The Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship continue this weekend which celebrates Pride Round for the third consecutive year. Pride Round shines a spotlight on inclusivity and diversity within the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Championship, ensuring that members of the LGBTQ+ community feel valued, respected, and embraced within the Camogie family. Read our previews for this weekend’s Senior Championship games below.
GLEN DIMPLEX ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP 1
Antrim v Waterford, Loughgiel Shamrocks, 12.30pm
Waterford are in fourth and outside the qualification places at present, which is not what last year’s runners-up would have been hoping for in their first season under Jerry Wallace’s stewardship. They still have their fate in their own hands, however, and given Antrim’s travails, with the Saffrons propping up the table after three heavy defeats, anything other than a victory would be a huge shock.
They do have to travel the length of the country and while Antrim have a negative score difference of -48, that is only three worse than Limerick so they will be keen to put up a good performance ahead of next weekend’s do or die battle against the Shannonsiders that will determine who finishes bottom and goes into a relegation play-off.
Kilkenny v Derry, Freshford, 1.30pm
Derry have been one of the stories of the Glen Dimplex Championship, cementing their senior status on their return to elite camogie after winning last year’s intermediate title in a replay against Meath. Now that they have claimed the scalps of Antrim and Limerick, they are in bonus territory and have a free shot against Kilkenny and Waterford. A win in Freshford would be their greatest in the modern era, and indeed would leave the Cats feeling nervous ahead of their concluding tie against high-flying Tipperary.
The Noresiders have enjoyed an excellent championship to date after being viewed in some quarters to be in transition minus the services of the legendary Denise Gaule and fantastic defensive reader, Claire Phelan. After two easy away victories, they emerged from their first significant test on home territory against Waterford and while caught late on for a share of the spoils, showed enough to suggest they are contenders for overall honours once more.
Limerick v Tipperary, Mick Neville Park Rathkeale, 2pm
This pitches a team with no point from three games against another with a full return. What makes it worse for Limerick is that Tipperary are the form team in the country, following up their League title success with a tremendous championship campaign that includes victory over Waterford. The return of multiple All-Star Cáit Devane after missing out on the first half of the season has added to the depth of the panel.
Limerick will be hoping to take some positivity from this, not least because score difference may still be a factor, though they conclude the group stages with a game against fellow strugglers Antrim, which is likely to decide which of the pair will be involved in a relegation play-off.
GLEN DIMPLEX ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP 2
Cork v Dublin, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2pm
This is an interesting affair. Cork are the All-Ireland champions and have cruised to three straight wins. If they were to lose, it would be a shock. But Dublin are Division 1B League champions, pushed Kilkenny close in a Leinster final and got to within three points of Galway in the opening tie of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Championship before accounting for Wexford last week in a key match-up where the third qualifying spot in Group 2 is concerned.
Cork are without Libby Coppinger at full-back until the very latter stages of this competition, at least, but did welcome back Laura Treacy a fortnight ago. Dublin, with captain Aisling Maher flourishing in a quarter-back position at centre-back, will ask some questions but the pace in Ger Manley’s team should thrive in the Páirc Uí Chaoimh expanses.
Wexford v Down, Geraldine O’Hanrahan’s GAA New Ross, 2pm
It was always going to be a difficult summer for Down, after losing one of their greatest ever players, Niamh Mallon, who transferred to Galway. That came a few years after Sorcha McCartan switched to Cork. The Mourne outfit have battled hard but suffered some tough defeats, the last against Galway a fortnight ago particularly chastening.
Wexford should be too strong, particularly with home advantage, and after losing to Dublin last time out, when they didn’t approach anything like the form that earned them a draw against Galway the week before, must take care of business to keep their hopes of progressing to the last six alive.
Galway v Clare, Kenny Park Athenry, 3pm
Live on Official Camogie YouTube HERE
The lengthy gap between the conclusion of the Very League and the commencement of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Championship appeared to tell for Galway. It was accentuated by playing teams that had played in provincial championship in that period. They had just three points in hand of Dublin in the opening round and then drew with Wexford. They opened up against Down but Clare will be a step up from that.
The Banner girls have beaten Down too but lost to Dublin, making their prospects of advancing to the quarter-finals quite slim but a stunning victory here against their neighbours would put them right back in the mix.
Full fixture details and tickets are available HERE
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