Galway camogie teams aim to pull off a hat-trick of titles

A hat-trick of national titles is the carrot dangling for Galway camogie supporters this weekend as three teams go in search of victory.

Galway’s seniors will look to retain their National Camogie League crown when they face Kilkenny on Sunday (Semple Stadium, 1.30pm) in a double header with the hurling league decider between Clare and Waterford.

Galway defeated Cork 2-15 to 2-12 in the 2015 showpiece and will hope that Niamh Kilkenny will become the county’s first two-time winning captain. Ollie Bergin’s side are on six wins from six and will have every reason to be confident, but meet a Kilkenny outfit who will share equal expectations.

Ann Downey’s team were league champions in 2014 and the Noresiders remain one of the country’s most formidable teams.  Their spring form has been strong every year while they did go down narrowly in the 2013 and 2014 All-Ireland finals.

After wins over Derry and Waterford, Kilkenny went down narrowly to Cork (1-9 to 0-11) before securing a must win final group game over Limerick. And despite Tipperary pushing them to extra-time in the semi-final, goals for Denise Gaule and Julie Ann Malone helped Kilkenny to a 2-13 to 0-15 win.

Their squad features household names with former All-Stars Colette Dormer, Aoife Neary, Michelle Quilty and Katie Power on the bench. Emma Kavanagh is a solid goalkeeper; Jacqui Frisby and Edwina Keane are top defenders while Gaule and Shelly Farrell are among the country’s lethal forwards. Throw-in three-time All-Star Ann Dalton, who is formidable at centre back, midfield or centre forward, and Galway have a huge test ahead.

But Galway’s side also features big names and they had to call on all their reserves of character to get past Limerick two weeks ago (1-11 to 0-13).  After dispatching Tipperary, Dublin, Offaly, Wexford and Clare to top Group A, the Tribeswomen were put to the pin of their collar to get past John Tuohy’s team.

Aoife Donohue’s early goal proved essential though it did take late points for Molly Dunne and Niamh McGrath to get them over the line. Dunne was making her return from club duties and was influential when introduced as was Ann Marie Starr while the return of Orlaith McGrath, one year after her cruciate injury, also gave the team a massive lift.

Bergin has given his panel a look during the league and will have that wanted selection headache on Sunday and come the summer  Shauna Burke should hold her place in goal; Sarah Dervan, Heather Cooney, Rebecca Hennelly and Lorraine Ryan are key defenders; Shauna Healy is looking secure in midfield; while Donohue, Kilkenny, McGrath and O’Reilly are the major names up front.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.