On Saturday the Killarney RFC U18.5 girls travelled to Old Crescent RFC in Limerick and defeated last year’s winners Ennis by eight point to six to be crowned Munster League champions.

The U18.5 match was the grand finale after the U14 and U16 league finals and so it was played in front of a big crowd on a terrific day for girls’ rugby in the province.

The clash of Ennis and Killarney was always going to be battle and that’s exactly how it transpired. Ennis started the game and kicked deep and Killarney didn’t deal with it, which led to a scrum in a very favourable position on the 22. After a series of good carries by the Ennis forwards, they scored a try in the corner which wasn’t converted.

The Clare side led 5-0 in inside the first minute; the perfect start for the reigning champions.

What was very notable that Killarney took this early setback in their stride and straight away they were on the attack, but credit to Ennis their defence held firm after some good carries by the Killarney forwards Lily Morris, Ava O’Malley and Clodagh Foley.

On 18 minutes Killarney had a scrum just inside their own half and their number eight made a super run and linked up with scrum half Bronagh Dorrian, who passed to Cara Reilly. The referee then blew for an Ennis offside infringement and a penalty to Killarney.

Knowing it was going to be a tight game and conscious of getting the Kerry girls points on the scoreboard, co-captain Fia Whelan consulted with her fellow co-captain Morris and together they elected to take the penalty kick. Whelan slotted over the penalty to make it Ennis 5-3 Killarney.

Killarney’s back three of Marina Eagar, Holly O’Sullivan and Mary-Ellen Mc Donald dealt very well with Ennis’ kicks and they counterattacked on most occasions. Then, with 24 minutes on the clock, O’Malley picked from the base of a scrum on the right and out stripped their defence to make a brilliant run. She found the onrushing second row Joanne O’Keefe who made further ground. Her teammates finished a fine move off in style, going through the hands of Dorrian, Whelan, Eagar, Ali O’Donoghue and eventually Mary Ellen McDonald to finish off a super team try in the corner. It proved to be the match-winning score.

The Kerry girls continued to work hard in the second half and they finished the game in the ascendancy. In the end, they failed to extend their lead but it mattered little as they held on for a historic win.

“This win means an awful lot to us,” Killarney coach Diarmuid O’Malley said. “We can now bring this trophy back home and hopefully inspire the next generation of young Kerry players.”

KILLARNEY: 1. Annie O’Reilly, 2. Emma Dunican, 3. Emer O’Keefe, 4. Joanne O’Keefe, 5. Ella Guerin-Crowley, 6. Clodagh Foley, 7. Lily Morris (joint captain), 8. Ava O’Malley, 9. Bronagh Dorian, 10. Fia Whelan (joint captain), 11. Holly O’Sullivan, 12. Cara Reilly, 13. Ali O’Donoghue, 14. Mary Ellen McDonald, 15. Marina Eagar, 16. Molly Gabbett, 17. Melissa McCarthy, 18. Sarah O’Connor, 19. Isabella O’Leary, 20. Nell Crowley, 21. Jess O’Sullivan, 22. Jasmine Dwyer. Coaches: Josh Whelan, Diarmuid O’Malley. Manager: Elaine Clifford.