Ballymackey Women well set for second half of CCFL Season
The Combined Counties Football League resumes this weekend, but Ballymackey Women will have to wait a little longer before returning to competitive action.
Ballymackey have completed their opening schedule in the Southern division, finishing top with an impressive record of seven wins and one draw from their eight matches. Attention now turns to the completion of fixtures elsewhere, which will determine the composition of the Women’s Premier Division for the second phase of the season.
From the Southern division, Mountmellick United look the most likely to join Ballymackey in the Premier Division. Mountmellick face Birr Town this Sunday and need just one point from their remaining two games to secure the runners-up position.
In the Northern division, unbeaten Bealnamulla Ladies are also well placed. They require only a single point from their final three matches and will look to clinch qualification this weekend away to Ballymahon in Longford.
Mullingar Athletic are similarly close to confirming a Premier Division spot, though any slip-up in their last remaining fixture could open the door for Killeigh Ladies to sneak into the top two.
Regardless of which sides ultimately join them, a major challenge lies ahead for Ballymackey as they prepare to defend their CCFL league title.
The club has remained unbeaten across all CCFL competitions throughout the 2025 calendar year—an outstanding achievement that will be extremely difficult to replicate when the Premier division phase begins in 2026.
It was a much-changed Ballymackey squad that topped the CCFL Women’s Southern Division, with several players from the successful 2024/25 campaign unavailable due to injury and work commitments. As a result, the opening weeks of the season proved challenging as the new-look side worked to find cohesion.
Ballymackey’s campaign began in dramatic fashion, rescuing a point with a last-ditch equaliser in their season opener away to Mountmellick United. That result summed up a slow start but also highlighted the resilience and character within the group.
As the season progressed, the squad began to blend effectively. Younger players such as Emma Nolan and Thia McCarthy benefited hugely from extended runs in the side, gaining valuable senior experience and firmly establishing themselves as regular starters. They were joined by U17s Ava O’Rourke, Isabella Meehan and LilyKate Kenneally, who became increasingly valuable squad players as the season developed.
The youthful profile of the team was underlined in the home fixture against Banagher United, where Ballymackey fielded a side with an average age of just 18½. Despite this, the squad also featured players with significant senior experience for their age. Chloe Whyte (18), Amber DeLewis (18) and Darra Bourke (19) have all been well-established first-team regulars for close to two seasons. Meanwhile, Aoibhín Delaney and Kate Cavanagh, both still only 22, made their senior debuts as far back as 2018 and continue to provide leadership within the group.
From an attacking perspective, Ballymackey posted an impressive goal tally, with forwards Christine O’Keefe, Amber DeLewis and Allison McDonnell all in excellent form.
The squad was further strengthened by the addition of experienced duo Stephenie O’Sullivan and Gillian McKenna, while the return from injury of Joanne O’Brien and Seonaid McGuigan added further depth. These returns and additions have created fierce competition for starting places as Ballymackey prepare for the second phase of the CCFL season.