Ursuline Thurles make it back-to-back A Munster titles with win over Presentation Thurles

Munster Schools Camogie Colleges Senior A  Final

Ursuline Thurles 1-11

Presentation Thurles 0-11

By Michael Dundon

A Caoimhe Stakelum goal after 46 minutes was the decisive score as holders Ursuline Convent, Thurles, saw off the considerable challenge of their neighbours, Presentation Convent, Thurles, to retain their Munster Colleges senior A camogie title in a cliff-hanger at Littleton on Saturday.

It was a victory richly deserved by the champions who were winning the title for the fourth time and third time in four years, but Presentation were left to ponder how things would have gone if they had made greater use of their scoring chances, particularly from frees.

This Thurles  “derby” drew a large crowd to the immaculately presented Littleton venue and they certainly got value for their money as the two teams produced an epic encounter. Significantly, Ursulines were never led, and while they too were guilty of some lapses if their efforts for scores, they always carried the greater attacking threat with Presentation chasing the game from the very start.

A brisk Ursuline opening saw them go three points clear after six minutes through Caoimhe Stakelum and the impressive Sarah Corcoran (2), but the Presentation settled with points from Rachel and Kate Ralph as the contest developed into a right good tussle. 

A brace of Lucy Purcell points kept Ursuline's noses in front but Lucy O’Brien replied similarly for Presentation. Before the break, Ava Bevans(Ursuline) and Rachel Ralph swapped points to leave the holders 0-7 to 0-5 ahead at the break.

Ursuline's greater attacking options had given them the edge in the first half but Presentation looked more energised in the third quarter. Three Rachel Ralph points from frees and another from goalkeeper Molly O’Dwyer, to which Caoimhe Stakelum and Kate Ferncombe replied for Ursulines saw the sides level at the end of the third quarter with the stage set for a grand-stand finish.

Enter Caoimhe Stakelum whose movement was hampered by a knock early in the first half. She won possession thirty meters out and shook off some tackles to blast home what was to prove to be the match-winning goal.

The Presentation were by no means done and they gave it everything in a ding-dong last quarter but though they had another brace of Rachel Ralph points to which Danielle Ryan and Sarah Corcoran replied for Ursulines, the challengers could not bridge the gap and the cup stayed with Ursulines, adding to the previous success in 2017, 2020 and 2023.

Ursulines will now bid to go one further than last year as they face up to an All-Ireland semi-final. They lined out without defender Caoimhe Fitzgibbon who they will be hoping will be available for the semi-final. They have a very talented outfit with Paula Quirke and Rachel Phelan excelling in defence. Sarah Corcoran was a dominant figure at midfield while up front Lucy Purcell and Caoimhe Stakelum were always a threat.

Presentation, who won the last of their three titles in 2018, can take a lot of pride in their performance but they lacked the scoring threat of the opposition. Four points from play is simply not good enough to win a championship.  

They were without the influential Eva Ralph, who was suspended, her absence from the heart of the defence, a huge loss. Their courage and commitment was beyond question with stand-out performances from goalkeeper Molly O’Dwyer, Caitlin Shelly, Una Duggan, Kate Ralph, Emer Dwan, and Lucy O’Brien.

Ursuline: Orla Ryan (Clonoulty Rossmore); Rachel Phelan (Emeralds), Allison Fitzgerald (Holycross), Emma Corcoran (Moycarkey Borris); Aoife Bourke (Clonoulty Rossmore), Aoife Kavanagh (Emeralds), Paula Quirke (Boherlahan Dualla); Danielle Ryan (Boherlahan Dualla, 0-1), Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey Borris, 0-3); Kate Ferncombe (Clonoulty Rossmore, 0-1), Robbyn Fitzgerald (Holycross Ballycahill), Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields, 0-3); Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields, 1-2), Maria Ralph (Thurles Sarsfields), Anna Bevans, (Borris-Ileigh,0-1).

Subs used: Jane Corcoran (Moycarkey Borris) for Ralph; Isabelle Carr (Holycross Ballycahill) for R Fitzgerald.

Presentation: Molly O’Dwyer (Moycarkey Borris, 0-1); Leanna Coppinger (Thurles Sarsfields), Una Duggan (St Anne’s), Kate O’Keeffe (Moycarkey Borris); Caitlin Shelley (Moycarkey Borris), Lucy Callanan (Moycarkey Borris), Sophie Maher (Clonoulty Rossmore); Kate Ralph (Moycarkey Borris,0-2), Aoife O’Grady (St Anne’s); Lucy O’Brien (St Patrick’s, 0-2), Grace Flanagan (Cashel King Cormacs), Emer Dwan (Cashel King Cormacs); Caoimhe Doyle (Holycross Ballycahill), Rachel Ralph (Moycarkey Borris, 0-6), Ciara Shelley (Moycarkey Borris).

Subs used: Elanna McGrath (Holycross Ballycahill) for Doyle; Danielle Butler(Éire Óg Annacarty) for O’Grady.

Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork)