By Michael McMullan

THE football story of Loreto College continues this week as they aim to bridge a seven-year gap and land the All-Ireland Senior A title.

The Cavan school take on Skibbereen Community School hoping to translate three years of junior success into the biggest prize in the game.

The county senior team is on an upward curve this season. This comes on the back of years of underage success at county level.

Bailieborough Community School recently landed an All-Ireland Junior title at their grade and their seniors were this week’s senior C final.

Áine Shannon is in charge of the Loreto senior team and hails the efforts going into the game in the county. It all feeds into the same pot and strides are being made.

“There is a really good group of players coming through and they are used to playing with one another,” she said of the group locking horns with Skibbereen this week.

“We are very lucky. We have that advantage here that the school and the county have experience of playing together.”

She looks around and sees players like Katie O’Meara who have three All-Ireland titles at u-16 level with the school.

The last senior All-Ireland came to the school in 2018. Two years before that, there was a senior and junior double.

There have been tough days too. At senior level, they lost to Castleblayney who went on to win the All-Ireland. Add in their last two All-Ireland semi-finals. One-point defeats. The toughest to process but they’ve bounced back.

“It’s hard to get over that winning line,” Shannon pointed out. “It takes everybody playing well. Last year, just before the Ulster final, Clodagh Clarke did her ACL.”

When Loreto edged Maynooth in this year’s All-Ireland semi-final Clarke came on and added the winning point. It takes everybody.

It hasn’t always been glory in Loreto. Shannon rewinds the clock back 15 years. A mere seven girls reported for u-15 training. She took a look around and told the girls to come back to the next session. They had to each bring two friends with them.

Loreto today is totally different. They field three separate teams at u-14 and u-16 level. They have two teams at senior level. A far cry from seven girls.

Shannon hails the input of the other staff. The school management has backed what they’re rolling out. That’s important too.

“Conor Maguire came in as well and brought great life into football in the school,” she said.

“We offer football to a lot of girls at different levels. I was involved with our u-16 C team his year as well.

“They won their shield. There was a blitz day, followed by a semi-final and final.

“It was great for those girls involved and it’s so nice to be able to offer Gaelic football to so many girls.”

That’s why it all comes back to backing sport. Teachers need cover for classes. While grades are always number one in any school, the greater experience is what pupils really bank.

Loreto is no different. It takes commitment but Shannon also shines a light on her why.

“Most of us would be involved in numerous teams, it is a big commitment,” she said.

“When I was in school, I was involved in all the extracurricular sports and I think it makes school.

“Now, as a teacher, I just think you get to know the kids outside the classroom as well as inside.

“It’s just a different dynamic. You get to get on a bus and leave school with all your friends.”

Everyone gets a chance to put on a school jersey. A chance to play and a chance to grow.

Over 100 girls try out for the school team. It’s a tough task picking the first squad. That’s why having multiple teams is important.

“Sport should be inclusive,” Shannon said. “You can get great enjoyment at any level at sport. That’s just what you want to try to offer.”

She recalls a pupil being on the u-14 and u-16 B teams. By the time she left school, there was progression to winning a medal with the A team. Everyone develops at different ages.

“If they’re not picked in first year, then they are not going to come out in second year,” she added.

“It’s to try and get girls involved in football because there’s such a drop out in those teenage years.”

That’s the big picture. Inside that, Shannon is hoping the current senior squad can finish their school careers with the All-Ireland senior medals.

Defeat last year has left them hungrier. There is the important balance between what they are doing at school, county and club level.

“It has been a very long season,” she said. Getting out of Ulster was one part of the plan. The All-Ireland semi-final win over Maynooth was the second half.

“A lot of the girls played Kildare last year in the minor All-Ireland final, so they knew the danger and they (Maynooth) knew us as well.”

“We just didn’t play well in the first half, we were so un-Loreto-like, so that second half was definitely the turning point.

“We were two points up and conceded a goal. They could have dropped their heads.

“A point down, with three minutes to go, all of us would have taken a draw, but they came up and scored two fantastic points.

“It’s a long time since I saw the girls as ecstatically happy after a match, they knew they worked so hard. Sometimes, even when you’re not playing at your very best, you have to dig deep and work hard.

“As Sarah Clarke said in the dressing room at half-time, we had lost two all-Ireland semi-finals in close games.

“It was great to get across the line in a close game, so that should give them great encouragement.”

Now they face into the unknown. The one thing they do know is any team in an All-Ireland final is a serious outfit. There is also the tradition of Cork. The challenge is there.

“If they could end their school careers with a senior win, it would be just amazing,” Shannon concluded.

Loreto squad: Kayla Bartley, Niamh Boyle Drought, Rebecca Boyle Drought, Ellie Brady, Caoimhe Brady, Katelyn Cahill, Clodagh Clarke, Sarah Clarke, Annie Crowe, Caitlin Crowe, Muireann Donohoe, Kate Fegan, Aoibhinn Galligan, Eimear Gannon, Ruby Gilmartin, Ailbhe Kennedy, Einin Lawton, Abby McDermott, Katie McGahern, Danielle McGovern, Kate McSeain, Lauren Miney, Lauren Morrisson, Katie O’Meara, Cait O’Reilly, Brianna Quaile, Mia Sharkey, Aine Rose Smith, Niamh Smith, Molly Smith and Bronagh Tully