By 
CAMOGIE- ALL IRELAND JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Éire Óg, Carrickmore 2-7 St Kevin’s 1-5
By Niall Gartland
A PERFORMANCE of ferocious intensity from the first moment to the last. The Éire Óg camogs were in no mood to let this golden opportunity pass them by, and their sheer relentlessness was rewarded with a historic All-Ireland title – the latest in a conveyor belt of high-profile trophies that have visited the club over the last 12 months.
Staged at the National Sports Campus on the northern outskirts of Dublin early on Saturday afternoon, the Éire Ógs swatted aside their Louth-based opponents who were evidently a fine team in their own right, albeit they could have no complaints as they were a distinct second best on the day.
First-half goals from dual star Sorcha Gormley (she won’t forget 2025 in a hurry) and Leanne McKernan paved the way for a Hollywood ending to an already glorious season, and the players mingled happily with proud-as-punch family, friends and supporters, all of whom traveled in their numbers, after the various presentations and speeches.
Between last year’s Bridie McMenamin title and this season’s Tyrone Intermediate success and provincial and All-Ireland triumphs, it’s been a landmark, almost dream-like, period for the Carrickmore-based club – and that’s without even mentioning the hurlers, who are counting down the days to next weekend’s All-Ireland Intermediate Championship semi-final.
In terms of how it all panned out, it was frantic stuff from the opening whistle with midfield pairing Sorcha Gormley and Ciara Clarke setting the tone for a five star performance with two early blocks.
Joint-captain Aoibhinn Daly, who also got through a mountain of work in the middle third, nailed a 55-metre free with the wind at her back to open the scoring, and she again converted from the dead ball to open up a 0-2 to no score lead with 10 minutes on the clock.
St Kevin’s were struggling to clear their lines thanks to the intensity of the Éire Óg challenge, and one wayward effort was picked up by Leanne McKernan, who played it across to the on-song Daly who powered through and converted their third score of the hour.
Whenever St Kevin’s did manage to forage upfield, their efforts were invariably repelled by excellent defending from the entire Éire Óg rearguard, with Órlaith McElduff catching the eye with some really outstanding interceptions.
Their opponents once again found themselves hemmed in when the loose sliotar was ferried across to Sorcha Gormley, who not only used her lightning pace to great effect, but deceived two defenders with really classy stick-work en route to firing home the first goal of the game with 16 minutes on the clock.
The second goal arrived shortly thereafter when Leanne McKernan was on hand at the back-post to volley to the net after an enterprising delivery caught the St Kevin’s goalkeeper on the hop.
2-3 to no score, it was looking like we could be in for a rout, though to be fair St Kevin’s dug their heels in and finished the half strongly, getting their first score of the hour via captain Róisin Maguire following a purposeful raid forward.
Then in injury time of the first half, Amy Murray scored a fairly fortuitous goal leaving it 2-3 to 1-1 as dead-line approached, though Éire Óg had the final say of the half when Daly steered over a tricky free to help settle her team again.
A six-point lead was by no means unassailable given St Kevin’s would hold the wind advantage in the second-half, so it was still very much all to play for with All-Ireland honours on the line.
Niamh McElduff floated over a lovely point to stretch Éire Óg’s lead early in the second-half, though St Kevin’s responded with a Lucy Sheridan free which was awarded after some really good build-up play.
Sorcha Gormley was absolutely everywhere and after a threatening raid forward was bundled to the turf, after which Daly did the rest from the dead ball.
St Kevin’s kept them on their toes, however, with another score, this time from half-back Aoife Gregory, but they had to work so hard to even get a sniff of the posts, such was the resoluteness of the Éire Óg defending.
With a quarter-of-an-hour remaining Éire Óg led by double scores (2-6 to 1-3) and it was a long enough way back for St Kevin’s.
All they had to do was keep the door shut at the back and that would be enough, but they added another score as well, Niamh McElduff’s second of the day after superb interplay with McKernan.
St Kevin’s threw on a few subs and their goalkeeper Tara Reilly moved outfield in a last-ditch bid to mount a comeback. Amy Murray split the posts with an excellent score as full-time approached, but they were running out of time and all that they could muster for the remainder of the contest was a 63rd minute point from Lucy Sheridan.
The Éire Óg players could afford to savour the final few moments as they held out for a thoroughly deserved 2-7 to 1-5 victory. Another historic day – and while there’s been quite a few of them over the course of a remarkable season, there’s no doubt that an All-Ireland title tops the lot.
Scorers
Éire Óg: Aoibhinn Daly (0-5, 0-4f), Sorcha Gormley and Leanne McKernan (1-0 each), Niamh McElduff (0-2)
St Kevin’s: Amy Murray (1-1), Lucy Sheridan (0-2, 1f), Roisin Maguire and Aoife Gregory,
Teams
Éire Óg: Tara Haughey, Néamhann Ní Dhonnghaile, Emma Cáit Gallagher, Aoibh Kerr, Bláthnait Kerr, Róise Kerr, Órlaith McElduff, Sorcha Gormley, Ciara Clarke, Leanne McKernan, Niamh McElduff, Aoibhinn Daly, Neasa McElroy, Michaela Daly, Kate Hughes. Subs: Aobh Bennett for A Kerr, Aoibhinn Gallagher for Hughes, Minnie McCallan for M Daly
St Kevin’s: Tara Reilly, Caoimhin Mason, Leah Cunningham, Sophie Cunningham, Aoife Gregory, Claragh Cunningham, Carole Ann Logue, Aoife Carroll, Roisin Maguire, Gemma Murray, Lucy Sheridan, Grainne Murray, Amy Murray, Katie Matthews, Lily Carter. Subs: Grace King for Carter, Lauren Gregory for Murray, Mary Taaffe for S Cunningham
Referee: Karol Collins (Galway)