Allianz Corn Gobnait All-Ireland Junior A Championship semi-finals
St Patrick’s, Maghera 0-11 Presentation, Athenry 0-6
Presentation, Kilkenny 8-10 Coachford CS 1-9
ST PATRICK’S, Maghera have reached their second All-Ireland camogie final in a week and third Corn Gobnait final in succession after coming from behind to beat Presentation, Athenry in a closely-fought encounter in Swatragh.
Katalyn Walsh pointed twice from frees for Athenry in the first quarter, but Emma Quinn (three) and Róisín McAtamney, both playing on their home pitch, hit Maghera’s opening four points to put them 0-4 to 0-2 ahead after 20 minutes.
However, Athenry rallied in the last 10 minutes of the half and Walsh brought her first-half tally to four points, just one short of Maghera at the break.
Six minutes into the second half, a point from Sinéad Feeney was followed by Walsh’s fifth free and Maghera were behind for the first time.
However, the Derry college rose to the challenge and fired home six unanswered points to reach the decider. It started with two points from Aoife McWilliams that edged them in front again and scores followed from Ríonach McNally, Róisín McAtamney, sub Ciara O’Loughlin and Emma Quinn to leave them comfortably into the final on March 1, where they will meet another Presentation convent team.
Five first-half goals, including a Niamh Drennan hat-trick inside four and a half minutes, saw Presentation, Kilkenny through their semi-final against Coachford on a scoreline of 8-10 to 1-9.
Emily Phelan gave them the perfect start with the first goal in the third minute, Amy O’Shea scored a second in the 15th minute and then came the Drennan hat-trick with scores in the 16th, 19th and 20th minutes to send Presentation into a 5-4 to 0-4 lead.
Drennan and O’Shea both hit second-half goals to set up a final between two schools that have yet to win the title.
St Patrick’s E Quinn 0-4 (0-2f); R McAtamney, R McNally, A McWilliams 0-2 each; C O’Loughlin 0-1
Presentation, Athenry K Walsh 0-5 frees, S Feeney 0-1
Presentation, Kilkenny N Drennan 4-3; A O’Shea 2-3; E Phelan 1-3 (0-1f); L Fitzpatrick 1-0; K Dalton 0-1
Coachford L Manley 0-9 (0-8f); A Murphy 1-0
Allianz Corn Aoife Junior C Championship semi-finals
Castlecomer CS 0-7 Laurel Hill College, Limerick 2-11
St Pius’ X, Magherafelt 4-14 Mercy, Roscommon 2-1
ST Pius’ X, Magherafelt are through to the Allianz Corn Aoife final thanks to a comfortable victory over Mercy, Roscommon in Owenbeg on Saturday,
In a competition that had been running for almost two decades without any Ulster success, the cup has come north on three occasions since a week before Covid broke.
St Colm’s, Draperstown broke the mould in 2020; St Killian’s, Garron Tower added the 2022 title; and Magherafelt’s cross-town rivals St Mary’s picked up the trophy last March.
St Pius’ quickly settled into this semi-final, scoring eight points over the first 20 minutes, including four from free-taker Hannah Downey. They were beginning to exert dominance in most areas of the field, but Sarah Jane O’Connor reminded them not to become complacent with a goal direct from a free in the 14th minute.
Aisling Faughnan tagged on a point before Kerrie-Lee Mullan stepped up with a brace of goals before the break. Her first put St Pius’ ahead by 1-8 to 1-1 and Cassie Conway and Ríonach Conlan added points, before Amy Rogers pulled a goal back for Roscommon.
However, Mullan grabbed a second goal to make it 2-10 to 2-1 at the change of ends and on the re-start Eimear Crozier buried St Pius X’s third goal.
They won a penalty in the 41st minute and the responsibility was handed to team captain Áine Young. The Lavey defender’s goal made it 4-11 to 2-1 and there was simply no way back for Mercy, whose seniors earlier last week had won a replayed semi-final to reach the Mary Moran Cup final.
In the other semi-final two goals in the opening nine minutes of the second half from Hazel Ní Ghliafáin were key to Laurel Hill securing a 10-point victory, 2-11 to 0-7, over Castlecomer Community School.
Megan Harding scored all Castlecomer’s seven points from frees, while Ní Ghliafáin had good support from Cáitlín Ní Riain and Orla Ní Fhreaghaile as the Munster champions eased into the final on March 1.
St Pius’ K-L Mullan 2-1; E Crozier 1-1; Á Young 1-0 (p); H Downey 0-5 (0-3f); A Musgrave & R Conlan 0-2 each; C Conway, A Doyle & E Mulholland 0-1 each
Mercy SJ O’Connor (f) & A Rogers 1-0 each; A Faughnan 0-1
Laurel Hill H Ní Ghliafáin 2-2; C Ní Riain 0-4 (0-2f); Á Ní Doibhheáin, ÁR Nic Bhéinéid, S Ní Ríordáin, O Ní Fhreaghaile & C Nochter 0-1 each
Castlecomer M Harding 0-7f
Allianz Corn Úna Junior D Championship semi-finals
St Dominic’s, Belfast 2-5 High Cross, Tuam 2-0
Gaelcholáiste Chill Dara 3-9 Ardscoil na Mara, Tramore 2-10
ST Dominic’s have become the first school from Belfast to reach an All-Ireland camogie final after they defeated High Cross, Tuam following a dramatic last quarter in An Spórtlann at Coláiste Feirste.
The Falls Road side looked well on their way to victory with 1-5 on the board 18 minutes into the second half and visitors, High Cross Tuam, yet to score. However, two goals inside four minutes directly from Maebh Dooley frees threw the game into chaos with 53 minutes gone.
Two minutes later, however, calm was restored and St Dominic’s were back in control when a long delivery from Amy Gault fell loose in the Galway goal area and trickled over the line.
Gault, granddaughter of legendary Antrim hurling manager Jim Nelson, was the star of the game. Her free in the first minute settled her team with the opening point and although they dominated the first three-quarters of the game, the scores didn’t flow.
Erin Stewart goaled in the 12th minute and another Gault free put St Dominic’s 1-2 up at half-time. Gault added two more points at the start of the second half and then Aoife Fitzsimons tagged on her side’s fifth point.
Next came the two goals from Dooley before St Dominic’s recovered to reach the final against Gaelcholáiste Chill Dara, where they will need to keep an eye on Aoibhín Ní Dhubhshláine.
The Gaelcholáiste full-forward cracked home 3-5, including two late points that tilted the game in favour of the Kildare side against Ardscoil na Mara from Waterford. The game finished 3-9 to 2-10.
St Dominic’s A Gault 1-4 (0-3f); E Stewart 1-0, A Fitzsimons 0-1
High Cross M Dooley 2-0f
Gaelcholáiste A Ní Dhubhshláine 3-5; A Nic Solaimh 0-5
Ardscoil na Mara Á Mackey 1-4; M Barry 1-0; L Beresford 0-6
