Cork U23 camogie team looking to win the first All-Ireland camogie title at this grade

Glen Dimplex All-Ireland U23 Camogie Final: Cork v Galway: Saturday, Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 2pm.

Cork and Galway met on Saturday bidding to make history as the inaugural winners of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland U23 camogie championship. In a year that has seen both counties denied an opportunity to participate at intermediate level due to a rule change. 

Counties such as Kilkenny, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Tipperary no longer have an opportunity to play at intermediate level because it is their second adult team and this is totally wrong as it has denied players who fall outside the U23 age bracket an opportunity to play inter-county camogie. 

Replacing that opportunity with an U23 competition is not good enough, certainly introduce an U23 competition, but let counties who are working hard continue to participate at intermediate level if they want to. 

This new-look competition replaced the top tier counties sending their second adult side into the intermediate championship and a chance to play in Croke Park on All-Ireland final day.

With only five counties graded in U23A competition, it meant that only one didn’t qualify for the semi-finals and that was Waterford, and with each of the teams meeting in earlier rounds, Cork and Galway will know each other fairly well at this stage.

Galway started out their campaign with a win over Tipperary but were beaten 2-15 to 0-11 by Cork before they went on to brush aside the challenge posed by Waterford.

They had a tough battle with Kilkenny in their last round-robin game where it finished level, but the sides met again at semi-final stage where Galway edged it with a point to spare as they held off a late Kilkenny rally to secure their final spot.

It took a Reitseal Kelly’s late block on Lauren Ronan effort to ensure they advanced. 

Laura Kelly has been hugely impressive all through for them and against Kilkenny she was their stand-out player in a game where it was level on seven occasions before her late point, and one from Alannah Fahy, pushed Galway over the line.

Cork swept thought the group with five wins from five and they have been the stand-out team to date in this championship.

They topped the group and took on Tipperary in the semi-final where they came away victorious on a 3-13 to 0-15 score line but not before a tough battle in a game where the sides were level on five occasions. 

Tipperary really tested Cork, but crucially, it was Cork’s ability to grab goals that got them over the line.

The Cork forwards have been in scoring mode all throughout this campaign, hitting an impressive 12 goals and 89 points in five games. 

Amy Sheppard has been the stand-out forward.

Her speed and skill are a joy to watch and she will trouble the Galway defence. 

Orlaith Mullins, who played in the earlier rounds is not be eligible to play as she played in the last round of senior championship versus Clare and this makes an U23 player ineligible as the competitions run concurrent. 

Cork have a strong panel and have used their bench in all games.

Rose Murphy, Ava Fitzgerald, Claudia Keane and Niamh McNabola are all performing well.

Daire O'Brien, Maedhbh De Burca and Millie Condon have been hugely effective as Cork have come through to the final in style.

An interesting stat is that ten of the Galway squad are also part of Galway’s senior panel, whilst Cork have four senior panellists, Millie Condon, Ava Fitzgerald, Maedhbh De Burca and Meadhbh Ring involved and no doubt the experience gained at senior level is invaluable to both sides. Several of the Cork U23 side were members of the Cork All-Ireland Intermediate team that were crowned All-Ireland champions in 2024.

Cork have been the stand-out team to date in this championship, but it's and All-Ireland final and Galway will be out to bridge the ten point gap that was between the sides when they last met.

An interesting hour awaits.