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2023 Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Semi-Final – Waterford 1-12 Tipperary 1-11

July 22, 2023 @ 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Waterford defeated Tipperary by 1-12 to 1-11 in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Semi-Final on Saturday July 22nd at UPMC Nowlan Park Kilkenny.

Waterford bridge 78-year gap to reach All-Ireland final

By Daragh Ó Conchúir, at UPMC Nowlan Park

Waterford 1-12 Tipperary 1-11

Waterford recovered from a very poor start to emerge narrow but probably deserved victors of a pulsating Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie semi-final at UPMC Nowlan Park, in the process bridging a gap back to 1945 since their last appearance in a decider.

Beth Carton earned the player-of-the-match honours but she had significant rivals for that honour from the sensational Vikki Faulkner in defence and also in the supreme artistry of Lorraine Bray.

Carton did weigh in with eight points, half of which came from play, but perhaps the most significant overall contribution was that of Mairéad Power, playing far closer to the opposition posts than she is accustomed to and carrying out her marking duties on Tipperary playmaker and joint-captain Karen Kennedy brilliantly.

What’s more, Power’s 25th minute goal was critical in kick-starting the Déise resurgence after falling seven points behind and being a little lucky that that it wasn’t more.

It was only when Kennedy was pushed forward late on that that the gifted Thurles Sarsfields player could impose herself in any way, which is a testament to how well Power carried out her task.

The first half was a magnificent affair played mostly in denting rain. The teams served up a feast however and Waterford probably went in the happiest at the interval, despite trailing by 1-7 to 1-6.

They had scored a goal and three points on the spin after falling seven behind with 20 minutes elapsed and while not able to maintain that scoring rate, they kept Tipp to just two pointed frees for more than a half-hour after Cáit Devane’s 20th minute goal.

Tipp had the better of the opening exchanges with Caoimhe Maher and Grace O’Brien pointing and though Abby Flynn got Waterford off the mark in the fifth minute, they were not looking comfortable at all.

Tipp were breaking the lines too easily and should have had more returns than they did, shooting too early on a few occasions with vast expanses of space in front of them.

At the other side, the blue and gold defended resolutely, getting in a host of blocks and hooks. Eimear McGrath slotted four points from frees and Róisín Howard was having a big impact, leading Denis Kelly’s crew to edge clear.

It was looking very good when Howard pounced on a defensive error, drew the last Waterford player and slipped in Devane, who blitzed a powerful shot high to the far corner of the net.

It was 1-7 to 0-3 but a couple of big plays from Lorraine Bray helped reignite Waterford.

The first was a most sublime and composed jab lift from the turf by Bray into the Power’s hand and the defender by nature rippled the net from close range.

Soon after, Bray came from nowhere to make a block around her own 45 before advancing onto the break and picking up the loose sliotar without breaking stride. She didn’t bring it into her hand either, continuing to glide 50m across the turf with it on her bas, before providing the inch-perfect hand-pass to Carton who made no mistake to split the posts.

Carton finished the half with four points, and Annie Fitzgerald was beginning to cause a lot of trouble, winning frees and also finding the target.

Waterford had two wides at the start of the second half, including a straightforward free from Carton but though Tipp stretched the lead to two twice from frees, they were getting no change from the Déise defence, in which Faulkner maintained her tremendous form this season.
Carton began to spend more time at full-forward and that tactic paid dividends, as the De La Salle sharpshooter threw over a brace of points.

When goalkeeper Brianna O’Regan lofted over a free from her own 65, Waterford were three up.

The Premier continued to battle and points from Kennedy and Devane (free) made it unbearably tense, with Mairéad O’Brien throwing her body in front of a goalbound penalty shot in between those scores, not long after being reintroduced after a five-minute treatment period for a blood wound.

It was heroic, as was the bravery that earned her the injury, and in truth, as important as any goal or point.

It was heartbreaking for Tipperary, who fought valiantly, but it was Waterford’s day.

SCORERS FOR WATERFORD: B Carton 0-8(4fs); M Power 1-0; A Flynn 0-2; A Fitzgerald, B O’Regan(f) 0-1 each
SCORERS FOR TIPPERARY: C Devane 1-2(0-2fs); E McGrath 0-5(fs); R Howard, C Maher, G O’Brien, K Kennedy 0-1 each)

WATERFORD: B O’Regan; V Faulkner, L Forrest, K Lynch, O Hickey, C Carroll, K Corbett Barry, A Flynn, R Walsh, M O’Brien, B Carton, L Bray, M Power, N Rockett, A Fitzgerald
Subs: C Griffin for Walsh (40), A Corcoran for O’Brien temp (51-56), A Landers for Carroll (58), R Kirwan for Griffin (60+2)

TIPPERARY: Á Slattery, E Loughman, M Eviston, K Kennedy, K Blair, J Bourke, A McGrath, T Ryan, C Hennessy, R Howard, Caoimhe Maher, E McGrath, G O’Brien, C Devane, C McIntyre
Subs: C McCarthy for Blair (77), C Quirke for Hennessy (39), N Treacy for E McGrath (60+2)

Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny)

Team News

GLEN DIMPLEX ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CAMOGIE CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS
Tipperary v Waterford, UPMC Nowlan Park, 3.30pm
Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny)
Live on RTÉ2 & RTÉ Player

Waterford haven’t been in a senior All-Ireland for 78 years. It’s 17 for Tipperary, current panellist Mary Ryan having played in that 2006 defeat by Cork.

Meanwhile, it’s 11 years since the final pairing comprised a team other than Cork, Galway or Kilkenny, when Wexford’s legendary outfit completed a three-in-a-row.

The two sides know each other well. Tipperary had the upper hand initially when the Déise made their return to the top tier in 2016. The newbies made the quarter-finals at the third attempt but found Tipp too strong for them in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the Premier ended their hopes at the same stage in 2020 and 2021.

Waterford finally laid the bogey in the group stages last year. It was Tipp’s only defeat and they missed out on reaching the last six for the first time in eight campaigns as a result, on score difference. In the meantime, the Suirsiders finally cleared the quarter-final hurdle and gave Cork a huge fight in the semi, leading entering the final quarter before the Rebels prevailed.

Both squads were under new management this term and Waterford, led by All-Ireland U21 and minor-winning manager Seán Power, won the Division 1B Very League title before recording a first victory over Cork since their return to elite camogie in the Munster Championship. Tipperary dampened the mood quickly though, with a resounding victory on the way to claiming provincial honours.

Tipp boss Denis Kelly had served as coach under Bill Mullaney, who had overseen huge progress. The League was decent, though losing to Kilkenny when a win would have put them through to the Division 1A decider was disappointing.

They chiselled out a draw against their old rivals to ensure top spot in the group however and after a comfortable victory over Antrim, who were also defeated convincingly by Waterford in their group, are back in the semi-finals, having pushed subsequent champions Galway all the way at the penultimate stage two years ago.

Cáit Devane, Karen Kennedy, Róisín Howard and Eimear McGrath are among Tipp’s pivotal performers, while Waterford will be looking to Beth Carton, Niamh Rockett, Lorraine Bray and Annie Fitzgerald among others to perform. Getting the match-ups right could be the decisive factor in this one.

Details

Date:
July 22, 2023
Time:
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Venue

UPMC Nowlan Park Kilkenny

GAA Units

Clare GAA
Cork GAA
Kerry GAA
Limerick GAA
Tipperary GAA
Waterford GAA
US GAA