Inter-provincial Camogie final :
Ulster 1-8 Munster 1-4
FIVE different counties contributed players as Ulster retained their inter-provincial camogie title at the Abbotstown Centre of Excellence in Dublin on Sunday. But it took an absolutely brilliant late save from Armagh net-minder Ciarraí Devlin to hold off Munster in an exciting final.
Ulster held a narrow two points’ lead when Ciarraí made that full-length dive to block a shot for full-back Chloe Drain to clear. The sliotar was worked up the field and Sara Louise Carr pointed. Katie McAleese added another point soon after to secure a 1-8 to 1-4 win after they had trailed by 1-2 to 0-2 at the change of ends.
Cavan’s Sinead McKenna and Antrim’s Niamh Donnelly from a free were the Ulster scorers during the first half while Tipperary’s Andrea Loughnane had fired home a goal and a point for a Munster side that had run the northerners close in the round-robin games earlier in the afternoon.
However the Ulster defence worked very hard after the break with Dearbhla Magee, Chloe Drain and Eimear Hayes outstanding in front of Ciarraí Devlin.
Further out Niamh Donnelly drove Ulster forward and experienced players such as Sara Louise Carr and Katie McAleese really stood up to the test when needed.
It was Carr’s goal that put Ulster ahead for the first time and McAleese and Donnelly were also on the score-sheet again as Ulster took a grip and finished four points’ winners.
Earlier in the afternoon in the group games, Ulster defeated Leinster by 3-10 to 0-5 with Carr hitting 2-2 and Donnelly 1-4.
In their second game, they defeated Munster by 0-9 to 1-3 with Armagh’s Rachel Merry top-scoring on five points and Sinéad McKenna two.
The Ulster ladies then put Connacht to the sword winning by 4-7 to 0-10 with the goals coming from Sara Louise Carr (1-3), Rachel Merry (1-1) Christina O’Reilly and Orla Smith.
Ulster team in final : C Devlin, C McCooey, E Hayes, Chloe Drain, E Smyth, D Magee, A Jordan, O Smith, L Donnelly, S Kiernan, Niamh Donnelly (0-2, 0-1 free), S McKenna (0-1), S Fitzsimons, SL Carr (1-3, 0-1 free), Katie McAleese (0-2)
Subs used in final : Maeve Connolly and R Merry (both HT)