Donegal star Niamh Carr chasing All-Ireland Club SFC glory with Kilmacud Crokes 

Niamh Carr will be part of the Kilmacud Crokes side that look to topple four-in-a-row chasing Kilkerrin-Clonberne in the AIB All-Ireland Club SFC final at Croke Park this evening (live on TG4 at 5pm).

Kilkerrin-Clonberne, the holders from Galway, take on Dublin opponents, where Cranford native and Donegal star Carr lines out at corner back, in a repeat of the 2023 semi-final between the clubs.

On that occasion, the sides were inseparable after 60 minutes before Kilkerrin-Clonberne found a kick in extra-time to get over the line.

It was a pulsating game at Parnell Park and Croke Park is the ideal setting for this eagerly-anticipated renewal.

This is familiar territory for Kilkerrin-Clonberne, as they prepare for a fifth successive All-Ireland final.

Having suffered pre-Covid heartbreak against Mourneabbey in 2018 and 2019, Kilkerrin-Clonberne got the better of their Cork rivals in the 2021 Final, before following up with big day wins against Monaghan’s Donaghmoyne (2022) and Ballymacarbry (2023) to annex three successive titles.

Four-in-a-row is the goal for Kilkerrin-Clonberne, who claimed a seventh successive Connacht title this year, but they face formidable opposition in Kilmacud Crokes, who won Leinster for the third year in a row.

Cork native Niamh Cotter led the way for Crokes against Desmonds, collecting 2-4, with Amy Conroy, Michelle Davoren and Mia Jennings also raising green flags on home soil.

Both finalists can boast pace, power and class all over the pitch and the respective starting line-ups read like a ‘who’s who’ of inter-county stars.

Crokes can call upon Galway pair Dearbhla Gower, an All-Star nominated goalkeeper, and Galway captain Ailbhe Davoren, who claimed a maiden TG4 All-Star award recently.

Cotter and Donegal’s Carr are others who have worn their respective county shirts while the Crokes team is also littered with past and present Dublin stars, including the likes of Aoife Kane, Molly Lamb, Grace Kós, Lauren Magee, Davoren and Éabha Rutledge.

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The Kilkerrin-Clonberne line-up is well stacked, too, with captain Louise Ward, nominated for an All-Star this year, joined by twin sister Nicola, who recently picked up an All-Star and the TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year award.

The Divilly sisters – Niamh, Siobhan and Olivia, another recently-crowned TG4 All-Star – continue to exert a huge influence, as do the Noone sisters, Hannah, Lynsey and Eva.

There are potential match-winners on both sides and this Final could be one of the games of the year. It could even turn out to be the very best.