Meath Camogie finals
November 30, 2008
The Meath Camogie Board held a number of their county finals in Donaghmore/Ashbourne, a total of five finals took place on Saturday 13th September 2008. The running order for the day was U10, U14, junior, intermediate and the senior final.
With the county team doing particularly well this year, winning the National League Division 4 Title and the Gala Junior All-Ireland Nancy Murray Cup for the first time ever, the county final day topped it off with some great games. Ten teams competed against one another where a number of county players were battling it out.
Under 10 Shield Final
Donaghmore/Ashbourne 1-0
Ratoath 0-0
This was a very exciting Under 10 final, both teams put in a tremendous effort as scores do not come easy at this level. It was Donaghmore/Ashbourne's Holly O'Donnell who got the winner in the second half to the delight of the home side supporters.
Donaghmore /Ashbourne - Niamh Gaynor, Erin Cowzer, Claire Mullen, Ruth Redmond, Saoirse Leddy, Ann Marie Welby, Ciara Redmond, Toni Doyle, Holly O'Donnell 1-0, Robyn Roche, Dayna Cavanagh, Shauna Dervan Dowd
Ratoath - Roisin Byrne, Ciara Byrne, Laoise Caufield, Gemma Donnelly, Dearbhla Fairbairn, Sadhbh Gaughan, Amelie Gleeson, Orla Hayes, Ruth King, Chloe Lawlor, Arianna Macari, Rebecca McIntyre.
Under 14 Final
Ratoath 6-2
Kilmessan 2-2
Winners Ratoath claimed the Under 14 title with a strong performance against Kilmessan. Most of the scoring was done in the first half with the half time score of Ratoath 5-1 to Kilmessan's 2-0. Cathy Collins, Adrienne McCann and Karen McCabe played well for the winners. Kilmessan had the player of the match in Ailbhe Lynch as she gave a great display of camogie on the day. She was also helped by Tara Murphy, Megan Ni Choileann and Katie Carroll.
Ratoath - Nicola O'Carroll, Niamh O'Riordain, Lauren McCann 1-0, Ciara McCabe, Ciara O'Hara, Cathy Collins, Shauna McDermott, Adrienne McCann 1-2, Emily Murphy, Emma McGill, Aoife McGoldrick, Anna Fagan, Ciara Byrne, Karen McCabe 4-0, Eimear Griffiths. Subs: Emma O'Leary for Ciara Byrne, Ashling O'Brien for Aoife McGoldrick, Aoife Leonard for Shauna McDermott. Ciara Kavanagh for Eimear O'Griffith.
Kilmessan - Nancy Foley, Caitriona Bolger, Christine Grimes, Enya Flynn, Ellen Lally, Aibhe Lynch 0-2, Kelly Gorman, Tara Murphy, Laura Irwin, Laureen McLoughlin, Megan Ni'Choileann, Lauren Gorman 1-0, Katie Carroll 1-0, Meave O'Leary, Dionne Meehan. Subs - Nadine Doyle for Kelly Gorman, Megan Thynne for Caitriona Bolger
Junior Final
Dunderry 4-7
Na Fianna 0-2
Dunderry celebrated by winning their first junior title having lost the previous two finals to Kilmessan and Ratoath. They were not going to let this one go.
They produced a great display in the first half which helped them to claim the cup. Mags Stephens cleared the majority of the ball out of the ball line and with Jackie O'Connor, Jane Martyn and Colette Rowan always a danger up front, Na Fianna found they going tough from the start. Player of the match Claire Coffey, playing at centre half back for Na Fianna, gave a great display of doing her level best thought out the game to keep Dunderry at bay.
Dunderry had the more experienced players on the day and produced the scores when they were asked. Na Fianna can take a lot from this game as they held Dunderry well in the second half with some good play from Nicola Doherty, Marie Healy and Mary Reilly.
Dunderry - Tina Mulligan, Tricia Smyth, Grainne Dowd, Emer McCormack, Ciara McCormack, Claire Stephens, Aoife McCormack, Mags Stephens 1-2, Olivia Hynds, Jane Martyn 0-1, Colette Rowan 1-2, Danielle Clarke, Lisa Gillick, Jackie O'Connor 0-1, Lara Coogan 2-0. Subs - Olivia Crowe 0-1 for Coogan.
Na Fianna - Nicola Doherty, Claire Reynolds, Mandy Dixon, Anne Healy, Caroline Murphy, Claire Coffey, Marie Dunne, Elizabeth Flynn, Marie Healy, Mary Reilly, Louise Fagan 0-1, Orla Vessy, Catherine Smullen, Serena Dowling, Niamh Kirby 0-1. Subs - Michelle O'Malley for Caroline Murphy, Lisa Reilly for Mary Reilly, Aine Kirby for Catherine Smullen, Cathy Carberry for Orla Vessey, Theresa Cosgrove for Lisa Reilly
Intermediate Final
Navan O'Mahonys 1-5
Kiltale 1-4
Navan O'Mahonys won the Intermediate championship having earlier in the year won the Junior League for the first time and they were favourites going into this game. Kiltale on the other hand wanted to make amends for their defeat in this competition final last year, where they lost out to Blackhall Gaels.
