Gailltir are Queens of Deise Camogie

Gailltir are County Senior Camogie Champions for the first time since 2008 after they overcame the challenge of Lismore who were bidding for a fourth title in a row at the WIT Sports Campus at Carriganore on Saturday afternoon last.

Trish Jackman finished as top scorer for the Barony Ladies on the day with a half a dozen scores after her name on the score sheet all of which came from placed balls.

The newly crowned champions hit two goals over the course of the hour, the first coming on nineteen minutes when Trish Jackman found Kate Lynch who crashed the sliotar to the roof of Tanya Morrissey’s net to give her side a 1-4 to 0-2 lead.

Their second goal came from the stick of Emery Walsh after she had replaced Ailing Flood.

Gailltir signalled their intention from the off in this game as within a minute of the game starting Roisin Flood attempted to bet Tanya Morrissey in the Lismore goal but the Lismore player was equal to the Gailltir ladies effort but from the follow up Kate Lynch took the safer option and slotted the sliotar between the uprights.

Nicola Morrissey levelled matters for Lismore a minute later but the eventual winners wasted no time in going back in front and after Trish Jackman pointed on nine and thirteen minutes which was followed with another point for the side in sky blue on sixteen minutes, this time from Annie Glavey.

Caithriona McGlone pulled a point back for Lismore on seventeen minutes but the writing seemed to be on the wall for Lismore who were struggling somewhat without the influence of Aoife Hannon on free taking duty and loosing Shona Curran with an injury after just fourteen minutes when Gailltir hit their first goal soon after McGlone’s effort.

Lismore are a good side and showed so by not throwing in the towel. Points from Caithriona McGlone and Shauna Kiernan by the twenty fourth minute had just Kate Lynch’s goal between the sides, but it was the Barony Ladies that would end the half slightly the stronger side as Aine Lyng and Trish Jackman split the Lismore uprights with late scores, with am effort from Grainne Kenneally sandwiched in between which gave Gailltir a 1-6 to 0-5 lead at the break.

If Gailltir finished the first half the stronger of the two sides, it Lismore that started the second half the stronger of the two.

Caithriona McGlone no stranger to finding the net on the big day did so again on thirty four minutes to leave just one between the sides. Trish Jackman and Nicola Morrissey traded scores to keep the minimum between the sides with the game now entering its final quarter.

Nicola Morrissey’s effort for Lismore however would be her sides last score of the game and the side from the Barony in the final quarter would 1-4, Trish Jackman first putting over a brace of placed balls before Emer Walsh finished to the net after she reacted quickest to a rebound after Tanya Morrissey had done well to keep out an Aine Lyng effort for goal.

The new champions pressed on in the closing minutes for further scores and were rewarded for their efforts when Shauna Fitzgerald split the Lismore uprights two minutes from time and on the hour mark Aine Lyng registered the final score of the game, giving her side a 2-11 to 1-6 victory.

Gailltir: Ciara Jackman; Aine O’Keeffe, Clara Hogan, Claire Dunne; Aileen Cummins, Sally O’Grady, Sinead Cunningham; Emma Roche, Aine Lyng, Annie Glavey, Shauna Fitzgerald, Trish Jackman; Roisin Flood, Aisling Blood, Kate Lynch. Subs: Emer Walsh for Aisling Flood, Eilis Cullinane for Annie Glavey.

Scorers: Trish Jackman 0-6 (5f) (1 ’45), Kate Lynch 1-1, Emer Walsh 1-0, Aine Lyng 0-2, Annie Glavey, Shauna Fitzgerald 0-1 each.

Lismore: Tanya Morrissey; Ellen Curran, Shauna Prendergast, Sarah Geoghegan; Aoife Houlihan, Shauna Kiernan, Sarah Coughlan; Shona Curran, Emma Power; Nicola Morrissey, Sinead Walsh, Becky McGlone; Ruth Geoghegan, Caithriona McGlone, Johanna Houlihan. Subs: Grainne Kenneally for Shona Curran, Marie Russell for Aoife Houlihan, Sinead Bennett for Sinead Walsh.

Scorers: Caithriona McGlone 1-2, Nicola Morrissey 0-2 (2f), Grainne Kenneally, Shauna Kiernan 0-1 each.

Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny).

In the curtain raiser to Saturday’s senior decider, Ferrybank who lost out in the last two county finals made it third time lucky when they came from behind at the break to beat Tramore.

The sea-siders turned around leading 1-5 to 1-2, Helen McEvoy netting for the winners and Muireann Cuddihy doing likewise for Tramore.

The side from north of the River Sur divide proved to be the superior side in the second half, running out 3-5 to 1-7 winners, the goals for the winners coming from Niamh Ahearne and Debbie Boden.