Kerry have retained the TG4 Ladies Munster Senior Football Championship.
They've beaten Waterford in Kilmallock 2-9 to 1-11.
At half-time it was Kerry 2-5 Waterford 1-8
Report by Dan Kearney
Kerry were crowned TG4 Munster SFC for the third year in succession after a hard fought one point victory over a spirited Waterford at Kilmallock GAA grounds.
In many ways Kerry had to be extremely thankful to the brilliance of goalkeeper Mary Ellen Bolger who saved from point black at the death to deny Laura Cusack what surely would have been the winning goal.
A hugely entertaining first half saw the sides share three goals in a whirlwind opening 30 minutes.
Niamh Carmody and Karen McGrath shared early scores before the first goal of the game arrived in the third minute after a lightning Kerry move involving Carmody and Niamh Ní Chonchuir saw Leah McMahon palm to the back of the Waterford net.
KellyAnn Hogan replied with a free but then in the eighth minute came Waterford’s opening goal when Katie Murray finished to the back of the net after a brilliant run and pass from Aine O’Neill.
We didn’t have to wait long for Kerry’s second goal, and it came in the tenth minute after a brilliant move involving Anna Galvin and Mary O’Connell who passed across goal and Emma Costello raced in to volley past Katelyn Gardner.
Hogan replied with a point for Waterford but Bolger had to save from Clare Walsh, but frees from Hogan and a Brid McMaugh special from down town pushed Waterford 1-6 to 2-1 ahead.
Siofra O’Shea got three on the bounce for the winners (2 frees), Hogan replied from a free after a Kerry breach, and with Kerry’s Jadyn Lucey (free) and Lauren McGregor trading scores, the sides went in level at half time, 2-5 to 1-8.
Bolger was forced into a superb block from Emma Murray three minutes into the second half before Murray and O’Shea (free) traded scores. McGregor had a chance of a goal but shot straight at Bolgerbut Katie Murray did reply to push the Déise one ahead, 2-5 to 1-9.
O’Shea levelled matters with a free but Katie Murray raised another white flag for Waterford. Drama followed when Kerry’s Niamh Carmody was sent to the bin but it was the winners Roisin Rahilly that scored a neat point although McMaugh did reply straight afterwards.
Aishling O’Connell was denied a goal for a small square infringement, but Siofra O’Shea wasn’t to be denied when she slotted over to level the contest.
With both sides looking for a winner it was Kerry that came up trumps when substitute Danielle O’Leary slotted over, although the winners will be thankful to Bolger who saved them with her last ditch wonder save.
As Munster champions Kerry now go into Group 2 of the All-Ireland series with Kildare and Tipperary whilst Waterford go into Group 1 and will face Armagh and Cork.
Scorers – Kerry: S O’Shea 0-5 (3f), L McMahon 1-0, E Costello 1-0, J Lucey 0-1f, N Carmody 0-1, R Rahilly 0-1, D O’Leary 0-1.
Waterford: KA Hogan 0-5 (4f), K Murray 1-1, B McMaugh 0-2, K McGrath 0-1, L McGregor 0-1, E Murray 0-1.
KERRY: M E Bolger; R Rahilly, D Kearney, E Lynch; A O’Connell, E Costello, A Dillane; A Galvin, M O’Connell; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir, C Evans; J Lucey, L McMahon, S O’Shea. Subs: D O’Leary for J Lucey (ht), E McGlynn for L McMahon (51).
WATERFORD: K Gardner; C Murray, L Mulcahy, R Browne; C Walsh, R Casey, K McGrath; E Murray E Power; Á O’Neill, K Hogan, K Murray; M Daly, B McMaugh, L McGregor. Subs: C Fennell for M Daly (49), L Ní Harta for E Power (56), L Cusack for A O’Neill (60).
Referee: Conor McCarthy (Cork).
Kerry go into All-Ireland series Group 2 with Kildare and Tipperary.
Mary Ellen Bolger
Mark Bourke
Emma Costello
Siofra O'Shea
Armagh have been crowned the Ulster Ladies Football champions for the third year in-a-row.
They've beaten Tyrone by 2-13 to 1-15 in the final.
Clare 4-13 Cork 2-8
By Anthony Newman
Two goals in a minute were key scores for Clare as they got the better of Cork in the TG4 Munster SFC B final at Kilmallock in Limerick.
Leah Kelly and Theresa Collins both scored to put Clare ahead by 3-10 to 1-5 and from there Cork were never going to recover.
Overall the winners were by far the better side as they led from start to finish to win their first title at this level since 2023.
Clare took the lead in the third minute when Joanna Doohan pointed and from the restart it took a great save from Caoimhe Forde to deny them a goal.
Theresa Collins picked up the ball and played Lauren Conway in, but Forde saved superbly to deny her.
Emma Cooney had Cork back on level terms before Clare were awarded a penalty for a foul on Chloe Moloney, who won the Player of the Game award.
She picked herself up to find the bottom corner to make it 1-1 to 0-1 after eight minutes.
Clare grew in confidence from this with Ellie Hanrahan and Moloney adding points to increase their lead.
Amy Sexton was also on target to see Clare in front by 1-4 to 0-1 after 17 minutes.
Mary Leahy pulled a point back for Cork, before Collins saw her shot on goal go narrowly wide.
Moloney pointed from a free, before Clare had their keeper, Rebecca Sexton, to thank as she denied Nicola Sheehan a green flag.
With 21 minutes gone Cork were back in contention, when Holly Quirke and Siofra Pattwell combined to put Cliona Dooley in for a goal and they could have had a second a minute later.
Pattwell played the ball to Sheehan but her effort was just outside the post.
Collins pointed for Clare, with Dooley replying for Cork as half time approached.
With the last shot of the half Moloney pointed from a free for Clare to see them lead by 1-9 to 1-3 at the break.
Holly Quirke pulled a point back for Cork at the start of the second half, with Collins and Moloney replying for Clare. Quirke was on target again, before two goals in a minute killed off any chance of a Cork comeback.
Moloney set up Leah Kelly for the first and from the restart Collins got their third, to make it 3-10 to 1-5 and effectively kill off the game as a contest.
Quirke pulled a goal back for Cork and she added a point for a free, with Megan Downes and Kelly replying at the other end.
With time running out Collins got Clare’s fourth goal to seal the win for the Banner.
Scorers for Clare: T Collins 2-2, C Moloney 1-4 (1-0 pen, 3f), L Kelly 1-1, E Hanrahan 0-3, J Doohan, A Sexton, M Downes 0-1 each.
Cork: H Quirke 1-4 (2f), C Dooley 1-1, E Nagle (f), E Cooney, M Leahy 0-1 each.
CLARE: R Sexton; H Doyle, R Doohan, L Power; L Cleary, J Doohan, E Burke; T Collins, A Slattery; A Sexton, E Hanrahan, S Considine; E O Driscoll, C Moloney, L Conway. Subs: M Downes for S Considine (25), A Kelly for L Cleary (ht), L Kelly for E O’Driscoll (43), A Crowe for L Conway (51), S Torpey for A Sexton (55).
CORK: C Forde; N Kennedy, E McGrath, E Tarrant; A O’Sullivan, E Cooney, K O’Donovan; A McDonagh, M Beausang; M Leahy, N Sheehan, A McTaggart; S Pattwell, H Quirke, C Dooley. Subs: R Murphy for M Leahy (ht), E Nagle for C Dooley (39), S Ni Laoire for E Tarrant, A McCarthy for A McTaggart (both 43), R Shanley for A O’Sullivan (51).
Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry).
