By Daragh Ó Conchúir at Croke Park
For the winning quarter-finalists of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship, having something to look forward to on July 25 was what it was all about.
The draw, carried out immediately after the conclusion of Tipperary’s 3-20 to 3-13 defeat of at Croke Park yesterday, pitched the Premier against Cork in the semi-finals, while champions Galway will take on Kilkenny, who edged out Waterford by 2-19 to 1-19 after extra time at HQ on Saturday.
Both those games will take place at Semple Stadium and for Tipp manager James Heffernan, that was his primary focus.
“We’re at home, we’re delighted to be in Semple Stadium,” said Heffernan, who is in his first year in the job.
“Cork and Galway will go in as massive favourites, we know that, and on the form line, that’s deserved. They have been way out in front for the last couple of years, and the form line is showing this year that that is the same.
“So, we’re glad we have the three weeks, because we need it to go up against either of those two teams. But the fact that we’ll be at home, it’s a big, a big bonus, as we should have a massive Tipp crowd there, hopefully. So I can’t wait for it.”
Kilkenny’s Laura Murphy, who recovered from jarring her knee and looking in serious pain in the first half to deliver four points and much more in a player-of-the-match performance, was of similar mindset, albeit that she had no idea who lay in store in the aftermath of their game.
“One of them is as good as the other, it’s all the one to us at this stage,” Murphy (main picture celebrating with Niamh Deely (6) at the final whistle) contended reasonably. “We’re just glad to be there and training for another three weeks.”
Waterford led by two points 0-9 to 0-7 at half-time of Saturday’s game, despite Beth Carton shooting wide from a penalty just before the break. Sarah Barcoe’s influence increased after the resumption with three points and a couple of assists, and after Claire Doheny pushed the Cats ahead almost on the hour, it needed a Carton point from a free to bring us to extra time.
That was where super sub, Katie Nolan struck, the dual All-Ireland/All-Star winner grabbing two goals, to ensure that Maggie Gostl’s late major was too late for the battling Déise.
Nolan was player of the match in the 2022 All-Ireland final but the Stripeywomen had lost at the quarter-final stage in every subsequent campaign until the diminutive St Martin’s ace did the business for them again.
“Who else to step up and get the goal?” was Murphy’s rhetorical question.
“To bring someone of her calibre off the bench, it’s just incredible. All-Ireland medals, All-Stars in her bag, she comes on and does that for us today. Absolutely no qualms for her, being on the bench and having that role as an impact sub, she just does it so well, and I’m just absolutely delight for her.”
Nolan doesn’t exactly love the role, but was delighted to play a part. But for her, it was only a part.
“It wasn’t just scores that won the matches, it was all the defending and team effort, and I don’t know, maybe we got the breaks today, and it all went our way, but we stayed digging,” said Nolan, who was top scorer and scored a late point for Muckalee to make history and win an All-Ireland club junior ladies football final at the end of last year too.
“It could have went either way coming into the last bit there, but I think it was that belief that got us over the line. We’ve been probably talking about how much we believe this year, so it was not just talking about it, but I suppose showing it a bit more as well.
“I’ll stay fighting. All year I’ve been trying to get that starting jersey, but so is everyone else in there. We have definitely lots of depth in our squad. It’s a clean slate now back in training and hopefully whatever happens in training, whoever’s going well, gets the green light, because I think that’s the way that works best.”
She was as complimentary of Murphy as the O’Loughlin Gaels dynamo had been of her.
“She was incredible and that was a great point at the end there again to seal it. I hope she kicks a bit of football now with Muckalee later in the year. She was meant to last year but she got injured, or something. And she got married too. She’s a bit of a dark horse, that one.
“I thought she was in a bit of trouble with the knee but the magic water did the trick. She was brilliant.”
“It’s just incredible to finally get over that line,” said Murphy. “The last three years have just been such heartbreak, and last year was extra time again, when we thought we were over the line, and I think that’s stood to us massively this year.
“When that final whistle went in normal time, and we were headed for extra time, I think we were like, ‘Right, we’ve been here before, we know what it takes,’ and just credit the girls who really, really dug deep for extra time. That takes a lot of character.
