Loreto Kilkenny and Ursuline Thurles battle it out for All-Ireland glory

A scoring burst in the opening minutes of each half from Lucy Boyd put Loreto Kilkenny in the ascendancy in Gortnahoe yesterday afternoon and on their way to retain the Allianz Corn Sceilge All-Ireland senior camogie title at the expense of Ursuline Thurles whom they also defeated in the 2024 final.

It was Loreto’s fourth successive crown and 11th since their first 16 years ago. They were good value for their victory with their defence shutting out the threat posed by Tipperary senior player Caoimhe Stakelum and Alice Butler. The Doheny twins commanded the midfield battle particularly in the first half, while Boyd, Holly Ryan and Shauna Mahoney created problems throughout for the under pressure Thurles defence.

There were six different Loreto players on the score-board by the end of the first half, while Stakelum scored all six points in reply for Ursuline to keep them in the running at the break with a gap of 2-7 to 0-6.

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Stakelum, the team captain and younger sister of McCarthy Cup winners Conor and Daragh, fired over the first score of the game. She then responded to a point from Shauna Mahoney with a free that had been brought forward in the 5th minute.

However Lucy Boyd put Loreto in control over the next five minutes. She hit a goal and two points from just three possessions. Although Stakelum kept floating over points from distance, the gap opened further when Leah O’Donovan’s shot was saved by Roisín Fercombe in the 24th minute only for Emma Hogan to force it over the line.

Loreto stepped up the pressure in the early stages of the second half and Boyd stretched their lead to 3-7 to 0-6 with a goal in the 34th minute similar to the one she scored in the 7th minute of the first half.

Stakelum immediately responded with a point, but Leah O’Donovan put the game out of Ursuline’s reach with Loreto’s fourth goal in the 42nd minute.

While Ona Kennedy turned the screw from frees in the final quarter, Boyd managed to double her first half tally of 1-2 to pick up the Player of the Match award and more importantly to continue Loreto’s dominance of Post Primary schools’ camogie.

The schools will meet again this Friday for Corn Gobnait, the under 16 All-Ireland final.

Loreto - L Boyd 2-4, L O’Donovan and E Hogan 1-0 each, O Kennedy 0-3 fs, S Mahoney 0-2, E Dohney, H Ryan, A Kirby and K Dowling 0-1 each.

Ursuline - C Staklelum 0-8, 6fs, A Butler 0-1

Full match report and reaction to follow from Aoife Lanigan in this week's Kilkenny People

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