connacht came so close last year, can they make up for last year’s disappointment next weekend, time will tell.

Ulster will face Munster in the second game on Friday afternoon with all to play for.

The Ulster management team has been revitalised this season with the introduction of Maureen O’Donnell (Deele College, Raphoe) and Bridgeen Harley (Bailieborough CS, Cavan) taking over the mantel from Buncrana’s Jerry Casey. The ladies will be looking to make a positive impact on proceedings.

The Ulster trio of goalkeeper Aoife McGolgan, Shania McGonigle (both Carndonagh CS) and Aoife Page (Deele College) will make a welcome return.

Surprisingly there are two sets of twins in the Ulster side this season with Caraigh and Aisleen McGuinness representing Moville CC and Rebecca and Andrea O’Reilly students at Bailieborough Community School included in the line up.

Ulster last won the Interprovincial title in 2010 and O’Donnell and Harley will be looking to replicate such successes three years on.

The Munster crew will all be relatively new to this tournament as the only player to return from last season’s squad is Davis College student Sophie Tuohy. Manager Richard Grimes will be hoping youth will prevail this time around.
 
Senior International star Denise O’Sullivan will have a niece competing in the series as St. Vincent’s pupil Caitlin O’Sullivan will tog out for Munster.

Munster have an impressive record in this competition winning last in 2011 and completing a three in a row in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and will be hoping to continue to winning ways in 2013.

The tournament should prove highly entertaining as recent years have shown and it will be all to play for as the teams do battle in the Capital.

As part of the International trial process, a training squad will be selected by the Irish School’s management team. Ms Lorraine Counihan (Colaiste Mhuire, Buttevant) will continue in the International management role this season alongside newcomer Mr Alistair Harvey (St. Kilian’s DSD, Clonskeagh) who has been involved with the Leinster girls setup for a number of years.

This provisional training squad will have several trials and training sessions later in the year ahead of the Bob Docherty Cup which will take place from April 14 to 17, 2014

In keeping with the long standing tradition of maintaining the interest in the competition until the final matches on Sunday morning, the draw for Saturday and Sunday’s matches will be made following the games on Friday evening

PROVINCIAL PANELS:

CONNACHT: Emma Sheeran (Davitt’s College, Castlebar), Rachael Honan (Jesus & Mary Secondary School, Salerno), Olivia Barrett (Mount St. Michael), Andrea Trill (Claregalway), Sinead Heffernan (St. Paul’s SS, Oughterard), Heather Payne (Coláiste Mhuire, Ballinasloe), Maeve O’Connell (Presentation College, Athenry), Rachel Baines, Jennifer Chambers, Megan Dever (All Sacred Heart School, Westport), Saibh Doyle (Jesus & Mary Secondary School, Salerno), Amy Dowling (Davitt College, Castlebar), Joanne Padden (St. Brendan’s College, Belmullet), Sinead Farrell (Summerhill College, Athlone), Emma Connolly (Oranmore), Michelle Treacy (Sacred Heart School, Westport), Mellissa McGreene (Jesuit Galway)
Management: Dom Coll (Presentation College, Athenry), Seamus Mac Eachmharcaigh (Sacred Heart School, Westport), Sean Boland, Sarah Farragher (both Scoil Muire gan Smal, Convent of Mercy)

ULSTER: Aoife McGolgan, Rachel McLaughlin, Niamh McDaid, Shania McGonigle (All Carndonagh Community School), Caraigh McGuinness, Aisleen McGuiness, Niamh McLaughlin, Jenna Doherty (All Moville Community College), Aoife Page, Chantelle Kelly (both Deele College), Ciana Brogan (Loreto Convent, Letterkenny), Michelle McDaid (Crana College, Buncrana), Rebecca O’Reilly, Andrea O’Reilly, Leanne Keirnan (All Bailieborough Community School, Cavan), Claire Doherty, Lia Callanagh (both Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana)
Management: Maureen O’Donnell (Deele College), Bridgeen Harley (Bailieborough Community School, Cavan)

MUNSTER: Cliona Murphy (Our Lady of Mercy, Waterford), Leah Henry (Presentation SS, Listowel), Tara O’Gorman (Presentation Secondary, Mitchelstown), Michaela O’Rourke (Regina Mundi College, Cork), Lauren Homan (Blarney SS, Cork), Saoirse Noonan (Christ King Girls’ SS, Cork), Sophie Hurley (Coláiste na Tairbhite, Bandon), Caitlin O’Sullivan (St. Vincent’s SS, Cork), Danielle Burke (St. Peter’s Passage West, Cork) Sophie Tuohy (Davis College, Mallow), Aoife Slattery (Abbey CC, Waterford), Ciara Hickey (Spanish Point, Clare), Claire Kelly (Castletroy College, Limerick), Sabrina McCarthy (St. Caimin’s CS, Shannon), Tara Mannix (Gaelcholaiste Luimnigh), Maria O’Sullivan, Scoil Barra, Ballincollig). Ciara Downes (Coláiste Mhuire, Askeaton)
Management: Richard Grimes (St. Caimin’s Community School, Shannon), Megan McCarthy (Colaiste Mhuire, Buttevant), Caroline Counihan and Carys Johnson

LEINSTER: Naoisha McAloon (Ratoath College), Isobel Finegan (Holy Faith, Clontarf), Ciara Maher (Colaiste de Ide), Chloe McNamee (St. Oliver’s Community College, Oldcastle), Tiegan Ruddy (St. Wolstan’s Celbridge), Katie Robinson (Donabate CC), Nimmy Chemaou (Colaiste Cois Life), Niamh Sheehan (Colaiste Isogain, Stillorgan), Lauren O’Callaghan (St. McDara’s Community College, Templeogue), Niamh Farrelly (St. Joseph’s College, Lucan), Leah Reybet Degat (Sutton Park), Alex Kavanagh (St. Michael’s Secondary School, Finglas), Jade Reddy (St. Mary’s Oldcastle), Aoife Burdis (Colaiste na hInse), Lauren Kelly (St. Paul’s Monasterevin), Erica Turner (Rochford Manor)
Management: Paul Howard (Loreto College, Crumlin), Eoin Clarkin (St. Kilian’s DSD, Clonskeagh), Cerrie Byrne (Ardgillan Community College, Balbriggan) and Leanne McGrath

FIXTURES
Friday, November 8
3.00pm Leinster v Connacht
4.30pm Munster v Ulster
 
Saturday, November 9
2.00pm Draw will be made on Friday evening
3.30pm Draw will be made on Friday evening

Sunday, November 10
10.30am Fixtures TBC
11.00am Fixtures TBC  

Girls’ Interprovincial Tournament Roll of Honour
YEAR WINNER VENUE
2000 Munster Galway
2001 Leinster Ballybofey, Donegal
2002 Leinster Ballybofey, Donegal
2003 Munster Clare
2004 Leinster Athlone
2005 Leinster Athlone
2006 Munster Athlone
2007 Munster Athlone
2008 Munster Athlone
2009 Leinster Tullamore/Athlone
2010 Ulster Tullamore/Athlone
2011 Munster Tullamore/Athlone
2012 Leinster Tullamore/Athlone

Promoting the game of Association Football in all schools, contact Diane Fay, National Administrative Officer  Football Association of Ireland Schools, National Sports Campus, Abbotstown, Dublin 15; by email to diane.fay@fai.ie or by phone on 01 8999522