Camogie league finals take centre stage

After an action packed few months that saw Cork teams play games as far away as Derry and as near as Limerick, it could very well be the calm before the storm as this weekend is relatively quiet.

The big game is in Croke Park with Cork and Galway renewing rivalry in the camogie league final.

The Munster under 20 and minor championships also get underway and there is plenty to look forward to in these competitions, as Cork begin the defence of all four titles in both codes.

Littlewood’s Division 1 Camogie League Final

Cork v Galway on Saturday at Croke Park at 7pm

“Delighted to be in the final and as we haven’t won it for a while; we will certainly give it our best shot it is after all a national title and they are worth winning at any time.”

The words of Cork coach Matthew Twomey after his side had snatched a late draw, which was enough to earn a spot in the final, courtesy of a Chloe Sigerson free against Kilkenny in the final group game, in what were extremely difficult conditions.

Defender and recent All-Star winner Laura Treacy said the addition of Davy Fitzgerald to the backroom has been excellent for the team. “Oh yes he’s been very good, there is continuity from last year’s management but a fresh voice and ideas benefits everyone and as a result, the team will improve and that’s how it has worked.”

Laura was looking forward to the final: “It’s great so early in the year and with it being played in Croke Park that’s another plus, but we will have to work hard to win it and that is our intention.”

The fact that Galway will provide the opposition will give them extra motivation as the Connacht girls got the better of matters in their last meeting, the All-Ireland when they finished stronger having conceded a goal at a vital stage.

Both sides had a touch of luck in getting to the final, Cork looked very good for 40 minutes against Kilkenny but then faded and were rescued by that late point.

Galway for their part beat Tipperary courtesy of a controversial free that won them the game; a draw would have done Tipp and their manager Bill Mullaney was fuming with the decision afterwards.

It’s a second successive final for Galway having lost to Kilkenny in last year’s decider and they will be keen to avoid another defeat while at the same time lay down a marker for when these sides meet again in the championship later in the season.

There is a nice balance to the Galway side helped by the return of the Sarsfields players following their win in the club final recently over Oulart The Ballagh.

Aoife O’Donoghue, Sarah Devran, Heather Cooney, Orlaith McGrath, Niamh Kilkenny, Rebecca Henley and Sarah Healy will backbone their challenge.

For Cork a number of players who featured in the All-Ireland Final are for, a variety of reasons unavailable and to reach the final reflects well on the management as to how they have reshaped the team.

Amy Lee has taken the captaincy in her stride, while the defence with Laura Treacy, Laura Hayes and Libby Coppinger have conceded very little.

Ashling Thompson has been a powerhouse in midfield while at the same time contributing some vital scores.

Cliona Healy has impressed in recent games while Sorcha McCartan, Catriona Mackey and Amy O’Connor have the capacity to trouble any defence.

Galway look to have a more settled team and will probably start as favourites, but Cork if they can produce a consistent 60 minutes - which they have yet to do in this league - although to be fair most of the games have been played in tough conditions.

Playing the final in Croke Park gives the competition added status but for the supporters of both teams, a 7pm start on a Saturday evening in April is by no means ideal, and that surely should have been a consideration when fixing the game.

One other game is the Munster Minor Camogie Championship first round meeting of Cork and Tipperary in the Ragg on Friday at 6.30pm and with Cork as the recently crowned All-Ireland champions they will be keen to add the provincial title to their list.

Hurling league

Losing a final is never a nice feeling and with it being a second national decider in the space of a short few months, the Cork dressing-room must have been a difficult place around 9pm last Saturday night.

It was a 6 point defeat that seemed like a lot more and the concession of 4 goals will occupy the thoughts of the backroom team when they return to training this week, ahead of a huge championship clash with Limerick on Easter Sunday.

Manager Kieran Kingston said it was “very disappointing to lose a final, we conceded goals at vital times and then were wasteful in front of goals ourselves”.

His overall impressions of the league though were positive: “Apart from tonight we had a good campaign, got game time into a lot of younger members of the panel and won some good games.”

Will that result affect their thinking for the championship clash with Limerick? “Tonight could be described as the pre-leaving so we will take stock and reset for the real exam in two weeks time.”

He described the test as “massive but look every game in Munster is tough and very competitive”.

Kieran also confirmed that defender Daire O’Leary will miss the first two games of the round-robin series with a foot injury.

Next question is what did Cork learn in the league? Defensive issues remain particularly in the full-back line and are we getting the best out of Mark Coleman at centre-back? The starting 15 for the Limerick game will be awaited with interest.

Football venue dilemma

The decision of the Munster Council CCC by 8 votes to 2 - Cork got no support - to move the football semi-final v Kerry to Fitzgerald Park in Killarney came as no real surprise as it had been flagged well in advance of the meeting last Wednesday night.

24 hours later, the Cork football team and management released their own statement basically saying if the game is not played in Páirc Uí Rinn, it will not be played, as they were not going to any other venue.

The Cork County Board then swung into action, undertook to carry out the necessary works at the venue which would increase the capacity to 11,000 and formally wrote to Munster Council asking them to revisit the decision.

So who will blink first, the Cork footballers who I understand are very strong and united on their stance or the Munster Council?

There’s been a mixed reaction to the stance adopted by the players; some say Cork should go to Killarney and then have the next two games at home, others are encouraging them to stick to their guns, and with it the possibility that if they do not play the game they could be removed from the championship.

The Munster Council’s decision was based on the venue not having the capacity to cater for the expected attendance which has been more then 11,000 for recent semi-finals between the sides.

Last Saturday night close on 20,000 were in Thurles for the Cork v Waterford League Final. Now in a few weeks time, the same sides will meet in Walsh Park where the capacity is 12,000, different circumstances I know, but should the game be moved as it was three years ago?

Of course the problem is the unavailability of Páirc Uí Chaoimh owing to the re-scheduled Ed Sheeran concerts, complicated further by the ‘split season’ as ordinarily a Cork v Kerry game would be played much later in the season, so there is a view that this situation is of Cork’s making, but in their defence the pandemic forced the cancellation of so many events the opportunity to make a financial profit with the stadium debt in mind was an opportunity they could not turn down.

Let’s hope for a quick decision so that both sides can prepare for the game wherever it will be played, as I am sure Kerry do not want a walk over into the Munster Final.

Minor and Under 20 Hurling Championships

Sixmilebridge on Wednesday next is the venue for the Cork v Clare game in the O’Neill’s.com Munster Under 20 round-robin game and this could be an awkward encounter for Cork.

They do have a number of players who featured in last year’s success among them Ben Cunningham, Brian O’Sullivan, Michael Mullins, Sean Walsh, Eoin Downey and Jack Cahalane who captains the team them and their experience could be important in the first game of the group phase. A win here would put them in a strong position for the second round clash with Limerick in Páirc Uí Rinn a week later.

Having easily defeated Kerry in their first game, another win will put Cork into the semi-final of the Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Championship. They will benefit from that outing with Limerick as visitors to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday next at 7pm.

Kerry to their credit battled away but Cork had too much quality all over the field, with Daniel Murnane a dominant centre-back and James O’Brien, Tim Wilke, Ross and Adam O’Sullivan, Peter O’Shea and James Murray all impressed.