The Windows and Rooflights LTD Senior A and B Camogie Championships kicked off in earnest this weekend with 8 games down for decision over the course of the week across both grades.
- Match Reports Senior A Round 1
- Match Reports Senior B Round 1
SENIOR A
Oranmore Maree 0-16
Davitts 1-13
Oranmore Maree and Davitts shared the spoils in their opening game of the championship in Duggan Park on Thursday night .Ailish O’Reilly was Oranmore Maree’s main threat throughout the contest while Clarie Blake scored 1-3 from play for Davitts with her vital goal coming at a key moment in the second half.
Oranmore Maree were on top through the first half. O’Reilly opened the scoring with a free but Catherine Hanley and Ciara Hickey followed up with two for Davitts. Eimear O’Donovan and Blake swapped scores before Oranmore Maree hit four points in a row through Hannah Mangan, O’Reilly (0-2F) and O’Donovan. Hickey and Hanley (0-2) hit back for Davitts but it was Oranmore who finished out the half the strongest 0-3 from O’Reilly and one from Rachael Hanniffy as they led 0-11 to 0-6 at the break.
Davitts hit Oranmore Maree hard at the start of the second half with 1-5 in the opening 15 minutes. 1-2 from Blake, two Hanley frees and a point from Leah Behan saw Davitts take the lead at the midway point of the half. Grace Tarpey registered Oranmore Maree’s first score of the half on the 47th minute while O’Reilly followed up with three frees to restore their lead. Points from Chloe Farraghaer and Behan either side of an O’Reilly free at the end of the game saw both sides finish level on a scoreline of Oranmore Maree 0-16 Davitts 1-13.
Clarinbridge 3-18
St Thomas 1-7
Clarinbridge and St Thomas kick started the Senior A Championship on Wednesday evening in Kilbeacanty. Clarinbridge started the stronger with a quick Carrie Dolan free finding Niamh Niland in the inside line who pointed from play. Just three minutes in, hesitancy in the St. Thomas’ defence allowed Saoirse Counihan to capitalise, and her ground stroke found the back of the net. Carrie Dolan followed up with a pointed free, before St. Thomas’ got off the mark with a point from play from Amy Caulfield.
Emma Deely made a mazy run through the Thomas’ defence on the 15th minute but her batted effort was saved by Galway custodian Sarah Healy, but Deely made no mistake from the rebound. St. Thomas’ replied with a fine pointed effort from Amy Caulfield directly from the puckout. Three frees from Carrie Dolan and a point from play from Niland saw Clarinbridge lead by 2:06 to 0:02 after 25 minutes.
A super goal from the impressive Caulfield gave Anna Kilduff no chance between the Clarinbridge posts, while at the other end, Sarah Healy produced an excellent save from Niland to deny Clarinbridge an immediate response. Another pointed free from Dolan saw her side ahead 2:07 to 1:2 at the interval.
Clarinbridge started the second half strongly, with another goal from Emma Deely inside two minutes and points from Niland, Siobhán Carr and Ciara Mullins who impressed upon her introduction. Amy Caulfield kept the scoreboard ticking over for St. Thomas’ including two particularly splendid scores from play, but it was last years Senior ‘B’ Champions who took the spoils, closing out the game with five points from Dolan and Niland, to leave the final score Clarinbridge 3:18 St. Thomas’ 1:07.
Athenry 0-11
Mullagh 0-9
It was a very close affair in Duggan Park on Friday night as Athenry and Mullagh went head to head in their opening game. Scores were very hard to come by with Mullagh crowding out the Athenry attack throughout the whole contest. Rachel Monaghan and Sabina Rabbitte, the only two scorers of the half swapped frees in the opening 8 minutes. Monaghan followed up with a point from play but Rabbitte gave Athenry the lead by the 13th minute with two more pointed frees. Monaghan followed up with three points in the next 15 minutes, one from play while Rabbitte converted her fourth free of the day to leave in Mullagh 0-5 Athenry 0-4 at the half time break. Athenry made changes at half time with the introduction of Clodagh Burke and Jessica Gill. They came out the strogest from the dressing room with Rabbitte slotting over three frees in the opening ten minutes. Mullagh did get a purple patch with two Monaghan frees and one from Aoife Donohue to restore their lead by the 48th minute. Athenry followed up with points from Olwen Rabbitte, Gill and Anna Jordan by the 55th minute and it looked like Athenry were going to grind out the victory. Tegan Canning and Sabina Rabbitte through a free swapped scores at the end of the half as Athenry ran out 0-11 to 0-9 winners on the day.
Sarsfields 1-17
Ardrahan 0-9
All Ireland Champions Sarsfields had a comfortable victory over Ardrahan on Friday evening in Gilligan Park. Siobhán and Orlaith McGrath were their main scoring threats throughout the opening half. Siobhán opened the scoring with a free in the opening minute, followed up with a point from Orlaith McGrath. Rebecca Gardiner hit back with a point a minute later but three more Siobhán McGrath points, two frees, and one Orlaith McGrath point saw Sarsfields take a five point lead by the 9th minute. Gardiner and Aisling Dolphin from a placed ball reduced the deficit to three by the 11th minute. McGrath and Dolphin swapped frees by the 15th minute while Siobhán McGrath followed up with 1-2 in the following 14 minutes. Dolphin replied with a free in injury time as Sarsfields went in 1-9 to 0-5 in front at the break. Scores were hard to come by in the opening 20 minutes of the second half as Dolphin pointed three frees by the 49th minute to reduce their deficit to four. Siobhán McGrath replied with four points, three from frees to give Sarsfields their first scores of the half after 50 minutes. Chloe Cunningham replied for Ardrahan on the 55th minute but it was the champions who finished the strongest with points from Siobhán McGrath and Orlaith McGrath as Sarsfields ran on 1-17 to 0-9 winners on the day.