“(With the injury) I jumped up, and whatever way I landed, I just hyper-extended my knee and for about 30 seconds there, I didn’t think I would be playing on. But yeah, they strapped me up, and I’ll have a look at it now over the next couple of days and see how I am.
“I was just delighted to be able to contribute for the girls, because I think all year it’s been different people performing day-in, day-out, it hasn’t been one person leading the way, so that’s definitely a development over the last year that’s been really important to us.
“It was a sting when people used to say we were a team in transition. But after last year, we had to have a look at it and say, we hadn’t gone out of the quarter-finals in the last few years. Maybe that’s where’s we’re it. It was up to us to start moving forward.”
Tipperary’s Caoimhe Stakelum, who was player of the match, in a tussle for possession with Clare Hehir (Clare), who has Lynda Daly (5) and Ziyan Spillane (13) in support. (Photo: INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon)
Tipp led by six points at half-time yesterday but Clare had nine wides in that opening period and it took them until the 24th minute to get off the mark, via Andrea O’Keeffe.
Róisín Howard goaled from the restart for Tipp and when player of the match Caoimhe Stakelum – a minor star in 2025 – rifled to the net with the purest strike you will ever see, it was over. Clodagh McIntyre raised a third green flag in the 45th minute to put 16 points between them.
Clare battled hard, as Heffernan withdrew the likes of Eimear McGrath and McIntyre, substitute Áine O’Loughlin grabbing 1-2 and Ellen Casey lashing home two goals from a free and penalty respectively, but their wastefulness and Tipp’s economy meant that they had too much to do.
“We felt we probably had enough done with 15 minutes to go… disappointing alright to concede a couple of goals towards the end,” said Heffernan. “But overall, it was a good performance. We scored 3-15 from play, which is important, because we probably hadn’t been doing that the last couple of weeks,
“The goal was to get into semi-final. We’re home now in Semple Stadium for the semi-finals so it’s very positive.
“There’s just loads of talent there, and it’s getting that message across that we need everyone to contribute and they contributed well there today, but it is important that you have scores coming from deep, especially midfield, half-back line, that kind of stuff. I thought we did that well today, that we got our midfielders forward, which is important.”
“There’s loads of good young players on the squad, and they’ve brought a lot of energy and freshness to the to the set-up this year. We definitely feel like we have the scoring power up front, but it’s not enough to just have those players on the pitch. You have to get good ball into them, and you need to work really hard as well to stop the opposition of getting a run on us as well, and so it’s just to put that together in a big game.
“We’re definitely looking forward to that challenge. The girls aren’t training since November to only go that far.”
Elsewhere, Dublin turned around their Leinster final defeat by Wexford to ensure they will be playing senior next year, while the Yellowbellies will be operating at intermediate level as a result of the 0-17 to 1-10 verdict.
In the second tier, Antrim will play Meath and Kerry will play Laois in the semi-finals. A goal in the fourth minute of extra time by Kaylee O’Keeffe snatched a 1-15 to 3-6 victory for Laois over Down, while Meath edged out Derry by 0-15 to 0-12.
Westmeath beat Carlow by 1-16 to 2-9 to preserve their intermediate status and relegate Carlow to the premier junior grade.
RESULTS
GLEN DIMPLEX SENIOR QUARTER-FINALS
Kilkenny 2-19 Waterford 1-19 (aet)
Tipperary 3-20 Clare 3-13
GLEN DIMPLEX SENIOR RELEGATION
Dublin 0-17 Wexford 1-10
GLEN DIMPLEX INTERMEDIATE QUARTER-FINALS
Derry 0-12 Meath 0-15
Down 3-16 Laois 1-14
GLEN DIMPLEX INTERMEDIATE RELEGATION
Carlow 2-9 Westmeath 1-16
GLEN DIMPLEX PREMIER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Tyrone 1-12 Kildare 2-10
Wicklow 1-6 Armagh 8-21
Roscommon 4-6 Cavan 4-10
