Ursuline Thurles fails to halt relentless Loreto in one-sided All-Ireland Schools decider

Allianz Post Primary Schools Senior A Camogie Final

Ursuline Thurles 0-9

Loreto Kilkenny 4-13

By Michael Dundon

No joy for Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles, whose bid for a first Allianz Post Primary Schools All-Ireland senior camogie title came up short at Gortnahoe on Saturday, where they suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Loreto Secondary School, Kilkenny.

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The Kilkenny side were winning their fourth consecutive title and stamped their authority on the game from the very start. 

Two first-half goals gave them an advantage they never looked like surrendering as the Thurles girls found it very difficult to breach the Kilkenny lines and finished the hour with just three points from play.

Twice previously, the Kilkenny school has denied the Ursulines the national title, and they are due to meet again this weekend in the junior final. There was no disputing the merit of this Kilkenny win. 

A Lucy Boyd goal after eight minutes put them 1-2 to 0-2 ahead, and Emma Hogan added a second goal for them after 22 minutes as they went on to forge a 2-7 to 0-6 interval lead, an advantage which, in the prevailing conditions, was always going to be extremely difficult to counter.

No one could fault the Ursuline girls’ commitment as they gave it everything they had, but Loreto’s experience enabled them to reduce the Thurles threat to a minimum, and they continued to dominate the exchanges in the second half. Six minutes after resuming, Loreto set the seal on their win when Lucy Boyd got their third goal to put the game beyond Ursuline’s reach.

To their credit, the Thurles girls never stopped trying, but the goal they needed to re-ignite their challenge never looked likely. Instead, Loreto added a fourth six minutes later when Leah O’Donovan netted, reducing the remainder of the contest to a formality.

It was a big disappointment for the Ursulines, but they can hold their heads high as they did themselves, their families and their school proud. 

A Munster title is a considerable reward for their efforts during the campaign, with the school’s junior side also in the All-Ireland final, the future looks bright for the school at this level. All the hard work being done to promote the game in the school will surely pay off in the not-too-distant future.

The difficult conditions, a heavy sod and some heavy rain, did not help the lighter Thurles girls, who had top-class performances from goalkeeper Roisin Ferncombe, Kate Dowling, Molly Jones, Mel Flannery, Alice Butler and team captain Caoimh Stakelum, who, despite being tightly policed by the visitors, still made a huge contribution to the Thurles effort.

This is a seriously talented Loreto outfit with key players in all sectors. None more so than Lucy Boyd, who chalked up 2-4 of their tally, all from play. 

She was not alone. Ona Kennedy, Eleanor Doheny, Shauna Mahoney, Holly Ryan and Leah O’Donovan all had big games for the winners as they extended their dominance of colleges senior camogie.

Scorers: Ursuline Thurles: Caoimhe Stakelum (0-8, 0-6f), Mel Flannery 0-1.

Loreto Kilkenny: Lucy Boyd 2-4, Emma Hogan, Leah O’Donovan, 1-0 each, Shauna Mahoney, Eleanor Doheny 0-2 each, Ona Kennedy 0-3f, Holly Ryan, Aoife Kirby 0-1 each.

Ursuline Thurles: Roisin Ferncombe (Clonoulty Rossmore); Orla Gleeson (Knockavilla Kickhams), Louise McGrath (Holycross Ballycahill), Sarah O’Dwyer (Clonoulty Rossmore); Rosie O’Brien (St Patrick’s), Kate Dowling (Moycarkey Borris), Kate Duffy (Burgess); Amy O’Connor (Cahir), Ella Frend (Toomevara); Molly Jones (Moyne Templetuohy), Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields), Ruth Maher (Drom & Inch); Mel Flannery (Cahir), Jessie Shanahan (Slieve Felim Rapparees), Alice Butler (Slieve Felim Rapparees).

Subs used: Clare Fitzgerald (St Patrick’s) for O’Connor (25); Anna Carr (Slieve Felim Rapparees) for Maher (36); Sophie Coughlan (Moycarkey Borris) for McGrath (53).

Loreto Kilkenny: Ella Walton; Jill O’Brien, Erin Morrissey, Grace Brennan; Ciara Hickey, Ona Kennedy, Chloe Teehan; Shannon Doheny, Eleanor Doheny; Holly Ryan, Shauna Mahoney,  Aoife Kirby; Emma Hogan, Lucy Boyd, Leah O’Donovan.

Subs used: Katie Chambers for O’Brien (55); Eva Tynan for O’Donovan (55); Siofraidh Kennedy for Kirby (57).

Referee: James Hegarty (Antrim)

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