Kiltale got the better start of the game and held the majority of the possession in the first half, but failed to capitalize on the score board with total of 11 wides during the game proving to be their downfall. It took Navan O'Mahonys until midway into the first half before the settled and got their first score coming from player of the match Lizzy Oaks. Kiltale were three points up at this stage with the scores coming from Sinead McGroder (2) and Louise Byrne. O'Mahony's Emma Kinsella hit a well taken point from play and this was followed by a point from Kiltale's Jenny Rispin. The goal of the first half was put away by Elaine Coughlan for Navan O'Mahonys in the 25th minute and they finished the scoring of the first half with a point from Laura Flynn.
The second half was more exciting where both teams gave a great display of camogie, with only two points between they teams. It was Navan who got the better start with a point from Lizzy Oaks. Paula Cassell and Zoe O'Connor put in a lot of work up front for Navan while Sheila Courtney and Louise Byrne played well for Kiltale. As much as Kiltale tried, they could not get the past the rear guard of Muireann Hogan, Lorna Donegan or Emer Finn. Navan O'Mahonys Lizzy Oaks put over their last score and winner in the 14 minute of the second half. It was sub Helen Lawless for Kiltale who brought them back into the game with a goal in the 23rd minute to leave only a point between the teams. There was some good play from Laura Flynn and Cassells, who put it great work to keep Kiltale out. Louise Byrne hit wide in the 29th minute, their last chance to equalise, although they did put on the pressure, they ball just failed to do what Kiltale wanted it to do and Navan went out with a one point victory.
Navan O'Mahonys - Hilary burke, Murieann Hogan, Lorna Donegan, Sylvia Markey, Aileen Kane, Emer Finn, Tracey Neville, Laura Flynn 0-1, Lizzie Oaks 0-3, Elaine Coughlan 1-0, Paula Cassells, Emma Kinsella 0-1, Kate McEvoy, Zoe O'Connor, Maria Flynn. Subs - Mary Hanley for Tracey Neville, Barbara Murphy Kate McEvoy, Ciara Royanne for Elaine Coughlan
Kiltale - Jane Walsh, Laura Weldon, Deirdre Dixon, Belinda Weldon, Shirley Dixon, Diana Madden, Meave Reilly, Louise Donoghue, Andrea Pearle, Sheila Courtney, Louise Byrne, Sinead McGroader, Jenny Rispin, Sinead Smith, Debra Wigglesworth. Subs - Alanna Madden for Meave Reilly, Emily Brennan Belinda Weldon, Helen Lawless for Sinead McGroader, Sarah Whelan for Sinead Smith.
Senior Camogie Championship Final
Blackhall
Gaels 3-7
Kilmessan 2-9
Jane Dolan registered all of her side's scores as Blackhall Gaels' claimed the county senior camogie title for the first time with victory over four-in-a-row chasing Kilmessan by the narrowest margin in a thrilling decider at sunny Ashbourne.
Dolan struck two goals from frees as Brian Heavin's charges overcame a five points deficit in the latter stages to take outright honours in their first year playing at this level.
Last year's intermediate champions only secured their final place with a win over Trim during the week, but having defeated Kilmessan in one of their two meetings in the round robin phase weren't fazed by the reputation of their opponents.
Blackhall looked set for a creditable second place finish when trailing by five points, 1-6 to 2-8, after 51 minutes while missed frees by Aileen Donnelly around this time didn't appear to have holed Kilmessan's hopes.
A pointed free from about 55 metres in the 52nd minute kick-started the rally and shortly after the gap was pared to single point when a close range free, awarded for a foul on Jamie Jordan, wound up in the Kilmessan net.
Then came the aforementioned late goal that saw Blackhall regain the lead they held on two occasions in the opening 30 minutes. An Emily Mangan puck out found Dolan who went on a run before unleashing a low effort that seemed to trickle past Kilmessan 'keeper Noreen Sheridan.
That left it 1-1 to 0-3, 11 minutes in and when another long restart from Mangan found Dolan, the margin was doubled, 1-3 to 0-4, six minutes later.
When Jenny Cusack - the only member of the Kilmessan frontline to get off the mark - goaled, the holders were back in front. The scores were tied for the first time when Dolan sent over from a '45' and there was also parity at the break, 1-5 each.
Three minutes into the second period, Kilmessan - with the sun and slight breeze behind them - were back in front when Donnelly pointed a '45'. When the same player centred and Stephanie Horan finished to the net, it was 2-7 to 1-6 in the 50th minute.
When the Kilmessan number six pointed seconds later the momentum appeared to be with John Watters' charges before the dramatic finale unfolded.
Blackhall Gaels - E. Mangan; H. Murphy, E. Fahy-Whelan, A. Crosbie; H. Geraghty, K. Murphy, C. Burke; J. Burke, C. Griffin; K. Troy, J. Dolan (3-7, 2-4 frees, 0-2 45s), S. Hughes; L. Lucas, J. Jordan, E. Nolan. Sub - G. Ennis for Nolan (ht).
Kilmessan - N. Sheridan; E. Doyle, A. Lynch, N. Lynch; S. Ross, A. Donnelly (0-6, 5 frees), K. Ward; M. E. Sheridan, F. Lynch (0-1), S. Horan (1-1, 0-1 free), L. Tyrell, S. Curtis; O. Doyle, M. Doyle, J. Cusack (1-1). Subs - C. O'Leary for O. Doyle (40), D. Fitzgerald for Curtis (49 mins).
Referee - C. Rispin (Trim).
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