A round-up of the four Allianz Post Primary All-Ireland Finals.
By Séamas McAleenan
Loreto Kilkenny 4-13 Ursuline Thurles 0-9
A SCORING burst in the opening minutes of each half from Lucy Boyd put Loreto Kilkenny in the ascendancy in Gortnahoe yesterday afternoon and on their way to retain the Allianz Corn Sceilge All-Ireland senior camogie title at the expense of Ursuline Thurles whom they also defeated in the 2024 final.
It was Loreto’s fourth successive crown and 11th since their first 16 years ago. They were good value for their victory with their defence shutting out the threat posed by Tipperary senior player Caoimhe Stakelum and Alice Butler. The Doheny twins commanded the midfield battle particularly in the first half, while Boyd, Holly Ryan and Shauna Mahoney created problems throughout for the under pressure Thurles defence.
There were six different Loreto players on the score-board by the end of the first half, while Stakelum scored all six points in reply for Ursuline to keep them in the running at the break with a gap of 2-7 to 0-6.
Stakelum, the team captain and younger sister of McCarthy Cup winners Conor and Daragh, fired over the first score of the game. She then responded to a point from Shauna Mahoney with a free that had been brought forward in the 5th minute.
However Lucy Boyd put Loreto in control over the next five minutes. She hit a goal and two points from just three possessions. Although Stakelum kept floating over points from distance, the gap opened further when Leah O’Donovan’s shot was saved by Roisín Fercombe in the 24th minute only for Emma Hogan to force it over the line.
Loreto stepped up the pressure in the early stages of the second half and Boyd stretched their lead to 3-7 to 0-6 with a goal in the 34th minute similar to the one she scored in the 7th minute of the first half.
Stakelum immediately responded with a point, but Leah O’Donovan put the game out of Ursuline’s reach with Loreto’s fourth goal in the 42nd minute.
While Ona Kennedy turned the screw from frees in the final quarter, Boyd managed to double her first half tally of 1-2 to pick up the Player of the Match award and more importantly to continue Loreto’s dominance of Post Primary schools’ camogie.
The schools will meet again this Friday for Corn Gobnait, the under 16 All-Ireland final.
Loreto: L Boyd 2-4, L O’Donovan and E Hogan 1-0 each, O Kennedy 0-3 fs, S Mahoney 0-2, E Dohney, H Ryan, A Kirby and K Dowling 0-1 each
Ursuline: C Staklelum 0-8, 6fs, A Butler 0-1
Loreto: E Walton capt.; J O’Brien, E Morrissey, G Brennan; C Hickey, O Kennedy, C Teehan; S Doheny, E Donehy; H Ryan, S Mahony, A Kirby; E Hogan, L Boyd, L O’Donovan.
Subs: E McGrath for E Hogan (53), K Dowling for E Hogan (56)
Ursuline: R Ferncombe; O Gleeson, L McGrath, S O’Dwyer; R O’Brien, K Dowling, K Duffy; A O’Connor, E Frend; M Jones, C Stakelum capt, R Maher; M Flannery, J Shanahan, A Butler.
Subs: C Fitzgerald for A O’Connor (27), A Carr for R Maher (38)
Referee: O Elliott (Antrim)
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Corn Sceilge Post Primary All-Ireland Senior A Championship Final, Gortnahoe, Tipperary 21/2/2026
Thurles Ursuline Secondary School vs Loreto Secondary School Kilkenny
Loreto Secondary School Kilkenny Shauna Mahony
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon
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Allianz Lily Spence Cup Senior C final:
St Cuan’s Castleblakeney 3-6 St Mary’s Charleville 0-10
THREE first half goals yesterday in Nenagh were instrumental in sending the Lily Spence Cup to Connacht for the third year in a row. St Cuan’s Castleblakeney’s name will follow those of Mercy Roscommon and Portumna Community school after yesterday’s victory over St Mary’s Charleville.
Nathasha Kelly scored the first goal after five minutes. Emma Barrett followed with the next one seven minutes later, but St Mary’s had got a foothold on the game before Clodagh Jordan hit their net for the third time five minutes from the break.
Orla Troy from frees kept St Mary’s in touch and they trailed by 3-2 to 0-5 at the break.
After half-time, Charleville put on the pressure and Saoirse McDonagh made three excellent saves between the posts for St Cuan’s, twice in the first five minutes and then a point-blank stop from Lauren McAuliffe midway through the half during a period of sustained pressure from the Munster side.
Aoife Scarry’s frees kept St Cuan’s just far enough ahead to hold off Charleville for whom Aoife Morrissey, Caila Nelligan, Chloe Jones and McAuliffe were best.
For the winners Aoife Jordan, Aoife Scarry, Lynn Hartigan, Niamh Gormally and Clodagh Jordan were best.
St Cuan’s: C Jordan 1-1, N Kelly and E Barrett 1-0 each, A Scarry 0-5, 4 fs.
St Mary’s: O Troy 0-6, 5fs, A Morrissey, N Gammell, L McAuliffe and C Hickey 0-1 each
Allianz Dónal Burke Cup Senior D final
Scoil Mhuire agus Íde Newcastlewest 1-16 Sacred Heart Tullamore 1-5
A GOAL in the 46th minute confirmed another Munster winner in the Allianz Dónal Burke Cup yesterday.
Just three of the 15 finals contested to date have gone to schools outside the province and Scoil Mhuire agus Íde Newcastlewest already had a marker down at the break when they led by 0-12 to 1-2.
However they had still to face the stiff breeze in the second half in Nenagh. Their defence closed down for the third quarter, but it wasn’t until they worked the sliotar up the field at the start of the final quarter that their supporters could begin celebrations.
Player of the Match Hazel Horgan buried the Limerick side’s goal from that foray to add to seven points she had collected over the game. The other main scorer for Newcastlewest, Mia Smith, was also in the running for Horgan’s accolade as were several players in defence.
Tullamore goalkeeper Aoife Fitzsimons was inspired during the first half, while Maeve Duffy and Rachel Cunningham also worked hard to keep the Leinster champions in the game.
Duffy hit the net for Sacred Heart’s first score, but already Horgan (from frees) and Smith from play were eating away at their confidence.
The Limerick pair hit five points each with one each from Kaylaigh Hurley and Sarah Cagney while Lily Marie Dolan and Rachel Cunningham responded with a couple of points for Sacred Heart.
There was plenty of pressure from Tullamore after the break, but just two more points from Cunningham before Horgan’s goal lifted the siege and eased Scoil Mhuire agus Íde over the line.
Scoil Mhuire agus Íde: H Horgan 1-7, M Smith 0-5, S Cagney 0-2, K Hurley and E Horgan 0-1 each
Sacred Heart: M Duffy 1-0 R Cunningham 0-4, 3fs, L M Dolan 0-1
