Kildare camogie finals
September 26, 2012Supporters of Camogie in Kildare will want to be in Clane on Sunday next, 30th Sept. for Kildare Camogie's showcase day when no less than four adult Co. Finals are down for decision.
Pride of place goes to the Senior Final where reigning champions Johnstown Bridge defend their crown, which they won for the first time last year, against a resurgent St. Laurence's who do not lack experience of the big day over the past two decades and are back in a final after a two year absence. Johnstown Bridge have been making steady progress over the past few years and will feel that they left one behind in 2010 when beaten by Celbridge, but, they set the record straight last year, beating Celbridge for a historic first Senior Championship title. For St Laurence's this is the twentieth anniversary of their first of fifteen Senior titles and the panel contains four players from that team, Aisling Treacy, Ciara Tallon, Elaine Miley and Liz O Donoghue Byrne and another link with the past is that Liz's daughter will also take to the field for the Larries. Johnstown Bridge will look to their captain Eimer Hurley and county players Clodagh Flanagan, Siobhan Hurley, Jane O Donoghue, Roisin O Connell, Aoife Trant and Tanya Johnson for leadership while St. Laurence's will look to captain and full back Roxanne Treacy and their county players Carol Nolan, Niamh Breen, Louise Keatley and Ciara Tallon to provide inspiration. So will it be the new kids on the block or will it be the old dogs for the hard road? Sunday will tell.
The Intermediate Final sees the pairing of Clane and Leixlip. Clane had been plying their trade at senior level up to this year. Leixlip were beaten in the Intermediate Final in 2011 and no doubt they will be hoping to go one better this time. Clane's chances will rest with players like Melissa Lyons a speedy forward who starred on the county Junior B team, Louise Conlon, Karen O Reilly, captain Sabine Kennedy and young Sarah Cribben while Leixlip will look to county player Clodagh Farrell, Fiona O Neill, Maeve Leahy, and Marie Divilly (capt).
Athy will hope to continue their recent progress at adult level when they square up to Moorfield in the Junior B Final. Re founded in 2006, Athy made the breakthrough at adult level in 2011 winning both the Junior A League and Championship. Having already won the League this year they are on track to complete the double, double. They will be looking for big performances from their county Junior B players, Eimear Garry (Capt), Ruth Crowley, Emma Lawler, Shauna Moran Gillian Loughman. Athy will be hard to beat but Moorfield, winners of the Junior B in 2011, with players such as captain Dearbhail Kelly and her sister Fionnuala, Clodagh Cummins, Ciara Conaty and centre back Sheena O Brien will hope to spoil the party. Again we have a mother and daughter combination with Lily Bowden and daughter Laura likely to take to the field for Athy.
To complete the day's programme Kill and Eire Og meet in the Junior B Final. Eire Og are defending champions and winners of the Division 3 League this year. Kill were beaten finalists last year and had a good run through the 2012 Div 2 League, beaten only by eventual winners Athy. On form a very competitive match can be expected. Kill will look to their captain Michaela Kavanagh , sisters Graine and Catriona Temple and goalie Alison Hyland while Eire Og will hope that Niamh Dunney (capt.), Caroline Murphy and Treacy and Gillian Johnson will swing it their way.
So all in all, a feast of camogie is on the cards with all of the finals very hard to call and a host of the best players in the county on display, a must for all camogie followers. The timetable for the day is as follows
Senior Johnstown Bridge V St. Laurence's 4 p.m
Intermediate Clane V Leixlip 2-30 p.m
Junior A Athy V Moorfield 1p.m
Junior B Eire Og V Kill 12 p.m.
The Junior C Final between Nurney and Rathcoffey will be played on Sunday 7th October. Tweet
