2025 VERY Camogie League – Round 3: Galway v Tipperary

March 8, 2025

2025 VERY National Camogie League Division 1A – Round 3

This Round 3 fixture – Galway v Tipperary – in Kilbeacanty is a repeat of last year’s Very League Division 1A final, won by Tipperary, though the Tribeswomen prevailed in the All-Ireland semi-final subsequently.

Galway v Tipperary
Date: 8 Mar 2025, 2pm
Venue: Kilbeacanty
Referee: Brian Kearney (Kildare)
FT: Galway 1-13 Tipperary 2-14

Match Report

The Galway Senior Camogie team suffered their first defeat in the Very National Camogie League as they fell short to Tipperary on Saturday in Kilbeacanty. Missed chances in the second half could have helped Galway in getting over the line but Tipperary’s physicality in the second half was key to their victory in the contest. After wins in their opening two games, Galway will be disappointed with the defeat.

Mairead Dillion opened the scoring for the hosts with a point from play after two minutes. Niamh Mallon and Ailish O’Reilly followed up with a point each to leave Galway 0-3 to 0-0 ahead after three minutes. Grace O’Brien got the visitors off the mark with two frees on the 6th and 8th minutes to reduce the deficit to one. Caoimhe Kelly, who was lively in the opening quarter added two points to Galway’s tally. Jean Kelly and O’Brien through a free hit back to reduce the deficit to the minimum again. Kelly and Aine Keane with a great point from the sideline restored Galway’s three point lead by the midway point of the half.

Róisín Howard and Olwen Rabbitte swapped scores by the 20th minute. However, O’Brien brough the
sides level by the 25th minute as she struck over three frees during a four minute period. It was end to end for the final ten minutes of the half with Carrie Dolan adding two points, one through a free and Mallon adding one point to Galway’s tally while Caoimhe McCarthy, O’Brien through a free and Sarah Corcoran all slotted over points to leave the sides level by the 34th minute. It was Tipperary who had the final say of the half however, as Grace O’Brien got behind the Galway defence and blasted the ball into the back of the net to give them a three point lead heading into the break.

Scores were hard to come by in the second half as both sides struggled to pick off scores and the game turned into a physical battle between both sides. Galway will look back on the game at their missed chances throughout the half as they dropped four balls into the hands of Laura Leenane in the Tipperary net. Dillion brought the sides level on the 10th minute of the second half. O’Brien extended Tipperary’s lead to two by the 53rd minute as she slotted over a free and a 45. Credit must go to Sarah Healy in the Galway net who pulled off a great save during this period, forcing the ball out for a 45 metre free. Clodagh McIntrye sealed the win for Tipperary five minutes from time as she got through the Galway defence for Tipperary’s second major of the day. Dolan, through a free, and Rabbitte added scores either side of an O’Brien point at the end but it wasn’t enough for the Tribeswomen as Tipperary ran out 2-14 to 1-13 winners on the day.

Galway will be disappointed with the result and face two tough challenges against Dublin at home and Cork away in their final two games. They will look back on their missed chances in the second half that could have helped them in securing a point out of the contest. They have a break for games next week before they regroup to welcome Dublin to Galway on the 22nd of March.