St. Mary's Charleville
V
Loreto, Kilkenny

Sunday, April 29th @ Littleton

St. Mary's Charleville will challenge for their fifth All Ireland Senior Camogie title in six years at Littleton On Sunday May 29th. The Lenister champions, Loreto, Kilkenny provide the opposition. These two teams have only met once before in the All Ireland semi final in '97. On that occasion St. Mary's won comfortably with a star studded team, many of whom went on to represent counties Cork and Limerick at senior level.

Sunday's match should prove to be a much closer affair. Loreto, Kilkenny defeated a fancied Enniscorthy team in the Leinster Final. This Enniscorthy team won last year's All Ireland Junior Championship defeating St. Mary's Charleville in a replay. Consequently, the Charleville girls and team management are treating Loreto, Kilkenny with the utmost caution and despite their enviable record in recent years are showing no complacency. Having got a bye in the first round St. Mary's played Ennis in the Munster semi final in Sixmilebridge. Despite conceding a goal early in the game St. Mary's showed grit and determination, fighting their way back into the game to defeat the Ennis girls comfortably in difficult conditions.

All Ireland '99 minor captain and current team captain Niamh Bowles (Newtownshandrum) gave great leadership on the day with sterling performances from fellow All Ireland minor winners Aine Kelleher (Newtownshandrum) and Christine O'Gorman with last years Cork Junior Eimear O'Friel were in fine form at centre forward. In the Munster final against Clonakilty the Charleville girls showed their true potential. In the fine conditions the forwards killed off the Clonakilty challenge with superb scores in the first half. Current Cork minor captain Marie Watson and dual All Ireland senior club medallist Aoife Sheehan were in scintillating form. They and hardworking midfielders Deirdre Hayes and Niamh Bowles supplied the full forward line with superb ball enabling Sinead McAuliffe to pick off great points, and current Cork minor Eimear Watson to score four goals. One of the talking points of the final was the display of young Anna Geary who held current Cork senior Jenny O'Leary to a single point from play.

The All Ireland semi final against Connaught champions, Portumna was a different matter. The Portumna girls gave Charleville their stiffest challenge to date. In difficult underfoot conditions the lighter St. Mary's girls struggled for much of the game. Indeed it can be said that only for a heroic display by full back line Edwina Boyce, Noelle O'Riordan and Aoife Dillon and goalkeeper Elizabeth Lenehan, that Charleville might never have reached the final. However, two goals scored in the first half and a particularly courageous goal in the second half by current Limerick Senior Alison White ensure victory for the Charleville girls with a scoreline that belied the stiff challenge of the Portumna team.

The fact that All Ireland junior fullforward in '99, Una Harrington (Newtownshandrum), current Cork minors, Sharon Linehan and Elaine Riordan and Limerick minor Aisling O'Brien are on the substitutes bench, emphasises the depth of talent in this St. Mary's team. With fellow substitutes Amy McCarthy, Imelda Sexton, Caitriona Noonan and Lisa Healy they make up a formidal St. Mary's panel. On the day St. Mary's have the talent to bring the Corn Scellig Cup to Charleville again. However, to defeat this Kilkenny team the backs must play as they did against Portumna, the forwards must score freely as against Clonakilty, and the overall grit and determination of the display against Ennis must be the keynote of the St. Mary's performance on the day.

The school would like to thank the sponsors for their support.