Elated Eire Ogs clinch Bridie McMenamin Ulster Shield

Éire Óg Carrickmore 1-13   Greenlough 0-7

A HISTORIC day for the Éire Ógs – and an accomplishment that will be rightly cherished by all those who have rowed in behind camogie in the club since it was re-established exactly two decades ago.

Last Sunday, on home soil at Pairc Éire Óg, an immensely talented group of camogs seized their opportunity to win a first ever Bridie McMenamin Shield, the prestigious Ulster title named in honour of the Tattyreagh camogie stalwart whose unimpeachable legacy continues to live on.

They didn’t have it all their own way – Éire Óg faced into an unforgiving breeze in the first-half and led by a solitary point for the break, but they upped the ante and eventually ran out comfortable enough victors against a Greenlough team that in fairness never threw in the towel.

Leading the way on the scoring front was Aoibhinn Daly, one of a host of talented dual-stars on the team. For long stretches of the second-half in particular, she was simply awesome.

Aoibhinn scored 10 points, four from play but it was her bravery in winning and maintaining possession that impressed just as much as her exhibition of shot-taking.

Sorcha Gormley, a real live-wire in attack, scored a crucial goal, Niamh McElduff notched two from play, and just as importantly, they held firm at the back, exemplified by the efforts of their inspirational captain Ailse Coyle.

Singled out for praise in Ailse’s winning speech was Bríd Uí Dhonnghaile – an integral member of the management team who has been a driving force in camogie in the club day-after-day and year-after-year since its very, very beginning. Yesterday’s ground-breaking win was vindication for the efforts of both Bríd and other devoted club volunteers.

The game itself was played at a frantic pace. The middle third was hotly contested – and you’d have expected nothing less given an Ulster title was at stake – but the Éire Ógs were much more potent up front and had the game virtually sewn up with a quarter of an hour remaining. Indeed, Greenlough didn’t muster a single point from play across the entire 60 minutes, a testament to a ferociously determined defensive effort from the victors.

The Carrickmore-based side had the better of the opening exchanges, racing into a 0-3 to no score lead after only six minutes from play with Daly pointing two frees and Niamh McElduff getting her first of two points from play.

However, the stiff breeze made its presence felt as they totted up quite a number of wides in the first-half, opening the door for Greenlough to work their way into the game.

It took the Derry team 17 minutes to get their first point, a free from Conla Kerr, and they added another shortly thereafter, again from Kerr.

Daly tagged on on a free before Greenlough were awarded a penalty when their full-forward Ashlene Hackett was bundled over in the square. The same player miscued when she stepped up to take the penalty, her effort blazing high and over the bar in the 23rd minute.

It turned out to be the final score of the half as the Éire Óg rearguard reasserted itself with timely interventions from the likes of Emma Cait Gallagher, Aobh Bennett and their skipper Ailse Coyle.

With the scoreboard reading 0-4 to 0-3 at the interval, the game had yet to really catch fire but it was evident from early in the second-half that Éire Óg were bringing a level of dynamism that their opponents would struggle to deal with.

They opened up a 0-6 to 0-3 advantage with Daly’s latest free and a fine score from play from Niamh McElduff, and that fed into a ten-minute purple-patch where they outscored their opponents by 1-4 to 0-2, inarguably the defining period of the game.

Aoibhinn Daly was outstanding throughout the second-half and she scored two superb points on the trot, leaving her direct marker for dust on both occasions. She was double-marked on occasion and still Greenlough couldn’t get a handle on her.

With 45 minutes on the clock, Éire Óg got the only goal of the game, the lightning fast Sorcha Gormley trading passes with Daly before her dropping effort slipped beyond the reaches of Greenlough net-minder Catherine O’Boyle.

Greenlough to their credit responded with two pointed frees from Conla Kerr, but Éire Óg made it 1-10 to 0-5 when Daly weighed in with her latest point from play, another fantastic effort where she won possession in the middle of the park and surged forward before flicking over another important score.

Daly was nigh on unmarkable at this stage and knocked over a ’45’ before Carrickmore defender Órla Coyle and goalkeeper Tara Haughey, whose puck-outs were superb, combined to stop a goal chance down the other end of the pitch.

The game was as good as over as injury time approached, Sorcha Gormley assisting two late scores from Daly and sub Áine Sherry. Greenlough got the final score of the game, another free, but it was immaterial on a day that belonged squarely to the camogs of Éire Ógs, who were full value for their first-ever Bridie McMenamin Shield title.

Scorers

Éire Óg Carrickmore: Aoibhinn Daly (0-10, 5f, 1 ‘45’), Sorcha Gormley (1-0), Niamh McElduff (0-2), Áine Sherry (0-1)

Greenlough: Conla Kerr (0-6f), Aine McPeake (0-1f)

Teams

Éire Óg Carrickmore: Tara Haughey, Néamhann Ní Dhonnghaile, Emma Cait Gallagher, Aobh Bennett, Órla Coyle, Ailse Coyle, Órlaith McElduff, Léanne McKernan, Ciara Clarke, Sorcha Gormley, Cora McEvoy, Aoibhinn Daly, Niamh McElduff, Ashlene Hackett, Róise Kerr.

Subs: Máire Kerr, Bláthnait Kerr and Áine Sherry for Hackett, McKernan and McEvoy

Greenlough: Catherine O’Boyle, Erin Henry, Dervla Kerr, Anna Mullan, Chloe McGarry, Meabh McIlvar, Hannah O’Neill, Eimear O’Neill, Lauren McGlinchey, Connla Kerr, Shannon O’Neill, Leah Marron, Aoife Rocks, Aine McPeake, Claire Henry.

Subs: Cara Marron for O’Neill, Maria Mullan for McPeake.