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RTÉ News
10-08-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Faithful hold off the Kingdom in tense Inter decider
The tension of a Glen Dimplex All-Ireland final was evident in what was a defensive and error-ridden battle between Offaly and Kerry, but on a day when an array of forwards that have illuminated the intermediate championship so far were largely kept under lock and key by their markers, Grace Teehan brought the perfect mix of talent and tenacity to drive the midlanders back up to senior championship competition. Teehan registered four points from play and earned three more converted frees, producing her biggest moments in the closing stages when everyone else – on both sides – seemed to have lost the ability to find the target in the face of suffocating defensive play. Had Offaly let it slip, they would have been haunted by their tally of 13 wides and another handful of shots dropped short, though Kerry will look back at the game's most clearcut goal chance midway through the second half as their 'sliding doors' moment. Jackie Horgan's seismic battle with Amy Byrne was one of the defining individual contests throughout the game and the Kingdom stalwart finally shook off the shackles of her Faithful follower before whipping a shot off her left from 12 metres out. Emer Reynolds, who has made the Offaly custodian position her own since getting a chance against Westmeath midway through the Summer, got a strong block and then reacted sharply to put off Amy O'Sullivan from knocking the sliotar into the net from a few metres out. Ellen O'Donoghue took a point from the loose ball that followed but it was Kerry's best chance to take a lead, and instead they were always that point or two adrift, even if Offaly couldn't relax until team captain Orlagh Phelan collected the last long, hopeful Kerry delivery in the sixth minute of stoppage time, the last action before Donnacha O'Callaghan confirmed their win. For the opening six minutes, the Offaly attack looked every bit like the side that scored 12-71 in five games up to the final. Clodagh Leahy split the uprights from the Hogan Stand side of the pitch on the very first attack and difficult positions were to prove no obstacle to her as she also found the target with two frees, one from each touchline. A Patrice Diggin reply was quickly followed by Mairéad Teehan emerging out of heavy traffic at centre forward to split the uprights, but Kerry stemmed the bleeding from there, aided by the midlanders missing the target with their next three attempts. Diggin, Caoimhe Spillane and Niamh Leen got around the breaks on the Offaly puckout and the decision to play just two inside forwards with O'Donoghue coming back to the midfield sector added to Kerry's edge in that crucial battle. Horgan exploited the space that was left close to goal by getting out in to register one point of her own and to win two frees that were converted by Diggin. By the time Leahy struck Offaly's next point from a 45 the momentum had been stripped from the Offaly attack and it was Kerry who continued to enjoy that bit more primary possession, even if they struggled to convert it into clearcut chances at the other end. Two superb Grace Teehan points and another long-range effort from Ellen Regan ensured Offaly held the narrowest of leads at the break, though Amy Byrne and Róisín Kinsella both had to come up with big defensive plays to prevent Amy O'Sullivan and Kate Lynch from adding further scores. The defensive dominance at both ends was turned up to 11 on the dial after half-time when the first eight minutes passed without a score. Aoife Fitzgerald came up with a vital save to parry Mairéad Teehan's goal attempt and Diggin duly levelled the game from a 45 a minute later, but as was the case so many times during this game, when Offaly's need was greatest, Grace Teehan came up with a vital score in reply. A mere 0-2 each was added to the scoreboard over the next 17 minutes, but the last five minutes once again belonged to Teehan as she fired over two points either side of winning a free that Clodagh Leahy pointed to see Offaly home. Offaly: E Reynolds; A Liffey, A Byrne, M King; E Regan 0-01, R Kinsella, O Phelan; C Cleary, S Shanahan; F Dooley, M Teehan 0-01, G Teehan 0-05 1f; C Leahy 0-07 4f 1'45, C Maher, K Pilkington. Subs: F Mulrooney for Maher (33), C Fogarty for King (47), O Kilmartin for Pilkington (50), K Kennedy for Liffey (58), C O'Donovan for Cleary (60) Kerry: A Fitzgerald; M Costello, S Murphy, R McCarthy; R Quinn, N Leen, A Behan; P Diggin 0-08 6f 1'45, C Spillane; AM Leen, K Lynch 0-01, R O'Connor; E O'Donoghue 0-01, J Horgan 0-01, A O'Sullivan.
