Minor Camogie 2025 brings together our 2007 & 2008 groups!  They have been training hard over the past few weeks!  Minor years are a big milestone for players & to see 60+ players still participating in Camogie from both age groups is fantastic!  Many of the 07s & 08s already know each other through school & other activities & it is great to have those familiarities & connections when two groups get together for the first time!

Our Minor A’s have been training with our Senior Team guest coaches from across the club who have been taking sessions & putting them through their paces!  It is great to have Pádraic O’hEithir, who is now in his fourth year of coaching our Minor A Teams, still involved!

Also, it is fantastic to see our Senior Players Síobhra Andrews & Isobel Cullen join the 07 & 08 coaching team for our Minor Bs.  As players, their involvement is of huge benefit to the team and the players are enjoying their training sessions! When they talk the players listen. Great to have them on board. 

We wish the coaches from the 07s & O8s together with Pádraic, Síobhra & Isobel the best of luck for the season ahead!

The 2025 season got underway over the weekend for our u18 players!  Well done to everyone on their opening games & we wish them all the best for the rest of their Leagues!  Please go along & support them if you can!  Keep an eye on ClubZap & our social media for all the

U18 Dublin Camogie Division 6 League match report
 
Match: Ballinteer St Johns Minor B V Cuala Minor B

Date: Friday 28th of Feb 2025.

Location: All weather pitch, Broadford Road.

First Half

It was the first game of the division 6 minor league season, and it got off to a great start by the BSJ girls. After 8 minutes Tess Casey from about 25 metres out found the back of the net. This was soon to be cancelled out 4 minutes later when Cuala equalised with their first goal of the game.  On the 15th minutes Daisy McHugh drove the sliotar into the back of the net with a great strike from her left boot (BSJ 2-0 Cuala 1-0). BSJ were well on top and captain Beth O Reilly in midfield, who clearly stated at the start of the game that she could not play in the position, rallied the troops and kept the midfield Cuala players under control. On the 23rd minutes, against the run of play Cuala scored their second goal. 30 seconds before halftime BSJ were hit with a sucker punch when Rebecca Leon, who hides behind some sort of super woman cape, could not take any more body blows and had to be replaced. Without hesitation, up stepped the ever-versatile Rebecca Keane who braved the role of keeper. At half time. It was anyone’s game with score BSJ 2-0 Cuala 2-2).

Second Half

Changes were made at half time, and the girls went out fighting with the same sprit they showed in the first half. A minute into the second half Cuala struck again with another goal followed by another 16 and 21 minutes later. The BSJ heads began to drop but never for one minute did they give up. Showing great teamwork, the defence then took turns stepping onto goal, Ciara Ryle, Rebecca Keane and Niamh Tuomey pulling off some fantastic saves. BSJ were not over with the injuries sustained following Rebecca Leon leaving the field, Beth O’Reilly and Ava Shefflin had to depart the field of play halfway through the second half. Cuala capitalised on this and went on to score more. The final score is but a number.

Post match 

As they say, it was literally a game of two halves, this BSJ team is a new team packed with super, enthusiastic, great characters and under the guidance, training, support and admiration of the stars Síobhra Andrews and Isobel Cullen, it has the ingredients to excel.

Eoin Colleran

U18 Dublin Camogie Division 1 League match report
 
Match: Naomh Olaf A v Ballinteer St Johns A

Date: Saturday 1st March 2025

Location: Pairc Uí Bhriain

This was the first competitive game for this mix of 2007 and 2008 players. It was an immensely enjoyable game to watch, with both teams going full throttle. Physicality and skill were in abundance as it felt more like a Championship game than the first League game of the season.

The teams traded points in the first 25 minutes, with the score at 0-4 to 0-4. The forwards had to work hard for their scores with the Olaf’s and BSJ defensive lines neutralising most of the attacking play. However, a late flurry saw BSJ score two late goals to lead 0-4 to 2-4 at the break.

Olaf’s won’t have been overly worried however having hit the cross bar themselves, so they knew they had scores in them. Olaf’s came out strong in the second half and within 10 minutes scored 2-1, and were ahead by a point, 2-5 to 2-4. BSJ had to dig deep and didn’t let their heads dip.

Sinead Ni Bhaoighill continued to carry the ball through the midfield and half forward line to create opportunities for our forwards. Eventually the breakthrough came when Roisin Wall, caught a ball blocked down by the Olaf’s keeper, turned and buried it in the back of the net. BSJ ahead by two points, with 10 minutes to play!

With our forwards having put us ahead, the mantle passed to the defence. Olafs peppered our goal line, looking for the killer goal. Our goalkeeper Sophie Brennan was superb, blocking down a number of high balls, that were dealt with by our full back, Ruby Brunton, and both corner backs.

The half back line tucked in tight to protect the goal, but that meant as we cleared the ball, it just kept coming straight back. The number of goal chances cleared must have hit double digit during that period.

For all their pressure Olafs only scored one more point, a free from their player of the match, number 11 Billy Sommers.  It was the last puck of the ball, with the score finishing 2-6 to 3-4.

Picking a player of the match for BSJ would be very difficult, no, impossible, with any number of girls being in with a shout. So instead let’s give it to the team, with all 23 players contributing their part to this well-deserved win.

Richard McGrath

Next week our U10-u12 teams have their Go Games & our u13-u16 continue their League competitions!  Stay tuned for all the updates!