Camogie Club Championship coverage proudly sponsored by Clare Credit Unions
*Michelle Caulfield charges out of defence for Truagh/Clonlara. Photograph: Ruthie Griffin.
TRUAGH/CLONLARA ended Inagh/Kilnamona’s reign as Clare senior camogie champions, coming from eight points down to win by eight.
Truagh/Clonlara 4-12
Inagh/Kilnamona 2-10
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
By Ann Marie McGann
A setback is a setup for a comeback. and that is exactly what accrued for Truagh Clonlara, the 2024 McMahon cup holders as they took on last year’s winners Inagh/Kilnamona.
Relentless play and scoring efficiency came to the fore in the opening half where Inagh/Kilnamona demonstrated why they were champions to carve out an eight point lead but they would score just a single point in the second half.
Inagh/Kilnamona opened their scoring through Aoibhin Ryan with a brace of frees. The first major score came after excellent work from Andrea O’Keeffe, who found space, carried the ball forward and finished confidently passed Sophie Cullen. Her ability to exploit space was a feature of the opening stages, while Cliodhna Queally was also heavily involved around the middle of the field, winning primary possession.
Truagh/Clonlara continued to create opportunities, with Niamh Ryan coming to the fore adding a goal in the tenth minute after a superb ball across the opposition’s defence. Inagh/Kilnamona’s lack of questioning for a square ball proved strange as Ryan was within touching distance of Cara McInerney when she got the finishing touch on the ball to place it in the back of the net.
Pressure continued to mount from Truagh/Clonlara with Áine O’Loughlin getting on the scoreboard. The positioning of Clare Hehir would prove vital for Inagh/Kilnamona as she got the Combo;s second goal on the twelfth minute, but soon after, injury would see her exit the field of play.
However, Inagh/Kilnamona continued to stamp their presence firmly on the throats of Truagh/Clonlara with further scores from Aoibhin Ryan including three frees and one from play, O’Keeffe and Queally getting one each.
Defensively, there were some excellent individual performances. Sinead Power and Laoise Ryan were particularly prominent for the 2025 champions, making several important defensive interventions while also carrying the ball forward. Their work helped launch further attacks, while the team continued to apply pressure through the middle third.
For the opposition, Roisin Begley showed why she has been a thorn for defences at both club and county level through her excellent anticipation and pace to get onto dangerous balls and twice potentially having goal opportunities, choosing instead to take points when the prospects arose.
At thirty two minutes, the scoreboard showed Inagh/Kilnamona 2-9 to 1-4 ahead, underlining their greater efficiency in front of goal. Despite the deficit, Truagh/Clonlara continued to threaten, with several promising attacks by Aine O’Loughlin breaking down eventually through turnovers or strong defensive challenges.
As the half drew to a close, the one-way traffic produced by Inagh/Kilnamona would ultimately be the rock on which they would perish on in the second half. Holding a healthy advantage of eight points it was all but written on the programme that Inagh/Kilnamona would get to their second successive county final.
Emerging from the dressing room in animal form, whatever was said at half time had the desired effect on the South-East Clare side. They produced a powerful second half display to take complete control. Having shown plenty of promise and attacking intent in the opening half, Inagh/Kilnamona were unable to reproduce that form after the restart. The loss of Clare Hehir was a factor as they seemed to lose attacking impetus that had been evident, but talent in abundance elsewhere should have taken over. Meanwhile Truagh/Clonalra sensed an opportunity and went for the jugular.
Laura Foley opened the second half from a free fifty metres out straight between the posts and she would ultimately follow suit swiftly with another from play. Niamh Ryan then got in on the second half act, with their forward lines beginning to find gaps and move the ball with increasing confidence.
For all the momentum Truagh/Clonlara were building, the loss of Eimear Kelly in the first half could have unsettled them at the break even further. Instead, they responded impressively. Rather than allowing the eight point setback or loss of Eimear to disrupt their rhythm, they continued to drive forward and put their oppositions defence under sustained pressure.
Another score from Roisin Begley was followed by another from Niamh Ryan, and suddenly the scoreboard was moving in Truagh Clonlara’s favour, by the end of the third quarter they trailed by three.
One of the standout performers during this surge was Aine O’Loughlin. Coming out to the wing, O’ Loughlin was immense for her side. Her movement, work rate and ability to catch ball helped give an important outlet. The decisive blow arrived with Begley finding the net, turning a strong period of pressure into a major scoring advantage and bringing the sides level for the first time on the forty seventh minute.
It was a goal that reflected Truagh/Clonlara’s greater attacking momentum and ruthlessness in the second half. Niamh Ryan added another point, completing a remarkable burst allowing her side to take the lead for the first time.
Inagh/Kilnamona’s woes continued as a wayward ball from O’ Loughlin was deflected in passed McInerney on the fifty third minute. Aoibhin Ryan would try to rally the troops but was ultimately wrapped up time and time again, and she would garner the only score for Inagh/Kilnamona in the second half on the fifty sixth minute. Begley and Niamh Ryan ultimately put the nail in the coffin scoring 1.1 between them in the final three minutes to see Truagh/Clonlara return to another county final.
Gallery of photographs by Ruthie Griffin.
Scorers Truagh/Clonlara: Roisin Begley 2.4 1f, Niamh Ryan 1.4, Laura Foley 0.3 1f, Aine O’ Loughlin 0.1.
Scorers Inagh/Kilnamona: Aoibhin Ryan 0-8 6f, Andrea O’Keeffe 1-1, Clare Hehir 1-0, Cliodhha Queally 0-1
Inagh/Kilnamona: Cara McInerney, Cathy Cullinan, Shauna Queally, Sinead Power, Jane Fitzgerald, Laoise Ryan, Teresa O’Keeffe, Cliodhna Queally, Danielle Griffin, Aoife Keane, Andrea O Keeffe, Clare Hehir, Aoibhin Ryan, Kate Dowling, Elisha Rynne
Subs: Emer Burke for C Hehir (17) (inj), Hannah Shannon for S Queally (49)
Truagh/Clonlara: Sophie Cullen, Eimear Begley, Michelle Powell, Taylor Morris, Niamh Powell, Michelle Caulfield, Ellen Horgan, Laura Foley, Aoibhin Marren, Hannah Horgan, Áine O’Loughlin, Joanne Egan, Eimear Kelly, Roisin Begley, Niamh Ryan
Subs: Leah Hayes for Eimear Kelly (27), Sinead Hogg for Niamh Powell (45), Lauren Slater for Hannah Horgan (55)
Referee: Kieran Liddane (Sixmilebridge)
