Tipperary school camogie team's skill at scoring points won them All-Ireland title
Scoil Mhuire Secondary School's senior camogie team from Carrick-on-Suir defeated Presentation Wexford by three points to win the All-Ireland Post Primary Schools B Camogie final replay
There were jubilant scenes in Carlow last Thursday as the senior camogie team of Carrick-on-Suir's Scoil Mhuire Secondary School clinched the All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior B Camogie title by defeating Presentation Wexford by 3 points in the final replay
Several bus loads of students and teachers from the school, popularly known in Carrick as Greenhill, travelled to the SETU Sports Campus in Carlow to join proud parents in cheering on their school team to this historic victory.
Scoil Mhuire’s Grace Farrell was top scorer clocking up seven points, five of which came from placed balls. The Kilkenny Minor vice-captain, who scored a goal in the drawn final at the same venue the previous Saturday, won the Player of the Match award.
There is an old adage in Gaelic Games that goals win games, but this is not always the case. In the initial final, Scoil Mhuire struck three goals, but had to settle for a share of the spoils.
While they conceded two goals in the replay without registering one of their own, their ability to split the posts proved to be the difference between the sides.
The Wexford side had a great start with Mekdes Harte scoring a point after just 20 seconds. But Scoil Mhuire were soon into their stride as Moya Egan and Grace Farrell hit over quickfire points and Ruby Norris scored two points to put the team three points in front after just four minutes.
The Wexford girls drew level on 15 minutes when they won a free on their own 45 metre line which was played long. Mekdes Harte won the ball and played into Cara O’Shaughnessy who flicked past Rachel Tennyson as she came out of goal to try and close the angle.
Emily Cooney of Scoil Mhuire edged her side back in front. Molly Quinn and Grace Farrell added further scores for the Tipperary side.
With five minutes of the first half remaining, Presentation Wexford’s Isabella Canning sent in a ball from a distance that caught all the Carrick defenders out and went into the net.
Grace Farrell knocked over a brace of frees before a speculative effort from Wexford’s Emma McCarthy was brilliantly saved by Rachel Tennyson.
When the ball fell to Cara O’Shaughnessy, she too could not find a way past Tennyson. But Emma McCarthy, who hit over eight points in the drawn game, got on the ball and fired over to leave her side trailing 0-9 to 2-2 at the break.
McCarthy began the second half as she ended the first, firing a point over the bar, this time from a free.
Blathnaid Keane edged Scoil Mhuire back in front just past the midway point of the second half.
Isabella Canning levelled matters with nine minutes of the game remaining, but Scoil Mhuire finished the game the stronger of the two sides as Grace Farrell fired over a hat-trick of late scores to secure the title for the Carrick school.
SCOIL MHUIRE: Rachel Tennyson (Piltown); Eilish Norris (Clonea), Katelyn Moore (Piltown), Molly Quinn (Mooncoin); Blathnaid Keane (Mooncoin), Amy Lynch (Clonea), Cliodhna Malone (Piltown); Ava Sutton (Mooncoin), Sarah Connolly (Clonea); Ruby Norris (Piltown), Emily Cooney (Mooncoin), Riona Shankey (Portlaw); Grace Farrell (Piltown), Moya Egan (Windgap), Áine Hogan (Mooncoin).
Subs: Emma O’Shea (Piltown) for Áine Hogan (37), Laura Doyle (Windgap) for Emily Cooney (44), Saoirse Barry (Piltown) for Riona Shankey (55).
Scorers: Grace Farrell 0-7 (5fs), Ruby Norris 0-2, Emily Cooney, Molly Quinn, Moya Egan, Blathnaid Keane 0-1 each.
Check out this report and more photos from the final replay in this week's edition of The Nationalist now on sale in local shops