Thomas Keane

Ballinagulkee, Ballinamult, Via Clonmel, Co. Waterford. E91HX48

 Tel. 087 2919595 Email keanethomas1973@gmail.com

Waterford 1-6 Tipperary 2-13

Waterford’s under 23 camogie team had its first competitive outing at the Colligan G.A.A. Club grounds where they went under to a strong Tipperary side who were able to call on a number of players who had played a part in their county reaching and winning the All-Ireland Junior Camogie Title in the last two years.

This is a new age group introduced in 2024. Up to now, many counties had second string sides involved in either the All-Ireland Junior or Intermediate Championships as well as playing in the Senior Championship, with these sides often going on to contest and win finals in the lower grades.

The new championship if structured right should prove to be a win-win situation for the game of camogie, as it will mean from now on, we will see first string sides contest and win titles in the Junior and Intermediate grades and move up to the next grade to test themselves in the following year and years.

Both sides in this game named very strong panels. Waterford for their part had a number of players who have already played senior this year, but most of these players were held in reserve, while Tipperary under former senior manager Bill Mullaney were able to call upon players that had contested the All-Ireland Junior Final in 2023 and who won the title at the same grade a year later, while they also had some players with senior experience and some up and coming players who are thought of highly in the Premier County.

While this game was a knockout Munster Championship fixture, the main competition for players eligible to take part will start on May 24, where five counties, Galway, Tipperary, Cork, Kilkenny and Waterford will do battle over five weekends to see who will contest the inaugural All-Ireland Final.

Played in glorious sunshine, with a pre-noon thrown in, Tipperary on the day were the better of the two sides, and were possibly the side that had none most for this fixture.

Bill Mullaney’s side played with a strong easterly win blowing down from the nearby Comeragh Mountains at their backs in the first half, and they turned around with a 1-8 to 0-2 lead at the break.

Supporters of both sides were in agreement during the first half that the Premier County needed a good led at the interval, and as players tired as the game neared its conclusion with Waterford playing with the strong wind at their backs could crawl back any lead that the visitors had build-up.

The Déise County did perform better in the second half, but a second Tipperary goal half way through the second half proved decisive.

Aoife Dwyer was a constant thorn in the side of the Waterford defence in this game. The Thurles Sars player who lined out with Tipperary played in the 2023 All-Ireland Junior Final loss to Clare finished this game with 0-7 behind her name of the scoresheet, shooting from both placed balls and from open play.

She opened the scoring after just 36 seconds with a point from play and quickly followed up with one from a free. Lorna Ryan put her side three up and they soon went four in front, again Aoide Dwyer was the score-getter after her side quickly worked a Róisín Kirwan free at the other end that fell just short, down the field and the Thurles player made no mistake.

Róisín Kirwan opened Waterford’s account on eight minutes when she put over a free, but two more scores at the other end from Aoife Dwyer was followed with a Ciara Gleeson goal on 21 minutes as she doubled on a ball that Hayleigh Acheson tried to bring down in her own goalmouth.

Ava Bevans the daughter of former Waterford senior hurling coach and current Tipperary coach Mikey Bevans put over a brace of scores for the winners either side of the 30-minute mark to stretch her sides lead with Róisín Kirwan finding the range for her second score in between from a placed ball.

While Tipperary opened the second half scoring with another score off the hurley of Aoife Dwyer, Waterford followed up with scores from placed balls by Róisín Kirwan and Maggie Gostl to leave eight between the sides after 39 minutes.

However, another Tipperary goal, this time from Danielle Ryan ended the chances of Waterford, even with the wind at their backs and a quarter of the game still to play.

Mairead O’Brien pointed with 12 minutes remaining, but scores from Ava Bevans, Ali O’Kelly, Danielle Ryan and a final score from Aoife Dwyer had the visitors out of site with the hour played.

Waterford did pull a goal back from a Róisín Kirwan penalty late in stoppage time, but it was too little, too late.

It’s now onto the All-Ireland Championship for the Waterford players where they are away to Kilkenny on May 31, at home again to Tipperary on June 7, away to Galway a week later before rounding off with a home game against Cork on June 21.

WATERFORD: Hayleigh Acheson; Kaci Brazil, Faye Murphy, Aoife Murphy; Niamh Ryan, Aoife Hartley, Jane Landers; Oneila Whelan, Ciara Sherlock; Kelsie Obanya, Rachael O’Brien, Niamh Hally; Rhona Drohan, Róisín Kirwan, Katelyn Lyons.

Subs: Rachael Walsh for Jane Landers, Mairead O’Brien, Maggie Gostl for Niamh Hally, Vicky O’Sullivan for Katelyn Lyons, Emily Galgey for Rhona Drohan, Mide Delaney for Aoife Hartley

Scorers: Róisín Kirwan 1-3 (1-0 Pen, 0-3F), Maggie Gostl 0-2 (1f 1 ’45), Mairead O’Brien 0-1.

TIPPERARY: Áine Slattery; Lorna Ryan, Maria Connelly, Paula Quirke; Emma Kelly, Miriam Murphy, Lily Fahie; Anna Fahie, Orla O’Brien; Grace Moloney, Kate Ferncombe, Aoife Dwyer; Ciara Gleeson, Danielle Ryan, Ava Bevans.

Subs: Caoimhe McCormack for Lily Fahie, Aoife Mellerick for Kate Ferncombe, Niamh Franks for Grace Moloney, Hannah Butler for Danielle Ryan, Ali O’Kelly for Ciara Gleeson.

Scorers: Aoife Dwyer 0-7 (4f), Danielle Ryan 1-1, Ava Bevans 0-3, Ciara Gleeson 1-0, Lorna Ryan, Ali O’Kelly 0-1 each.

REFEREE: Philip Dee (Limerick).

 

 

Photos from John O’Neill Photography