Cork and Limerick win camogie titles

Camogie is certainly in a healthy state if today's National League finals at Nowlan Park are anything to go by as a Limerick side trained by former senior hurler Ciaran Carey took a first ever Division 1B title, while Wexford came so agonisngly close to winning the Division 1A encounter before Cork edged them out by a point in a thrilling match.

Cork prevailed at the finish by 3-8 to 2-10 thanks to a late pointed free from Jennifer O'Leary.

This was a game of the highest standard and a spectacular goal scoring spree from both sides between the 48th and 58th minutes ensured that the crowd were on the edge of their seats throughout.

Goals from O'Leary, Una O'Donoghue and Sile Burns gave Cork a 3-6 to 0-9 lead with seven minutes remaining but Wexford full-forward Michelle Hearn hit the net on two occasions to ensure parity as the game headed for injury-time.

Wexford had come strongly out of the blocks in the opening half to hold a 0-8 to 0-3 interval advantage thanks to good work in the midfield sector from Kate Kelly and Caroline Murphy, but Cork came back firmly in the second half to ensure captain Gemma O'Connor lifted the silverware.

In the Division 1B decider, Limerick had 12 points to spare over Cork at the finish - they triumphed by 1-14 to 0-5 - but it was not that clearcut a game as Cork really pressed their Munster rivals hard.

Eileen O'Brien was the tormentor-in-chief in the opening half with four fine points for Limerick and her side held an 0-8 to 0-1 lead at half-time.

A Marie Keating goal in the 36th-minute ensured a 12-point gap and although the teams were well matched over the final quarter, it was Limerick captain Aoife Sheehan who was left clutching the silverware.

Scorers (Division 1A final) -

Cork: J O'Leary 1-4 (3f), U O Donoghue 1-1, S Burns 1-0, G O Connor 0-2, A Geary 0-1

Wexford: M Hearne 2-0, K Kelly 0-5 (3f, 1 45), U Leacy, C Murphy 0-2 each, A Codd 0-1 (1f)

Scorers (Division 1B final) -

Limerick: M Keating 1-3, E O'Brien 0-5 (2f 1 45), D Fitzpatrick (1f), O Curtin, N Mulcahy, S McAuliffe, M Kelly 0-1 each

Cork: D Twomey 0-2, E O'Sullivan, A Thompson, R Myers 0-1 each