All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship Archives - SportsNewsIreland

2024 Very Camogie Leagues Launched with Stellar Presence at Croke Park

JoeNa Connacht — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 10:45:28 +0000

2024 Very Camogie Leagues Launched with Stellar Presence at Croke Park

Very Ireland, in collaboration with the Camogie Association, is delighted to announce the kickoff of the 2024 Very Camogie Leagues. The prestigious event, held at Croke Park, witnessed the presence of esteemed players Áine Keane (Galway), Lorraine Bray (Waterford), Norette Casey (Kerry), Molly Lynch (Cork), Eleanor Treacy (Carlow), Aine O’Loughlin (Clare), and Siohban Donnelly (Tyrone).

Honoring Excellence On and Off the Field

Very aims to celebrate the accomplishments of players, both on and off the field, while illuminating the unique magic that defines this beloved sport.

Division 2B Kickoff

Division 2B of the Very Camogie Leagues is set to commence on Saturday, January 27th, featuring an exhilarating lineup. The 2023 League Champions, Cork, will face Tipperary, Wexford will take on Clare, and Galway will compete against Kilkenny, seeking redemption from their previous defeat by Cork in a final replay at The Ragg in Tipperary.

Round 1 Highlights: February 17th

February 17th marks the commencement of Very Camogie Leagues Round 1 for Division 1A, 2B, and 2A. Notable clashes in Division 1A include Kilkenny vs. Cork, Clare vs. Galway, and Tipperary vs. Waterford. Waterford secured promotion to Division 1A after a triumphant victory over Wexford in the 2023 Division 1B showdown at FBD Semple Stadium.

New Aspirations in Division 2A

Newly promoted Carlow, after their nail-biting victory over Armagh in the 2023 Division 3A final, will make their mark in Division 2A. Their campaign begins against Derry, while Meath faces Cavan, and Offaly challenges Westmeath.

Excitement in Division 3B

Very Camogie Leagues Division 3B promises thrilling matchups, including Down vs. Antrim and Dublin vs. Limerick.

Division 1B Unveils Drama

Kerry enters Division 1B in 2024, following a thrilling victory against Meath in Division 2A. On February 24th, Division 1B features Down vs. Antrim, Wexford vs. Dublin, Kerry vs. Limerick, Division 3A showcases Kildare vs. Laois, Armagh vs. Roscommon, and Division 4 sees Wicklow taking on Louth, while Tyrone faces Mayo.

Finals Showdowns

Mark your calendars for the Division 2B and 3B finals on Saturday, March 23rd. Subsequently, on April 13th, the finals for Division 1B, 3A, and Division 4 will take place, followed by a thrilling doubleheader on Sunday, April 14th, where the Very Camogie League finalists in Divisions 1A and 2A will vie for glory.

Catherine O’Toole and Hilda Breslin Share Enthusiasm

Catherine O’Toole, Head of Marketing at Very, expresses pride in supporting women in sport for the 8th consecutive year. Hilda Breslin, Uachtarán Cumann Camógaíochta, eagerly anticipates the competitive spirit of the Very Camogie Leagues, thanking Very for their unwavering support and promotion of the beloved sport. Join the action and be part of the excitement!

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Shortlists announced for Camogie Players’ Player of the Year 2021

JoeNa Connacht — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 16:50:12 +0000

The Camogie Association has announced the shortlist for the GPA Players’ Player of the Year Awards across the three categories

The Players’ Player of the Year Awards honours the outstanding achievement of an individual player. This extends to players in the All-Ireland Senior, Intermediate and Premier Junior Championships.

Speaking about the announcement Camogie Association President Hilda Breslin said:

“Congratulations to the Players’ Player of the Year Nominees, it is a wonderful honour to be nominated and recognised by your peers for your outstanding contribution in 2021.

“The Camogie Association are delighted to continue our collaboration with the GPA this year on these awards and we look forward to celebrating all the players achievements.”

This year’s nominees are as follows:

Senior Players’ Player of the Year Shortlist:

Aoife Donohue (Galway), Niamh Kilkenny (Galway), Hannah Looney (Cork)

Intermediate Players’ Player of the Year Shortlist:

Sarah Crowley (Kilkenny), Maeve Kelly (Antrim), Roisin McCormick (Antrim)

Premier Junior Players’ Player of the Year Shortlist:

Aideen Brennan (Wexford), Chloe Cashe (Wexford), Ciara Donnelly (Armagh)

Players who are members of an intercounty panel and participated in this year’s Championship can vote based on the shortlists.

