St Joseph’s, Tulla  4-13   Scoil Mhuire Trim 0-5

St Joseph’s Secondary School, Tulla, completed an historic double when they won the O’Neill’s All-Ireland junior post primary D camogie final at St Brendan’s Park in Birr on Saturday.
A week earlier, they won the senior crown, beating the same opposition in the decider, Scoil Mhuire of Trim.
The day got off to a great start for the Tulla school when two of their players, Aoife Tuohy and Evelyn Duggan, qualified for the All-Ireland Handball finals before joining their team-mates for the camogie game played in Birr.

Right from the throw-in, the Tulla girls put Trim under pressure and could have had the opening score within 35 seconds but Evelyn Duggan’s shot drifted to the right of the upright. Regan Conway opened the scoring with a free in the third minute. Two minutes later, Sinéad Conlon dispatched the sliothar to the Trim net after connecting with a lovely pass from Regan Conway.

St Joseph’s never looked back after this and added a brace of goals before the half-time whistle. The first of these was well taken by full-forward Aoife Leamy, who was on hand to finish the movement when Paula Dorian in the Trim goal could only parry a shot from Laura McGrath. Samantha O’Connor tapped in the third when she was in the right position when the ball rebounded off the post with three minutes to go to the break.

Tulla also had four points from play, three from the stick of Evelyn Duggan, who was a thorn in the side of Scoil Mhuire all afternoon and Niamh Mulqueen added the other. St Joseph’s went in at half-time leading on a scoreline of 3-5 to 0-2, having played against the strong breeze.

Trim tried very hard in the opening half but they couldn’t match the Tulla girls and had to be satisfied with just two points, scored by Alannah Hannon and Aoife Minogue.

Scoil Mhuire made two changes at half-time, bringing in Hannah Clancy for Maeve Burke, who came into this game carrying an injury and Caroline McLoughlin Quinn for Kate McEvoy. St Joseph’s brought on Bridin Dinan for Siobhán Halpin.

Tulla again made all of the running and indeed only for some great saves by Paula Dorian the scoreline would have been even more in favour of the Clare girls. In the second half, Tulla added 1-8 while Trim could only muster three points.

St Joseph’s had points from Regan Conway, Niamh Mulqueen, Evelyn Duggan and Bridin Dinan while Micheala Culloo finished the scoring with their fourth goal.

Scoil Mhuire had their chances and but for some wayward shooting, especially from placed balls, they would have been closer  but at no stage did they look like overhauling the St Joseph’s lead.

Caroline McLoughlin Quinn made a difference when she was brought in and scored two points, one of which was an excellent score from an acute angle.

St Joseph’s had good performances all over the field. The backs were in no mood to be generous and limited the chances the opposition had. In the middle of the field, Regan Conway and Niamh Mulqueen ruled, while all the forwards played their part but special mention must go to Evelyn Duggan, ably assisted by Tara Gleeson, Laura McGrath and Sinéad Conlon, especially in the first half.Niamh Mulqueen picked up a well-deserved player of the game award.

St Joseph’s, Tulla: Deirdre Cotter (Kilkishen); Joanne O’Gorman (Kilkishen), Aoife Tuohy (Feakle), Áine Nash (Clooney-Quin); Edel McNamara (Kilkishen, capt), Alannah Ryan (Kilkishen) Siobhán Halpin (Clooney-Quin); Regan Conway (Feakle, 0-4), Niamh Mulqueen (Broadford, 0-2); Tara Gleeson (Tulla) Evelyn Duggan, (Feakle, 0-6), Laura McGrath (Feakle); Samantha O’Connor (Broadford) 1-0, Aoife Leamy (Tulla, 1-0), Sinéad Conlon (Tulla, 1-0).
Subs: Bridin Dinan (Tulla, 0-1) for Halpin, Micheala Culloo (Tulla) for O’Connor, Siobhán O’Connell (Broadford) for Leamy, Laura O’Connell (Broadford) for Gleeson and Chloe Crowe (Tulla) for McGrath.
Scoil Mhuire, Trim: Paula Dorian; Helen Carroll, Clodagh McKeon, Laura O’Neill; Hannah Tuite, Maeve Burke (capt) Niamh McEvoy; Susan Kealy, Emma Coffey; Haidee Kelly, Aoife Minogue, Erin McEvoy; Alannah Hannon, Kate McEvoy, Katie Mulvihill.
Subs: Hannah Clancy for Maeve Burke, Caroline McLoughlin Quinn for Kate McEvoy and Beverly Lynch for Katie Mulvihill.
Referee: Eamon Browne, Tipperary.

