Cork U23 camogie team can make home comforts count in All-Ireland semi-final

Glen Dimplex All-Ireland U23 Camogie Championship semi final: Cork V Tipperary, Saturday, June 28th, Castle Road,  2pm.

Cork and Tipperary will battle it out for a place in the inaugural Glen Dimplex All-Ireland U23 camogie final when they meet in Castle Road on Saturday at 2pm.

Both sides will be determined to make it to the final and in the second semi-final, Galway play host to Kilkenny, also on Saturday.

When the sides met in round two Cork in Tipperary Cork had a resounding 3-19 to 0-8 victory and they went on to finish top of the group as they overcame all opponents. 

Tipperary had wins over Kilkenny and Waterford, but lost out to a Galway that were the only team to really push Cork.

Through this competition Cork have been the stand-out team.

They made a huge statement of form their first outing with a 2-16 to 0-8 victory over Kilkenny, but due to an alleged substitution infringement, Cork were notified last week that the points were deducted from them for this game, but it didn’t matter, as they had done enough to ensure they topped the group with wins over Galway, Waterford and Tipperary.

When the sides met in round two a lot more would have been expected from Tipperary.

It took extra time to separate the sides when they met in the Munster final back in February with Cork only edging it narrowly in the finish. 

They are under the management of Bill Mullaney, who guided Tipperary to last year’s All-Ireland Junior Final and several of this squad have helped form the U23 team.

Their line out features a mix of experienced juniors and players from minor teams of the last few years. 

Maria Connolly, who captains the side is joined by several players from last year’s Junior All-Ireland panel, including the hugely influential Anna and Lilly Fahie, Grace Maloney, Lorna Ryan and the experienced Aoife Dwyer. 

Tipperary were All-Ireland minor champions in 2024 and players making the step up to U23 ranks include Ciara Shelly and Ava Bevans.

Cork have had impressive displays from Amy Sheppard, Claudia Keane and Niamh McNabola and, with four senior panelists available to them, the U23 mentors have a strong starting fifteen.

Orlaith Mullins, Ava Fitzgerald, Millie Condon and Meadhbh Ring are excellent performers and have all contributed hugely as Cork have progressed. 

Defensively, they have impressed in four games, conceding just twenty points and no goals. 

Daire O’Brien, Eimear Duignan, Laura Dunlea and Meadhbh Ring are amongst those who have been to the fore. 

Up front, they have kept the scoreboard busy, notching up the scores, hitting an impressive nine goals and seventy six points. 

The Cork bench is strong and in all outings they have been able to replace like with like when the need arises, and on current form, one would expect Cork to be strong enough to advance to the final, but as always they will take it one game at a time.