Kildare edge out Clare to win intermediate All-Ireland

All-Ireland women’s intermediate final: Kildare 2-11 Clare 2-10

By Eoin Brennan

Kildare maintained their dominance over Clare but only after surviving a late backlash to secure their first TG4 All-Ireland intermediate title in seven years in Croke Park.

Having already overcome the Banner twice in 2023 as well as the 2016 final, Diane O’Hora’s side looked to be heading for a comfortable hat-trick until the concession of two late goals.

Eight points clear entering the final 10 minutes after successfully protecting the cushion of first half goals for Trina Duggan and Ellen Dowling, the Banner backlash was ignited in the 52nd minute when Chloe Moloney’s free was parried by Mary Hulgraine, only for Fidelma Marrinan to flick the rebound to the net while three minutes later Moloney got a deft flick to a Ciara McCarthy delivery to find the net and tee up a grandstand finish.

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Clare had also started the brighter with a brace of Fidelma Marrinan frees by the sixth minute. However, there was a major indication of Kildare’s intent when only two minutes later Claire Sullivan struck the crossbar while Neasa Dooley’s rebound was superbly saved at point blank range by goalkeeper Amy Lenihan.

Clare failed to heed that warning sign and were duly punished in the tenth minute when Kildare again sliced open their defence as Dooley turned provider for Trina Duggan to sidestep the last defender and fire to the bottom left corner of the net.

Sandwiched by a trio of Roisin Byrne points, the Lilywhites soared 1-3 to 0-2 clear nearing the end of the opening quarter, an advantage that they maintained before being presented with a gift in the 20th minute.

Ellen Dowling intercepted a Clare kick-out to fire to an empty net and followed quickly by Byrne’s fifth point of the afternoon, Kildare powered to a 2-6 to 0-5 interval advantage.

Having failed to register a single point from play in the opening period, the Banner found it equally difficult to make inroads on the resumption as scorer-in-chief Byrne kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Leinster side to match whatever their opponents could throw at them.

Aisling Reidy had a chance to alter the narrative at the three-quarter mark, only to see her shot just drift outside the top left corner of Mary Hulgraine’s post.

However, the Banner’s best was to come and while they did have chances to force extra-time, Kildare admirably held firm to secure only their second TG4 All-Ireland intermediate crown.

KILDARE: M Hulgraine; L Burke, L Lenehan, A Clifford; L Murtagh, R Sargent, L Gilbert (0-1); G Clifford, A Rattigan; C Sullivan, E Dowling (1-1), T Duggan (1-0); N Dooley (0-2), R Byrne (0-7, five frees), L Curran. Subs: G Kenneally for Duggan (41), M Doherty for Rattigan (46), F Troute for Burke (46, inj), O Sullivan for Curran (51)

CLARE: A Lenihan; G Harvey, S Ní Chonaill, A Keane; L Griffin, C Harvey, O Devitt; A Reidy, C Blake (0-2); L Ryan, F Marrinan (1-5, five frees), C Cahill; A Sexton, C Moloney (1-3, three frees), L Griffey. Subs: M Downes for Griffin (12), C McCarthy for Griffey (39), R Looney for Griffey (44), S Considine for Sexton (48), J Doohan for Devitt (57)

Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo).

All-Ireland women’s junior final: Down 1-7 Limerick 0-8

By Daire Walsh

A 43rd-minute goal from substitute Orla Swail was crucial at Croke Park as Down secured their second TG4 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship crown at the expense of Limerick.

Previous winners of the competition in 2000, the Ulster side have sealed an automatic return to the intermediate grade after suffering relegation at the end of 2022. Natasha Ferris amassed an impressive tally of 0-5 to supplement Swail’s clinical finish and while Caoimhe McGrath kicked four points for their opponents, Limerick fell just short in their quest for a third junior title.

After Ferris had broken the deadlock with a routine free in the third-minute, Limerick opened their account with a superb individual point from play by McGrath. Promoted to the starting line-up following an impressive performance off the bench in their semi-final win against Fermanagh, McGrath subsequently knocked over a brace of frees to give Limerick an early two-point advantage.

Yet Ferris began this contest four points clear of Clare’s Fidelma Marrinan in the race for the ZuCar Golden Boot award and she contributed a quick-fire 0-2 salvo to bring the Mourne women back on level terms.

While dead-ball specialist McGrath was on hand to restore Limerick’s advantage, Down regained control with back-to-back points from attackers Aimee O’Higgins and Ferris. This offered the Ulster champions a slender 0-5 to 0-4 cushion at the break, but this was wiped out by a Deborah Murphy point on the run straight after the resumption.

Her half-forward colleague Karen O’Leary also split the uprights moments later to move Limerick back into the ascendancy, only for O’Higgins to once again restore parity with her second of the day on 38 minutes.

In their last-four encounter with Carlow, it was a late goal by Swail that ultimately propelled Down towards victory and the Carryduff ace repeated those heroics by unleashing an unstoppable shot to the opposite net just five minutes after her introduction.

This suddenly moved Down three points ahead moving into the final-quarter and even though Iris Kennelly raised a white flag for Limerick, Graham Shine’s charges suffered a setback when O’Leary was sinbinned on 54 minutes.

Ferris and Treaty cornerback Meadhbh McNamara traded scores in the closing moments, but Down – All-Ireland intermediate champions in 2014 – held out for a hard-earned triumph.

DOWN: A McGivern; A Greene, C Byrne, O Boyle; N McKibbin, M Doherty, O Duffy; A Laverty, A Brogan; N Scullion, V McCormack, L Duffy; E Fitzpatrick, N Ferris (0-5, two frees), A O’Higgins (0-2). Subs: C Mulvenna for McCormack (h-t), O Swail (1-0) for Fitzpatrick, P Smyth for Laverty (both 38), K McKay for O’Higgins (42), E Martin for Doherty (57).

LIMERICK: C Bateman; A Quaid, Y Lee, M MacNamara (0-1); G Lee, L Walshe, L Ryan; R Ambrose, F Bradshaw; D Murphy (0-1), K O’Leary (0-1), C Mee; L Coughlan, A Ryan, C McGrath (0-4, three frees). Subs: K Heelan for Bradshaw (32), I Kennelly (0-1) for A Ryan (39), A O’Sullivan for McGrath (51).

Referee: Angela Gallagher (Dublin).