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SCHOOL FOCUS LORETO CLONMEL L ORETO Secondary School in Clonmel has enjoyed a fair degree of success on the playing fields in recent times – but Niamh Barry insists that the life of an aspiring young Ladies Footballer is not all about winning matches. Niamh, who hails from Castlelyons in county Cork, is now very much part of the furniture in Loreto, and she's helped to oversee a remarkable period of progression for the footballers who represent the school. In 2011, Loreto were crowned All-Ireland Senior C champions and they've contested three national deciders in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Loreto lost the Senior B Final in 2017, and came up short in the 2018 and 2019 Senior A Finals. There was a feeling that this year might be the one – their time to get their hands on the Holy Grail and finally lift that A title. They were just an hour away, too, after seeing off Galway's Coláiste Bhaile Chláir to reach a third successive A Final – before Covid-19 struck and put a halt to playing activities. Niamh, who teaches PE and religion at Loreto, describes how sports-mad girls went from 100 to zero. "The LGFA had to make a really tough call on matches," she says. "It was extremely disappointing for everyone, there's no hiding that. "They were just devastated after putting so much into it. They just felt: one more hour of football. And it's at that age where you're trying to work to keep girls playing – and a lot of them might never get a chance to play in an All-Ireland Final or Munster Final again. "You never know what's around the corner so we tell them never to take any of the finals that they've been in for granted, to really cherish them." Loreto have dominated the Munster scene over the last few years, winning the provincial Senior B title before adding three successive A crowns. Sinead Grant remembers the catalyst for it all – that 2011 Senior C success. Loreto were nine points down against St Louis, Carrickmacross, in the Final, but they managed to win after extra-time. She was goalkeeper on the day and remembers players "cramping here, there and everywhere", but Loreto still managed to dig it out. Sinead, a native of Newcastle in Tipperary and who represented Waterford's fabled Ballymacarbry club, is now a vital cog in the coaching wheel at Loreto. She's teaching Business, Maths and the Leaving Cert Ladies Football in Loreto Clonmel Clockwise from top left: Loreto, Clonmel players after the Lidl All-Ireland Post- Primary Schools Senior A Final match between Loreto, Clonmel, and Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise, at John Locke Park in Callan, Co Kilkenny. Kellyann Hogan of Loreto, Clonmel in action against Sarah Larkin of Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise during the Lidl All-Ireland Post- Primary Schools Senior A Final. Jackie Cahill speaks to teacher and coach Niamh Barry who has guided the school teams through a period of unprecedented progression 46 | SUMMER 2020 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie