Brilliant Derry win All-Ireland Under-16 camogie title

Under 16A Shield final

Derry 0-17

Wexford 2-6

DERRY are All-Ireland under 16A Shield champions! 

A year after gaining promotion following victory it the under 16B championship, the county has lifted itself into next season’s All-Ireland A championship with this win over Wexford in UMPC Nowlan Park Kilkenny that was even more emphatic than the final score-line suggests.

Two months ago Wexford clipped Derry by two points in a group game in Dublin. On Saturday, despite conceding a goal to Ciara McCarthy inside the first couple of minutes, having midfielder Mary Therese McCullagh sent off in the 22nd minute for a second yellow card offence and seeing two Emma Quinn goals ruled out for square balls, Derry still sent Ellie McCartney up the steps to collect the Shield while corner-forward Grace McCartney picked up the Player of the Match award.

When McCullagh saw red, Derry had just managed to edge ahead by 0-6 to 1-2, but they finished half with four points in a row to lead by double-scores at the break.

Grace McCartney opened the scoring with a point before the McCarthy goal arrived quickly followed by a point from Emma James. Derry however recovered well and by the end of the first quarter, two from Emma Quinn and one each from Mary Therese and Grace McCartney had edged them ahead.

After the second yellow for Mary Therese, Derry responded positively with four points, two more from free-taker Quinn, and one each from Ríonach McNally and Áine Young to go in at the break with a 0-10 to 1-2 lead.

Brianna Donaghy and Quinn stretched that gap to seven points on the re-start. Just past the 45 minute mark, sub Róisín McAtamney clipped over two points in quick succession and Derry were looking good. 

However the last quarter was packed with drama. Aoife McAteer was called on to save a penalty at one end, while Emma Quinn was denied a goal for square ball at the other and then Keelin Doyle breached the Oak Leaf defence for a second Wexford goal.

But Derry remained in control, their defence closing out the play for the last five minutes.

On the day it was a huge performance from the whole team; everyone played a massive part including the three substitutes. Indeed with players absent due to holidays over the past few weekends this was truly a victory for the whole panel, emphasising the need for players not getting game time in earlier matches to keep putting in the work and then being available to step up to the plate when an opening comes up.

Derry: E Quinn 0-6, 5 frees, G McCartney 0-3, R McNally, Á Young and R McAtamney 0-2 each, MT McCullagh and B Donaghy 0-1 each.

Wexford: C Whelan and K Doyle 1-0 each, E McCarthy 0-5, 4 frees, E James 0-1

Derry: Aoife McAteer, Clodagh McMullan, Eimhear Conway, GracieMae Bradley, Anna McFaul, Ellie McCartney, Hannah Draine, Mary T McCullagh, Áine Young, Hannah Downey, Emma Quinn, Brianna Donaghy, Aoife McWilliams, Rionach McNally, Grace McCartney

Subs: Róisín McAtamney for R McNally, Aoibh Shivers for GM Bradley, Aoife Doherty for B Doherty.

Wexford: Muireann Kavanagh, Maria Laffin, Elaine Doyle, Emily Murphy, Roisin Doyle, Sarah Kirwan, Chloe Steadmond, Ellie Steadmond, Caoimhe McGonigle, Éabha Keane, Emma McCarthy, Emma James, Makalya Tobin Cosgrove, Ciara Whelan, Keelin Doyle 

Subs: C Moore for M Laffin, R Codd for C McGonigle, A O’Loughlin for M Tobin Cosgrove, K Roche for É Keane