Ballymac and Gaultier to face off in WLGFA senior final
Gaultier team that will face Ballymacarbry in the Co. Senior Ladies Football Final at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field on Friday evening.
A potentially record attendance for a county ladies football final in recent years is expected at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field on Friday evening when Ballymacarbry and Gaultier clash in the Lawlors Hotel County Senior Ladies Football Final.
For Ballymacarbry, a return to the decider comes as little surprise. The west Waterford club remains the most successful side in the history of the competition, boasting an incredible 45 senior titles. Forty-two of those championships arrived in succession between 1982 and 2023, a remarkable period of dominance that is unlikely ever to be matched.
That historic run was finally halted by Comeragh Rangers in 2024, with the champions from Rathgormack going on to retain their title last year before adding a first Munster Senior Ladies Football Championship crown to their growing list of achievements.
This year, however, the landscape has shifted again.
While Ballymacarbry have successfully navigated their way back to the county final, defending champions Comeragh Rangers fell at the semi-final stage, losing to a determined Gaultier side on a 4-8 to 1-14 scoreline in Kill.
That victory secured Gaultier a first-ever appearance in a senior county final and underlined their growing status within Waterford ladies football.
The sides are familiar opponents having met during the group stages earlier in the championship, ensuring there will be few secrets between the teams when they take to the field on Friday night.
Ballymacarbry once again possess a squad packed with experience and quality. Several players have represented Waterford and Tipperary at senior inter-county level, giving the side a wealth of top-level expertise.
Tipperary goalkeeper Lauren Fitzpatrick is widely regarded as one of the finest custodians in the country, while Karen McGrath, Clare Walsh, Laura Mulcahy, Grace Carrigan, Ruby Browne and Bríd McMaugh provide quality throughout the spine of the team.
One notable absentee will be Kellyann Hogan, who has returned to Australia for a second consecutive season in the AFL Women's competition.
Despite Ballymacarbry's rich pedigree, Gaultier arrive with genuine belief. Their semi-final success over the reigning county and Munster champions demonstrated their ability to rise to the occasion and cause an upset when required.
Traditionally recognised for their strength in camogie through sister club Gailltír, Gaultier have steadily developed into a force in ladies football. Players such as the Fitzgerald sisters, Clodagh Carroll, Leah Sheridan and Molly Comerford have been central to that progress.
Although they will enter the final as underdogs, Gaultier have already proven they can overcome the odds and will be confident of producing another memorable performance on the county's biggest club stage.
A busy weekend of championship action continues across the county.
On Saturday, Lemybrien hosts a double-header of junior finals. Stradbally B face Gaultier B in the Evoke Kitchens Junior B County Final at 1pm before Dungarvan take on St. Oliver's in the Junior A County Final at 3.45pm.
Sunday's action begins in Colligan at 10am, where Na Déise and St. Anne's contest the Lawlors Hotel Senior Club Championship Relegation Final.
Dungarvan will then stage two more finals, with St. Anne's B meeting Ardmore in the Evoke Kitchens Junior C County Final at 1pm before Tramore and Abbeyside battle for Intermediate honours in the Liam Whelan Plant Hire Intermediate Club Championship County Final at 3.45pm.
All county finals from Senior to Junior C will be decided on the day. The only exception is the relegation final, which will go to a replay if the sides cannot be separated after normal time.
With six championship fixtures spread across three days, the curtain is set to come down on the 2026 Waterford LGFA adult club season in what promises to be a memorable weekend of county final action.
