Irish Daily Star League

Irish Daily Star Camogie League Semi-finals

Sunday April 3rd 2011

Kilkenny v Galway, Nowlan Park, 2.00pm, Mike O’Kelly (Cork)

Galway enters this year’s Irish Daily Star Camogie League semi-final with revenge on their mind. They lost out to Kilkenny in last year’s encounter and will be aiming to make amends this time around. Killimor’s Brenda Hanney and Ann Marie Hayes return to the line up after their All Ireland club winning forays with Killimor and Hanney also captains the Galway side for the year ahead. An interesting encounter is in store. Kilkenny’s guile and pace, led by the superb Ann Dalton, was a deciding factor in last year’s tie. The fluidity of the Kilkenny attack unlocked the Galway defence on a number of occasions and manager Noel Finn will be acutely aware of the challenge posed by the Leinster side. Big performances will be required from Veronica Curtin and Therese Maher in the Galway attack while Kilkenny will look to Dalton, Quilty and Leann Fennelly. Galway may have enough to tip the tie in their favour this time around.

Wexford v Tipperary, Nowlan Park, 3.45pm, Fintan McNamara (Clare)

The current All Ireland and league champions have shown no ill effects from last season’s exertions and have applied themselves to the challenges of defending their hard won crowns. JJ Doyle has enjoyed the luxury of using all players in this year’s league and with the Marshalstown native managing both the senior and intermediate sides, he will have a vast array of talent to pick from. The Leacy duo, Una and Mary along with Katrina Parrock and Ursula Jacob will be expected to lead against a rejuvenated Tipperary side. The Premier County have returned to winning ways after a solid league campaign and with the ever reliable Clare Grogan, ably assisted by Joanne Ryan, and young gun Sarah Fryday in top form an intriguing tie lies ahead.

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