2023 Duane’s Hardware Intermediate Club Championship Final
Mountbellew Moylough v Shamrocks
21 Oct, 2pm
Venue: Kinvara pitch
Ref: David Earls
FT: Mountbellew Moylough 0-7 Shamrock 1-10
Intermediate Final Player of the Match: Emily Lawless
Match Photos
Match and team photo credit: Joe Keane
View match photos
Back Row (L-R): Kevin Molly, Cathal Waldron, Jessica Waldron, Caoimhe Lynch, Elsa Hesnan, Ciara McClearn, Niamh McInerney, Sarah Devine, Shannon Ridge, Ava Lawless, Caroline Lawless, Ciara Donoghue, Shauna Murray, Miranda Comar, Leanne Lawless, Lorraine Burke, Declan Gilchrist, Paddy Lynch.
Front Row (L-R):Barry Beirne, Emma Lyons, Leah O Halloran, Leah Fallon, Emily Lawless, Amy Morgan, Lonnie Drennan Walls, Aisling Coen, Ally Hesnan, Nora Fahy (Mascot), Katie Donoghue, Katie Gilchrist, Clodagh Gilchrist (Mascot), Mary Larkin, Andrea Comar, Rachel McInerney, Avril Donoghue.
Back Row (L-R): Fiona O Brien, Emma Ryan, Megan Shally, Leah Murphy, Isobel Griffin, Éilis Colleran, Réaltín Mannion O Donnell, Niamh Healy, Sarah Keaveney, Karen Somers, Ruth Mannion, Hayleigh Somers, Melissa Noone, Muirne Kilcommons, Sophie Lenihan, Laoise Burke, Eadaoin Ryan, Sarah Mannion, Mary Gavin & Emily Mockler
Front Row (L-R): Maresa Howley, Siofra Kelly, Ella Murphy, Emma Hosty, Karena McHugh, Katie Mannion, Molly Mannion, Elaine Ryan, Catherine Finnerty, Grace Colleran, Nadine Connolly, Jessica Lyons, Emma Dempsey, Katie Ryan & Keelin Donnellan
Mascot: Robyn Collevy Deegan
Match Report
Shamrocks Camogie Club were crowned Duanes Hardware Intermediate Champions on Saturday in Kinvara with a strong second half performance to help them in overcoming Mountbellew Moylough. The game was in doubt at the start of the day as the original venue was deemed unplayable.
It was Shamrocks who started the brightest with a free from their captain, Katie Donohue. Catherine Finnerty replied two minutes later with a point from play. But Shamrocks seemed to be getting a hold on the game with three points through Donohue and a point from Leah O’Halloran to leave them 0-5 to 0-1 ahead at the midway point of the half. Shamrocks would fail to score for the rest of the half while Mountbellew Moylough got a purple patch with points coming from Finnerty and three Katie Mannion points to leave the sides deadlocked on 0-5 points a piece heading into the half time break.
Donohue opened the scoring in the second half with a free. A goal was always going to be massive in this close contest and it was underage county star Emily Lawless got the crucial score on the 35th minute to give them a four point lead early into the second half. Mannion got her sides first score of the half on the 42 nd minute to leave a goal between the sides but a determined Shamrocks outfit continued to push on with two Donohue points, one from a placed ball and points from play from Sarah Devine and Niamh McInerny to leave seven between the sides in injury time. Ruth Mannion did get a point from play at the end of the game for Mountbellew Moylough but it wasn’t enough as Shamrocks ran out 1-10 to 0-6 winners on the day.
Mountbellew Moylough will be very disappointed but they will have to regroup as they head up into the Senior B ranks for the 2024 season along with Shamrocks. For Shamrocks, they will be delighted to put the disappointment of the last two years semi final defeats behind them. They will now look forward to the Fr Lawless Cup Final against Roscommon county champions, Athleague while they will also progress onto the AIB All Ireland Intermediate Club Championship where they will take on the Munster champions on the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of December.
Match Preview
Ger O’Brien, Fiona O’Brien (Mountbellew Moylough), Frank Duane (Duane’s Hardware, Intermediate Championship Sponsor), Katie Donohue and Paddy Lynch (Shamrocks).
Preview photo credit: Don Soules Photography
The 2023 Duanes Hardware Intermediate Championship final sees a new pairing of Shamrocks and Mountbellew-Moylough battling it out for the Intermediate crown.
Shamrocks have been knocking on the door for a place in the final for the past two years but Salthill-Knocknacarra stood in their way on both occasions. They have plenty of talent throughout the team with players such as Katie Gilchrist, Niamh McInerny, Katie Donohue, Ciara McClearn and Ally Hesnan all part of adult and underage squads with Galway. Shamrocks are the only unbeaten side left in the competition. They had convincing wins over Abbeyknockmoy, Killimor, St Colmans and todays opposition, Mountbellew-Moylough, during the group stages. By topping the group, it set up a quarter final pairing against Pearses. Shamrocks won the game comfortably, holding Pearses to two points in the contest. They faced Ahascragh-Catra in the semi final. Ahascragh-Caltra are a well seasoned side and they were also undefeated heading into the contest. The disappointment of the last two years were evident as a strong second half showing with three goals through Donohue helped them in getting over the line.
While Mountbellew-Moylough suffered a defeat to Shamrocks in the group stages, it promises to be a much different affair today. Like Shamrocks, Mountbellew-Moylough have plenty of experience throughout their side with players such as Maresa Howley, Molly Mannion, Catherine Finnerty, Sarah Keaveny and Leah Murphy togging out for Galway with various teams over the past few years. It is the first time since 2017, that Mountbellew- Moylough have appeared in the Intermediate final and they will be looking to make up for the disappointment that they suffered as they lost out to Athenry by three points on the day. Mountbellew have had a mixed campaign to date. They had victories against Cappataggle and Pearses but they did suffer losses to Shamrocks and Ahascragh-Caltra in the group stages. They had to overcome a tough test against Abbeyknockmoy in the semi finals while a strong second half showing helped them in getting over the line against St Colmans in the semi final.
It is all to play for. Both sides have plenty of experienced and talented players throughout their squads. Shamrocks have been so close at the semi final stages in the last two years that they will be hoping that they can bottle that disappointment to help them get over the line. Many players were playing for Mountbellew-Moylough when they lost out to Athenry in 2017 and they will be hoping that they can turn the tide today.
