BY KEVIN EGAN
ALL-IRELAND champions Cork, who have lost five Very Camogie League Division 1A (top tier) finals since their last victory all the way back in 2013, confirmed their place in the 2025 decider after they travelled The Ragg and picked up a 1-12 to 0-7 victory over League champions Tipperary.
Galway’s 1-16 to 0-13 win over Dublin in Kilbeacanty means that they are the current holders of second spot, but they have to travel to Cork next Saturday afternoon, more than likely needing to match Tipperary’s result against Waterford if they are to hold onto that other berth in the final.
Meanwhile at the other end of the table, Kilkenny picked up a crucial 2-18 to 2-13 win over Waterford in their local derby at UPMC Nowlan Park, lifting them off the foot of the table.
The wind was a huge factor in The Ragg in Cork's win, with Tipp holding out well for the first 15 minutes into the elements. They trailed by just a single point when Grace O’Brien hoisted over a fine strike from the sideline in the 16th minute, but Kate Wall replied with a good score in traffic on the next attack, and that kicked off a run of 1-6 unanswered from Cork.
In a good physical contest where referee Liz Dempsey let both teams play freely, Clodagh Finn, Laura Hayes (two), Orlaith Cahalane and Katrina Mackey all used the breeze well to raise white flags from open play. Cahalane also showed incredibly vision to flick a 15-metre pass into Mackey for a goal two minutes before half-time, a score that proved to be a hammer blow to Tipperary’s hopes of securing a big psychological win against their neighbours.
In the second half, Cork’s defensive play was absolutely immense, with Laura Treacy and Hannah Looney very impressive across the half-back line. On the one occasion when Clodagh McIntyre cut through to try and bring Tipperary to life, Amy Lee prevented the ball from going under the crossbar with one of the best saves anyone will see on any pitch this year, and it was a testament to the vice-like grip that the Cork defence had on their Tipp opponents that the Premier women failed to register a score from play at any stage.
