Cork 2-23

Kilkenny 1-5

FOR the first time since the competition’s introduction, Cork are All-Ireland U23A camogie champions.

The Rebels showed their class with a comprehensive victory over Kilkenny at Fraher Field in Dungarvan on Sunday, with Ballinascarthy’s Millie Condon and Enniskeane’s Maebh O’Brien getting on the scoresheet.

There was further local involvement through Clonakilty’s Amy McCarthy and Kinsale’s Catherine Murphy, while Niamh Kennedy (Clonakilty) and Mary Murphy (Kinsale) were also members of the panel.

After coming up short against Galway in last year’s decider, the Rebels were determined to go one step further this season. Their opening-round 1-11 to 0-11 win over the Connacht side set the tone for the campaign.

‘We brought the hurt from last year to Galway in the first game. We got a close win up there. We went up and said that we needed to atone for last year’s All-Ireland final. We had a great battle that day and I knew we had a team,’ Cork boss Jerry Wallace explained.

‘We had the co-operation between ourselves and the senior group to use the players. We worked strategically all along. We brought players in and out. We got to use all the panel. The season has worked out really well for us.’

Kilkenny had beaten Cork 3-13 to 2-9 in the round-robin stages, so to engineer a 28-point turnaround in the final was an incredible feat by the young Rebels.

‘We went to Freshford and it didn’t work out for us against Kilkenny. That game was nip and tuck. There were missed chances on both sides, but we learned an awful lot.

‘The girls have been at every training session with me and we have been working on our own strategies and getting the intensities right. The training ground is a happy camp. I have a tremendous group of young women and they are the future of Cork camogie,’ Wallace said.

The Leesiders held a healthy 1-13 to 0-3 lead at the interval as their wind advantage proved vital in the opening 30 minutes.

Millie Condon and Orlaith Cahalane celebrate Cork's win. (Photo: David Ribeiro/INPHO)

Ava McAuliffe goaled while Condon, Amy Sheppard, Orlaith Cahalane, Rose Murphy, Ciara Golden, Niamh McNabola and Laura Dunlea all chipped in with scores.

‘All year long, we said if we won the toss that we’d play with the wind. I said to the girls that we had to play with a bit of composure, play with pace and try to set the tone of the game. That’s what we did. We used the ball smartly,’ the Cork boss added.

‘The opening ten minutes were very close and we were a little bit nervous. That’s a championship final-day issue. I felt once we loosened up, got our legs moving and once we started popping the ball off to each other, we were brilliant.’

Amy Sheppard’s second-half goal ended the game as a contest, while substitutes O’Brien and Eimear Duignan put the finishing touches to Cork’s tally.

This final victory not only highlights the strength of talent coming through, but could also provide a boost to the senior side ahead of their All-Ireland campaign.

‘We’re in transition in Cork at the moment. We have fabulous girls in the senior programme at home. We have girls recovering from injury and figuring out whether they’ll carry on this year. Ger Manley is doing a super job with the senior team and this group here are going to be the next senior group. Hopefully, by the end of the summer, we’ll have another O’Duffy Cup coming back to Cork,’ Wallace concluded.

Cork scorers: Amy Sheppard 1-5 (4f); Ava McAuliffe 1-5 (2f); Niamh McNabola 0-3; Orlaith Cahalane 0-2; Millie Condon 0-2; Laura Dunlea 0-1; Anna Kearney 0-1 (1f); Ciara Golden 0-1; Rose Murphy 0-1; Eimear Duignan 0-1; Maebh O’Brien 0-1.

Cork: Anna Kearney (Blackrock); Maebdh de Burca (Carrigtwohill), Aoife Barrett (Aghabullogue), Meabh Murphy (Ballinora); Ava Fitzgerald (Sarsfields), Laura Dunlea (Sarsfields), Orlaith Cremins (Éire Óg); Millie Condon (Ballinascarthy), Avril Cashman (Youghal); Niamh McNabola (Cloughduv), Rose Murphy (Ballinora), Ciara Golden (captain, St Finbarr’s); Amy Sheppard (Cloughduv), Ava McAuliffe (Castlemartyr), Orlaith Cahalane (St Finbarr’s).

Subs: Ciara Hurley (St Finbarr’s), Eimear Duignan (Mallow), Amy McCarthy (Clonakilty), Amy O’Riordan (Ballinora), Ciara Morrisson (Castlelyons), Maebh O’Brien (Enniskeane), Catherine Murphy (Kinsale), Erinn Curtin (Blackrock), Sarah Murphy (Glen Rovers), Amy O’Sullivan (Mallow), Keeley Goulding (Ballincollig), Kate Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), Emily O’Donoghue (Bishopstown), Ellen Crowley (Inniscarra), Ella Wigginton Barrett (St Finbarr’s).