Tipp and Cork set to write latest chapter in rivalry

ANOTHER chapter in Gaelic games’ most enduring modern rivalry will be written on Sunday when the Cork and Tipperary camogie teams meet yet again in the All-Ireland decider at Croke Park.

The two Munster counties have divvied up the last eight senior titles between them at senior level and this will be the fourth straight year they meet on the big day.

Though Cork are the traditional heavyweights, their neighbours hold the whip hand.

Having won their first ever crown under Michael Cleary in 1999, Tipp approach the weekend looking for their sixth title in seven years.

The one blip in all that time came against Sunday’s opponents three years ago and Cork captain Elaine Burke is looking for a repeat.

“We just have to focus on our own game and if we can do that we have a good chance of reversing the results of the last few years. The hurlers and Sean Óg are inspirational to everyone in Cork and we just hope that we can go on and emulate them.”

Many fancy their chances. Tipperary stuttered through their league campaign and have only been marginally more impressive since the championship started.

Yet, the champions still provide a daunting task. The team is still back-boned by a clutch of players who featured in their breakthrough success of ‘99, one of many reasons they have enjoyed such dominance recently according to captain Deirdre Hughes.

“Michael Cleary was the main man. When he came on board with a few other lads they really brought camogie to a new level in Tipperary. We were lucky enough to have a good bunch of players together at the one time.

“A lot of the girls had won minor titles before we started winning them at senior level and we’ve been fortunate to keep those same players together as a group all this time.”

Also in action at HQ on Sunday will be Dublin and Clare who will contest what is expected to be an equally tight encounter in the junior final.

This is Dublin’s first time in the decider since making the decision to drop down from the senior grade in 2003. Last year was nothing short of disastrous for the capital side with Wexford evicting them from the championship in the very first round.

Atonement for that began with success in the Leinster championship but claiming the New Ireland Cup would be the best means of fast-tracking the game’s redevelopment in the county, according to captain Eimear Brannigan.

“This is a hugely important game for Dublin because we’ve been trying to win a title for a long time. It was a big decision to come down to junior last year. That didn’t work out too well for us, but we could have thrown in the towel and didn’t. We’ve focused on our objective of getting Dublin camogie back on the map.”

Facing them will be Michael Maher’s Clare side who can call on the services of players like Moira McMahon and Catherine O’Loughlin.

Though they won the last of their junior titles back in 1983, Clare only lost out to Galway after a replay in the decider two years ago and they have already accounted for last year’s champions Cork this term.