Milford and St Catherine’s meet in the Cork senior championship final on Sunday

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EVENING ECHO CORK SENIOR COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Evening Echo Senior Camogie Championship Final

Sunday Oct 18^th

Pairc Ui Rinn

2.30pm

St. Catherines and Milford battle it out on Sunday next in Pairc Ui Rinn as they strive to will make Camogie history when they face each other in the final of the Evening Echo Senior camogie championship for the first time. One of them will carve out a unique honour as they will become the first team from their club to be crowned Cork Senior Camogie Champions.  It’s been a hectic season with Inter county games at national league and championship level all year the success of our Senior team in capturing the Gala All Ireland senior title for the second year in a row making it six wins out of eight final appearances ensure they are without doubt the camogie team of the decade and we salute their achievements. In order to get the programme of games completed several game have been played  under lights in the last fortnight  and  this added to the championship and  is something that we will see a lot more of at all levels in the months and years ahead.

It’s a new final pairing and both clubs have arrived here on merit St Catherines had to call on all their resources to defeat Cloughduv in their first outing whilst Courcey Rovers made them fight to the finish to reach the semi –final. On the day St Catherines looked to be exiting the championship at the hands of St Finbarr’s but a late equaliser had us all back to Carrigtwohill on Monday last when they made no mistake to book their place in this afternoons decider. They are a young team with Cork senior Orla Cotter and younger sister Finola, the Twomey’s Denise and Deirdre, Orna and Fiona Neville, Noreen Mulcahy and captain Faith Noonan. Manager Marie Clancy has guided the fortunes of the club to Junior B honours in 2000, Junior A in 2003 and Senior B in 2006 and she is hopefully that this time out 2009 will be their year.     

 Milford have had huge under age success  taking titles from under 12 to Senior B  and now they have reached the senior final for the second time having lost out to Carrigdhoun in the 2005 decider.

They defeated Ballygarvan in round one before progressing to meet an Inniscarra side that pushed them to the limits, county champions Douglas provided their semi final opponents and under the lights of Mournabbey the Milford girls turned in a polished display to make it to toady’s final. They to have plenty of young talent such Louise O’ Flynn, Cliona Galvin and Orlaith O’ Mahony and they have enjoyed an excellent campaign. Experienced campaigner Elaine O’ Riordan leads Milford and she has the Watson sisters Aine Marie and Emer, Aisling Thompson and Anna Geary by her side.

 Both clubs have battled hard down through the years to make it to a senior final and they will be hoping to make it to the history books of their clubs by becoming the side to   capture a senior county championship title, either way come 5pm on Sunday a new name will be engraved on the Punch Trophy as it heads to either North or East Cork.

The curtain raiser is an attractive pairing as Glen Rovers and Ballincollig battle it out for a place in the Evening Echo Senior B final where Eire og await. Both have worked ahrd to reach the semi -final and with plenty of young emerging talent on either side it promises to be a good game. Leah Weste, Cliona Irish, Denise Cronin, Brea O’ Callaghan and Alison Coughlan spearhead the Ballincollig side while Aideen Guiton, Denise Luby, Beth Walsh , Michelle Hegarty and Lydia Cunningham will battle it out as the Glen seek a place in the decider. throw in is at 12.30        

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