Sarsfields of Cork face might of Sarsfields from Galway in All-Ireland semi 

SATURDAY: AIB All-Ireland Camogie semi-final: Sarsfields v Sarsfields, Mallow, 4pm.

IT'S Sarsfields of Cork versus Sarsfields of Galway in a highly anticipated All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday. 

The All-Ireland ‘newbies’ versus one of the club superstars over the past eight years. 2016 and 2017 saw the Galway side lose the All-Ireland finals to Derry’s Slaughtneil. 

Failing to reach the final in 2018, Sarsfields eventually found glory in 2019. A final defeat again in 2020 before back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022 shows the experience and longevity of this impressive side.

The former could stand to them, the latter, maybe their Achilles heel.

With Drom and Inch last Sunday in the Munster final, another side with experience and longevity, their prolonged existence was unable to match a young, light of feet and hungry Sars side.

It was a display showing the best of Sars, undoubtedly their finest of the year to date. 

Are we seeing the development of a side without a weak link? Too soon to be saying that maybe and every day you go out you need to consistently perform to earn that accolade. 

But what is clear is that if Sars do perform they’re a very difficult side to beat. Their county title win, added to with the Munster title last weekend, is immeasurable in terms of confidence. 

They certainly stepped up a gear to win Cork’s first Munster senior club title since Inniscarra in 2018.

What of Sarsfields, Galway? 

A team led by Galway inter-county stars the McGrath sisters, they are Galway senior champions in seven out of the past eight seasons, 2023 being five in a row. 

They have no Connaught competition however and the fact that they haven’t had a game since that county win on Oct 22nd could be an issue whereas Sars had three strong competitive Munster championship games and have developed significantly during that time. 

DEPTH

Michael ‘Hopper’ McGrath, father of the sisters and a former Galway hurler manages the side. 

Siobhán, Orlaith and Clodagh remain key personnel in their line up, Niamh, absent this year, and Siobhán named the AIB club players of the year for 2021/22 and 2022/23, Ciara coming on a sub in their county title win. Tara Kenny, Maria Cooney, and Sarah Spellman are all familiar intercounty names with Cora Kenny and Shannon Corcoran others to win Galway national honours.

But Sars need not be daunted by names or past achievements of their opponents. 

All champions need to win a first, and should they hit the form of last weekend there is every reason to believe that while up against it, they can take down the champions.

Balanced throughout, Sars were led brilliantly during their Munster campaign by Ellen Murphy at full-back. Laura Dunlea and Lucy Kelly also excelling in their full-back line. Molly Lynch can put Sars on the immediate attack with every puck-out and Sars half-forward line don’t lose ball easily. 

Sars half back line, the midfield of Evie Twomey and Ava Fitzgerald is going to demand a lot from their Sarsfields namesake and Orlaith Mullins, Lucy Allen, Hollie Herlihy, Clare Mullins, Kate Fennessy and Kathlyn Sheehan are going to need some watching as all are capable of being match winners.

Sars have nothing to lose here. They just need to go for it.