Plenty to build on for senior camogs despite defeat
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Glen Dimplex Senior Camogie Championship
All-Ireland Semi-Final
Kilkenny 0-11 Galway 1-14
FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles
And that’s a wrap on the Kilkenny senior camogs season. James Meagher’s young squad fell to a more talented and experienced Galway side in Thurles last Saturday, going down by 6-points to the reigning All-Ireland champions who will now face-off against old foes Cork for the third consecutive year on August 9th in Páirc an Chrócaigh. With one win apiece from the recent clashes, everything will be on the line in the Capital next weekend.
This defeat, like any, will hurt, but serves as a reminder as to the work that needs to be done to position Kilkenny back with the Galway’s and Cork’s in the challenge for the O’Duffy Cup. While the Stripeywomen have improved with every game in 2026, this was a bridge too far for them as they struggled to match the Tribeswomen in many areas as Cathal Murray’s side continued their quest to secure back-to-back for the first time in their history. The ladies in black and amber never led their opponents and were only level on three occasions during the last four clash in FBD Semple Stadium. The telling stat, three points from open play across the encounter, was always going to make the mountain more difficult to climb as Aoife Prendergast tried to keep the scoreboard moving from placed ball efforts.
Galway signaled their intent early doors in Thurles, when their taliswoman, Carrie Dolan opened the scoring inside the first minute. The Tribeswomen have Dolan, The Stripeywomen have Prendergast and it was the Dicksboro woman that registered her sides first score shortly after. Fresh from watching her brother Aaron in the All-Ireland hurling final a week earlier, Niamh Niland edged her side in front with a lovely score, and the Clarinbridge woman was lively throughout the contest. The next few minutes saw the teams try to gain momentum, but it would be the 10th minute before the next score arrived, and it was Aoife Prendergast’s second of the afternoon that saw matters level at 2 points apiece. Despite playing with the aid of the breeze in the opening period, the Noresiders were finding it difficult to find their targets inside, as POTM Ciara Hickey snuffed out most of the black and amber threat.
Cathal Murray’s outfit then took control of proceedings in The Premier County and reeled off the games next three scores to lead by the end of the first quarter. Sarsfield’s Caoimhe Kelly sent over a tidy effort, and this was built on by Oranmore Maree’s Ailish O’Reilly and June’s PwC’s player of the month, Liam Mellows Niamh McPeake. To their credit, James Meagher’s ladies responded and hit a trio of scores on the bounce themselves, a brace of placed balls from the reliable Aoife Prendergast, both from inside her own half and a classy score from the Championship’s top scorer from play, Thomastown’s Sarah Barcoe, which was her sides first from play. Little do we know that would be the last time the sides would be deadlocked in the semifinal clash. The Westerners pushed on and struck the opening period’s last two scores, a second of the afternoon from the talented Caoimhe Kelly and the first free of the game for another of the Clarinbridge contingent, captain, Carrie Dolan to leave the maroon-clad side 0-7 to 0-5 ahead at the short whistle.
When play resumed, Galway attacked from the throw-in, Caoimhe Kelly picked up possession, scanned for options and sent a pass in the direction of Carrie Dolan who had powered forward. The Tribeswomen’s skipper tried to pluck the sliotar from the air but didn’t take it cleanly and the ball broke loose and just as Aoife Norris collected it, Laura Greene gave a shoulder to the Clarinbridge woman, which referee Any Larkin penalised and awarded a penalty for. After receiving a little treatment, Dolan stepped up and struck her shot beyond the Kilkenny netminder. In the blink of an eye, the O’Duffy Cup holders five ahead. The first change was then made by James Meagher, St Martin’s Katie Nolan replacing Steffi Fitzgerald, as the Noresiders searched for an attacking spark in Thurles.
Aoife Prendergast got the scoreboard moving for her side with another placed ball effort, but again Galway hit back instantly, Niamh Mc Peake notching her second of the game. Change number two for the ladies from the Marble City, St Brigid’s Claire Doheny coming in for Clara’s Emma Shortall. Galway were then forced into a change themselves, when the influential Aoife Donohue left the field with a worrying knee injury and was replaced by Shannon Corcoran. The Sarsfield’s player made an immediate impact, setting up a third point of the day for the impressive Caoimhe Kelly and the Westerner’s increased their lead when Niamh Niland split the posts with a beautiful effort. Athenry’s Dervla Higgins then roamed up the pitch and got in on the scoring act in the 44th minute and this purple or should we say maroon patch was built on when Carrie Dolan sent over a free to leave her side 9 points to the good in FBD Semple Stadium.
You felt that Kilkenny would need to raise a green flag or two to give themselves a fighting chance, and Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh nearly did just this when she went on a fantastic run and her improvised kick finish was blocked by Galway netminder Sarah Healy, but play was brought back for an infringement and the resulting free was struck fiercely by Prendergast, but just over the crossbar. A third change for Kilkenny saw John Lockes Rachel Phelan enter the fray in place of the hard-working Asha McHardy but the next flag raised would again be from the Tribeswomen, Carrie Dolan rifling over another free to restore the nine-point lead for the champions. Palmerstown player, Aoife Prendergast tagged on another score from the placed ball, as Galway made a raft of changes, knowing they were home and hosed. Unfortunately for Murray’s charges, they lost Dervla Higgins and the returning Sabina Rabbitte to injury, the latter only on the pitch a few minutes, meaning they had to play the remaining time with 14 players. Rachel Phelan struck over a lovely point, and the reliable Aoife Prendergast registered her eighth point of the afternoon from the placed ball while sub Claire Doheny also raised a white flag, but the final score of the semifinal encounter came from Tribeswomen sub, Portumna’s Alannah Kelly. The Westerner’s deserved winners, full-time score: Kilkenny 0-11 Galway 1-14.
Scorers for Kilkenny: A Prendergast (0-8, 0-8 frees); S Barcoe, R Phelan, C Doheny (0-1 each).
Scorers for Galway: C Dolan (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees); C Kelly (0-3); N McPeake, N Niland (0-2 each); D Higgins, A O’Reilly, A Kelly (0-1 each).
KILKENNY: A Norris; M Teehan, A Carroll, T Fitzgerald; C Dowling, N Deely, A Brett; L Greene, L Murphy; A Prendergast, C Keher-Murtagh, A McHardy; E Shortall, S Fitzgerald, S Barcoe.
SUBS: Katie Nolan for Steffi Fitzgerald (37, inj); C Doheny for Shortall (40); R Phelan for McHardy (49); R Dowling for Carroll (61).
GALWAY: S Healy; K Manning, R Black, R Hanniffy; KA Porter, C Hickey, D Higgins; A Hesnan, C Dolan; A Donohue, Á Keane, N McPeake; N Niland, A O’Reilly, C Kelly.
SUBS: S Corcoran for Donohue (41); S Rabbitte for C Kelly, A Kelly for Keane, M Dillon for Niland (all 54); D Higgins for L Kelly (57).
REFEREE: A Larkin (Cork).