Senior B
Salthill Knocknacarra 1-11
Carnmore 0-15
There was a very close contest in the opening game of the Senior B Championship in Tuam Stadium on Saturday. Salthill Knocknacarra were hoping that the hurt of losing last years county final would drive them on while Carnmore were looking to prove a point after they got relegated from Senior A last year. Nessa Daly and Aoibhe Joyce opened the scoring for Salthill Knocknacarra. Emily Brogan followed up with two well taken points by the 9 th minute. Daly and Laura Kelly through a free, slotted over points for Salthill Knocknacarra either side of an Alannnah Fahy free to give them a one point lead by the 17th minute. Fahy through a free and Niamh Fox followed up with scores for Carnmore but it was Salthill Knocknacarra who finished the half the strongest with three Kelly frees and a goal from Sorcha McGinley on the 35th minute to give them a 1-7 to 0-5 lead heading into the break.
Aoibhe Joyce and Kelly through two frees slotted over points in the opening ten minutes of the half while Fahy (0-2) and Jessica Donlon followed up with scores for Carnmore to leave five between the sides. Carnmore began to reduce the deficit with points from Sinead O’Donovan and two Fahy frees to leave two between the sides with 13 minutes of normal time remaining. Laura Kelly registered their first score through a placed ball in over 12 minutes but Carnmore hit back hard and finished the game out the strongest with points from substitute Eva Morley, Rachel Hughes, Jennifer Hughes and Donlon as Carnmore ran out one point winners on the day.
Shamrocks 3-21
Craughwell 0-15
Shamrocks got their campaign off to a winning start in Tuam Stadium on Saturday. It was Craughwell who started the brightest with three Niamh Duffy points in the opening few minutes. Shamrocks started to find their stride with two Katie Gilchrist frees and points from Niamh McInerney and Leah O’Halloran. Vivian Blaine and Gilchrist pointed two frees each by the 17th minute but it was Shamrocks who hit a purple patch. Four Gilchrist points, one point from O’Halloran and a goal from Emily Lawless saw them 1-10 to 0-5 ahead after 25 minutes. Leanne Freeney popped up with a score for Craughwell but it was Shamrocks who finished the half the strongest with another Gilchrist free and point from Leah O’Halloran.
Clodagh O’Meara and Blaine through a free slotted over scores either side of a point from McInerney point in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. McInerney picked off another score while Gilchrist found the back of the net through a penalty of the 44th minute to extend their lead further. Katelyn Walsh slotted over a point in the 47th minute but Craughwell were reliant on their free taker Blaine who pointed five frees before the end of the contest while Katie Donohue (0-2), Gilchrist, O’Halloran all pointed from play for Shamrocks while McInerney found the back of the net on the 59th minute as Shamrocks ran out 3-21 to 0-15 winners on the day.
Castlegar 3-11
Kinvara 2-7
Castlegar got off to the dream start in their championship as they overcame Kinvara in Killimor on Sunday evening. Castlegar opened the scoring inside the opening fifteen minutes with points from Ailbhe Conneely and Emma Murphy. Ellen Birmingham found the back of the net on the 19th minute to give Kinvara their opening score of the game and the lead but that was short lived as Chloe Broderick replied two minutes later with a goal for Castlegar. Aoibheann Barry hit back with two points for Kinvara, one through a free while Broderick hit three frees for Castlegar to give them a 1-5 to 1-2 lead heading into the break.
Castlegar got the perfect start to the second half with two Broderick frees, a point from Emma Murphy and a goal from Conneely to extend their lead to nine by the 39 th minute. Bermingham and Ciara Costello replied with a point each for Kinvara but it was Castle gar who got another good run with two Broderick points either side of a Caoimhe Callaghan goal to leave it 3-10 to 1-4 after 51 minutes. Kinvara did finish out the half the strongest with 1-2 from Barry (0-2F) and another point from Costello while Louise Mahoney slotted over one more score for Castlegar as they ran out seven point winners on the day.
Ahascragh Caltra 0-8
Eyrecourt 1-4
It was the 2024 intermediate champions who started the brightest with a point from Emma Reaney and a free from Sarah Noone in the opening ten minutes. Eyrecourt did hit a purple patch with a point from Anna McDermott and 1-1 from Mia Flannery in the space of a minute. Ahascragh did not panic and managed to keep Eyrecourt scoreless for the rest of the half while also following up with points from Saoirse Murray, Reaney and debutant Lynn Hartigan to leave the side level 0-5 to 1-2 heading into the break.
In a very physical battle between the two sides, scores were hard to come by. Kayla Earner opened the scoring in the second half on the 37th minute with a point from play. Ahascragh Caltra hit back with frees from Noone and Aoibhe Glynn and a point from play from Hartigan. Earner followed up with a point in injury time for Eyrecourt but it wasn’t enough as Ahascragh Caltra recorded their first victory in the Senior B grade.
