UCC beat UCD to land 33rd Ashbourne Cup camogie title and first since 2003

UCC 2-15 UCD 0-7

Sarah O’Brien bagged an impressive haul of 2-2 at the DCU Sportsgrounds on Sunday as UCC claimed their first Ashbourne Cup title since 2003 in fine style with a showpiece victory over UCD.

Beaten finalists in 2025, the Leesiders stormed into the contest with Sophie Pembrook (two), O’Brien (two) and Niamh MacNabola all finding the target inside the opening 10 minutes of the action.

Despite the presence of former Kilkenny camogie stalwart Grace Walsh in the opposition defence, UCC continued to dominate proceedings and moved six points clear when wing-back Amy McCarthy split the posts just past the first-quarter mark.

Pembrook and Aoife Healy (who featured for the UCC footballers in last year’s O’Connor Cup final defeat to DCU) also found the range as the opening period progressed, before UCD finally opened their account through Ciara Curtin on 23 minutes.

Yet with the excellent Abby Walsh breaking forward to strike an outstanding point from out towards the left-hand touchline, UCC (who included 11 Cork natives in their starting line-up) brought a convincing 0-9 to 0-1 cushion into the interval.

This ensured Michelle Gould’s side were within touching distance of collecting a 33rd Ashbourne Cup crown for the college and they moved 12 points ahead as a result of Pembrook, Orlaith Cremin, MacNabola and Leah Hallihan raising consecutive white flags.

UCD eventually established a purple patch that featured points from Amy Carey, Curtin, Emma Moran and Caoimhe French, only for a superbly-taken goal by O’Brien to kill off any prospect of a dramatic comeback from the Dublin college.

Hallihan and substitute Grace Moloney also knocked over points inside the final quarter and with O’Brien rattling the net for a second time at the beginning of stoppage time, UCC cruised towards a magnificent triumph.

Scorers for UCC: Sarah O’Brien 2-2, Sophie Pembrook 0-4 (0-2 f), Niamh MacNabola, Leah Hallihan 0-2 each, Amy McCarthy, Abby Walsh, Orlaith Cremin, Aoife Healy, Grace Moloney 0-1 each.

UCD: Emma Moran 0-3 (2f), Ciara Curtin 0-2, Amy Carey (f), Caoimhe French 0-1 each.

UCC: Kate McCarthy; Maedhbh de Burca, Claire Kingston, Katie Garry Murphy; Amy McCarthy, Abby Walsh, Orlaith Cremin; Avril Cashman, Niamh MacNabola; Sophie Pembrook, Aoife Healy, Leah Hallihan; Sarah O’Brien, Cliona Dooley, Meave Murphy.

Subs: Eimear Duignan for Pembrook (53), Ciara O’Riordan for Hallihan (57), Grace Moloney for MacNabola (59), Miriam Murphy for de Burca (60), Anna Fahie for Garry Murphy (62).

UCD: Robyn Conlon; Angela Carroll, Emily Adderly, Katie Byrne; Katie Ryan, Niamh Phelan, Grace Walsh; Alannah McNulty, Caoimhe French; Sarah Kehoe, Sibeal Cherry, Ciara Curtin; Ciara Shelly, Emma Moran, Amy Carey.

Subs: Laoise Nolan for Ryan (36), Allison Fitzgerald for Carey (40), Aisling O’Sullivan for Kehoe (51), Milly Hughes for Curtin (59).

Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny).