Galway 1-18

Tipperary 1-11

SOMETIMES, a rising tide doesn’t lift all boats as the Tipperary senior camogie team discovered to their cost at Nowlan Park on Saturday when they were comprehensively swept aside by an impressive Galway outfit.

With All-Ireland senior and U-20 hurling titles already locked in the trophy cabinet this summer, hopes were high that Tipperary’s camogie team would be inspired by those triumphs and, in the process, end their semi-final hoodoo, but instead they came up well short against the Tribeswomen.

Indeed, only for a fortunate goal from team captain Karen Kennedy – their only player who was better than average – at a time when they were in all kinds of trouble, Tipperary’s margin of defeat would surely have reached double digits.

In reaching a fifth All-Ireland final in seven years, Cathal Murray’s charges not only carried a critical advantage in quality, but they were also far more aggressive and assertive and, surprisingly, hungrier as well.

The fact that Galway hunted down possession in a way Tipperary supporters would have expected from their team, chasing a first final appearance since 2006, underlined the focus and mental strength of Carrie Dolan and company.

From the off, Galway dictated the exchanges and powered into a 0-8 to 0-2 lead despite facing the wind. Tipperary were disappointingly passive and sloppy, and struggled to cope with the overall intensity of last year’s finalists.

The winners’ full-back line of Shauna Healy, Róisín Black, and Dervla Higgins was outstanding, and with the long-serving Ailish O’Reilly having a field day up front – she scored five points from play – Saturday’s semi-final proved chalk and cheese to last year’s thriller when Galway scraped home.

With Down recruit Niamh Mallon highlighting her finishing qualities, the excellent Aoife Donohue terrier-like on the breaking ball, and lively corner-forwards Mairead Dillon and Caoimhe Kelly sniping four points between them, Galway held nearly all the aces before a healthy crowd of 8,000 for the semi-final double bill.

Throw-in Dolan’s accuracy and Caoimhe Hickey excelling in the sweeper role, Galway made light of their four-week lay-off from competitive action in easily setting up a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland Final against Cork at Croke Park on Sunday week.

Of the four counties in action at Nowlan Park, Tipperary had the biggest contingent of fans present, but you could sense their growing unease as the opening-half developed. Galway were making things happen, while Tipp just didn’t bring the necessary drive to the battleground.

Pictured: Galway defender Ciara Hickey is first to the ball against Tipperary in Saturday’s All-Ireland Senior Camogie semi-final at Nowlan Park. Photo: INPHO/Bryan Keane,