Irish Examiner
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Offaly savour spoils but salute Kerry's part in a 'dogfight' for senior status
Glen Dimplex All Ireland Intermediate Camogie Final: Offaly 0-14 Kerry 0-11 Grace Teehan inspired Offaly to a hard-fought three-point win over a gutsy Kerry side who 10 years ago were hammered by Carlow in a Junior B final. Their brave bid to gain senior status came up just short at HQ. It was a game that Offaly deserved to win but they made heavy weather of a contest that never rose to any great heights. Kerry wasted a gilt-edged late goal chance that would have put them within a point but in truth had made too many basics errors to have deserved victory despite the best efforts of Patrice Diggin and Caoimhe Spillane. FAITHFUL FULFILMENT: Offaly's Orlagh Phelan lifts the cup after the 2025 Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship Final, Croke Park. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane Offaly manager David Sullivan was relieved his side got over the line. 'It was a dogfight is the best way to put it," he said afterwards. "In fairness, we knew coming up today that Kerry were going to fight on their back for this. They weren't going to give us the time and space that people thought they were. "I think there was an impression today that we were going to come up here and run riot, but that was never going to happen. We always knew Kerry were going to fight today and we expected a war and a physical battle and that's the way it turned out. Goal chances were at a premium and it was just whoever was more clinical from the point scoring point of view. "We left a lot of chances behind us. We had 12 wides, I think Kerry had only three or four. There's a feeling when Jackie (Horgan) had that goal chance and Emer made that great save, if that had gone never know." Offaly started brightly with Clodagh Leahy making an immediate impact. She opened the scoring after just 20 seconds and quickly followed up with two well-taken frees from 45 metres, giving her side a 0-3 to 0-0 lead after four minutes. Kerry responded through Diggin, who converted a 21-metre free, before Mairead Teehan extended Offaly's advantage once more. Diggin kept Kerry in touch with another free and Jackie Horgan's fine finish after a driving run from Ellen O'Donoghue reduced the gap to a single point by the 10th minute. Kerry drew level on 16 minutes via Diggin's long-range free but Leahy's accuracy from placed balls restored Offaly's edge. Grace Teehan stretched the lead to two before Kate Lynch struck from distance to keep Kerry in contention with 24 minutes on the clock. Diggin's fourth free of the half brought the sides level again at 0-6 apiece after 27 minutes. Offaly pushed back ahead with points from Grace Teehan and Ellen Regan, making it 0-8 to 0-6. Kerry's persistence was rewarded just before the break when Diggin scored from play to leave the minimum between the teams at the break. The second half began slowly with the first score not arriving until the 39th minute when Diggin levelled the tie at 0-8 apiece with a well-struck 45. Grace Teehan quickly nudged Offaly back in front before Clodagh Leahy, reliable from placed balls all day, extended the lead from close range. Kerry threatened a breakthrough when Jackie Horgan's goal attempt was saved by Emer Reynolds, with the follow-up also denied, but Ellen O'Donoghue managed to slot over a point to narrow the gap. Leahy and Diggin exchanged scores before Grace Teehan restored a two-point cushion for Offaly in the 57th minute. A long-range Leahy free in the 59th minute pushed the lead to three, and Offaly hung on. Kerry manager John Madden was gracious in defeat but crestfallen too. 'Gutted," he said. "We did think coming up today we had a great chance, it was probably the goal chances that were a turning point in the game. Offaly were that bit better than us today, they got their scores in the second half and we didn't convert ours. That's the big picture. I couldn't fault the girls though, they were taken out on their shields" Scorers for Offaly: C Leahy (0-7, 4f, 1 45'), G Teehan (0-5, 1f), M Teehan, E Regan (0-1 each) Scorers for Kerry: P Diggin (0-8, 6f, 1 45'), J Horgan, K Lynch, E O'Donoghue (0-1 each) OFFALY: E Reynolds; S Shanahan, A Byrne, M King; O Phelan, R Kinsella, A Liffey; C Cleary, C Leahy; G Teehan, C Maher, F Dooley; E Regan, M Teehan, K Pilkington. Subs: F Mulrooney for C Maher (33 inj), C Fogarty for M King (47), O Kilmartin for K Pilkington (50), K Kennedy for A Liffey (58), C O'Donovan for C Cleary (60) KERRY: A Fitzgerald; M Costello, S Murphy, R McCarthy; R Quinn, N Leen, A Behan; P Diggin, C Spillane; R O'Connor, K Lynch, AM Leen; E O'Donoghue, J Horgan, A O'Sullivan. Subs: S Collins for AM Leen (h/t), K Ryan for A O'Sullivan (50), E Conway for E O'Donoghue (60) Referee: D O'Callaghan (Limerick)
Irish Times
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Offaly return to senior ranks with All-Ireland intermediate final win over Kerry
All-Ireland intermediate camogie final: Offaly 0-14 Kerry 0-11 The tension of an All-Ireland final was evident in what was a defensive and error-ridden battle between Offaly and Kerry , but on a day when an array of forwards that have illuminated the intermediate championship so far were largely kept under lock and key by their markers, Grace Teehan brought the perfect mix of talent and tenacity to drive the Midlanders back up to the senior ranks. Teehan registered four points from play and earned three converted frees, producing her biggest moments in the closing stages when all others seemed to have lost the ability to find the target in the face of suffocating defensive play. Had Offaly let it slip, they would have been haunted by their tally of 13 wides and another handful of shots dropped short, though Kerry will look back at the game's most clear-cut goal chance midway through the second half as their sliding doors moment. Jackie Horgan's seismic battle with Amy Byrne was one of the defining individual contests throughout the game and the Kingdom stalwart finally shook off the shackles of her Faithful follower before whipping a shot off her left from 12 metres out. READ MORE Emer Reynolds, who has made the Offaly custodian position her own since getting a chance against Westmeath midway through the summer, got a strong block and then reacted sharply to put off Amy O'Sullivan from knocking the sliotar into the net from a few metres out. Offaly's Sharon Shanahan and Aoife Hoctor celebrate after the final whistle. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Ellen O'Donoghue took a point from the loose ball that followed but it was Kerry's best chance to take a lead. Instead they were always that point or two adrift, even if Offaly couldn't relax until captain Orlagh Phelan collected the long, hopeful Kerry delivery in the sixth minute of stoppage time, the last action before the final whistle. For the opening six minutes, Offaly's attack looked every bit like the side that scored 12-71 in five games up to the final. Clodagh Leahy split the uprights from under the Hogan Stand on the very first attack and difficult positions were to prove no obstacle for her as she also found the target with two frees, one from each touchline. A Patrice Diggin reply was quickly followed by Mairéad Teehan emerging out of heavy traffic at centre forward to split the uprights, but Kerry stemmed the bleeding from there, aided by Offaly missing the target with their next three attempts. Diggin, Caoimhe Spillane and Niamh Leen got around the breaks on the Offaly puckout and the decision to play just two inside forwards with O'Donoghue coming back to the midfield sector added to Kerry's edge in that crucial battle. Jackie Horgan exploited the space that was left close to goal by getting in to register one point of her own and win two frees converted by Diggin. Kerry's Shannon Collins with Offaly's Megan King and Amy Byrne. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho By the time Leahy struck Offaly's next point from a 45 the momentum had been stripped from the Midlanders' attack and it was Kerry who continued to enjoy more primary possession, even if they struggled to convert at the other end. Two superb Grace Teehan points and another long-range effort from Ellen Regan ensured Offaly held the narrowest of leads at the break, though Amy Byrne and Róisín Kinsella both had to come up with big defensive plays to prevent Amy O'Sullivan and Kate Lynch from adding further scores. The defensive dominance at both ends was turned after half-time when the first eight minutes passed without a score. Aoife Fitzgerald came up with a vital save to parry Mairéad Teehan's goal attempt and Diggin duly levelled the game from a 45 a minute later, but as was the case so many times during this game, when Offaly's need was greatest, Grace Teehan came up with a vital score. A mere 0-2 apiece was added to the scoreboard over the next 17 minutes, but the last five minutes again belonged to Teehan as she fired over two points either side of winning a free that Clodagh Leahy pointed to see Offaly home. OFFALY: E Reynolds; A Liffey, A Byrne, M King; E Regan (0-1), R Kinsella, O Phelan; C Cleary, S Shanahan; F Dooley, M Teehan (0-1), G Teehan (0-5, 1f); C Leahy (0-7, 4f, 1′45), C Maher, K Pilkington. Subs: F Mulrooney for Maher (33 mins), C Fogarty for King (47), O Kilmartin for Pilkington (50), K Kennedy for Liffey (58), C O'Donovan for Cleary (60). KERRY: A Fitzgerald; M Costello, S Murphy, R McCarthy; R Quinn, N Leen, A Behan; P Diggin (0-8, 6f, 1′45), C Spillane; AM Leen, K Lynch (0-1), R O'Connor; E O'Donoghue (0-1), J Horgan (0-1), A O'Sullivan. Subs: S Collins for AM Leen (h-t), K Ryan for O'Sullivan (50 mins), E Conway for O'Donoghue (60). Referee: D O'Callaghan (Limerick).
Irish Examiner
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Camogie: Kerry and Offaly through to intermediate final
Kerry and Offaly will play in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland intermediate camogie final after coming through two rip-roaring semi-finals at Cedral St Conleth's Park in Newbridge. Both sides were beaten at this stage of last year's championship and were up against it when attempting to clear the penultimate hurdle this time, playing the two teams relegated from the senior championship 12 months ago, Antrim and Down. A 36th minute goal from Mairéad Teehan helped Offaly turn a half-time lead of two points to a seven-point advantage and that was critical as the Faithful held off Antrim to prevail by 1-16 to 2-12 in the first leg of a mouth-watering double-header. Two goals in under a minute, also in the third quarter, turned the tide in Kerry's favour against Down, with the Patrice Diggin planting a penalty in the 40th minute on her way to scoring 1-7, before Jackie Horgan popped up with a brilliant score. Hard though they tried, there was no way back for Down and it was the green and gold booking a date to Croke Park on a 3-12 to 0-16 scoreline. Goals have been the key to Offaly's success this year but they showed they had other strings to their bow when outpointing Antrim in the battle of the Very League champions. The Ulster crew were marginal favourites, given that they had beaten three senior sides to win the Division 1B title. But Offaly had impressed in garnering the Division 2 crown and were only two points in arrears when the teams met in the group stages. Antrim scored their first goal in the 15th minute, starting with good defensive work to thwart a dangerous looking Offaly attack. They countered quickly and Róisín McCormick won the long delivery well, then popped the sliotar to the onrushing Annie Lynn. Lynn didn't have to break stride before in turn feeding Caitrin Dobbin, and while her shot was saved brilliantly by Emer Reynolds, the Loughgiel sniper managed to scramble the rebound over the line. David Sullivan's crew responded well with Grace Teehan leading the resistance. She took over freetaking duties and quickly brought her tally to four points, finishing with a wonderful score from play just before the break to send her side in leading 0-10 to 1-5. Antrim had the wind in the second half however, and the hope that they could get Róisín McCormick into the play even more, the Loughgiel ace scoring all of her team's points in that opening period. The sides shared four points early on in the second half but after Grace Teehan converted another free from a tight angle, Offaly made the definitive burst thanks to a sublime goal by her cousin Mairéad. The Moneygall maestro, denied by a tremendous Caitriona Graham save in the first half, executed a lightning quick pick-up and took the direct route, cutting back expertly inside to lose two defenders in a blink before blasting off her left to the roof of the net. That put six between the teams and the margin quickly became seven with all the momentum in the Faithful's direction. It was McCormick who provided the fuel injection Antrim needed six minutes after Teehan's major. Kate Molloy did the donkey work on this occasion, somehow emerging from a ruck with possession. She offloaded to McCormick and she did the rest, slaloming into space before unleashing an unstoppable shot from close range. It was nip and tuck from there to the end, Offaly wasting a few chances to extend their advantage and Antrim chipping away to reduce the deficit to the minimum with points from McCormick (free) and Dobbin. Offaly defended well in the last two minutes of injury time however and it was the midlanders progressing to HQ. There had been nothing between Down and Kerry in the group stages either – two points again – so no one was surprised that this also went down to the wire. Defences had held sway on that occasion and this was no scorefest either for a long while before the game really opened up as both outfits threw off the shackles with everything on the line. Playing with the breeze, Down started with real intent and had four points on the board in less than ten minutes. Paula O'Hagan, back from injury, had three of those and the Mourne women led by four after 13 minutes, Beth Fitzpatrick also landing a monster. The legendary Diggin drove Kerry forward and shot a fantastic point into the wind but a very lucky goal from Amy O'Sullivan seemed to knock Down for six, briefly at least. O'Sullivan twisted and turned to make space and let go for a point, but the sliotar dropped into the corner of the net and suddenly the teams were level at the end of the first quarter. The scoring rate dropped thereafter and Jackie Horgan showed her trademark strength to make space and point just before the break, sending Kerry in leading by 1-5 to 0-7. Down are a side with plenty of experience and they used the interval well to steady down. They resumed in similar fashion to how they started the first half, hitting four points to go one in front but the game was turned on its head by those two goals in under a minute. Diggin dispatched a penalty to the corner in the 40th minute, after Ann Marie Leen was fouled in the square and before Down knew what had happened, Horgan was rampaging in from the corner, having shown good pace to go with her strength to get away, shortening her grip and making enough of an angle to finish expertly. Down never gave up but they had given themselves too much to do and in the end it was Diggin who had the final say with a pointed free from distance to spark wild celebrations.
