Molloy Hoping For Trophy-Lifting Finish To Wicklow’s Season

For Wicklow, that edge is embodied in Caoimhe Molloy, a player whose journey through the game has been shaped as much by grit as it has by growth.

Ahead of Saturday’s Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Conference final at Mullingar RFC (kick-off 1pm), Molloy finds herself at the centre of a Wicklow side that has endured a season of twists and turns, but now stands on the brink of silverware.

At 28, the Gorey native is vastly experienced, having lined out for Leinster and the Wolfhounds along with several seasons now at her adopted Wicklow, 20 minutes down the road in Gorey.

Her path to this moment has been anything but linear. Having previously lined out with Blackrock College, Molloy made the move to Wicklow ahead of the 2022/23 season, stepping into a team that was still finding its feet at Energia All-Ireland League level.

Those early days were tough, marked by growing pains and the reality of competing against more established sides.

“In my first year in Wicklow, we struggled a lot” she recalls. “And then I think as the years went on, we really came together. We all have each other’s backs, it’s such a close-knit club.”

That togetherness would ultimately define their progress. By the end of their second season, Wicklow had turned adversity into achievement, capturing the Conference title with a memorable win over Galwegians on home soil.

It was a moment that validated the work being done behind the scenes and laid the foundation for what has followed.

Now, three seasons on, Molloy and Wicklow are back in a Conference final, facing the very same opposition, with the stakes just as high and the margins likely to be just as fine.

“Really looking forward to this weekend. We’ve had a really hard season at Wicklow in terms of injury. It’s been great for myself to be back at the club, especially last weekend. Great win over Ennis, 62-10.”

That emphatic semi-final victory over Ennis was a statement of intent, but as Molloy is quick to point out, it was far from the finished article.

“I know it was a big win over Ennis last weekend, but it definitely wasn’t our best performance, I don’t think. Full credit to Ennis, they are a quality side, and I’m aware that they were missing a lot of players as well, but we won’t sit back on our heels coming into this weekend.”

That refusal to become complacent speaks volumes about the mindset within the Wicklow camp. It has been forged through a challenging end to the campaign, that included a narrow defeat to Ennis in the regular season, a loss to Cooke, and a dramatic 36-36 draw with Saturday’s opponents, where Wicklow let a lead slip.

Those experiences have shaped a group that understands both its potential and its vulnerabilities.

“Top four is where we strive to be, and we feel we definitely are good enough to take that top four. We’re down in Wicklow. We don’t get these players in, it’s a homegrown club. We talk about from the ground up, and that’s what Wicklow are.

“Anyone that plays on that Wicklow team has been there since the minis. So it’s a homegrown club. And I think that’s incredible.

“The year before we had six sets of sisters playing on the one team. I don’t think any other club has done that, and that definitely goes down in the history books.”

Even Molloy herself, who jokes about being a “blow-in” from nearby Gorey, has been fully absorbed into that culture.

“It’s so funny because people say to me, ‘Caoimhe, you’re from Wicklow, aren’t you?’. And I’m like, ‘No, I’m from Gorey’,” she says with a laugh.

“And it’s so funny because it’s not that I’m offended by it. I’m far from offended by it. It’s only 20 minutes out the road.

“Wicklow might as well be my home now. A lot of my best friends are on that team and I do anything for absolutely any of them.”

While Wicklow’s identity is rooted in community, Molloy’s individual journey has also been shaped by experiences beyond the club game. This season, she has been part of the Wolfhounds squad that secured a third successive Celtic Challenge title.

Those opportunities have elevated her game, particularly in the technical demands of front row play.

“I think coming off the back of the Celtic Challenge, I definitely feel my own growth coming into play” she says.

“Whether that’s more time on the ball, decision-making, feels a bit clearer. There’s also a different kind of pressure instead, not just your own development, but you’re expected to lead and set standards.

“Celtic Challenge has been a great competition to be involved in, especially in terms of player development. This is my second year being involved with the Wolfhounds.

“I definitely feel each year I’ve been involved, I’ve been able to take a lot from it, especially from a set-piece perspective, like as a front row you want to be scrummaging against the best of the best, and I felt very fortunate to be able to scrum against Sisilia Tuipulotu, the Welsh tighthead.

