Galway v Kilkenny: 2025 All Ireland U23 Championship

June 21, 2025

2025 All Ireland U23 Championship – Round 5

Galway v Kilkenny
Date: 21 Jun 2025, 2:00pm
Venue: UPMC Nowlan Park
Ref: Andy Larkin (Cork)
FT: Galway 1-9 Kilkenny 0-12

Match Video

Match Report

The Galway U23 camogie team shared the spoils with Kilkenny in warm Nowlan Park on Saturday. A late point by by Laura Kelly ensured that Galway got a share of the points and were rewarded with a home semi final next weekend against the same opposition.

It was the visitors who started the brightest with a point in the opening 25 seconds from Galway midfielder, Jennifer Hughes. Katie Byrne followed up 3 minutes later with the equaliser while Laura Kelly and Rachel Dowling swapped frees by the 6th minutes to leave the sides level on 0-2 a piece. Cora Kenny, who looked dangerous each time the ball went into her in the full forward line, hit three points in a row between the 10th and 16th minutes to give Galway a three point lead at the midway point of the half. Galway however remained scoreless for the next 12 minutes as Kilkenny got a grip on the game with points from Ellen Gunner, Ciara Ryan, Amy Brennan and a Dowling free to give them a one point lead.

Dowling nearly got in for a goal on the 19th minutes as she pulled on the ground only to see her shot go very narrowly wide. Galway finished the half strong with a point from Katie Gilchrist on the 28th minute. A good pass from Katie Manning found the hand of Niamh McInerney on the edge of the D and McInerney rounded her player and blasted the ball into the back of the Kilkennt net. Dowling finished the half with a free for Kilkenny as Galway went in two points to the good at the break in a scoreline of Galway 1-6 Kilkenny 0-7.

The Kittens started the second half the strongest with three points in the opening ten minutes through Dowling (0-2, 0-1F) and one from Ryan. Scores were hard to come by throughout the half as the scores dried up for a thirteen minutes. Galway were really struggling to score throughout the half and it was the 53rd minute before they registered their first score of the half through a Kelly free. Kelly gave Galway the lead a minute later as she slotted over another score. Emma Mulhall and Dowling through a free, restored the lead for Kilkenny for a finish but Kelly through a free brought the sides level by the 62nd minute as the sides finished the game deadlocked on a scoreline of Galway 1-9 Kilkenny 0-12.

Galway will need to work hard on some improvement ahead of their All Ireland Semi Final next weekend. They missed a number of frees and found it hard to get scores in the second half. Galway have the benefit of having a home semi final next weekend against the same opposition. Galway will have their focus on getting a win next weekend to ensure they book their place in the inaugural U23A final.

GALWAY
L Freeney, R Kelly, O Mullins, A Crowe, K Manning, K A Porter, J Daly, A Carr, J Hughes (0-1), A Barry, C
Hanley, L Kelly (0-4, 0-3F), N McInerney (1-0), C Kenny (0-3), K Gilchrist (0-1)
Substitutes: A Fahy for Mullins (38mins), A Joyce for Hanley (38mins), A Bloomer for Barry (48mins) S Farrell, H Larkin, K Ryan, S Kerr, K Byrne (0-1), T McGrath, A Browne, L Phelan, M Gannon, A Brennan (0-1), E Gunner (0-1), C O’Keeffe, A Cody, R Dowling (0-6, 0-5F), C Ryan (0-2)

KILKENNY
Substitutes: L Ronan for Cody (HT), K McCluskey for Brennan (48mins), E Mulhall for O’Keeffe
(52mins)