Kilkenny overcome Dubs to claim Leinster Minor honours

Kilkenny 3-15

Dublin 1-12

The Kilkenny minors brought home the first silverware of 2023 when they defended their Leinster Roinn A title when they beat Dublin in Abbotstown on Sunday afternoon.

Dublin started the brighter and had two points on the board in the early minutes.

They led by four points to three coming up to the 15 minute mark when Lauren Ronan made her way in along the end line and finished to the net to put Kilkenny ahead for the first time. It was a lead they never relinquished.

Both teams then swapped points to leave the score 1-6 to 0-7 to Kilkenny at half-time.

In the early stages of the second half Kilkenny, through the brilliant free taking of the Player of the Match Rachel Dowling, stretched the lead out to five points, but just as they seemed to be getting on top, a mix up in the Kilkenny defence allowed Emily Fogarty of Dublin in for a goal to bring it back to two points.

From the resulting puckout came the critical and best score of the game.

Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh gathered the puckout and drove at the Dublin defence, hand passing off to Julie Lennon as the Dublin defence closed in.

Julie, in turn, popped it off to Lauren Ronan who finished to the net for her second goal of the game.

The score now read 2-12 to 1-10 in favour of the Cats.

The ever dangerous Katie Brennan from Conahy added a third goal in the 57th minute to bring her tally to 1-2.

Brennan, Ava Brett and a Rachel Dowling free, her fifth from placed balls and seventh in total on the day, rounded off the scoring for Kilkenny.

It was a great game of camogie played in front of a really good crowd in Abbotstown.

Kilkenny now welcome Tipperary next weekend as they start their All-Ireland campaign while Dublin entertain Cork.

Teams and Scorers

Kilkenny – Rachel Dowling (0-7, 0-5 frees); Lauren Ronan (2-0); Katie Brennan (1-3); Ava Brett (0-3); Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh, Julie Lennon (0-1 each).

Dublin – Kerri Austin (0-5, frees); Emily Fogarty (1-1); Anna Thornton (0-3); Nicola Cotter, Aoife Kenny, Amy Carey (0-1 each).

Kilkenny – Ali Kennedy; Cliodhna Murphy, Angela Carroll, Sofia Kerr; Tara McGrath, Laura Phelan, Anna Doheny; Ava Brett, Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh; Lauren Ronan, Julie Lennon, Orlaith Kirwan; Rose Kelly, Rachel Dowling, Katie Brennan.

Subs: Ruth Phelan (captain) for Ali Kennedy, Ciara Dunne for Julie Lennon, Louise Hickey for Orlaith Kirwan, Áine Aylward, Jess Cuddy, Lucy Walsh, Jenna Larkin, Niamh Galway, Grace Buggy, Muireann Gannon, Leah Cooney, Aoife Kavanagh, Eva Sumner, Brionadh Barragry, Laura Doherty.

Additional panel: Rachel Moloney, Aisling Fitzpatrick, Molly Burke, Louise Hearne, Sonya Stanley, Aoife Shealy, Aoife O’Shea, Ciara Bryan, Emily Smith, Cara Clune, Tara Roche, Sophie Meagher, Rachel Phelan, Holly Begley, Cady Boyle, Eimear Phelan, Una Duggan (injured), Marie O’Keeffe (injured), Amy Cody (injured).

Dublin – Mia Farrell; Milly Hughes, Sibéal Cherry, Aoife Byrne; Caoimhe Tierney, Sarah Power, Nicola Cotter; Zara Thorne, Aoife Kenny; Helen Reynolds, Anna Thornton, Kerri Austin; Aoibheann Stokes, Emily Fogarty, Amy Carey.

Subs: Mia Clohessy, Catriona Feeney, Anna Simpson, Amélie Ní Riain, Caoimhe Begley, Caoimhe French, Eimear Kehoe, Grace Raftery, Ella Wilson, Katie Murphy, Liliane Delsart Burke, Mia Browne, Nina Brennan, Rebecca Horan, Saoirse Behan, Tara Brady.