Tralee Magic 65
St. Paul’s 59

What a night. What a game. What a group.

The Tralee Magic U18 Girls are Kerry Airport Div 1 Cup champions after seeing off a strong, hot-handed St. Paul’s side in a gripping final in Mounthawk on last night.

From the opening tip, this game had edge. St. Paul’s started well and took the first quarter 20–16 as they found their rhythm early, but this Magic group doesn’t rattle easily. They settled themselves and responded in the way we have come to expect.

Tralee turned the game in the second quarter with relentless defence and some really composed play, outscoring St. Paul’s 21–13 to take a 37–33 lead into halftime. It was not flashy, but it was tough, disciplined and together.

The third quarter gave the Magic a bit of breathing space. Their energy stayed high, their communication was sharp, and they held St. Paul’s to just nine points while adding 14 of their own to lead 51–42 heading into the fourth.

Even then, there was no sense that the job was done.

Tralee were short-handed coming into the game and that began to show late on. With both teams also in foul trouble, every trip down the floor seemed to matter a little more. St. Paul’s kept coming, outscoring the Magic 17–14 in the final quarter and making Tralee work right to the end.

That only added to the atmosphere in Mounthawk. Every whistle felt louder, every score felt bigger, and both sets of supporters were fully invested. It was tense, noisy and exactly what you would expect from a hotly contested cup final like this.

As the game wore on into the dying minutes, Tralee kept finding answers to the questions St. Paul’s were asking. With Sophie's quick passing  and decision-making creating opportunities for others, Muireann led the scoring with 21 points, Emily added 14, Anna had 13, Amiee scored 12 and Grace finished with 11, with contributions right across the team helping the Magic stay calm and keep the scoreboard moving when they most needed it.

That spread of scoring really mattered in the closing minutes. With the pressure rising, Tralee came up with big defensive stops, made good decisions in possession and held their nerve to the final buzzer to finish as deserved 65–59 winners.

In a club built on volunteer effort, wins like this are felt far beyond the team itself. They lift the whole club.

A sincere thank you to KABB for organising the competition, to St. Paul’s for a fiercely competitive and sporting final, and to the table officials and referees for their work on a high-pressure night.

Most of all, thank you to these players. They represent the very best of Tralee Magic. There is no doubt this is a talented group of girls, but it took resilience, leadership and real composure to get this one over the line.

These young women are setting the standard for what it means to wear Magic blue. They are the example the younger girls in our club now look up to — not just because they are winning, but because of how they train, how they compete and how they carry themselves.

Special recognition must also go to Jason and Ranjna for their incredible work, time and commitment to the girls and to the club. In a volunteer club, that kind of care and consistency matters enormously, and the standard they set is helping to shape not just strong players, but confident, resilient young women.