TeamKit Senior Camogie Championship Final
Loughgiel v Dunloy
Date: Sunday 13 October 2024
Venue: Páirc Mhuire, Bun Abhann Dalla
Throw in: 3pm
Referee: Shane McDonnell (Glenariffe)
The race for the O’Duffy Cup reaches its final hurdle on Sunday afternoon as two old rivals go head to head. Cushendall plays host to Loughgiel and Dunloy as the Shamrocks go on the hunt for 11 in a row while the Cuchullains are looking for a 12th title in their history but a first since 2003.
Sunday will be the culmination of eight weeks, 12 games and by the final whistle we will have one winner. These two have proven all year to be the best in the county and the final promises to be a cracker.
This will be the fifth time this year they have played each other, the head to head sits at two wins apiece with one win each in the league while Dunloy wrestled the senior Feis away from the Shamrocks grasp and defeated them along the way.
The Loughgiel victory is probably more relevant at this stage. Played in Fr Healy Park and in the round robin of the championship, Loughgiel fired a warning shot across the county with a 20 point win. The final score 6-10 to 0-8 for the Shamrocks who’s win sealed their route direct to the final.
That match will be four weeks ago by the time the sliotar is thrown in on Sunday afternoon and because of the concession by Brídíní Óga in the last group game, it was the last time the Loughgiel camogs have played competitively. Much like their hurling counterparts, it’s far from ideal.
A quick look at the scoring charts for the championship so far and Roisin McCormick has once again been phenomenal for Loughgiel. She has 2-23 (15f) beside her name while the Cuchullains have Nicole McAtamney (0-38 26f) and Katie Molloy (5-14) leading the way. Both teams showing their capabilities to grab majors with Dunloy raising the green flag 18 times in their 5 matches while Loughgiel’s strike rate is similar, 11 goals in 3 games.
The Shamrocks will be looking to McCormick for the magic she can undoubtedly produce while there are other threats throughout. Caitrin Dobbin, Annie Lynn, Lucia McNaughton and Anna Connolly all found the back of the net when these two last played.
The Cuchullains have equally as many threats with Katie Molloy proving to be a goal scoring machine in the championship to date but she has plenty of support from Cassie McArthur, Bronagh Magill, Nicole McAtamney brings so much more than just her frees while Eobha McAllister has the speed and ability to cause plenty of concern despite her young age.
The winning of this game will come down to who can contain their opponents attacking threat the best. Dunloy have shipped six goals to the Shamrocks on two occasions this year, Gabriel Crawford and his backroom team won’t need reminding of that. They made positional changes in the Cuchullains defence for the Cushendall semi-final with Sarah McIlhatton and Kathryn Boyle retaining the same positions while Aileen McManus made a return to the starting lineup by lining out between the sticks.
Conor Higgins is now in his second season in charge of the Loughgiel camogs and while he may have run the rule over his squad in the league, his championship team looks to have been much more settled. Amy Boyle and Anna Connolly will likely form their midfield pairing with Claire McKillop, Katie Lynn and Finvola McVeigh forming their full back line.
These two sides have played each other in two other finals in recent times, Loughgiel coming out on top in 2021 (3-12 to 1-9) and 2022 (0-9 to 0-6). That contest in 2022 was played in horrendous weather conditions at Glenravel and one hopes the weather God’s will be kinder to us than they were on that day and indeed, last weekend!
Loughgiel camogs have been a force of nature for over a decade now and many have come up against the red and white with hopes of causing an upset. However, the Shamrocks have been relentless in their pursuit of county and provincial if not All-Ireland glory. They will start Sunday as favourites given how the most recent contest between the two finished but the Cuchullains have been building towards the big one, winning the league and Feis for the first time in a long, long time. Don’t be surprised if the O’Duffy Cup finds a new home on Sunday.
Line ups for their last game…
Dunloy v Cushendall semi-final
Aileen McManus, Sarah McIlhatton, Brid Magill, Kathryn Boyle, Casey Crawford, Katie Laverty, Caoimhe Conlon, Eimear Johnston, Katharine Mullan, Nicole McAtamney, Eobha McAllister, Bronagh Magill, Aine Magill, Katie Molloy, Cassie McArthur
Loughgiel v Dunloy last group game
Amy Boyle, Clare McKillop, Katie Lynn, Finvola McVeigh, Maria Lynn, Emma McFadden, Shauna Devlin, Amy Boyle, Anna Connolly, Christine McCloskey, Lucia McNaughton, Annie Lynn, Caitrin Dobbin, Roisin McCormick, Anna McKillop, Marie Laverty