THERE WERE SCENESÂ of celebration at Beeston Park in south Leeds on Saturday as Edinburgh’s Dunedin Connolly’s maintained their title as All-Britain Intermediate champions.
Dunedin Connolly’s (Edinburgh) 3-12 John Mitchels (Liverpool) 2-8
What’s more, in their victory over John Mitchels from Liverpool, it was done with a sprinkling of Donegal help.
Having only recently recovered from a serious shoulder injury, former St Eunan’s forward, Angie Callaghan, capped her return brilliantly with an all important goal midway through the first half.
The Edinburgh side would carry a six-point lead into the second half and their situation would be given a boost when Rathmullan born, Caolfhionn Deeney whose family then moved to Wicklow, calmly slotted away a penalty to increase the lead to nine in the 34th minute.
 Mitchels would cut the lead as the game approached the final quarter of an hour.
Inspiring resolve and performances from Kildare native Christina Newton (niece of former Donegal player, Des Newton) and Gortahork’s Karen Feeney (pictured above), who recently joined from Cloughaneely helped see Connolly’s rebuild upon their lead and see the game out and they got to deservedly celebrate that honour moments later.
This is Connolly’s third British success in a row having won the Junior section in 2013 and now back-to-back Intermediate titles. Part of their back room team is former St Eunan’s player and former joint-manager of their Junior side, Jonathan Foley.
“All titles are special but this one meant a lot,” he said. “We’d had a very shaky start to our defence of this trophy when we lost two games earlier in the year.
“With that, it was only six days before this one that so many of our club members had suffered that heavy loss for Scotland against Louth in the All-Ireland at Croke Park in the All-Ireland Ladies Junior final.
“But the girls showed fantastic spirit and this was up there with one of our best ever performances, if not the best, that they’ve ever put in and to win the Intermediate once is great but to retain it is very special.”
Dunedin Connollys now have three weeks break as they await their next opponents in the All-Ireland quarter-final where they will face the winners of the Connaught championship.