The Camogie Association will announce the overall winners on the night of the Camogie All-Stars Awards on November 26th.

Speaking in advance of the awards GPA CEO Tom Parsons said:

“The GPA are delighted to collaborate with the Camogie Association once again to acknowledge individual excellence from the 2021 Camogie Championship.

“I want to salute the efforts of every one of the players nominated for an All-Star Award and thank them for their commitment and for the entertainment provided for us all. To be recognised for your individual performances within a team environment is undoubtedly an honour for all involved, so I want to extend my congratulations and best wishes to all of the Player of the Year nominees.”

To read more in-depth and up-to-date intercounty and club camogie news, click here.

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Antrim and Kilkenny lead Camogie Soaring Stars Nominations

JoeNa Connacht — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 10:04:58 +0000

Intermediate Champions Antrim feature player nominations in each line of the pitch for this year’s Camogie Association Soaring Stars nominations

Soaring Stars have nominated ten players in total from the intermediate champions after their great performances this year. Runners-up Kilkenny is also a major part of the nominations list. A further ten of their players made the shortlist.

Semi-finalists Galway received five nominations while Meath has four players nominated. Laois is the remaining Intermediate team with one player on the nomination list.

All-Ireland Premier Junior champions Wexford got three nominations while the runners-up Armagh also received three nominations.

The Camogie Association will announce the 2021 Soaring Stars team at a banquet at the Osprey Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare on Friday, November 26th.

They will also confirm the Nominees for the Camogie Association/GPA Senior, Intermediate, and Junior Players’ Player of the Year Awards on Wednesday 27th October.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Uachtarán Hilda Breslin said:

“It is a wonderful achievement for our players to be recognized for their outstanding performances throughout the 2021 inter-county season.

“Their skill, dedication, and consistency have shone throughout the summer, today they are deservingly being recognized with these nominations. I am delighted that once again we will be able to celebrate in person. I congratulate all our nominees on today’s achievements and I look forward with great excitement to the award’s ceremony on November 26th.”

The Nominees for 2021 are:

Goalkeepers:

Catrina Graham (Antrim), Sinead Farrell (Kilkenny), Ciarrai Devlin (Armagh)

Full-Back Line:

Chloe Drain (Antrim), Niamh Leahy (Kilkenny), Maria Lynn (Antrim), Aislinn Harvey (Armagh), Róisín Phelan (Kilkenny), Niamh Donnelly (Antrim), Laura Ward (Galway)

Half-Back Line:

Sarah Crowley (Kilkenny), Aideen Brennan (Wexford), Caoimhe Conlon (Antrim), Claire Coffey (Meath), Leanne Fennelly (Kilkenny), Clodagh Tynan (Laois), Caoimhe Mahon (Galway)

Midfield:

Chloe Cashe (Wexford), Nicole O’ Neill (Antrim), Lucia McNaughton (Antrim), Ciara Phelan (Kilkenny), Aoife Minogue (Meath)

Half-Forward Line:

Maeve Kelly (Antrim), Ava Lynskey (Galway), Eva Hynes (Kilkenny), Jane Dolan (Meath), Ciara Banville (Wexford), Elisha Broderick (Galway), Sarah Walsh (Kilkenny)

Full-Forward Line:

Róisín McCormack (Antrim), Caitrin Dobbin (Antrim), Ciara O’Keeffe (Kilkenny), Amy Gaffney (Meath), Ciara Donnelly (Armagh), Cora Kenny (Galway), Sophie O’ Dwyer (Kilkenny).

The Association will announce the nominations for the 2021 All-Stars Team and the winner of the 2021 Manager of the Year tomorrow, Tuesday, 19th October.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date club and intercounty GAA news, click here.

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Antrim Take Home Intermediate Camogie Title After 8-Point Win Over Cats

JoeNa Connacht — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 09:55:36 +0000

Antrim 2-21 – 2-13 Kilkenny

The tandem of Róisín McCormick and Maeve Kelly have long been slated for superstardom through the schools and underage structures in Antrim and they delivered on the biggest stage at Croke Park to propel the Saffron County to victory in the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie final on Sunday afternoon.

The deadly duo scored a goal and 14 points between them, and with Catrine Dobbin also weighing in with 1-2, Antrim racked up a remarkable return that no side could match.

This was a fantastic exhibition of the increasing depth of camogie, and on this evidence, Antrim will be a welcome new addition to the senior ranks.

The game was decided in a matter of minutes just before the second-half water break, a period that actually began with a goal from a 20m free by Sophie O’Dwyer in the 43^rd minute.

