With Railway Union already booked a final appearance next weekend, UL Bohemain by virtue of a walkover take second place and will await the outcome from Cooke and Galwegians to determine their scenario. Ballincollig and Wicklow have an outside chance depending on results elsewhere.
UL Bohemian 28-0 Suttonians, UL South Campus
UL Bohs will not contest their final round game as Suttonians have conceded the fixture, the hosts awarded a 28-0 bonus point win.
Bohs will take second spot going into the weekend, will they manage to keep their points difference of ten points and contest the main final we will have to wait and see.
Ballincollig v Wicklow, Saturday 20th January, Tanner Park, 5pm
The meeting in Tanner Park could be seen as a dead rubber between Ballincollig and Wicklow as both sides will have to make up a serious point differential to threaten those with walkover wins for a spot at a decider.
Ballincollig after their defeat to Railway would need a 79 point swing in differential to see them make a spot in the shield final. Not beyond the realms of possibility, certainly a tall order for the hosts if they are to make that.
With Aoife Fleming called into the Clovers alongside Michelle O’Driscoll and Roisin Ormond, the club certainly is producing top quality talent and they have provided a tough opponent for sides outside of the top four in the past.
Kelly Griffin and Laurileigh Baker were the scorers from that 62-12 defeat to Railway, the hosts would need a big contribution from their squad if they are to cut the gap, it looks like an impossible task to achieve, never say never as they say, a draw in one of the other two games would be a disaster for their chances.
Wicklow are very much in the same boat but have to make up less on the scoring front, as things stand they need 62 points to climb them into the race for silverware, that as with Ballincollig could be shrunk dramatically by proceedings in Shaw’s Bridge.
Second meeting third could have serious knock on effects for the chasing pack, especially with UL Bohs beating Suttonians via a walkover. The objective for Wicklow who claimed silverware in the cup last season, will be out to reclaim their Shield title this term.
With Saoirse O’Reilly being a real threat on the try scoring front and Beth Roberts with a deadly accurate boot, they will need their scorers like Ballincollig to be at their best as you never know just what can happen Saturday.
Cooke v Galwegians, Saturday 20th January, Shaws Bridge, 5pm
This is the game that will have serious knock on effects for everyone involved, Cooke hosting Galwegians as despite a poor record in the Women’s Division can stake a claim for a cup final.
Railway look safe to defend their cup crown in that final next weekend, who will meet them and contest the shield final will be the question this weekend, both of these two could make for dramatic viewing on Saturday.
With both securing walkovers from Old Belvedere, they are yet to play a game since Cooke won 34-10 in the tenth round of action in the Women’s Division in early December. Ending a poor run of form for Cooke in the process as they finally grabbed a win.
Cooke could well contest a cup final this year if they can break that glass ceiling and take another win over Galwegians. It would be the first time Cooke appeared in a cup final since the Plate decider with Blackrock in 2022, not successful that day but will be out to contest silverware this year.
Very much a game in their hands but with a difficult record prior to that win, they need to focus on the job and hand and take the result. Niamh Marley the dual start from Armagh and Kelly McCormill have been key figures for Cooke, both away with Celtic Challenge duty last weekend, they will hope to have them back for this key game in Belfast.
Galwegian lifted the Plate last year defeating Blackrock in the final, will they get a chance to contest another decoder this year, it could be an easy task with a win or one more difficult led by results elsewhere.
The Galway side have certainly had tougher campaign this year than last, key players have missed games or left the club and as a result they sit seventh in the Women’s Division, light at the end of the tunnel however as a chance at lifting silverware before the divisional action returns would be a big positive for their season.
Like Cooke they are yet to play a competitive game since they met in Crowley Park with Wegians suffering a tough defeat on the day. Jane Neill has been away with the Clovers and Wegians will hope to half her back in the pack going into this must win contest.
Only two wins arrived for the Bluebelles in the first half of the 2023-24 Women’s campaign, arriving late in the season, they will have to dig deep and not let that previous result play on their minds going into this weekend.
More Info on the Cup Series here
Diarmuid Kearney
Diarmuid Kearney is a freelance Sports Journalist based in Co Kerry. He has more than 5 years experience covering domestic and international soccer for different media organisations, while also working for local and national print and digital organisations covering GAA.