Camogie Club Championship coverage proudly sponsored by Clare Credit Unions
*Truagh/Clonlara joint captains Joanne Egan and Roisin Begley accept the McMahon Cup from Clare Camogie Chairman, Fergal O’Brien. Photograph: Ruthie Griffin.
EXPERIENCE ultimately trumped momentum as Truagh/Clonlara snatched back the McMahon Cup for the third time in four seasons in commanding fashion defeating Kilmaley by five points.
Truagh/Clonlara 0-16
Kilmaley 1-08
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg
The buzz and buoyancy surrounding Kilmaley’s historic dual senior final mandate in camogie and hurling definitely added to the electric atmosphere but having been beaten in last year’s final, a clearly motivated Truagh Clonlara were in no mood for romance as they led from start to finish in what was their sixth successive decider.
In truth, Kilmaley weren’t allowed to settle into their first final in twelve years as a ravenous Truagh Clonlara hunted in packs and put immense pressure on Kilmaley’s restarts from the outset despite starting against the conditions.
Roisin Begley, just as she did for Clare this year, set an impressive tone as she scored five points and teed up another for Aine O’Loughlin as Truagh incrementally put daylight between the sides with the first six points by the turn of the second quarter.
Kilmaley were understandably jittery as for the majority of their players, this was their first ever senior final appearance and as a result it took them twenty minutes to finally get off the mark when a foul on Caoimhe Cahill saw Claire McMahon covert the resulting free at 0-6 to 0-1.
Áine O’Loughlin excellently picked off the next two scores but this time they would be matched by a resurgent Kilmaley as chief threats Claire McMahon and Caoimhe Cahill kept the gap to five at 0-8 to 0-3 by the 27th minute.
Considering the bleakness of conceding the first six scores, Kilmaley would have been relatively satisfied by that position but they failed to hold on as Truagh found an extra gear in injury-time as Eimear Kelly and Niamh Ryan (2) both joined in on the scoring action to ensure an 0-11 to 0-03 interval cushion.
Half-time couldn’t come soon enough for Kilmaley to regroup and re-arm and to their credit they did reshuffle their pack and were far more combatant on the restart.
Claire McMahon raided for three of the first four points to lower the arrears to six by the two-thirds mark at 0-12 to 0-06. However, once Roisin Begley earned and duly arrowed over a free followed quickly by Eimear Kelly from play, it would restore that eight point chasm, a margin that still remained nearing the final ten minutes.
Crucially there would be a backlash which was hugely significant for not only the game but the immense effort that Kilmaley have put into this campaign as points through the Caoimhes, Carmody and Cahill greased the wheel for a lifeline goal in the 54th minute.
It stemmed from a combination of joint-captains Claire McMahon and Grace Carmody whose cross from the left corner was flicked into the top corner by the outstretched hurley of substitute Keela Markham to slash the deficit to just a goal at 0-14 to 1-08.
Suddenly the intensity levels rose to unprecedented heights as every possession was magnified but try as they might, Kilmaley simply couldn’t add to that jolt over the next few minutes.
Instead, the next score would be garnered by Truagh Clonlara and more pointedly substitute Lauren Slater who scored her first point but arguably the club’s most important score of the entire championship entering the final minute.
Fittingly it was the unerring Roisin Begley that would score the insurance point in injury-time as she only elongated her most memorable season in a Clare and Truagh Clonlara jersey by racking up a whopping 4-40, 4-21 of which from play.
The 2024 Munster Senior Club champions now have a shot at provincial redemption but arguably face their toughest task first when traveling to the winners of St. Finbarr’s and Blackrock (Cork) in three weeks time.
All photographs by Ruthie Griffin.
Scorers for Truagh/Clonlara: Roisin Begley 0-7 (3f), Aine O’Loughlin 0-3, Niamh Ryan 0-3, Eimear Kelly 0-2, Lauren Slater 0-1
Scorers for Kilmaley: Claire McMahon 0-5 (4f), Keela Markham 1-0, Caoimhe Cahill 0-2, Caimhe Carmody 0-1
Truagh/Clonlara
1: Sophie Cullen
2: Taylor Morris
3: Michelle Powell
9: Aoibhin Marren
7: Ellen Horgan
6: Michelle Caulfield
5: Niamh Powell
8: Laura Foley
19: Eimear Begley
12: Joanne Egan
17: Niamh Ryan
10: Hannah Horgan
14: Roisin Begley
11: Aine O’Loughlin
13: Eimear Kelly
Subs
15: Leah Hawes for H. Horgan (34) (inj)
20: Lauren Slater for Kelly (56)
4: Sinead Hogg for Egan (60)
22: Sinead Ryan for N. Powell (62)
Kilmaley
1: Maria Burke
2: Helen McMahon
3: Sinead O’Keeffe
4: Jodie Cahill
5: Moira Maher
6: Eimear Considine
7: Chloe Neylon
8: Shauna Melican
9: Martina Keane
12: Regan Conway
11: Caoimhe Carmody
10: Grace Carmody
15: Caoimhe Cahill
14: Claire McMahon
13: Kate Hayes
Subs
18: Emily Carmody for Keane (HT)
19: Keela Markham for Hayes (45)
20: Shonagh Enright for J. Cahill (49)
17: Lauren Cahill for Conway (52-54, BS)
17: Cahill for Maher (54, inj)
Referee: John Bugler (Whitegate)
