Limerick progress to intermediate camogie final

Limerick will play Galway in the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland intermediate camogie final in three weeks, while Laois will take on Kildare in the junior final on the same day.

Limerick, who won the Division 2 league title earlier this year, were made to work extremely hard by last year’s premier junior champions Meath before coming out on top by 2-10 to 0-8.

They led by 0-8 to 0-2 at half time but Meath threw everything at the Treatywomen after the resumption and it needed two second-half goals from dual star Dymphna O’Brien to shake off their dogged opponents.

Niamh Mulcahy, Mary O’Callaghan and Caoimhe Costello helped them keep their noses in front.

Galway overcame Waterford 1-15 to 1-7 to make their way to the decider. The westerners always held the upper hand, particularly after a whirlwind start that saw them go 1-3 to 0-0 ahead after just seven minutes.

Orla McGrath struck for the goal in the fifth minute, finishing a fine move, with Aoife Callanan, Aoife Donohoe and Finola Keely scoring the points.

Waterford got on top in the middle third in the second quarter and were just 1-6 to 0-6 in arrears at the interval, thanks to scores from Karen Klly, Nicola Morrissey, Trish Jackman and Zoe O’Donoghue, who saw her blockbuster tipped over by Róisín Callanan from point-blank range.

Galway resumed control in the second half though, despite Kelly’s goal from a 40-yard free. Points from Keely, McGrath, Dee Burke and Rebecca Hennelly saw them home.

Susie O’Carroll was on fire for Kildare, as they came out on the right side of a high-scoring encounter with the beaten premier junior finalists of the last year Down, 5-11 to 1-13.

Westmeath have done extremely well to get to the premier junior semi-final after winning last year’s junior A championship but they had no answer to Laois, who prevailed by 4-13 to 3-5.