That gave Kilkenny hope as they closed to within four points, but McCormick and Kelly responded immediately with points before McCormick set up Catrine Dobbin, who finished with the coldness of an assassin, the shot to the far corner worthy of the move that had led up to it.

It was only two minutes after O’Dwyer’s major and the hopes they had harboured had been ruthlessly extinguished.

Both sets of attacks showing good economy in the first half, finishing ruthlessly and with no overtly defensive systems, which meant excitement for supporters.

It was 1-11 to 0-9 at half-time and only three of those scores came from placed balls as the teams revelled in the open spaces.

Kilkenny started very well and their three half-forwards had pointed inside five minutes after Kelly had opened the scoring in 58 seconds.

In the blink of an eye, the Cats were leading by three, Sarah Walsh, Eva Hynes, Walsh again and Ciara O’Keeffe splitting the posts.

Antrim have a nice mix of youth and experience, with the likes of Chloe Drain and Maeve Connolly on the panel that won the Premier Junior title in 2010, while McCormick and Kelly have built up a lot of game time over the past four years.

Beaten finalists by Down last year, they stayed calm though they were extremely fortunate in the eighth minute when Danielle Quigley struck the butt of their post and the normally deadly Hannah Scott fresh-aired from the rebound.

Kilkenny will wonder what a goal would have done then, particularly as Antrim went straight up the field for McCormick to point after a run in from the.

The Loughgiel prodigy followed up with another couple of scores, supplemented by a Lucia McNaughton point for the Saffrons to hit the front, a lead they held at the water break.

O’Dwyer equalised from a free but Kelly lit up Croke Park with a brilliant individual goal in the 21^st minute, picking up possession around 30m out, side-stepping wonderfully and then showing good strength to bear down on Sinéad Farrell.

Thereafter it was all about composure, the Ballycastle star regathering after an initial hook to fire low to the net from a rapidly tightening angle. The gap opened to five and that’s how it was at the change of ends.

Kelly had a glorious point after 38 seconds of the restart and the lead was seven when O’Dwyer stunned everyone with her deadly strike.

The reply told you all you needed to know about the mentality of the Paul McKillen- and Jim McKernan-managed outfit and the streaked clear, with a flurry of outstanding points after Dobbin’s goal.

Sarah Crowley found the net in injury time for Kilkenny but by then, the verdict was in no doubt.

SCORERS FOR ANTRIM: R McCormick 0-9(4fs); M Kelly 1-5; C Dobbin 1-2; N O’Neill 0-3; L McNaughton, A Magill 0-1 each

SCORERS FOR KILKENNY: S O’Dwyer 1-5(0-4fs); S Crowley 1-0; S Walsh, E Hynes 0-2 each; C Phelan, C O’Keeffe, D Quigley, T Donnelly 0-1 each

ANTRIM: C Graham; C Drain, N Donnelly, M Lynn; C Patterson, C Conlon, M Connolly; L McNaughton, N O’Neill; M Kelly, A Boyle, A Magill; R McCormick, C Laverty, C Dobbin. Subs: A Connolly for Laverty (38), K Carey McAleese for Magill (50), S Devlin for Patterson (60), L McKenna for Boyle (60+1), K McKillop for M Connolly (60+1)

KILKENNY: S Farrell; N Leahy, R Phelan, C Murphy; S Crowley, L Fennelly, T Fitzgerald; L Hegarty, C Phelan; E Hynes, S Walsh, C O’Keeffe; S O’Dwyer, H Scott, D Quigley. Subs: J Leahy for Hegarty (36), T Donnelly for Quigley inj (43), S O’Keeffe for Fitzgerald (46), C Dowling for Scott (55), R O’Keeffe for C O’Keeffe (57)

REFEREE: Conor Quinlan (Galway)

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Lucia McNaughton On Family Success And Growth of Antrim Camogie

JoeNa Connacht — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 12:11:03 +0000

Lucia McNaughton will captain Antrim on the day of her 26^th birthday, in the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Final against Kilkenny (2 pm).

The NHS physio works in a profession that gives her real satisfaction, either in the rehab hospital she is based in or around the community as well – easing discomfort and pain is a rare and wonderful gift.

Antrim have had their share of that in camogie terms since reaching the intermediate decider in 2011 – their most recent success was in 2003, though they claimed the premier junior title in 2010 – but the signs of growth have been evident through schools and underage advances in recent years.

