Tipp Minors begin defence of All-Ireland title against new Munster champs
CAMOGIE: All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ Championship Preview
By Joe Scully
CORK v TIPPERARY
Castle Grounds, Cork
Sunday, 16th February
Throw-in @ 2.00pm
Referee: Fintan McNamara (Clare)
The Tipperary minor camogie team begin the defence of their All-Ireland Championship title with a trip to the Cork camogie grounds on Sunday afternoon, to take on a home side fresh off a big win in the Munster final recently.
It is a big challenge facing the Premier girls, but one they will be relishing, as they look to bounce back from disappointing performance in the Munster Championship after exiting at the semi-final stage at the hands of Limerick, albeit they bounced back from that defeat to beat Clare in the Shield final with an emphatic 23-point victory.
Tipperary manager Ray Ralph is happy with how things are shaping up with his squad ahead of the clash with the Rebelettes.
“We’re as good as we can be, and we will give it a shot,” he began.
“It’s a difficult place to travel to, and not many Tipperary teams have travelled to the Cork county grounds over the years and come away with a result so we know how difficult the challenge facing us will be.”
The Moycarkey/Borris native knows his side didn’t perform against Limerick but is happy with the response of his side since that game.
“I got a few things wrong on the day,” Ralph said honestly.
“It was our first competitive outing as a team, and only our third overall.
“We said as a group we weren’t going to make excuses, and we have worked extremely hard since then.
“We took on Clare in the Shield final, and maybe they didn’t come out of the traps on the day, but we did what was required of us and got the victory in the end.”
If Tipperary are to get their championship campaign off to a winning start, they will need the members of the panel who were involved in last year’s successful campaign to step up and show their experience.
They include the likes of Caoimhe Stakelum, Leanna Coppinger, Lucy Heffernan, and Danielle Butler.
And while Ray Ralph acknowledges the part last year’s players will play and the experience they can bring, he has also been impressed with the new members of the panel and how they have stepped up to the plate.
“The new players have really stepped up, and there bringing the fight, and they want to do well, and everyone is feeding off of that,” he revealed.
“We are heading down to Cork on Sunday, and we are looking for a performance and if we can get that performance, we will be happy with that.”
In a tough group with Kilkenny and Dublin, as far as opening fixtures go Tipperary couldn’t have got a tougher one, but it’s one they are more than capable of getting a result out of but will need to be at their very best against a Cork side who will be full of confidence after their Munster championship success.
It is also a chance to write the wrongs from the Limerick game and send out a message to all the other teams in the championship, that they will not be giving up their All-Ireland crown without a fight.
Tipperary Minor Camogie panel
Danielle Butler - Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill*
Ciara Cahill – Drom & Inch
Issy Carr – Holycross/Ballycahill
Leanna Coppinger - Thurles Sarsfields*
Maeve Cunneen – Silvermines
Kate Dowling – Moycarkey/Borris
Sarah English – Brian Borus
Roisin Ferncombe – Clonoulty/Rossmore
Ava Gaynor - Kilruane MacDonagh’s*
Clodagh Grimes – Newport/Ballinahinch
Lucy Heffernan - Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill*
Mya Hickey – Boherlahan-Dualla
Emma Kennedy – Lorrha
Isabelle Kingston – Kiladangan
Molly Loughnane - Roscrea
Aoibhe Maher – Brian Borus
Leah Maher – Boherlahan-Dualla
Elana McGrath – Holycross/Ballycahill*
Sarah McLoughlin – Boherlahan-Dualla*
Anna O’Brien - Cashel King Cormacs*
Lucy O’Brien – St Patrick’s
Isabelle O’Donnell – Brian Borus
Rachael O’Meara – CJ Kickhams Mullinahone*
Eva Ralph – Moycarkey/Borris
Doireann Ryan – Boherlahan-Dualla
Clodagh Shinners – Kilruane MacDonaghs
Caoimhe Stakelum - Thurles Sarsfields*
Eimhear Troy – Toomevara*
• Denotes players remaining from 2024 panel