Cork camogie and ladies football preview: Éire Óg battle to reach both senior finals
Éire Óg's Katie McCarthy clears from Sophie O'Sullivan, Glen Rovers, during their Cork SE Systems Senior Camogie Championship quarter-final at Castle Road. The Ovens side will be hoping for double success over the weekend. Picture: Martin Walsh
It’s a busy weekend of action in the SE Systems Cork Senior Club Camogie Championship and the Cork Credit Unions Senior Club Football Championship.
Both competitions are down to the semi-finals, with the camogie on Saturday and the football on Sunday.
In the camogie holders St Finbarr’s take on Blackrock as St Catherine’s battle with Éire Óg.
On Sunday holders Aghada face Mourneabbey, while Éire Óg are back in action again against St Vals.
So the Ovens side will be hoping for double delight but neither game will be easy for them to win.
Their camogie opponents will go into this one full of confidence after their win over Sarsfields last Saturday.
In that clash they were outstanding against a quality side. Two second half goals were the crucial scores for them, one from their Cork star Laura Hayes from a penalty.
As always she led by example, but they have plenty of quality players around her in the likes of Ally Mulkerrins Eimear O’Brien and Orla Cotter.
This is a quality side who work and work all through and no matter what won’t be giving up until the final whistle.
For their part Éire Óg came through a tough test against the Glen and won’t be making it easy for Catherine’s.
Isobel Sheehan, Emily McGrath and Clara Murphy will be among the players they will look to tomorrow.
There is little or nothing between these sides and impossible to call a winner.
Reigning champions, St Finbarr’s, have already beaten the Rockies in the group stages and will be expected to do so again tomorrow.
On current form, they are firm favourites to retain their title and it’s difficult to see who is going to stop them.
From Ciara Hurley out, there are quality players in every line with Sorcha McCartan leading their attack game after game.
Hayley Ryan, Jess Murphy, Cliona O’Callaghan and Erinn Curtin will lead the Rockies challenge, but they know their performance in the group stages won’t do tomorrow.
On Sunday, Éire Óg, with some of the Barrs camogie players in their side, will be hoping to reach another ladies football final and a lot will depend on how some of their side come through Saturday’s game.
The clash of current champions, Aghada, and one of the best sides in the country for many years in Mourneabbey, should draw a crowd to Rostellan.
Aghada will be slight favourites to win, but you can never write Mourneabbey off.
St Finbarr’s v Blackrock, MTU, 2pm; St Catherine’s v Éire Óg, Castle Road, 4.30pm.
Ballincollig v Newcestown, 2pm, at Coachford; Ballygarvan v Ballinhassig, 2pm, at Shamrocks GAA Club.
Castlemartyr v Laochra Óg, 1.30pm, at Castle Road.
Cork Credit Unions Club Senior A Championship football semi-finals: Aghada v Mourneabbey, 12pm, at Aghada. Éire Óg v St Vals, 12pm, at Éire Óg.
Cork Credit Unions Club Senior B Championship football semi-finals: Glanmire v Clonakilty, 12pm, at The Pike, Glanmire; O’Donovan Rossa v Kinsale, 12pm, at Skibbereen.
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