By Daire Walsh 

Brónagh Nolan and Carlow are set to break new ground at Croke Park on Sunday week (August 2) when they come face-to-face with Antrim in the TG4 All-Ireland junior football championship final for 2026.

Following four consecutive semi-final defeats from 2021 to 2024 (they also came up short at the same stage back in 2017), the Barrowsiders finally qualified for a junior decider by defeating Derry on a scoreline of 4-7 to 1-7 at Kingspan Breffni in Cavan on July 12. Not only does this make them the first Carlow team to reach an All-Ireland football showpiece from an adult inter-county perspective within the LGFA, but it will also be the very first appearance for the side in GAA HQ.

This is a significant milestone when you consider the remaining 31 counties in Ireland had previously featured in national ladies football finals at the venue, along with overseas outfits like London, New York and Scotland. As a result, intrigue across Carlow is extremely high in advance of this big day out on Jones’ Road.

“Between the men’s and the ladies, I think the 32 counties and London, the Carlow ladies team is the only team never to have played in Croke Park before. It’s just absolutely massive. Everyone is just absolutely buzzing. It’s crazy,” Nolan said.

“The anticipation around it is massive. I feel like a lot of people around the county are really buying in and getting behind us, which is nice. We had an open session there on Sunday [in Milford GAA, Ballycarney] and I think there was about 100 kids turned up.

“That was really good, it was nice to see the support rather than just hearing people. It was nice to see all the kids there in their Carlow jerseys and getting us to sign their jerseys and things like that. It was good.”

While they are set to be the first county side from Carlow to feature at Croke Park, a local club team did sample life on the hallowed turf a little under two years ago.

After making their way through competitive Carlow and Leinster championships, Bennekerry/Tinryland progressed to an AIB All-Ireland intermediate club championship final in Croker on December 14, 2024 and secured top honours with a 2-10 to 1-7 victory at the expense of Galway’s Annaghdown.

With three players from Bennekerry/Tinryland named in the starting line-up for Carlow’s win over Derry – and five of their club-mates listed amongst the substitutes – the wider Carlow squad will be able to get plenty of advice on how to deal with an All-Ireland final in Croke Park.

Yet Nolan acknowledged this was also the case for that aforementioned last-four encounter against Derry as Bennekerry/Tinryland had enjoyed a semi-final victory over Mullahoran at Kingspan Breffni in advance of their historic trip to GAA HQ.

“That was where they had won. Feeding off their energy for that especially was such a brilliant help. Knowing that you’re playing in a place where people had won before you. It does really help and I’ve no doubt it will be the same in Croke Park as well.

“Even stepping out onto the pitch knowing that they know what they’re doing. Feeding off that energy that they have from the last time that they won will be a savage help, definitely.”

Like Bennekerry/Tinryland in their own All-Ireland final outing, a special day would become all the more memorable if Carlow were able to get over the line and claim the West County Hotel Cup on August 2.Significant strides have been made by the county in recent times with this year seeing them collecting the Lidl National Football League Division 4 title for the second time in three seasons and also earning top honours in the TG4 Leinster junior football championship.

All the above has helped to bolster the profile of ladies football in Carlow and regardless of how their showdown with Antrim pans out on Sunday week, the future certainly appears to be bright for the Barrowsiders.

“Even in the past year or two, there has been two new clubs started up in Carlow. There’s that much of an interest. Only a few years ago there was five senior teams in the county. To see the growth even in the past two or three years and now, even pushing on to get to Croke Park.

“I know from [her club] Old Leighlin, there’s already two full buses coming up and that’s just from one of the clubs. I know it will be the same from all the others. Just to see that support and to see all the younger girls coming through, it’s just unbelievable.

“It’s such a strength from the county and I know the county board are doing a lot to bring on development squads and they’re running a lot more U13 summer camps to bring girls on. It’s just amazing to see because it wasn’t even there a few years ago when we were growing up.”

Given they find themselves on a remarkable run of 17 straight wins across the Lidl National Football League, the provincial championship and the All-Ireland series, Carlow certainly won’t be there to just make up the numbers in Croke Park next month.

Their opponents Antrim came into last year’s All-Ireland JFC final in an almost identical vein of form – registering 16 victories from as many games. The Saffrons fell short to Louth in the third-tier showpiece in the end, but have now returned for another bid at claiming a fourth title at this grade.

Lidl National Football League Division 3 finalists earlier this year (losing out narrowly to Louth once again) Antrim have quality throughout their line-up and Nolan knows exactly what to expect from them on Sunday week.

“I know the big names they have like [Lara] Dahunsi as well. There is an air around them. We’ve come up against them in the past few years and they’ve always been just that little bit out of reach it feels with them,” Nolan added.

“This year especially, we’ve just been pushing on and on. We’re definitely the best we’ve ever been fitness wise. Hopefully this year will be the year that we can finally get a grasp on them.”

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