Clare lose Ann Maher Shield final to Limerick

Limerick 1-14    Clare 3-5

Clare relinquished the Munster minor Ann Maher Shield title to Limerick on Monday afternoon in Newcastle West on a score of 1-14 to 3-5.

In a tight, physical encounter, which saw the sides level on four occasions and the lead change seven times, supporters were witness to a battle right to the end as both sides fought hard to gain supremacy and emerge victors.

Clare had a dream start when, from the throw-in, Niki  Kaiser connected and sent the sliotar down the field to Orla Devitt and she cut through the Limerick defence and hand-passed to the net with just 30 seconds on the clock.

Limerick responded with two frees from Caoimhe Costello and a goal from full-forward Claire Keating, following a poor clearance from Clare in the fifth minute.

In heavy underfoot conditions, which proved difficult for both sides, Clare’s second goal came in the 11th minute, when Sinéad Quinn laid off a pass to Kaiser, who fed on to Fiona Murphy, who in turn hand-passed on to Kate O’Gorman, who finished to the net, a score which put Clare back in front.

Kaiser added two more points for the Banner side, from play and a free. Costelloe matched Kaiser’s efforts and then levelled matters in the 23rd minute. Clare had the opportunity to raise another green flag two minutes later but the Limerick defence cleared the danger. Kaiser converted another free for Clare in the 29th minute but again Costelloe did likewise to see the sides level, when the half-time whistle sounded, Clare 2-3 Limerick 1-6.

Costello, an emerging star on Limerick’s intermediate side and their chief scorer on the day, pushed the home side in front early in the second half with another free before Fiona Murphy levelled matters again. Costelloe had two opportunities for the Limerick side with a free and a ’45 but saw both her efforts drift wide of the mark.

Orla Devitt’s point from play edged the visitors in front again in the 39th minute. When Limerick fouled Aoife Keane as she broke through, Kaiser’s effort from the resulting free rebounded off the upright and into the danger area in front of the Limerick goal from where Kate O’Gorman blasted to the net to give the visitors a four-point advantage.

Limerick however, upped the ante and with the help of a few frees, the sides were level again by the 54th minute. Limerick substitute Orla Cunningham added two points for Limerick and though Clare continued the attack, they were unable to grab the goal they needed to go back in front. Player of the game Karen O’Leary added another point for Limerick on the stroke of full-time, leaving Limerick winners of the Ann Maher Memorial Shield.

Limerick: Orla Condon; Mirren O’Grady, Shauna Tobin, Shannyn Sheehan; Jane Wilson, Rebecca DeLere (0-1f), Karen O’Leary (0-1); Dona Mulcahy, Maeve O’Neill; Deborah Murphy, Muireann Creaner, Aoife Wilson; Katie Hennessy, Claire Keating (1-2), Caoimhe Costelloe (0-10, 9f).
Sub: Orla Cunnigham (0-1) for Tobin, Kate Mulqueen for Karen O’Leary
Clare: Emer Murray (Sixmilebridge); Aoife Keane (Inagh-Kilnamona), Ellen Roche (Sixmilebridge), Claire McMahon (Éire Óg); Eimear Casey (St Josephs), Sinéad Quinn (Inagh Kilnamona), Rae Wall (Éire Óg); Niki Kaiser (Newmarket-on-Fergus (0-3, 2f), Orlaith Lynch (St Joseph’s); Fiona Murphy (Sixmilebridge, 0-1), Orla Devitt (Éire Óg, 1-1), Aoibheann Malone (Corofin); Amy O’Brien (Corofin), Kate O’Gorman (Kilkishen, 2-0), Lauren McGuane (Kilmaley).
Subs: Claire Taaffe Killanena for McGuane (40 mins) and  Lisa Donoghue Whitegate for Malone (46 mins).
Referee: Mike Sheehan, Cork.

Drills Galore coaching workshop
A Drills Galore Camogie Coaching Workshop takes place in Lees Road this Thursday at 7pm. The workshop will be delivered by Cork minor hurling manager, Frank Flannery, who coached Cork senior camogie team to win the All-Ireland title in 2009. Frank also coached Milford Camogie Club to win their first Cork senior county title and followed this with a Munster club title.

Details available from Clare Camogie development officer Orla Considine, email:developmentofficer.clare.camogie@gaa.ie or phone 087 2417355.