Dec 02,2024
The 2024 AIB All-Ireland senior club camogie final will be a clash between Galway side Sarsfields, who will be competing in their eighth final in nine campaigns, and Clare's Truagh-Clonlara.
The Banner women won't just be making their first appearance in the showpiece club occasion, but will also be the first Clare club ever to stand just 60 minutes away from lifting the Bill and Agnes Carroll Cup.
The manner of their progression through to the 15 December decider at Croke Park was similar for both sides however, as Loughgiel Shamrocks and St Vincents both pushed their West of Ireland opponents to the wire in their semi-final clashes.
Going into the closing stages at Walsh Park, it looked like St Vincents were the more likely side to progress in their battle with the Munster champions, but Áine O’Loughlin, Aoibhinn Marren and Becky Foley struck the last three points of the game to seal an 0-11 to 0-09 win for Truagh-Clonlara.
There was never anything between the sides in Waterford, and five times the scores were level over the course of the hour.
Dublin stars Aisling Maher and Anna Sullivan got some key scores before half-time to help St Vincent’s lead by 0-07 to 0-04 at the break, albeit after playing with the aid of the breeze, and the advantage shifted back towards the South Clare side when two points each for O’Loughlin and Eimear Kelly nudged them into the lead.
A stunning save from Dara Cooke to deny Foley left the Dubliners in the game and they led with just over five minutes to play, Sullivan taking the lead score, before Truagh-Clonlara struck with a decisive finish.
At Kingspan Breffni Park, Catherine Dobbin gave Loughgiel Shamrocks the dream start with an early goal when she took advantage of Annie Lynn’s brave block to scoop up the loose sliotar and fire it to the net after three minutes, as the Antrim camógs looked to avenge their 2022 All-Ireland final defeat to Sarsfields.
The upset looked to be on when Róisín McCormack made it 2-01 to 0-00 with less than five minutes played, and their lead was out to nine when Dobbin played in Lucia McNaughton and the centre-forward took a hard hit and still swept the ball to the net to make it 3-03 to 0-03 midway through the first half.
Had they held that lead for more than a few minutes, their Galway opponents might have started to feel the pressure, but instead a Niamh McGrath free from midfield was allowed to bounce and on the uneven turf, Eimear Boyle didn’t gather it before it crossed the line.
Caoimhe Kelly’s excellent score before half-time made it 3-04 to 1-06 at the break, and Kelly was also the scorer of the vital point from the left wing in the 60th minute that gave Sarsfields their first lead of the game, with Siobhán McGrath and McCormack trading frees to leave it 1-16 to 3-09 at the final whistle.
