Diggin's leads Kerry to a comfortable win over Kildare and book semi-final spot
Kerry crushed Kildare to cruise into the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship semi-finals as group winners in this one sided contest played in the Austin Stack Park.
Kerry exploded out of the blocks with a dominant and clinical opening 23 minutes against Kildare, led by the outstanding Patrice Diggin. From the very first minute, Diggin signaled her intent with a superb long-range point to get the scoreboard ticking.
A minute later, she calmly converted a free from near the left sideline after Jackie Horgan was fouled. There was no let up as Diggin added two more quickfire points, one from play and another fine effort from distance, giving Kerry a commanding early four point lead.
Ann Marie Leen joined the scoring with a neat point in the 10th minute, before Diggin again showcased her range with yet another score from distance. Horgan then got on the board herself following a slick team move, expertly set up by Diggin. The pressure on Kildare was relentless, with Diggin adding another free and a further long-range effort to bring her personal tally to seven points.
The momentum built to a crescendo in the 23rd minute when Ellen O'Donoghue sliced through the Kildare defence. Her shot was blocked, but a scramble in the square ended with Kate Lynch nudging the sliotar over the line, putting Kerry into a 1-9 to no score lead going into the dressing rooms.
Lynch ignited the second half with a blistering strike to the top right corner, netting her second goal and pushing Kerry to a 2-9 to no score lead. Kildare finally got on the scoreboard in the 33rd minute with a well-taken 45 from Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal, but it was a mere dent in Kerry's dominance.
Diggin continued to orchestrate the attack, converting another close-range free before the half ended. Points followed in rapid succession from Jackie Horgan, Ann Marie Leen, and Ellen O'Donoghue, with Diggin deadly accurate from placed balls throughout. A disallowed goal in the 40th minute for a foul on the Kildare net minder Ellen Donovan, after Shannon Collins got the final touch to the net, did little to disrupt Kerry's rhythm. They simply pushed on, with further scores from Ruth O'Connor, Niamh Leen, and Horgan ensuring the scoreboard kept ticking.
Though Kildare managed a couple of late frees from Ní Bhuircéal, the outcome was never in doubt. Kerry marched their way into the last four with a comprehensive win in the end.
Scorers for Kerry: P Diggin (0-12, 7fs), K Lynch (2-0), J Horgan (0-3), A M Leen (0-2), N Leen, R O'Connor and E O'Donoghue (0-1 each)
Scorers for Kildare: C Ní Bhuircéal (0-3, 2f, '45), L Edwards (0-1)
KERRY: A Fitzgerald; M Costello, S Murphy, R McCarthy; Aine O'Connor, N Leen, A Behan; P Diggin, R O'Connor; E O'Donoghue, K Lynch, A M Leen; S Collins, J Horgan, C Spillane
Subs: C Moloney for A Fitzgerald ( 42), Á Devlin for M Costello (42), A O'Sullivan for S Collins (42), C O'Sullivan for, A Behan, 51), E Conway for K Lynch ( 51)
KILDARE: E Donovan; A Connaughton, S Dunne, S O'Brien; C O'Sullivan, S Mulligan, A Newman; N Kran, S Buckley; L Edwards, L Murphy, R Duffy; H Davis, R Maguire, C Ni Bhuirceal
Subs: L Glynn for L Edwards, 42 mins), S Coffey for A Connaughton, 42), M Maguire for A Newman, 45), M Donovan for S Dunne ( 50), R Cribbin for R Duffy (55) F Hughes for S O'Brien (60)
Referee: J Mullins (Clare)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
The Top Ten moments of the 2025 All-Ireland football championship
THE RULES MAY have been changed, the format soon will be changed and we are still getting used to the new calendar. But the more things change, the more they remain the same as Sam Maguire will be wintering in Kerry. Here, we pick out ten stand-out moments of the 2025 All-Ireland football championship. 1. The Importance of Being Idle (sort of) By now, you'll have seen the clip from a fan's phone where Kerry are running down the clock before half-time. Eamonn Maguire trained his phone on David Clifford who was being closely marked by Donegal's Brendan McCole as he drifted towards the Hogan Stand side. At times, Clifford had his hands on his hips and looked vaguely disinterested. When the time was right, he threw in a dummy run, got across McCole's body and accepted the hand pass from his brother Paudie to kick from the 45 metre line. It put Kerry seven up at the break. It was, simply, The Moment. 2. Louth and Proud It had been a long, long time since Croke Park was sold out for a Leinster final. Some years, it would almost have been questionable if Croke Park was even suitable for these deciders. Not this year. With Louth and Meath through to the decider, interest in the game was as high as could be. In other sell-out games, usually the fan passion can be somewhat diluted. This hit different, as Louth took home their first provincial title since 1957. Advertisement Louth players Ciaran Byrne, Conor Grimes and daughter Izzy and Ryan Burns celebrate Leinster success. