A fantastic weekend for Waterford teams.

The past weekend was a good one for the G.A.A. in Waterford.

To many the highlight was the brave performance by the counties senior footballers in their narrow defeat to Galway in the All-Ireland Qualifiers. However to many others the weekend had many different highlights.

Waterford’s Intermediate Camogie team travelled to the St Molleran’s grounds on Carrickbeg on Saturday evening for what was expected to be a tough battle with near neighbours Kilkenny.

Waterford opened the game brightly with a brace of early Nicola Morrissey points, however, Kilkenny soon settled and they responded with points from Miriam Walsh and Áine Fahy to level matters.

Valerie O’Brien was unlucky not to have given Waterford the lead when she tried her luck for goal, but the ball was deflected over the end-line for a forty-five which Trish Jackman pointed.

Miriam Walsh hit another point for the visitors before points from Zoe O’Donoghue and Trish Jackman followed for Waterford before Miriam Walsh again pointed for Kilkenny which was followed with the games only goal as Mags Fennelly put the ball past Aisling O’Brien in the Waterford foal after she had ran at the Waterford goals.

Trish Jackman pointed for Waterford from a twenty metre free but the Gaultier club member was unlucky not to have put the ball under the cross-bar, the Kilkenny defence got a touch on the ball to put it over to level matters.

Waterford proved to be the stronger of the two sides in the closing minutes of the first half and went in leading 0-10 to 1-4 after Zoe O’Donoghue, Trish Jackman and Jennie Simpson all registered points in the closing minutes of the half.

Kilkenny began the second half very strong. They hit three points from Áine Kinsella to level matters but it could be a lot worse for Waterford but for the heroics of Aisling O’Brien in the Waterford goal who made a number of good saves and Emma Hannon and Vicki Falconer who were excelling for Waterford in defence.

Waterford upped their performance in the closing minutes of the game. The impressive Trish Jackman put over a free to edge Waterford in front by one, and when the same player saw an effort from a side line sail between the uprights, Waterford won themselves an extra point, as a score from such a position in Camogie counts as double.

Waterford held out for a 0-15 to 1-9 victory. The Déise Ladies in this game had good performances from Aisling O’Brien between the posts, Vicki Falconer and Emma Hannon in defence. Trish Jackman finished the game as the top scorer with 0-9 to her name, while Nicola Morrissey and Zoe O’Donoghue chipped in with two points each while Karen Kelly and Jennie Simpson each hit one point each.

Next up for Waterford in this level is a trip to Limerick on Saturday evening to play the early pace setters in the group in Killeedy on Saturday evening at 6-30pm.

When the sides met in the league a few weeks back now, Waterford emerged as 0-5 to 0-4 winners at the Gaelic Grounds.

This past weekend Limerick lost to Cork by seven points, bringing Cork right back into contention for a place in the semi finals. This game could well prove to be as equally as tight as the league game, all-be-it the scoring might be a little higher. A win for Waterford would give them a place in the All-Ireland semi finals in a few weeks, while Limerick could have it all to do to reach the last four as they would have to depend on other results to secure a place in the last eight, where as Waterford would have the luxury of a game against Antrim the following weekend to try and get a positive and secure a place in the last four of this years championship.

Meanwhile, Waterford’s good run in this year’s All-Ireland Under 16 Championship continues after they easily accounted for Armagh in Dublin on Sunday afternoon.

Waterford followed up a massive win over Westmeath and a draw with Cork with a 5-10 to 1-10 win over the orchard county girls.

Beth Carton who is in fine form for Waterford of late, continued her scoring streak with 2-5 in this game, while Iona Heffernan hit 1-2, Kate McMahon and Sibeal Harney hit a goal a piece while Aisling Power and Jessica Glavin hit one point each.

In Ladies Football Waterford have qualified for this weekends Munster Intermediate Final and a meeting with Tipperary after they beat Limerick 3-12 to 2-6 at Fraher Field.

Waterford got off to a good start in this game with early points from Michelle Ryan and Gráinne Enright, but Limerick for much of the half proved to be the better of the sides hitting 1-4 in a row, the goal coming in the twenty-eight minutes from Claire O’Riordan.

This was the wake up call that Waterford needed and from hear on in proved to be the better of the two sides.

Before the break, Michelle Ryan as well as Aileen and Linda Wall hit points for Waterford to leave them trailing 1-4 to 0-5 at the break.

Waterford in the second half was always the better team. Michelle Ryan opened the second half scoring with a point. Moment’s later younger sister Sinead was unlucky not to have hit a first Waterford goal. Michelle Ryan leveled matters, but Claire O’Riodan followed up with a point for Limerick.

Waterford took the lead on thirty seven minutes Linda Wall stuck for a deserved goal Sinead Ryan pointed for Waterford shortly afterwards and when Aileen Wall who is in devastating form for Waterford of late struck for a brilliant second Waterford goal having been set up by Aoife Landers, on forty-one minutes it gave Waterford a 2-8 to 1-6 lead.

Sinead Ryan edged Waterford six points in front before Limerick struck for a second goal to leave three between the sides with ten minutes to play.

However, Waterford were to finish strong as Sinead Ryan again pointed before substitute Shauna Dunphy hammered a third Waterford goal seven minutes from time. Points from Elaine Power and Aileen Wall in the time that remained helped give Waterford a fully deserved 3-12 to 2-6 win.

However, the highlight of the weekend has to be what we see come from the annual Féile Competition in Limerick.

Waterford send three teams to Limerick and its probably fair to say that nobody expected to see what happened.

In hurling, Abbeyside were Waterford’s representatives.

They opened the competition with a 1-9 to 2-4 over Bruff on Friday evening. On Saturday morning they beat Kilmallock 4-9 to 0-4 and in their final game in the group stages of the competition they beat Wexford side Saint Martin’s 2-10 to 2-3.

Three wins from three games gave Abbeyside a place in the semi finals where took on Ballyboden Saint Enda’s from Dublin. The side from the Capital ran out 2-12 to 0-4 winners but Abbeyside in reaching the semi finals performed above and beyond what anybody could have expected of them.

In handball, Waterford representatives Friary Handball Club also had a great weekend. They achieved results in the group stages against Kingscourt and Cullohill to give them a place in the final against Ballydesmond where the team of Michael Lenahan, Adam Clarke, Ben Flynn, Aidan Organ and Kevin O’Keeffe came out on top.

In the Feile Skills competition, Shaun Murray in Hurling and Niamh Murphy in Camogie represented the county and did remarkably well.

However, pride of place must go to the Gaultier Camogie team on winning Division two of the competition.

Throughout the weekend they recorded some very high wins. On Friday evening they had an 8-5 to 0- 2 win over Kilmallock and on Saturday they recorded excellent 11-4 to no score win over Bruff and in the group decider they beat Ballycastle 3-4 to 1-7.

This put Gaultier into the semi final where they played Birr and again the girls from the Barony put in a terrific performance to win 3-6 to 1-3.

In Sunday’s final, Gaultier played Portaferry. First half goals from Aoife Fitzgerald and a brace from Emer Walsh helped Gaultier to a 3-1 to 0-2 lead at the break.

Gaultier continued in the second half to prove to be the better sides and added further goals from Ann Corcoran and Emer Edwards to run out 5-5 to 0-3 winners.

It is hoped that I might have something further on the Feile weekend later in the week.