While it is not uncommon to hear clubs bemoan the difficulties they face in attracting young players to their ranks, a browse through the age range of their current squad will tell you that Railway Union are having considerable success on that front. Eight of Ciaran Grace's squad are teenagers with most of the rest not much older.
While it has been a testing season so far, the first team has shown enough promise to suggest that better times are ahead. Six of the squad have made it on to their provinces' under-21 panels this season - Karen Clarke, Jane Coyne and Caoilfhionn Rowan (Leinster), Dearbhla Kieran and Sarah Grace (Connacht) and South African Kerry McCann, who has represented Natal at junior level, giving the first team a core of players with significant potential.
Tomorrow, Railway face a difficult league game against third placed Old Alexandra who will be keen to put last weekend's shock Leinster Cup defeat by Pembroke Wanderers II behind them.
The girls' interprovincial championships get under way today in Bangor. Leinster are the defending under-16 champions but their hopes of taking the under-18 title from Ulster received a blow this week when Mount Anville's Lisa Banahan was ruled out with a back injury. Wesley's Lynn Jenkinson takes her place.
CONNACHT Under-18: E Quinn, M Hughes, A Burke, E Deacy, C Delaney, S Hanley, K Hedigan, A Keane, D Keaveney, E Keogh, L Larkin, H Lydon, R O'Connor, E O' Donnell, H Power, I Veld. Under-16: N McKeown, M Freeney, E Barrington, L Francis, M Faherty, E Geraghty, Z Hough, C Higgins, E Kelly, M Kerins, E Kilkelly, S McGovern, S McDonald, D McGuinness, C Murphy, L O'Donnell.
LEINSTER Under-18: L Doyle, H Quigley, L Jenkinson, L Barrie, G Davy, E Hickey, G Howe, N Keegan, R Keegan, L McCoy, J McDonnell, C McGowan, J Reidy, L Ryan, C Sullivan, R Wallace. Under-16: C Abele, S Frey, S Cooney, K Darling, L Darling, K Dillon, J Heggie, R Hughes, B Maguire, C Maguire, B Murphy, T Powderly, C Quinlan, E Smyth, M Spillane, J White.
MUNSTER Under-18: B Lynch, E Harte, M Ryan, S O'Connor, D O'Leary, J Burke, K Whelan, J Linnane, K Hales, E Dillon, A Kingston, F Smith, J O'Higgins, K Downing, C Levis, G Crowley. Under-16: L Forde, M Twomey, V Smith, S Keogh, H Moffett, J Long, N Sterrit, E Quinlan, N Barron, C Hickey, F Burke, D O'Brien, G Murray, S Gleeson, B Ryan, E Kelly.
SOUTH EAST Under-18: A Farrell, R Smith, L Binnions, R Carroll, A Cooke, S Connery, S Ferriter, N Fitzgerald, N Herlihy, S Kent, M McNulty, C O'Donnell, N O'Byrne, S O'Byrne, L Sheil, L Walsh. Under-16: S Farrell, S Kehoe, M Carroll, A Connery, F Doran, T Gahan, S Gibbons, J Hendry, C Howard, O Lawlor, D McGlinchey, A O'Donoghue, E O'Neill, S Ponsonby, O Power, A Quigley.
ULSTER Under-18: L Forsythe, A Lappin, A Coppel, K Fraser, N Graham, T Hanna, J Lynch, S Martin, J Magowan, B McKeever, L Palmer, E Rock, H Robinson, K Simpson, S Wilkinson, K Woods. Under-16: J Boyd, D Harper, E Adair, E Clarke, K Clawson, D Hagan, S Herron, N Jess, K McCollum, A McGowan, K McGowan, J McVicker, H Morrison, J Nelson, J Stewart, R Winnington.