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO 3. An Empire Crumbles What really made that competition, of course, was the fact that Dublin were not there. Meath's victory over the Dubs in Portaloise was another huge moment in the course of the season and created an unbelievable resurgence in interest among the Meath GAA population. That day in Portlaoise was crowned by a sprinkling of two-pointers and the bravery of Eoghan Freyne with his two two-pointers and eleven points in total. Not to be outdone, full-back Sean Rafferty put in enormous hits all year that were highlight reel-worthy. 4. No Quit In Ciaran Moore For a few glorious seconds, Mayo thought they had cracked it. That disastrous opening round of the group stages had brought defeat to unfancied Cavan. They then went to Omagh and beat Tyrone and had Donegal in the final round in the neutral venue of Roscommon. As the game went down the stretch they had their chance of a goal, but when Fergal Boland put them level at 0-18 each, they looked set to go into the preliminary quarter-finals on three points. Some of the Donegal bench were roaring at goalkeeper Shaun Patton to kick the ball out as the hooter approached, but instead he launched it downfield. It ended up in the hands of the indefatigable Ciaran Moore. Ciaran Moore kicks the winner against Mayo. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO He advanced, kicked the winner and knocked Mayo out. It was some year for Moore, who also kicked the goal late on against Armagh in the Ulster final. 5. Kerry Bring The Noise There was something undeniable about Kerry this summer; they played like underdogs and they acted like them too. From David Clifford issuing a call to arms to the Kerry support to get up to Croke Park and cheer them on against Armagh – mindful of how he felt the support influenced their semi-final loss the year before – to the way he would pump his arms and let out some emotion when he and others scored. The most notable element though, was Jack O'Connor having a cut at his critics in the wake of their win over Tyrone on 12 July. After the All-Ireland was secured, he assured reporters that none of it was fake, all of it was authentic. Those present that night knew it already. 6. Mayo Defiance In Omagh When you look at where they were that evening, nothing felt in their favour. Mayo had lost the opening group stage game to Cavan. That week, their manager Kevin McStay took ill during a training session and would not appear on the line for Mayo before his unceremonious sacking by the county board. Paddy Durcan greets fans in Omagh. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO But they landed in Omagh with something to prove and in broiling heat, Paddy Durcan had a game for the ages as they downed the Red Hands. 7. Ballybofey Rocked After an extra-time Ulster final win, Donegal looked infallible as they prepared for a homecoming of sorts with their group stage opener against Tyrone. Malachy O'Rourke has a better record as manager against Jim McGuinness than anyone else. They attacked Donegal and Seanie O'Donnell helped himself to two goals. The game was still in the mix when Pete Teague and Michael Murphy had a fascinating game within the game under the kickouts. Up popped Peter Harte at the end with a spectacular two-pointer to seal the win. 8. And for Seconds… He had already gotten off the mark in the All-Ireland with his first touch of the ball, a routine (for him) two-pointer. But David Clifford's second score of the All-Ireland final was stupendous. Running away from goal, on the wrong side of the pitch for a left foot shot, having to contort himself and still get enough power, while doing it all in the blink of an eye. It was supreme athleticism. 9. Cork take Kerry down the stretch Back in April when the rain was coming down hard, nobody was sure who would end up lifting Sam Maguire. Many leaving Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the middle of that month would have cast doubts on Kerry's capabilities. Related Reads In pics: Kerry footballers and fans rejoice at All-Ireland homecoming Where to now for Donegal after a final where they were thoroughly outplayed and outthought? A day of days for Kerry as they complete the Ulster clean sweep Chris Óg Jones goals against Kerry. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO On Easter Saturday, Cork set about their own Easter Rising as they tore into Kerry after allowing them to slip into a seven point lead. Chris Óg Jones' goal put the home support on red alert and Ruairi Deane put them into the lead that they would surrender. In the end it took a Joe O'Connor goal in extra-time to finally shake off the pesky Rebels. 