“So, that obviously stood to me in terms of player development, and then I feel like it’s definitely become one of the most effective development pathways in Women’s rugby across Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

“It’s also creating depth, international unions now have a wider pool of players who already are getting that taste of international rugby, and like we’ve seen that again with Eilís Cahill, Katie Whelan getting their first caps last weekend, and now Katie Jordan from Blackrock getting the nod to come into camp. It’s a great competition in terms of player development.”

Returning to Jason Moreton’s charges after that experience, however, requires a shift in focus.

“I definitely feel, it’s obviously a lot different coming from Wolfhounds into Wicklow, but it’s been great to be back at my club last weekend.

“There’s also a different kind of pressure coming back into your club as well because you are expected to lead from the front, you’re expected to set the standard.”

That leadership will be crucial this weekend against a Galwegians side packed with quality and experience. Central to their threat is out-half Nicole Fowley, whose tactical control and goal-kicking ability can punish any indiscipline.

“The calibre of players that Galwegians have is insane. They have Nicole Fowley back to 10, I think she’s one of the best kickers in the Women’s game, to be honest with you.

“I think we’ll definitely look at our penalty counts, especially in finals it’s all about inches. You don’t want to be giving away penalties against Galwegians anywhere inside the 22, because you can be sure that Nicole will score them.”

It is a challenge that Wicklow are acutely aware of, particularly in the context of a final where small margins can define the outcome. Tactically, Molloy believes the contest will hinge on the fundamentals,  particularly the battle up front.

But beyond tactics and preparation, there is an emotional dimension to finals rugby that cannot be ignored.

“I think it’s going to be a real tit-for-tat, and I think it’s going to be a close scoreline, but it’s all about winning that battle up front.

“If we can win it up front and give our back-line a good quality ball to play off, I’m sure we’ll get over the line, but like I said, when you have a player like Nicole Fowley back at 10, she’s a great operator.

“They’ll build the phases, and they’ve lost a lot of players due to international call-ups and stuff like that, but they have great depth in their squad, and we’ll look to target them up front if we can. And I think it’s all about who performs on the day.

“At the end of the day, a pitch is a pitch. It’s all about who wants it more, to be honest. It’s all about who wants to perform, who wants to go with that 80 minutes.

“You have to go down to the well, especially in finals, everyone has to work hard, and I always say focus on your own performance, and if you do the simple things right, it will really benefit the team. So hopefully now we come out with the win at the weekend, but it’s not going to be easy. It’s definitely not going to be easy.”

That willingness to ‘go to the well’ is something that has been forged over years of shared experiences, from early struggles to breakthrough successes, from narrow defeats to emphatic wins.

And it is what gives Molloy confidence that Wicklow can rise to the occasion once again. For her personally, the opportunity to lift silverware with a club that has become her home carries deep significance.

It is a sentiment that captures not just her own journey, but the ethos of the team she represents – a group built on loyalty, community, family, development, and a shared belief in what they can achieve together.

On Saturday in Mullingar, with the stakes at their highest and the margins at their smallest, Wicklow will once again lean on the qualities that have brought them this far – resilience, unity, and a refusal to back down.

And in their front row will be their fiery red head Molloy, driving forward and carrying both the fire of competition and the pride of a club that means everything to those who wear its colours.

“Really looking forward to this weekend. It’s been great for myself to be back at the club, especially last weekend.  Wicklow are a great club.

“And as one, we’re really looking forward to this weekend. Especially with injuries and stuff like that, I think the girls deserve nothing more than a bit of silverware. So it would be nice to bring that back down to Ashtown Lane on the weekend.

“It’s great to see players from our second team getting that exposure to the AIL and that’s great for their development as well. We’re really looking forward to it and I think we deserve it as well.

“I don’t think anything below six (in the table) is where we’re at. I think if we can win this weekend and having finished in the top six, we’ll be really, really happy.

“It’s a homegrown club. It’s such a close-knit team. It is home for me now and I was so welcomed with open arms coming to Wicklow and I’ve had great coaches and great guidance as well.

“And they definitely helped me in terms of getting to that next level and developing and stuff like that, and putting in those extra hours. I’m very grateful for the club and if I can give anything back to the club, I absolutely will.

“I think anytime I put a Wicklow jersey on, I always put my best foot forward. I absolutely love the club and I love putting on the Wicklow jersey, and I love playing alongside the girls,” she addd.

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