Kilkenny capture a trio of titles

A hat-trick of titles for Kilkenny in Post Primary Colleges Finals

Reports by Seamus McAleenan

All-Ireland Senior A Final : Loreto Kilkenny 4-10 St Patrick’s Maghera 1-6.

Loreto Letterkenny retained their All-Ireland Colleges’ Senior camogie title in Trim on Saturday, equalling the feat of another Kilkenny side St Brigid’s Callan in 08-9.

Five of the six forwards and both midfielders hit the target while overall they closed out the threat posed by Maghera’s key players and controlled the game.

This was particularly so during the first half, when they played with wind advantage and led by 1-8 to 0-3 at the break, with all three Maghera scores coming from frees.

Loreto were in control through Grainne Walsh and Noelle Maher in half-back and a sharp midfield while goal-scorer Claire Phelan and Aoife Murphy caused problems up front.

Maghera played a forward as sweeper at half-back to close down the play, but it left them with few scoring opportunities up front.

That improved on the re-start with Shannon Kearney’s point effort dipping under the cross-bar after just two minutes of play.

Significantly Loreto replied with a point from Aoife Nolan, a pattern they repeated during this third quarter when Maghera were in the ascendancy.

Teresa McElroy’s point closed the gap to 1-10 to 1-5, but Clare Phelan placed Sarah Ann Quinlan for a fine goal in the 47th minute and it proved a mortal blow to Maghera’s hopes.

Five minutes later, Orla Hanwick flicked home when the sliotar went loose in the area and 3 minutes from time Aoife Murphy fed Claire Phelan for another fine goal.

Maghera missed three relatively easy frees in succession during the last 10 minutes, but overall can have little complaint with the result, despite excellent games from Maeve Quinn, Aine McElwee and, particularly during the second half, Karen Kielt.

St Patrick’s : J Bradley, M Quinn, A McElwee, R Ferguson, G NÝ Chathßin, A NÝ Chaiside, D O’Neill, T McElroy 0-1, K Kielt 0-2 frees, G McNicholl capt 0-3 frees, C Moran, S Quinn, N McKenna, S Kearney 1-0, M Kelly.

Subs : C McCloskey for G NÝ Chathain, D Quinn for D O’Neill, G NÝ Chathßin for C McCloskey.

Loreto : K Maher, M Walsh, T Brennan, S Buggy, K Holland, G Walsh, N Maher, N Byrne 0-1 free, A Curtis capt 0-2, S-A Quinlan 1-1, C Phelan 2-3, 0-1 free, A Nolan 0-1, O Hanrick 1-1, E Comerford, A Murphy 1-1.

Sub : L Fitzpatrick for A Nolan.

Referee : Dermot Connolly (Galway).

All-Ireland Colleges’ Senior B Camogie Final :

Grennan College Thomastown 4-10 St Louis Ballymena 3-3.

The star of this Colleges’ All-Ireland B final in Trim was Kilkenny Senior panellist Kelly Hamilton, with good support from Jane Cullen and her defence and midfield.

Kelly opened the scoring and, in general was very accurate from placed balls, totalling 6 points, but it was her 21st minute goal that clinced this game for Grennan College.

The game had an explosive start with five early goals.

Chloe Bartley put Ballymena into a 1-0 to 0-1 lead with a sharp pull in the 8th minute.  But goals in quick succession from Niamh Donnelly and Aine Lannon gave Grennan a 2-2 to 1-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

1-1 from Anna Kelly put St Louis back in the hunt, but from the puck-out following the goal, there may have been a hint of over-carrying around the 40 metre line, but Hamilton picked up a loose ball inside and fired to the net to take the sting out of the Ballymena comeback.

Aimee McAtamney handpassed to the net soon after, but the goal was curiously ruled out and Grennan were 3-2 to 2-1 clear at the break.

They stepped up a gear during the third quarter, when Hamilton fired over 4 frees and Niamh Donnelly lobbed home her second goal without a reply from Ballymena.

A late goal from substitute Rioghnach McNaughton gave a note of respectability to the scoreline – but on the day Grennan were the better side and deserved to take their first title at this level.

Grennan College : N Bolger, S Whelan, M hayes, C Gantley, N Quigley, J Cullen, J Carroll, R O’Carroll, M Farrell, S Carroll capt., K Hamilton 1-6, 0-6 frees, L Walsh, E Donnelly 0-2, A Lannon 1-0, N Donnelly 2-0.

Sub : K Walsh for L Walsh, H Gantley for E Donnelly.

St Louis : N McCloskey, N McQuillan, L Elliott, K Bradley, M Lynn, S Woulahan, E McGarry, N Doherty, S Devlin, K Duffin, A McAtamney capt 0-2 frees, C Drain, C McIntyre, A Kelly 1-1, C Bartley 1-0.

Subs : R McNaughton 1-0 for C McIntyre, A Kearney for M Lynn.
Referee : Paul Beecher (Dublin)

All-Ireland Colleges’ Senior C Final :

Castlecomer CS, Kilkenny 4-2 St Pius X College Magherafelt 2-5

Sport can often be cruel.  That was the case for St Pius X Magherafelt on Saturday.

After coming back from a 10 points’ deficit to level with a Sinead Conlon point in the 56th minute, they looked to be on course to snatch a victory that their play deserved.

St Pius X had the balance of play for most of the game, and Castlecomer had not mounted a single attack during the final 20 minutes.

However they burst forward during the second minute of added time and Edel Coonan pulled a beautiful ground shot into the Magherafelt net.  There was no time for recovery and Castlecomer celebrated a first title.

Magherafelt used a sweeper during the opening half into the breeze and were going well until a deflection off a defender’s stick ended in the back of their net in the 23rd minute.  Within 5 minutes goals from Mairead Daly and Edel Coonan had opened up a gap of 3-1 to 0-0.

Dania Donnelly popped over a free just before the break and the Ulster champions were right back in contention when Aimee Devlin finished to the net following a goal-mouth scramble within 2 minutes of the re-start.

A long-range shot from Rebekah Forbes hit the net in the 35th minute and with 3 points from frees over the next 15 minutes from Dania Donnelly, punctuated only by a good point from Maeve Mansfield, the gap was down to the minimum.

It took another 6 minutes before Sinead Conlon levelled the game, as Castlecomer fought to stay in the game.  That fight succeeded with the late goal, a score that really shattered Magherafelt.

Castlecomer : N Murphy, K Nolan, A Brennan, R Comerford, N Walsh, O Walsh capt., M Nolan, A cass, K Comerford, E Coonan 2-0, M Mansfied 0-2, 0-1 free, M Daly 1-0, L Finn, M O’Neill, T Agar (1-0 own goal).

Sub K Dowling for L Finn.

St Pius X : Niamh McGuckin, Laura Gribbin, Laura Wilson, Shaunagh Devlin, Sarah Cassidy, Caoimhe Glass, Kellie McNabb, Maggie Hagan, Dania Donnelly capt. 0-4, Ciara McNabb, Rebekah Forbes 1-0, Ciara Donnelly, Dervla McGuckin, Aimee Devlin 1-0, Sinead Conlon 0-1.

Subs : Nicola Crilly for C McNabb, Leona Browne for L Gribbin.

Referee : Donal Ryan (Dublin).

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