Butlerstown and Lismore are County League Champions.

There was wins for Butlerstown and Lismore in the County League Finals played at Fraher Field on Saturday evening last.

In the Intermediate final between Butlerstown and Brickey Rangers it was the eventual winners that lead at the break 2-6 to 0-6, the goals coming from Caroline Fox and Claire Nolan.

In the second half it was Brickeys that proved to be the better of the sides outscoring their opponents four scores to two, but were unable to break the Butlerstown defence for the goal that they needed. Kate Marie Hearne to the fore finishing the game with seven points they ran out winners on a 2-8 to 0-10 score line.

Butlerstown Panel: Deirdre Brennan, Emer Kearney, Clodagh Doherty, Kate Walsh, Jean Burns, Breda Kennedy, Nicola Fitzgerald, Claire Nolan, Martina Cashin, Kate-Marie Hearne, Rachael Taheny, Claire O'Regan, Caroline Fox, Niamh Kennedy, Caroline Farrelly, Elma Farrell , Mandy Kelly, Michelle Burns , Sarah Kennedy, Rosemary Power, Vikki Falconer.

Brickey Rangers Panel: Siobhan Nugent, Dee Nugent, Hannah Murphy Nix, Catherine Hahesy, Elaine Curran, Rachel Donnelly, Nicola McCarthy, Caoimhe McGrath, Emer Scanlon, Ciara Scanlon, Alice Hahesy, Molly Curran, Theresa Curran, Una McGrath, Marian Ryan, Aisling Hourigan, Megan O' Connor,  Aoife Hickey, Hannah O' Connell, Christine Fogarty.

The senior final which followed was a repeat of last years final and a repeat of last years County Final as reigning county League Champions took on reigning County Champions Saint Anne’s.

This game was expected to be a close game and the players which played on the day did not disappoint when it came to filling peoples expectations.

When the sides clashed in the league section of the competition, it was the county champions that came out on top making them the slightest of favourites going into this latest battle of the two sides, but as everyone knows, when two sides clash in the same competition in close proximity, to win a second time is always a big task, the second game often favours the looser of the first game as they often have most to prove.

The reigning county champions were quickest out of the blocks, racing into a three point lead inside ten minutes of the game commencing.

The 2012 League Champions however were in no humour to lie down and roll over, leaving their opponents control how the game would pan out.

Lismore struck back. Aisling O’Brien sent a lengthy delivery into her forward line and the ball worked its way to Sinead Bennett who had the umpire reaching for a green flag.

Saint Anne’s now showed exactly why they are county champions. They struck back with a goal of their own straight away through Zoe O’Donoghue to restore a three point advantage.

Saint Anne’s over the following minutes proved to be the better of the sides and with four minutes of the half remaining, they held a six point advantage.

Lismore however were not the reigning league champions going into this game for nothing, and they showed exactly why they were. They never panicked and in the closing minutes they stuck a second goal through Laura Buckley which dramatically cut Saint Anne’s lead, to leave Lismore trail 1-9 to 2-3 at the break.

The second half proved to be equally as exciting as the opening half. Saint Anne’s in the second half hit four points, but Lismore who had Shona Curran in outstanding form at Centre Back continued to hassle Saint Anne’s at every opportunity.

The duel Inter County star was influential in everything her side did.

At the other end of the field Aoife Hannon was in equally impressive form, hitting eight points for her side over the course of the hour.

With time ticking down, just as was the case in the 2012 final of this competition between the same two sides, the two sides were locked together on the score board and it was looking as though the game would not be decided in one hour of play.

People say that history does not repeat itself, but in this game Lismore showed it does. In the final minutes of the game they proved to be the hungrier of the two sides, and with time ticking down, Caitriona McGlone while in procession of the ball spotted that Marie Russell was in a better position that she was and picked her out with a good pass and once in possession of the ball, she made no mistake in putting the ball between the up rights to ensure that her side’s name would be going on the Denny Buckley Cup for the second time.

Battles between these two sides have become a must see for supporters in recent times and with the championship to come, there is no doubting that the two of them will look to facing each other once more.

