The AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Camogie final will be a repeat of the 2020 decider played before Christmas, when Oulart-The Ballagh dethroned Sarsfields after the two teams qualified once more in starkly contrasting fashion.
The titleholders cruised to a 3-11 to 0-2 victory over Scariff-Ogonnelloe, while Sarsfields came out on top in the latest episode of a captivating rivalry with Slaughtneil, edging a 2-4 to 0-9 triumph over the perennial Ulster champions and former three-in-a-row All-Ireland winners after extra time.
As with most games that survived the triple threat of storms, the conditions were atrocious but that didn’t stop Sarsfields and Slaughtneil in particular serving up a treat, the westerners’ goals earning them the verdict in the rescheduled tie at the Naomh Éanna facility in Gorey.
At Clonmel Commercials, Oulart-The Ballagh used a strong wind to establish a 1-7 to 0-0 interval lead and once goal machine Úna Leacy scored the first of her two second-half majors early after the resumption, the life went out of Scariff-Ogonnelloe.
Ursula Jacob, who is now just a game away from emulating clubmates Karen Atkinson and the Leacy sisters, Mary and Úna, by captaining club and county to All-Ireland glory, hit a delightful goal on the way to totting up 1-5, finishing brilliantly after Katie Gallagher beat three defenders with a fantastic run.
In the intermediate championship, another Galway side Salthill-Knocknacarra will play champions St Rynagh’s, after defeating Portaferry (Down) by 0-10 to 1-4, Rynagh’s having overcome Gailltír of Waterford by 2-11 to 1-11.
Meanwhile, Clanmaurice of Kerry gained revenge for their defeat in the junior final by Raharney, to see off the Westmeath crew by 0-10 to 1-5 after extra time. They will play either Athleague (Roscommon) or Eoghan Rua (Derry), whose semi-final fell foul of the weather.
In the Littlewoods Ireland National Camogie League Cork got the Matthew Twomey era off to a winning start but Clare, who themselves were competing under a new eight-person management team, made sure it wasn’t a comfortable day at the office as the Rebels had to work very hard in a wet, wild and windy Cusack Park before eking out a 2-6 to 0-4 triumph in Division 1.
Twomey, who is stepping up to the hot seat having served his apprenticeship under Paudie Murray and can boast hurling legend Davy Fitzgerald among his coaching set-up, will be pleased with the resourcefulness shown by his charges but there was much to be positive from a Clare perspective too.
