Another meeting of Kilkenny and Galway in the championship, another pulsating clash in Athenry.
Saturday afternoon turned out to be a cracker in Kenny Park as Galway booked straight passage to the semi-finals of this year’s Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship.
The hosts would take the top spot on scoring difference after a 1-17 to 2-14 draw in ideal conditions for camogie leaving Kilkenny heading to the quarter-finals having already secured progression last time out.
Kilkenny trailed by four points at half-time against Galway but Miriam Walsh’s second goal and a point moved them ahead, only for Catherine Finnerty’s equaliser to snatch the semi-final position at the death.
Three early points from Denise Gaule and Walsh’s first major gave Kilkenny an ideal start but a Sabina Rabbitte goal prompted complete dominance from Galway. Carrie Dolan, Niamh Kilkenny and Dervla Higgins, with a monstrous score, pulled them clear before the Cats came on strongly late on.
With nothing to separate the sides at the death, it’s Galway who head straight to Croke Park – 14 points better off on the scoring charts – where they’ll meet Cork in three weeks time.
For Brian Dowling’s Kilkenny side, it’s a trip to FBD Semple Stadium in two weeks time on Saturday 16 July where they’ll meet Dublin.
While Tipperary did get the better of Cork on Saturday afternoon, the win wasn’t enough to book passage to the quarter-final stages with Limerick and Waterford claiming the two remaining spots.
Those quarter-finals go off as a double header with the Munster grouping throwing in at 3.15pm while Kilkenny and Dublin battle it out from 5.30pm.
Intermediates bow out
For Kilkenny’s intermediates, Saturday marked the end of their championship run.
In a tight enough first half, Kilkenny faded in the second against Meath in group 2 of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland intermediate camogie championship. Meath’s 3-13 to 0-11 win put enough of a difference between themselves and Kilkenny to advance to the quarter-finals on scoring difference.
Derry picked up a good win too over Wexford to make sure of their place in the next phase while Cork head to the semi-finals as group toppers.
In group 1, Carlow wrapped up their summer of camogie with a 1-11 to 1-07 defeat to Dublin, however, their win over Laois last time out was enough to secure intermediate status for the 2023 campaign.
From Carlow’s group, Kerry and Dublin progress to the quarter-finals with Galway straight into the semi-finals.
There’s little rest though with the quarter-finals to be run off on 9 July while UPMC Nowlan Park will host this year’s semi-finals as a double-header on 23 JUly.