Come championship time, will Saint Anne’s retain the title they won last year, or will Lismore regain the title they last won in 2011. Maybe even we might see another club come in and break up the dominance of the two. Interesting times lie ahead.

Lismore Panel: Aisling O'Brien, Aoife Hannon, Aoife Houlihan, Ber O'Keeffe, Caitriona McGlone, Johanna Houlihan, Kate Heneghan, Laura Buckley, Marie Russell, Niamh Molumphy, Nicola Morrissey, Sandra Prendergast, Sarah Fenton, Sarah Geoghegan, Sarah Coughlan, Sarah Russell, Shauna Fennessy, Shauna Prendergast, Shona Curran, Sinead Bennett, Sinead Walsh, Clara Aarons, Lydia Mangan, Ruth Geoghegan, Grainne Kennelly.

St. Anne’s Panel: Rebecca Kavanagh, Labhaoise Dunbar, Ciara Keogh, Siobhán Kavanagh, Charlotte Raher, Claire White,  Clare Murphy, Jennie Simpson, Mairéad Murphy, Sinéad Cummins, Ciara Phelan, Karen Kelly,  Zoe O'Donoghue, Lorna Behan, Boonie Keating, Sarah Fitzgerald, Michelle McDonald, Aoife Behan, Bronwyn Grace, Catherine Queally, Angela Flynn, Niamh Behan, Pauline Cunningham, Niamh Rockett.

Meanwhile, on the National scene, the Gael Linn Inter Provincial Competition took place on Sunday afternoon at Rathleague, Co Laois.

Munster sent a strong side to this years competition, with Patricia Jackman (Gaultier) and Jennie Simpson (Saint Anne’s) representing Waterford and the counties Intermediate Manager Mark Cooney (De La Salle) as one of the selectors.

Munster in their semi final game proved too strong for Leinster. At the break they lead 4-4 to 1-8 and at the full time whistle lead 5-8 to 1-15.

In the second semi final, Ulster ran out 3-14 to 1-7 winners against Connacht to win a place in the final.

The Ulster girls brought their fine form their semi final win into the final and lead 2-3 to 0-8 at the break, but in the second half, Munster proved to be the better of the two sides, and ran out winners 1-13 to 3-6.

Munster Panel. Amy Lee, Emma Kavanagh, Amanda Dorgan (Captain), Aine O’Donovan, Amy O'Connor, Kaylyn Lee, Lauren Callanan, Deirdre Ring (all Cork), Patrice Diggin, Orla Young, Saidbhe Horgan, Aoife Fitzgearld, Anne Marie Leen (all Kerry), Mairead Ryan, Judith Mulcahy, Niamh Mulcahy (all Limerick), Shauna Quirke, Edel Nylan, Nora O'Brien, Julie Anne Bourke, Mairead Evinston, Ciannait Walsh, Karen Purcell (all Tipperary), Patricia Jackman, Jennie Simpson (both Waterford). Manager: Liz O’Mahony (Cork), Selectors: Mark Cooney (Waterford), John Lillis (Tipperary), Ger Sheedy (Limerick), Fiona Casey (Kerry).

Looking ahead to this weekend, Waterford and Cork meet in their re-arranged Munster Intermediate semi final. The game was to have taken place recently in Lismore but was called off when Cork were given a fixture where the selectors would have had to double up.

This weekend, the game will go ahead at the Tallow venue. Waterford go into the game with a good league campaign behind them reaching the semi finals before going out to Kildare, and will head into this game in a confident mood.

Tipperary await the winners in the final after they recorded a comprehensive win over Kerry recently.

 

The past few days have seen the staging of this years divisional Cumann na mBunscol Camogie Finals at Bushy Park and Walsh Park.

In the West, Lismore proved too strong for Garranbane in the division one final, in division two Glenbeg came out on top against Tallow. In division three Modeligo beat Coolnasmear, while in divisions four and five, there was wins for Kinsalebeg and Villierstown over Touraneena and Fews respectfully.

In the East, Ballygunner are division one champions after they beat the Presentation Convent from Waterford City, in Division two, Saint Ursuline’s are champions after they beat Dunhill and in division three, Seafield/Knockmahon beat Crehana.