Saint Angela’s All-Ireland Glory on the Double

Camogie is on the up in Waterford with the last number of years and it got another massive boost last week, not once but twice when Saint Angela’s Ursuline School won the Junior ‘A’ and Senior ‘B’ All-Ireland Camogie finals.

The senior side were first into action when they took on Coláiste Íosagáin from Dublin in a re-arranged game, called off earlier in the month because of the weather conditions on the day.

Not for the first time this year the hugely talented Annie Fitzgerald would finish the game as top scorer for her side accounting for 1-7 of her sides tally, six points of which came from placed balls.

Some fantastic work has been put in at the Gailltir club in recent years as has with all clubs in the county and it must be pleasing for those within the Barony Club who put in this work with the players in their care to see nine of their club start in this game and the two subs used on the day also came from the club. On the day the De La Salle club had four players in the starting line up while Saint Anne’s and Butlerstown had one each.

The Saint Angela’s side were powerful in attack on one the day the six forwards shared 4-6 from play, something any side playing at this level would be more than proud of.

But while the Waterford side looked strong in attack they came up against a side that they had to work hard to get the better of.

Sinéad De Bhuilde who impressed in their semi final win over Presentation from Wexford recently would finish the game as their top scorer, proving very accurate with shooting from placed balls as she put over ten points, all from placed balls, eight of which came from frees and two for the forty-five metre lines.

In their semi final win over the Dublin side hit three goals and they repeated the act in this game as Michelle Ní Chiardha, Saoirse Mai Nic Aindriú and Niamh Nic Cormaic all struck shots that resulted in green flags being waved.

The Waterford side had a dream start to this game as Butlerstown’s Rachael Walsh finished to the net on two minutes. Annie Fitzgerald followed up with a brace of frees and when Ciara O’Sullivan finished to the net on six minutes, the Waterford side found themselves eight points to the good.

The Dublin side opened their account with a brace of Sinéad De Bhuilde frees and followed it up with a score from play off the stick of Gráinne Ní Drisceóil, and on the quarter of an hour mark Saoirse Mai Nic Aindriú struck the first of the side from the Capital’s goals.

However two minutes later the Waterford side struck a third goal, this time from Gailltir’s Emer Walsh which put her side seven in front.

Points from Sinéad De Bhuilde and Gráinne Ní Drisceóil followed for the Dublin side before the Waterford side struck a fourth goal on 21 minutes as Aoife Fitzgerald fired to the net after she collected a brilliant cross field pass from Annie Fitzgerald.

The Dublin side however rallied towards the end of the opening half hitting four of the last five scores of the half to turn around trailing 4-6 to 1-9 at the break.

Niamh Nic Cormaic whipped home a second early half goal after which Clodagh Carroll put over a brace of scores.

Try as they might the Waterford side could not put the required daylight between the two sides.

After Aleisha McDonald got her name on the score sheet, a Clodagh Carroll free fell short of the target but Aoife Fitzgerald put the sliotar in the Dublin side net for a fifth goal in this game.

The same player followed up with a point from play and when Annie Fitzgerald followed up with a brace of scores it gave the Waterford side a handsome 5-13 to 2-12 lead.

The Dublin side refused to give up however and they were rewarded with some consolation scores as Michelle Ní Chiardha struck for a third goal for her side seven minutes from time but not before Leah O’Donoghue had pulled off a great save, and Sinead De Bhuilde would also register another score before Alan Doheny blew his whistle for the last time in this game.

St Angela’s Ursuline: Leah O’Donoghue; Leah Sheridan, Lucy Hogan, Emma Flynn; Niamh Murphy, Colette Hogan, Hannah Flynn; Clodagh Carroll, Ciara O’Sullivan; Aleisha McDonald, Abby Flynn, Annie Fitzgerald; Rachael Walsh, Aoife Fitzgerald, Emer Walsh. Subs: Clodagh Curham for Aleisha McDonald, Kate Lynch for Emer Walsh.

Scorers: Annie Fitzgerald 1-7 (6fs), Aoife Fitzgerald 1-2, Rachael Walsh, Emer Walsh, Ciara O’Sullivan 1-0 each, Clodagh Carroll (2fs), Abby Flynn 0-2 each, Aleisha McDonald 0-1. 

Coláiste Íosagáin: Maria Ní Bhuachalla; Laura Joye, Sadbh Nic Uileagoid, Róisín De Fuitléigh; Sarah Ní Fhionlainn, Sinead Ní Dhonnchú, Cassie Sultan; Rachel Ní Airtnéide, Michelle Ní Chiardha; Saoirse Mai Nic Aindriu, Sinéad De Bhuilde, Siobhra Nic Aindriu; Niamh Nic Cormaic, Asha Heibe, Gráinne Ní Drisceóil. Subs: Sarah Ní Fhaircheallaigh for Róisín De Fuitléigh, Aoife Ní Fhlannchadha for Niamh Nic Cormaic.