The panel that reached last year’s final was young and that experience, where they wilted in the second half against Down, will be sure to stand to them this time around.

This was in evidence as they beat the Mournewomen in the group stages of the National League, though they went down to their long-time rivals by a very late goal in the Division 2 final.

Down went on to ruffle a lot of feathers in the senior grade and will be competing at the highest grade again next year – McNaughton and co want to join them.

The Loughgiel Shamrocks dynamo has heard stories of triumph on big days at Croke Park, but isn’t anxious to emphasise them, because she knows, of course, that they have no influence on what unfolds on Sunday. And anyway, she wants to write her own story.

But the pride is evident. Especially in her late grandmother, Mary McGarry, who made her debut as a teenager when Antrim went on to complete the All-Ireland three-in-a-row at senior level in 1947.

Mary’s husband John, a member of the famous Shamrocks county championship-winning team of 1956, has told his granddaughter about his wife’s exploits as the Saffrons’ primary free-taker for a decade, lining out at midfield, just like McNaughton herself does.

“She would be our corner-back, Maria Lynn’s granny as well. Unfortunately, she died when I was only one. So I never really knew her. But I would be talking to Grandad and he would always have been to her matches and things. My grandad would obviously have played hurling too.

“You find out different things as you go along. Obviously back then there wasn’t any photos or footage. Whenever you come across a few photos of them playing it’s really nice to see. You are obviously looking to follow in their footsteps as well.

“She was 18 when she won it, so she was very young, a lot younger than I am at the minute. Anna Connolly’s mother (Mary) won the All-Ireland as well (at intermediate). So there is a lot of links. Maybe it’s a good omen.”

Then there is McNaughton’s father, Seamus, or ‘Crow’ as he is known.

Seamus McNaughton is an All-Ireland champion at club level with Loughgiel Shamrocks, winning the title in 1983.

Lucia called the Loughgiel side of 1983 legends and noted that her father has brought up the victory on several occasions.

Meanwhile, Lucia’s brother James enjoyed Joe McDonagh Cup glory in the saffron and white at the end of last year.

But she has to pack all that family history into its appropriate compartment, wary of bringing too much emotion to the table, of making the final into a behemoth that could overpower her.

“As much as that’s lovely and you always have it in the back of your head, you try not to think about it too much as well. At the end of the day, it’s just another match that you try to win. I try not to put too much pressure on.

“Obviously, it’s a lovely thing to think about and all and hopefully if we win it will be great but it’s just another thing that you are trying not to be distracted by.”

Hurling and camogie permeated every fibre of her household in her youth and continues to do so in the present.

McNaughton remembers training with her siblings in the garden and tackling her brothers, who were bigger and stronger than her.

For as long as she can remember, her family have always been playing camogie and hurling.

“…In our parish, there’s not a lot else to do. It’s kind of play hurling and camogie, and go to mass really. They’re the two main things we are doing.”

Once the fixtures were published, she noted the date of the All-Ireland final. Naturally.

“I was like, ‘Oh, the All-Ireland is on my birthday.’ Then as it got closer and closer, I thought, ‘Cool that would be great. Going out into Croke Park on your birthday.’ To be honest with you, it would be great. Imagine winning that on your birthday?

“Imagine winning that on any day.”

There she is again, bringing it back to brass tacks. This is about winning for Antrim, and this group of players, though she does think of those who shared many of the darkest hours with her but will not be involved on Sunday.

There were teams when Antrim were trying to get teams and playing matches to fill a fixture.

McNaughton says it’s great now to be part of a team – being set up with everything they could need and doing quite well.

She credits the side that pieced together teams for fixtures at the start of the last decade as the players that kept Antrim camogie going.

“If it was a few years earlier maybe they would have been there celebrating with us. I’m sure they are delighted for us at the minute. Definitely, it did take them, a few years ago to keep Antrim afloat as well.”

So there’s a lot in the mix as Antrim renew rivalries with Kilkenny, who they beat by four points at the beginning of the championship.

“I don’t think that match was even videoed so we couldn’t even go back and watch it. But it will be a completely different story I think going out.

“First of all, it’s an All-Ireland final so it’s completely different and it’s Croke Park which brings a different element to it as well – a lot of our girls haven’t played in Croke Park before.

“Maybe some of the Kilkenny ones have more experience with that, especially if they’re involved with their senior team at one stage.

“It’s going to be really tough. They’re very skilful and a very fast team as well. Hopefully we’ll do okay.”

Antrim play Kilkenny in the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship final on Sunday, September 12 at 2 pm in Croke Park.

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