Leinster Club Senior Camogie Championship semi-final

Oulart-The Ballagh (Wexford) 5-16

Birr (Offaly) 1-7

Five goals from Shauna Sinnott helped Oulart-The Ballagh to a convincing victory over Birr in last Sunday’s Leinster Club Senior Camogie Championship semi-final at St Brendan’s Park.

The Wexford star was unmarkable, netting twice in the first half to help the visitors to a 2-8 to 0-6 interval lead before raising three more green flags after the restart. St Rynagh’s back-to-back All-Ireland successes at intermediate level saw the Offaly champions promoted to the top tier of Leinster this year and this was always going to be a big step-up for Birr, who recently ended the Banagher club’s five-year domestic reign.

Despite losing heavily, they can hold their heads high and will take learnings from playing against a team of Oulart’s calibre. The writing was on the wall for Birr when they conceded an unanswered 1-2 inside the first five minutes. To their credit, they responded with five points, including three in quick succession from Ellen Regan, Mairead Jennings (free) and Sarah Harding.

That was as good as it got, however, as Sinnott’s second major sent Oulart into the break with a commanding lead. With the wind to their backs in the second half, the Wexford champions rattled off 2-3 without reply straight after the restart to put the result beyond doubt.

Sarah Harding pulled a goal back for the home side in the 37th minute, but Oulart were too strong and sealed their place in the Leinster final in style when Sinnott grabbed her fifth goal five minutes from the end.

Scorers: Oulart-The Ballagh: Shauna Sinnott 5-0, Anais Curran 0-5 (3f), Shelly Kehoe 0-4, Stacey Kehoe, Louise Sinnott and Siobhan Sinnott 0-2 each, Katie Gallagher 0-1. Birr: Sarah Harding 1-3, Mairead Jennings 0-3 (3), Hannah Feenane 0-1 (f).

Oulart-The Ballagh: Lauren Sinnott; Katie Roche, Ciara Storey, Karen Atkinson; Aoife Dunne, Aideen Brennan, Mary Leacy; Stacey Kehoe, Anais Curran; Katie Gallagher, Shelly Kehoe, Louise Sinnott; Shauna Sinnott, Siobhan Sinnott, Miriam O'Dowd. Subs – Katie Murphy for Atkinson (half-time), Leanne Nolan for Louise Sinnott (40 min), Bronagh Kenny for Siobhan Sinnott (52 min), Michaela Hawkins for Roche (56 min).

Birr: Caoimhe Kinsella; Ciara Ryan, Deirdre Cashen, Mairead Dooley; Sheila Sullivan, Alana Roddy, Brooke Whelahan; Arlene Watkins, Hannah Feenane; Sarah Harding, Mairead Jennings, Dawn Whelahan; Roisin Kinsella, Faye Mulrooney, Ellen Regan. Subs – Rebecca Ryan for Brooke Whelahan (half-time), Makalah Amaika for R Kinsella (45 min), Denise Connors for Watkins (53 min), Aoife Carey for Sullivan (57 min).

Referee – Gavin Donegan.

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