Ashbourne Cup Quarter Final Previews..

The + finals of the Ashbourne competition will be finished by Saturday evening and all teams will realise that their destiny will lie in either the Ashbourne Cup or Sheild competition. The Garda College take on Cork IT tomorrow on cork soil and this game is expected to be a tight encounter. The Garda College will look to their goalkeeper Rosie Kenneally to keep a clean sheet on the day. Kenneally, a Senior Tipp Camogie panellist, has already received a Colleges All-Star as a former WIT player. CIT also have a Tipp starlet to look to in Julie McGrath. CIT will also rely on Charlotte Kearney and Michelle Browne, both from Cork to ensure the home side come out with the win.

 

On Saturday next, last years host of the prestigious Ashbourne competition, Jordanstown will face this years hosts, UCC. The game will take place in DCU on Saturday at 2.30pm. Despite both teams having a mixed league campaign, UCC will be go into the game as favourites. UCC boast a wealth of talent and will look no further that last year’s Senior Cork Camogie captain, Catriona Foley to lead the way. Having lost to both UL and WIT in the league campaign, UCC management, which consists of Cork Seniors Aoife Murray and Mary OæConnor, will not be too worried about these results. Orla Cotter, who had a fine season with Cork last year will be expected to impose herself on the game on Saturday along with Jill Horan of Tipperary and Amy Butler of Kilkenny. For UUJ’s part John Crossey, manager of this years side, is looking forward to the challenge of UCC. With the resurgence of St. Mary’s of Magherafelt in second level colleges in recent years UUJ are confident that these players have added to the strength of the UUJ panel. Crossey, who has coached with both Antrim and Down in the past, will be looking to Rhona Torney, Niamh McGoldrick and Fionnuala Carr, a daughter of the current Down Football Manager, Ross Carr to push UCC close on Saturday. Although UUJ will go in as underdogs this game could go down to the wire on Saturday.

 

UL will host last year’s beaten Cup finalists, WIT on Saturday at 2pm. Currently both teams are on level points in the league campaign having won all their respective games to date and have yet to meet so Saturday’s encounter will be interesting. The last time these two sides met in a + final, WIT played host to UL and were narrowly beaten so they will be hoping to overturn this result when they travel to Limerick on Saturday. WIT, will look to Wexford star Ursula Jacob to organise the sides charges upfront but will also look for leadership from Kilkenny duo Keeva Fennelly and Ann Dalton as well as Tipperary’s Therese Shortt. WIT realise that going to Limerick looking for a win on Saturday will present a tough obstacle however they are hopeful that a good performance from the panel will ensure that UL are pushed close. UL, too having a good run in the league to date must be happy with preparations going into Saturday’s game. Despite having home advantage UL are under no illusions that this will count for anything. UL will, instead, be hoping for good performances from Cork star Anna Geary, Tipperary’s duo Cora Hennessy and Mary Ryan while also hoping that Galway’s Caroline Kelly can provide energy around the middle of the park. This game is hard to call but promises to be a cracker.

 

In Dangan in Galway at 12 noon Saturday, NUIG will play reigning Ashbourne Cup champions UCD. UCD go into the game as strong favourites. The Dublin contingent is still backboned by Cork Star Rena Buckley, Wexford sisters Mary and Una Leacy as well as 2008 Ashbourne player of the tournament, Kildare’s Susie O’Carroll. Yet despite having these players Adrian Hassett, Gaelic Games officer in NUIG, knows that NUI Galway too have excellent players in Galway’s Niamh Kilkenny and dual star Tini Cormican. They also boast an All-Star of their own in Offaly’s Michaela Morkan who last November received her first ever Camogie All-Star. Galway captain, Colette Gill is confident that if her team perform on the day there may well see an upset.

 

By Lizzie Flynn (CCAO Secretary)

 

For Details on Ashbourne Fixtures go to CCAO Section

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