Allianz Corn Gobnait All-Ireland Junior A Championship semi-finals
St Patrick’s, Maghera v Presentation, Athenry (Swatragh, 1.30pm)
Presentation, Kilkenny v Coachford CS (Dicksboro, 2pm)
BOUYED up by their terrific performance in the senior semi-final last Saturday against Gort, St Patrick’s, Maghera will go into this junior semi-final in Swatragh fairly confident that they can reach a third successive All-Ireland final at this level.
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Last year, they beat then All-Ireland champions Loreto, Kilkenny in Swatragh, but suffered an agonising two-point defeat to Ballincollig in the final.
Five of the current team played in that decider, with this year’s captain and free-taker Emma Quinn landing six points then and 1-7 in the recent Ulster final against St Killian’s, Garron Tower. The Swatragh midfielder also started last week’s senior semi-final in Galway and scored eight points.
Karen Birt is again in goals, Gracie Mae Bradley and Eimhear Conway the anchors in defence, with Róisín McAtamney the focal point in attack.
They take on Presentation, Athenry, who have been All-Ireland champions on four occasions, the last 20 years ago. The Galway side has reached a number of finals in the interim, their last just before COVID struck.
Gort were expected to win the Connacht title this year, but they were beaten by eight points by their neighbours and Maghera will be wary of the threat the visitors pose.
St Patrick’s had a comfortable run through Ulster and will probably start as favourites in Swatragh. They have a strong defence with Caitlin McNally and Clodagh McIlvar able to cover the centre when Eimhear Conway goes forward to support her attack.
The midfielders, Aoife McWilliams and Emma Quinn, will be comfortable playing on home soil, while there is plenty of movement up front with space being created for Quinn in particular to surge into scoring positions.
It will take a big performance from Athenry to deny them, while the absence of Loreto, Kilkenny this year means that the title race is wide open.
Presentation, Kilkenny beat their close neighbours, while All-Ireland champions Ballincollig were beaten in the Munster semi-final by Coachford Community School.
Home venue for Presentation in Dicksboro might prove an advantage.
Allianz Junior C Championship semi-finals
St Pius' X, Magherafelt v Mercy Roscommon (Owenbeg, 3pm)
Castlecomer CS v Laurel Hill College, Limerick (Castlecomer CS, 1pm)
LAST year, Mercy, Roscommon defeated St Mary’s, Magherafelt in the senior final and last weekend their seniors qualified for the next grade up. So there is huge progress in the school under Martin McManus, who has also managed the Loughrea senior hurlers to success in recent years.
They come north with a strong reputation to face the other Magherafelt school, St Pius' X, in Owenbeg.
St Pius X won the Liatroim Fontenoys Cup back in November after overcoming a strong opening half from St Patrick’s, Keady. It wasn’t a faultless performance from the south Derry side, but there was enough quality in it to suggest that they were capable of stepping up a level for the All-Ireland series.
Lavey’s Áine Young was a huge presence in the Magherafelt defence, while the other joint-captain Hannah Downey provided most of the scores up front. There is also enough industry around the midfield and half-forward line to keep the visitors’ defence occupied.
However, this is really a journey into the unknown for the team and it will depend on how well they settle over the first 15 minutes, find out where their opponents’ strength lies and work out a way to by-pass those players and get some good scores on the board.
They started the Ulster final very nervously and allowed their opponents to get a foothold in the game. That can’t happen in Owenbeg.
Downey scored 1-9 from 2-13 back in November’s final. She needs to register something similar, particularly putting away dead-ball chances, while the rest of the attack also needs to accept more responsibility for scoring. Then we can look at the possibility of them expanding Derry’s profile at All-Ireland level.
By the time the game in Owenbeg throws in, the result from Castlecomer will be known. The Kilkenny school face Laurel Hill College from Limerick who also regularly compete at national level. This game could go either way.
Allianz Junior D Championship semi-finals
St Dominic’s, Belfast v High Cross, Tuam (Coláiste Feirste, 2.30pm)
NO school from Belfast has ever represented Ulster in the All-Ireland series in camogie.
St Dominic’s were the only one to have won the senior title away back in 1963, before the competitions progressed to All-Ireland level. It is therefore appropriate that the Falls Road school should carry the city’s baton into, hopefully, a new era for schools’ competition.
St Dominic’s won a Rosina McManus Cup a couple of years ago and that has laid the foundations for under-age progress in the school. They lost the Junior Medallion Shield final to Assumption, Ballynahinch last year and the Down school progressed to lose the All-Ireland final by the bare minimum. So St Dominic’s should at least be competitive when they step out in Coláiste Feirste against High Cross College, Tuam.
They have some talented players in their ranks including Amy Gault and Aoife Fitzsimons, who jointly captained them to success over Loreto, Cavan in November. Amelie Annett is a strong presence around midfield with Erin Stewart and Ríonach MacElhatton capable of adding to the scoring possibilities.
Like their opponents, High Cross are also through to a first All-Ireland semi-final and it is important that St Dominic’s don’t allow them to settle into the game with a few scores.
Allianz Junior B Championship semi-finals
Dominican Griffith Avenue v Portumna Community School (TBC)
Banagher College v St Mary’s, Charleville (St Rynagh’s, 11.30am)
