2013 Senior Championship – All-Ireland Final: Galway v Kilkenny

September 15, 2013

15 September, 2013.
Galway v Kilkenny: Liberty Insurance Senior Camogie Championship.
Croke Park, Dublin.
Galway 1-9 Kilkenny 0-7.
Ref: Ger O’Dowd (Limerick)

2013 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Champions!

Match Report

On the same day that Galway claimed the Jack McGrath Cup by winning the Intermediate All Ireland final, their manager, Tony Ward, had to keep a level head. After the highs of the win in the Intermediate final, he was now tasked with guiding the senior team to the same glory. Galway had won the O’Duffy cup back in 1996 and between 1996 and 2013 Galway had lost five finals. Players like Therese Maher had been there since 1997 and they had suffered loss after loss. An Ailish O’Reilly goal and two points from substitute Noreen Coen just before the half time break proved pivotal to the victory in a game where both sides were going score for score.

Niamh McGrath and Emma Kilkenny were to the fore in the second half in getting Galway over the line, with McGrath stepping up with four points and Kilkenny with one. The dream had become a reality for some of the long term players such as Maher, Ann-Marie Hayes, Regina Glynn and Orla Kilkenny, all of whom had suffered a lot of defeats on the way to this victory. Lorraine Ryan created history on becoming the first Kiltullagh/Killimordaly club member and only the second ever Galway player to lift the O’Duffy Cup for the tribeswomen. For Tony Ward, he became the second most successful manager for Galway camogie during his period having already led Galway to their first senior success in 1996 also.

While Galway overcame a massive milestone on this day to claim their second All-Ireland Senior Camogie title, it was also a day when the foundations were laid for the future successes at Senior level in 2019 and 2021 as well as the many league titles won during this golden era of camogie for Galway.

Scorers for Galway: Niamh McGrath 0-5 (4f), Ailish O’Reilly 1-0, Noreen Coen 0-2, Emma Kilkelly 0-1, Emer Haverty 0-1.
Scorers for Kilkenny: Shelly Farrell 0-2, Michelle Quilty 0-2 (2f), Ann Dalton 0-2 (1f), Aisling Dunphy 0-1.

TEAMS:
Galway: Susan Earner, Therese Manton, Sarah Dervan, Heather Cooney, Sinéad Cahalan, Therese Maher, Lorraine Ryan, Niamh Kilkenny, Molly Dunne, Emer Haverty, Niamh McGrath, Emma Kilkelly, Brenda Hanney, Ann Marie Hayes, Ailish O’Reilly.
Subs: Noreen Coen for Dunne (22), Orlaith McGrath for Hanney (60), Tara Kenny for Haverty (61)

Kilkenny: Emma Kavanagh, Mairéad Power, Kate McDonald, Jacqui Frisby, Leann Fennelly, Edwina Keane, Elaine Aylward, Claire Phelan, Ann Dalton, Grace Walsh, Aisling Dunphy, Katie Power, Shelly Farrell, Denise Gaule, Aoife Neary.
Subs: Collette Dormer for Phelan (20), Kelly Hamilton for Walsh (40), Michelle Quilty for Neary (46), Miriam Walsh for Gaule (55).

Additional match reports: