1950- Glenealy win the Camogie trophy
(The Wicklow People report on the Game)
Glenealy —8 – 3 Ballyrichard 0-1
This seems a hopeless “cricket score’ which Glenealy girls recorded against Ballyrichard at Glenealy on Thursday evening of last week in the final for the O’Byrne Camogie Cup, but really on the play especially in the last quarter hour, the less experienced girls from the southern area fought a grand battle against their “veteran” opponents. Their principle fault lay in marking their opponents; they left the long-shooting and straight- shooting Glenealy players altogether unmolested at times with every chance of bringing the ball into the front line. From here it was good to see the two Douglas girls —on the opposite wings—render such a good account of themselves. The heroine of the hour was J. Doherty, in the Ballyrichard goal. With marvellous, coolness and judgment, she whipped ball after ball away from the net, and particularly in the final attacks of the last quarter hour, she rendered grand service to her team. Ahead of her was M. Carthy, a very useful and dependable full-back; on the wings J. Doherty was probably the swiftest of the right-hand trio, — and B Carthy the best of the three opposite. Centerfield, A. Clancy and P. O’Neill fought a very- hard battle against the experienced Kavanagh girls, three of them in a row who knew ever thing about craft and guile to dominate this all-important point of the field. As a result, K; Steadman, centre-forward and B Conroy full-forward, had very little to do, very rare opportunities to show that they might have been able to bring the scores up to a better level. Glenealy were deservedly the victors of the game and winners of the Cup, for they had in their play given a nice combination of camogie, even though some of them were ” off form’ due largely to the lack of practice. The two Douglas girls, ‘ as already mentioned, with B.Doyle full-forward, and M. Doyle their centre-half, were a grand quartet in finishing the innumerable services of the Kavanagh trio, Cafferty and Morley. In the defence, the backs were seldom called upon, and when they were, they beat all efforts to reach the net. As it was M. Ryan and S. Byrne pressed forward most of the time, and kept the attack up with the others, leaving their goalie, K. Merrigan, to while away the time as best she could and try to keep herself warm in an exceptionally cold breeze. Miss M. Lynch proved a very capable referee, and thanks to the Glenealy club the ground was nicely marked-out for this important match.
The “Richards'” pressed from the outset got over a wide, but after that Glenealy took over control. After a wide, Sadie Douglas opened the scoring with a well-judged ground hall that beat J Doherty. Carthy for “Richards” showed strong fielding, but receiving from K. Douglas, M. Doyle shot through for a second goal. K. Kavanagh, Morley and K. Douglas penetrated the backs, Carthy saved cleverly ‘ but on the return from midfield K Douglas got through for the third goal. Doherty deflected a sharp shot to grant a”25,” which was sent wide. A twofold missing of a free on a long-sustained attack by Glenealy and from the third effort to raise the ball properly, M. Kavanagh sent over the bar. Just as the whistle went; J Doherty displayed one of her spectacular saves, and the half-time score left Glenealy comfortable, with 3 goals 1 point to nil .
S. Douglas got away from the throw-in; B. Doyle came tearing along to attack, and K. Douglas made her contribution—all efforts failing to score—to the number of four wides. K. Douglas’s next attempt was slammed aside by the goalie; in from the wing the ball came three different times for this girl to save every time, and at the fourth penetration of the backs. S. Douglas got through to the net. A long shot by K. Douglas got over the bar. P O’Neill set a good movement on foot for Ballyrichard Doherty and Steadman came to her assistance, but the chance was spoiled by a wide. Beating off Glenealy successfully from another attack “Richards” essayed another effort, and O’Neill sent into Glenealy territory. Centre field played up well, and getting a free P. O’Neill sent nicely over the bar, their first and only score which was generously applauded by the spectators. This little reward encouraged the team, and from this to the end they played a much better game, despite the fact that Glenealy continued to mount up the scores.
From a very close-in tussle B.Boyle got a goal, and a moment later passed over, the goal line for a sixth goal. In a good spurt, Ballyrichards beat their way through all opposition, Clancy, O’Neill, Carthy, Ivanoff, Steadman, all contributing; a grand shot by Conroy seemed to have beaten the: a , Glenealy goalie; the referee consulted with the umpires, but apparently the goalie had successfully kept outside the goal line, and no score was recorded. Again they tried hard, this time coming in from the right wing per Delaney, Doherty and Donovan, but it was hard for Conroy and Steadman to break through the Kavanagh trio, and instead their own goal came under attack – in and out, repeatedly – for the goalie and her backs to save numerous shots. A wing shot by K. Douglas went straight and true to the goal, and after many more escapes and good saves, A. Kavanagh sent a free over the bar and from the wing the scoring was concluded with the eighth goal secured by S. Douglas. Later on the cup was formally presented to the Glenealy team.
Teams; Glenealy
K. Merrigan (goal), M. Kavanagh(Capt.), M. Ryan, A. Kavanagh, S. Byrne, M, Morely, K. Kavanagh; K Kavanagh; K. Douglas, M Doyle, S. Douglas and
B. Doyle.
Ballyrichard—J. Doherty (goal), M. Carthy M. Nolan, A.- Clancy, L. Delaney, B Carthy O. O’Neill (Capt.), J. Doherty, M. layoff, K. Steadman, C. Donovan and B. Conroy.
