Famine over as cool Kilkenny back at the top table

Kilkenny 1-13 Cork 1-9: It wouldn’t be September without at least one Kilkenny captain climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand. So, where the men failed last week, the women encountered no such difficulties yesterday – both the county’s intermediate and senior teams delivering All-Ireland camogie glory.

The senior win took pride of place given the 22 years of heartache it laid waste to. Six finals had been contested since Ann Downey climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand in September, 1994. All six had ended in defeat, three of them arriving at the hands of Cork. Seven of yesterday’s starting team had been involved in the three most recent reverses – 2009, ’13 and ‘14.

A fourth final loss in eight years they couldn’t allow.