Tipperary beat Cork in camogie final

Tipperary 2-11 Cork 1-11

Raymie Ryan, in his first season as Tipperary manager, guided his side to their fourth All-Ireland in five years, with Burgess full-forward Emer McDonnell leading the Premier county with her tally of 1-4.

The Munster champions collected the O’Duffy Cup, with the nucleus of the squad back from last season.

Pa Finn's Cork side bidding for their county’s 21st title held a single point lead (0-7 to 1-3) at the break, but injuries to inspirational half-back duo Mary and Paula O’Connor disrupted the reigning champions’ progress in the second half.

Half-forward Una O’Donoghue, 2002 captain, strode forward in the fifth minute to pick off the game’s first score. With the game high on skill and intensity, Cork held a 0-2 to 0-0 lead after ten minutes.

Tipperary had hit four wides by that stage but took their first score in the 18th minute from 2001 captain Emily Hayden.

Cork took a two-point lead with scores from half-forwards Jennifer O’Leary and Emer Dillon, before a scorching run by Emer McDonnell in the 25th minute resulted in a goal for Tipperary, volleyed to the net by the Burgess full-forward.

Joanne Ryan’s 27th minute free put the Premier county two points ahead before midfielder Rachel Moloney rallied the Cork cause for a one-point interval lead.

Veteran forward Deirdre Hughes, in her 14th season, got Tipp off to the ideal start in the second half with a well-taken goal.

A McDonnell point soon after was cancelled out by Cork, as the game moved past the 40th minute with Tipp leading 2-4 to 0-9.

Further scores from McDonnell, Noelle Kennedy (0-2) and a wonderful lob from Joanne Ryan saw all six of Tipperary’s forwards score by the 45th minute.

Cork’s reply came through Ballymacoda’s Fiona O’Driscoll with three points and a stoppage-time goal from half-back Gemma O’Connor, but their revival ran out of time.