Fitzgerald to the fore as Camross are crowned All-Ireland Champions
The Camross side that won the 2025 AIB All-Ireland Camogie Intermediate Club Final in Croke Park. Photo: Laois Camogie
Camross Camogie Club made the trip to the GAA headquarters, Croke Park on Sunday afternoon where they faced Ballincollig of Cork, with the occasion being a first ever All-Ireland Final for both clubs. It is a fine achievement to line out in Croke Park in the depths of December, and it was fitting that the teams warmed up with the background noise of Christmas music.
The Camross supported have travelled near and far all year long to support their side and in a large stadium they were all that could be heard on the day acting as a 16th player on the pitch for the team.
Inside the opening minute, Aimee Collier split the posts getting the scoring underway. Ailish Scanlon replied from a free for the Munster champions while Erin Walsh fired over a super score a minute later. Niamh Dollard was alert and denied a shot which came from Tara Goulding. Scanlon pointed a second free before Ballincollig raised a green flag when Goulding set up Leah Hannigan.
The Laois champions responded well and Grainne Delaney raised a white flag while Sarah-Anne Fitzgerald pointed her first free of the game from her own 65 metre line. Their opponents then went on to point three in a row coming from the hurls of Scanlon (free), Linda Dorgan, and Sorcha McCarthy.
Fitzgerald pointed her second from a place ball while McCarthy replied with her second from play. Kirsten Keenan then opened her account splitting the posts before hawk-eye was called upon for an Aimee Collier shot which gave a TÁ on the corner screens of the stadium. Scanlon pointed the Cork sides final score of the half from a free while Fitzgerald went on to point two frees in a row leaving only a single point between the sides at the break, (1-7 to 0-9).
Camross emerged from the dressing room with goal on their mind as Andrea Scully put her foot to the floor are headed that direction, only to be denied by Ana Hartnett. Scanlon fired over her fifth free before Camross created a second goal scoring opportunity, this time it was Walsh who was denied by a superb save from Hartnett. On the third time asking, Fitzgerald buried the ball to the back of the net after a fantastic block from Keenan as Ballincollig attempted to break out of defence.
Aimee Collier then extended the lead to two while Scanlon replied from a free before Fitzgerald pointed her first from play which brought an almighty roar from the Camross crowd. The ball went end to end for the following ten minutes but in the 55th minute, Andrea Scully raised a white flag pushing them three points ahead.
Fitzgerald pointed a free to make the cushion four points with only three minutes to play, frees were then traded between Scanlon and Fitzgerald keeping four between the sides right to the final whistle seeing Camross crowned All-Ireland Champions.
With 1-7 to her name, Sarah-Anne Fitzgerald was awarded the player of the match award.
Sarah-Anne Fitzgerald 1-7 (0-6 frees), Aimee Collier 0-3, Grainne Delaney, Kirsten Keenan, Andrea Scully and Erin Walsh 0-1 each.
Ailish Scanlon 0-7 frees, Leah Hannigan 1-0, Sorcha McCarthy 0-2, Linda Dorgan 0-1.
Niamh Dollard; Mairead Burke, Aisling Burke, Fiona Scully; Aoife Collier, Donnagh Mortimer, Ella Cuddy; Luisne Delaney, Aimee Collier; Leah Daly, Grainne Delaney, Andrea Scully; Erin Walsh, Sarah-Anne Fitzgerald, Kirsten Keenan.
Tara Lowry for Fitzgerald (Blood 51-54 mins), Sile Burke for Daly (56 mins), Ava Guilfoyle for M.Burke (63 mins), and Tara Lowry for Walsh (64 mins).
Ana Hartnett; Aoife Cotter, Miriam Healy, Cara O'Sullivan; Orla Keating, Leah Weste, Ella Hickey; Ailish Scanlon, Susanna Healy; Keeley Goulding, Linda Dorgan, Olivia O'Leary; Sorcha McCarthy, Tara Goulding, Leah Hannigan.
Blaithin Cinniffe for O’Leary (41 mins), Niamh O’Brien for S. Healy (49 mins), and Izzy Fleury for McCarthy (60 mins).
Joe Mullins (Clare)