Scorers: Sinéad De Bhuilde 0-10 (8fs, 2 45s), Michelle Ní Chiardha 1-2, Saoirse Mai Nic Aindriú, Niamh Nic Cormaic 1-0 each, Gráinne Ní Dhrisceóil 0-2.

Referee: Alan Doheny (Laois)

The Junior All-Ireland final came to the school on the Folly 48 hours after the senior final when the side in red and navy proved too strong for Saint Mary’s from New Ross in a low scoring replay at the WIT Arena after the two sides finished 1-9 to 3-3 at the same venue a week and a half earlier.

On that occasion Aoife Fitzgerald proved to the heroine for the Waterford side as she struck all of her sides tally on the day and in this game she hit a further 1-3, while Abby Flynn would hit the remaining scores for her side in this game.

The De La Salle club player who was one of three from her club to start this game was judged to be the player of the game in this game. She hit an all important goal ten minutes from time pouncing on a poor clearance from Hannah Dunphy for a score which put her side in front.

The big attendance for this game which was fought out in miserable conditions saw the Wexford side turn around with a 0-5 to 0-3 lead having played with the wind at their backs in the opening thirty minutes.

Faye Codd and Abby Flynn swapped scores for their respective sides in the opening quarter of this game. But the Waterford side will be the first to admit that they were lucky not to be behind at this stage as Faye Codd flicked just wide in the second minute of this game. Had that chance gone into the Waterford sides net we will never know now how this game would have panned out.

Ciara Walsh edged the Wexford side back in front on sixteen minutes and could have gone even further in front shortly afterwards as the they carved out a second goal scoring chance but Sorcha Cantwell did brilliant to hook Katie Murphy the scorer of 2-1 in the drawn game as she bore down on Elana Gallagher’s goal.

Aoife Fitzgerald levelled for the second time, and the sides would lock horns for the third time soon afterwards but towards the end of the half two Amy Cahill efforts went over the Saint Angela’s crossbar to give the New Ross outfit a two point lead at the turn around.

Aoife Fitzgerald struck the first two scores of the second half to tie the game for the fourth time (0-5 to 0-5).

Ciara Walsh edged the Wexford side back in front and they doubled their advantage on the scoreboard when Aisling Prendergast put over a free after Lucy Hogan fouled Katie Murphy.

But the game was not over, and if any of the New Ross side were celebrating a win in their mind they were made to pay for doing so.

Abbey Flynn drew a free which Clodagh Carroll who played in the senior win two days earlier saw her effort drift to the left, but instead of leave the ball go over the end line Hannah Dunphy opted to keep it in play and as she attempted to get the ball out of defence Abby Flynn grabbed the sliotar and finished to the net to the delight of the big home support.

Ciara Walsh missed a chance to send the game into extra time late on in this game, and the New Ross side also Elena Gallagher and Rachael Walsh produced goal line save as the New Ross side tried their luck for goals instead of taking the safer option.

Two All-Ireland’s in a week for any school at any level is something that most can only dream off. These two wins bring to three the number of All-Irelands won by the side from The Folly in the last year having won the All-Ireland Junior ‘B’ title last year, something for a school only taking part in Gaelic Games competitions with a short number of years, and we must not forget that the same school contested a Munster Ladies Football Final this year as well.

Should the players involved in these wins continue to play a sport that they will now all have fond memories of, there can be no disputing that Camogie in Waterford has a very bright future in Waterford.

St Angela’s Ursuline: Elena Gallagher; Shauna Farrell, Lucy Hogan, Sorcha Cantwell; Holly Ryan, Sarah Maher, Jodie Tuohy; Clodagh Carroll, Rachael Walsh; Laoise McLoughlin, Abby Flynn, Clodagh Hoctor; Alisha Flynn, Aoife Fitzgerald, Clodagh Curham.

Scorers: Abby Flynn 1-2, Aoife Fitzgerald 0-3 (3fs).

St Mary’s New Ross: Hannah Dunphy; Áine Galavan, Elaine Quigley, Brid Walsh; Niamh O’Shea, Katie Kehoe, Niamh Ogilvie; Amy Cahill, Tara Doyle; Kate Foley, Ciara Walsh, Cria Langton; Katie Murphy, Aisling Prendergast, Faye Codd.

Scorers: Ciara Walsh, Faye Codd, Amy Cahill (2fs) 0-2 each, Aisling Prendergast 0-1 (1f).

Referee: Mike Ryan (Tipperary)