Ursuline battle to bitter end against Loreto Kilkenny in All Ireland Senior A Camogie Semi Final Saturday, 4 February.
The All Ireland Senior A Camogie Semi Final was always destined to be an epic encounter between two giants of Post Primary Schools Camogie, Ursuline Thurles and Loreto Kilkenny, but nobody could have predicted just how tense and tight a game it would be. A Julie Lennon point in the dying seconds of the game propelled Loreto into the All Ireland final and finished up a super afternoon of camogie of which both teams can be proud. Just as she closed the game it was Julie Lennon’s goal that got proceedings underway two minutes in when she finished off a pass from No 11 Caoimhe Keher Murtagh. The Ursuline response came from Sarah Corcoran who pointed off her left to give the Thurles girls their first score of the day in the fifth minute. A minute later it was Julie Lennon who replied yet again, sailing a hand pass from Caoimhe Keher Murtagh through the uprights. The Kilkenny centre-forward got on the scoreboard herself after a pass from Rose Kelly left Ursuline at a three-point deficit by the tenth minute. Rachel Dowling widened the gap even further with her first point nicely set up by Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, again from a hand pass, a strategy that Kilkenny employed with precision throughout the play. However, if Loreto have learned anything from past encounters with the Ursuline it is that the Tipp girls will fight on and fight hard even when their opponents seem to be slipping away from them. In the seventeenth minute UCT got their second score of the day from Kate Ferncombe who pointed on the back of solid work from corner forward and full forward Danielle Ryan and Caoimhe Stakelum respectively. Ursuline 0-2 Loreto KK 1-3. Loreto had two further points from Caoimhe Keher Murtagh and Aisling Browne before Caoimhe Stakelum scored magnificently on the run. This was followed up almost immediately by Lucy Purcell pointing from a Paula Quirke set up. Emma Mulhall, on the left wing gave Loreto their seventh score and sixth point of the opening half. Then the crowd were treated to a humdinger from full forward Caoimhe Stakelum pointing from fifty metres out. Two Sarah Corcoran frees in close succession now brought the Ursuline to 0-7 to Loreto 1-6 with the Kilkenny side picking up one last point in the 31st minute with Aisling Browne successfully finishing a Rachel Dowling hand pass. The Leinster champions were a goal ahead but there was only the puck of a sliothar between them and the best was yet to come. Half time score Loreto Kilkenny 1-7 Ursuline Thurles 0-7.
It was Loreto who were out of the traps first in the second half with two points. Caoimhe Keher Murtagh scored the opening in the third minute and was instrumental in creating Rachel Dowling’s point a minute later to leave Ursuline trailing 0-7 to Kilkenny’s 1-9. A Caoimhe Stakelum goal shot was saved by Ali Kennedy but Sarah Corcoran responded with a point which was followed shortly after by one of her trademark superbly accurate frees from thirty metres out. Lucy Purcell was responsible for the Ursuline’s first goal coming 10 minutes into the second half with Sars teammate Caoimhe Stakelum finding Lucy who then found the net. The teams were level for the first time but not for long as Julie Lennon got her second point, and third score of the game at the most crucial time. From here on in it would be tit for tat with Kate Ferncombe getting the equaliser for Ursuline on the run and a minute later Alisha Kearney made good a Sarah Corcoran free dropped into the square to snatch a second goal for UCT. Ursuline were now ahead for the first time 2-10 to Loreto’s 1-10. Lucy Purcell expanded this lead with a lovely point off her hurley running through the Kilkenny defences. Loreto’s first free of the game came courtesy of Amy Clifford, her second free followed soon after and then a third point from play. Her staunch efforts in the full forward position now had Loreto ahead, 2-12 to Ursuline’s 2-11. Lucy Purcell’s second goal came in the 26th minute of the second half to make Ursuline 3-11 to Loreto KK 2-13. But Ursuline could not revel in the glory of this third goal for any length of time as Amy Clifford matched it almost immediately by finding the net down the other end for her team. Robbyn Fitzgerald got Ursuline’s final score of the day to make it 3-12 for the Tipp girls going toe to toe with Loreto in the dying minutes of the game. Julie Lennon made sure to seize the coveted All Ireland Final place for the Leinster side, coming up trumps with a last point in the last seconds of what was a truly stunning display of camogie in Connahy Shamrocks GAA grounds. The final scoreboard read Loreto Kilkenny 3-13 Ursuline Thurles 3-12. There was only a hairs breath between the two teams for most of the game and for the Ursuline it was a cruel way to finish their Senior A season. They have proved themselves to be fantastically skillful and totally committed to giving it their all on each and every occasion in the Ursuline jersey. They are brilliant ambassadors not only for camogie but for women in sport.