Camogie: Tipperary set up Cork semi-final showdown after defeat of Clare

Tipperary's Clodagh McIntyre is tackled by Ellen Casey of Clare. Pic: INPHO/Grace Halton

Tipperary 3-20 Clare 3-13

Tipperary will play Cork in the semi-finals of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship on their home turf of Semple Stadium in three weeks, after a third-quarter burst ensured more than enough breathing space to cope with Clare’s late purple patch.

The draw was made immediately after the conclusion of the game and it means champions Galway will take on yesterday’s quarter-final victors, Kilkenny as part of a double header in Thurles.

Tipperary led by six points, 0-10 to 0-4 at half-time and had seven points on the board by the time Andrea O’Keeffe got Clare off the mark with a spectacular score in the 24th minute.

Indeed, James Heffernan’s side led by nine when Grace O’Brien bagged her second point in the 27th minute but Clare finished strongly, landing the last three points from Róisín McMahon, joint-captain Clare Hehir and Róisín Begley, the latter two scores from frees.

That had to give the Bannerwomen hope, not least that they might be after refining their shooting radar, because on the balance of play, they were far closer to their Munster rivals than the scoreline implied.

Their wastefulness extended beyond the nine wides, with some bad options taken ending with balls dropping short. At the end, they had 15 wides and the cruciate injury suffered by their scoring talisman Lorna McNamara last month was keenly felt.

Certainly, with Hehir’s fellow joint-skipper Abby Walsh excelling in the heart of the Clare defence, there was plenty supply but they couldn’t make it count in any meaningful way until that late flurry and then, when it was too late, in the closing stages when they goaled three times from the 50th minute, courtesy of always threatening sub Áine O’Loughlin and an Ellen Casey brace from a free and penalty.

In contrast, Tipperary were far more economical. Last year’s minor star, Caoimhe Stakelum has appeared to make the transition to senior fare with ease, scoring the winning goal as the Premier beat Waterford in the Munster final and she made it look easy when splitting the posts early on, on the way to the official player of the match award.

O’Brien, Clodagh McIntyre and Karin Blair were just some of the others who shone in the blue and gold.

Eimear McGrath hit the target from a free soon after Stakelum’s opener and would go on to register five points in that opening half, with four from placed balls.

There was a lengthy stoppage when Caoimhe Maher was treated and left the fray, after her left knee had buckled as she attempted to change direction under pressure.

Heffernan admitted afterwards that it could be a significant injury, though they would retain some hope until the results of a scan.

The unfortunate Maher was replaced by former skipper Clodagh Quirke, who in turn, has shown staggering mental fortitude to return from a third cruciate ligament injury suffered last year.

The stoppage did not impede Tipp’s momentum as they stretched their advantage to nine points but the closing minutes gave cause for hope to Clare in the second half.

Conceding a goal 29 seconds after the restart made it very difficult however, O’Brien’s pace and elusiveness creating the chance for Róisín Howard to shoot to the net with a ground shot.

Again Clare added to their wide count, though Ellen Casey did fizz a shot just over the bar and Begley added a couple of scores.

A 39th minute goal from Stakelum, after a quickly taken free from McGrath, was added to by McIntyre six minutes later and with 16 points between the sides now, Tipp began to empty their bench.

Clare had made changes earlier, including introducing last year’s skipper Áine O’Loughlin, a goal machine in the 2025 championship who raised the flag twice in the quarter-final defeat by Waterford 12 months ago.

Her aerial prowess made her a constant threat, and she got a brilliant goal in the 50th minute, having just pointed, been fouled for another score and then setting up Maeve Millea for a point. She would finish with 1-2.

Casey drilled a free low to the net and then with the game’s last act, made no mistake from a penalty as Clare never gave up.

But having dispensed with the sweeper, there were gaps at the other end, and Tipp could pick them off at will, Stakelum, Eimear Heffernan, Casey Hennessy, Aoife Dwyer and Niamh Treacy raising white flags and in the end, the result, nor its merit, was ever in doubt.

SCORERS FOR TIPPERARY: C Stakelum 1-4 (0-1f); E McGrath 0-5 (4fs); C McIntyre 1-1; G O’Brien, E Heffernan 0-3 each; K Blair, C Hennessy, A Dwyer, N Treacy 0-1 each 

SCORERS FOR CLARE: E Casey 2-2 (1-1fs, 1-0 pen); A O’Loughlin 1-2; R Begley 0-4 (2fs); A O’Keeffe 0-2; R McMahon, C Hehir (f), M Millea 0-1 each 

TIPPERARY: L Leenane, A Quinlisk, M Eviston, E Loughman, C McCarthy, C Maher, C Guinan, K Blair, C Hennessy, C Stakelum, C McIntyre, E Heffernan, R Howard, E McGrath, G O’Brien. Subs: C Quirke for Maher inj (17), A Dwyer for Howard (39), N Treacy for McGrath(48), L Purcell for McIntyre (48), E Carey for Guinan (56) 

CLARE: D Murphy, N Mulqueen, S O’Keeffe, M Scanlon, L Daly, A Walsh, C Hehir, R McMahon, D Griffin, A Anderson, A O’Keeffe, J Daly, Z Spillane, R Begley, E Casey. Subs: Subs: A O’Loughlin for Anderson (ht), S Daly for S O’Keeffe (40), M Millea for Spillane (45), C Carmody for Griffin (45), C McNamara for L Daly (55) 

REFEREE: Gavin Donegan (Dublin)