10. Down Comeback Another game that feels like another world away, but notable all the same for illustrating early on in the championship, just how much of a role momentum and two-pointers would come into play, along with the new rules around the kickout. With eight minutes remaining, Fermanagh led by seven points. Daniel Guinness then hit a superb two-pointer and followed it with a goal. All that was left was Ryan McEvoy to dance through and hit a final goal and secure the win for Conor Laverty's men. Jeopardy had arrived. Ryan McEvoy wheels away after completing the Down comeback. Lorcan Doherty / INPHO Lorcan Doherty / INPHO / INPHO Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here
Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Donegal's All-Ireland parade antics could land them in trouble
It's been a rough couple of days for Donegal after their All-Ireland defeat to Kerry on Sunday. Having been resoundingly beaten and outplayed, many have already highlighted their outdated tactics and their poor defence of Kerry's two-point plays. Some ridicule had already started when they broke off from the traditional parade procession and began their final preparations before throw-in. Michael Murphy dejected after the All-Ireland final. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile This was after they were slow to line up to greet President Michael D. Higgins and caused a delay to the parade. The Irish Examiner are reporting that a number of complaints were made about Jim McGuinness' side's antics before throw-in. This wasn't too unexpected as in Jim McGuinness' previous All-Ireland finals in 2012 and 2014, his Donegal side did the exact same thing. Kerry boss Jack O'Connor mentioned that his side had talked about the expected shenanigans and how they would deal with it. The Kerry team march on their own during the parade. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile 'I'll tell you the truth now. We had enough no play to mind our own business, besides worrying about what Donegal were doing but we spoke about it on Thursday night, that regardless of what happened, we were going to finish the parade. That's what we did. I know Donegal broke a bit early, but sure that's their business. We can only deal with our side of it.' However, this time they have appeared to have landed in hot water as they had a 16th man in their procession for the parade. Their captain was Patrick McBrearty and he was a substitute on the day. McBrearty led the starting 15 meaning they had 16 and violated rule 1.7 of the GAA's match regulations that state; 'The team captain shall lead the parade and only the 15 players commencing the game as per official team list may march in the parade, in team jerseys and numerical order.' The punishment for this breach isn't known as of yet, but it could lead to a fine.
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Former Sligo players confirmed as joint-managers as Eamonn McGee joins all-star backroom team
FORMER Sligo players Eamonn O'Hara and Dessie Sloyan have been confirmed as joint-managers of the county's senior footballers. And their backroom ticket will include ex- 2 Former Mohill manager Eamonn O'Hara is one-half on the new management team at Sligo 2 He'll be joined by Dessie Sloyan at the helm of the county - with ex-Donegal defender Eamonn McGee joining the backroom staff O'Hara and Sloyan have been handed a three-year term, subject to an annual review. The duo will succeed Tony McEntee, who stepped down last month after five years at the helm. An All-Star in 2002, O'Hara was also the hero when he scored the decisive goal against Galway as As a manager, he steered his own club Tourlestrane to five straight Sligo SFC crowns. O'Hara, who is now in charge of Roscommon outfit Boyle, also oversaw back-to-back Leitrim triumphs for Mohill in 2023 and '24. Under Sloyan, Sligo won their first Connacht Under-20 title in 2022. He was also part of the Longford management during Paddy Christie's reign. read more on gaa McGee will serve as a selector and coach. The head coach role will be filled by Con O'Meara, who helped Coolera-Strandhill to cause a seismic upset as they were crowned Connacht senior club champions last year. In a statement, Sligo GAA added: "Further additions to the core team are planned before the commencement of the inter-county season." Armagh man McEntee departed when Sligo reached the last eight of the Tailteann Cup, only to lose to Fermanagh. The Division 3 outfit suffered a three-point loss to Mayo in the Connacht quarter-finals back in April. Most read in GAA Football Meanwhile, Limerick native Tom Hennessy has been appointed to succeed Stephen Sheil as Sligo senior hurling manager. 'Sad to see him go' - GAA fans emotional seeing Michael D Higgins attend last men's All-Ireland final as President
