CAMOGIE: DUBLIN FINALS
Dominican ready to dream
Daire Walsh
FIVE years on from their enthralling second-tier final meeting, Dominican College (Drumcondra) and Loreto Beaufort (Rathfarnham) will face off in the Dublin Schools Senior ‘A’ Camogie Championship decider at Abbotstown tomorrow (throw-in 2pm).
Thanks to a brace of second-half goals by Rachel Egan, Dominican secured a 6-2 to 3-5 triumph in that pulsating ‘B’ showpiece. While Colaiste Iosagain, St Joseph’s College, Lucan and Our Lady’s, Terenure have enjoyed multiple final appearances at the ‘A’ grade in recent years, this is relatively new territory for both Dominicans and Loreto.
Despite sharing the spoils with Loreto Balbriggan in the group stages of the competition, Dominican College comfortably advanced to the knock-out rounds courtesy of wins over Lucan CC (10-9 to 2-8) and Castleknock CC (4-9 to 1-3). They were pushed to the limit by a determined St Mary’s, Naas outfit in a gripping semi-final, before eventually emerging with four points to spare – 3-9 to 2-8.
When you factor in the reputation Beaufort have developed in schools camogie, they can expect another stern test of their mental resolve. The Southsiders secured the Junior ‘A’ Championship as recently as 2017 and a number of that squad have since graduated to the senior ranks.
This is just one of six camogie finals taking place across the city tomorrow with St Peregrine’s and Naomh Mearnog hosting the remaining encounters. Though some of the pairings were yet to be determined at the time of going to print, the ‘A’ Shield showdown between Our Lady’s, Terenure and Castleknock (St Peregrine’s, 1.30pm) is an eagerly-anticipated affair.