Congratulations to the Junior A's who qualified for the Gala Junior All Ireland Championship Final with a semi final win over London in Saint Peregrine's on Saturday last 7th August. Having been defeated so narrowly at the same stage last year by eventual winners Roscommon to go one better has been the ambition all year and now that that has been achieved an All Ireland beckons. London proved to be a vastly different outfit than the one beaten comprehensively by Kildare earlier in the championship. Yet Kildare got off to a great start and dominated the first ten minutes, starting with a goal when Roisin O Connell, who, without room to swing the hurley expertly handpassed to the London net. Points followed in quick succession from Susie O Carroll, Siobhan Hurley Orla Mullally, Ciara Tallon and O Connell before London got off the mark. London, however were beginning to settle into the game much better and Denise Gilligan cut the deficit with four points from placed balls and play. Having soaked up some pressure Kildare hit back with two goals in the seventeenth and twenty third minute from Tallon and Mulally to go in 3-5 to 0-5 at half time.
London reduced the lead with the first three points in the first twelve minutes of the second half and with only two scores between the teams and Kildare having to do a lot of defending a goal for London would have put it on a knife edge but the defence held firm and having failed to score in the previous twenty minutes of play Kildare got going again in the thirteenth minute with two points from O Carroll and one from Mulally to increase their lead again. London brought it back to seven points when Gilligan put over two frees in the seventeenth and eighteenth minutes but despite exerting a deal of pressure in search of goals the Kildare rearguard were not for conceding and those points were London's last scores of the day. Meanwhile Kildare finished much stronger on the scoreboard with points from Mary Murtagh (2), Louise Walsh (2), Clare Doran and Tallon to emerge 3-14 to 0-10 winners.
And so its upwards and onwards to an All Ireland Final engagement with Armagh who defeated Westmeath in the other semi final, on Saturday 28th August. Everyone associated with Kildare Camogie wish tem success in that assignment and hope that preparations proceed smoothly.
Kildare Brid Byrnes, Niamh Breen ( Capt.) , Regina Gorman, Niamh Concannon, Gillian O Hurley, Carol Nolan, Lorraine Bowes, Clodagh Flanagan, Clodagh Farrell, Mary Murtagh, Ciara Tallon, Susie O Carroll, Roisin O Connell, Orla Mullally, Siobhan Hurley, Clare Doran, Louise Walsh, Saileog O Keefe, Hazel Mulligan, Aisling Maher, Cliodhna McSweeney, Amy O Hara. Tweet

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