All-Ireland camogie semi-finals preview: Galway v Tipperary, Cork v Waterford

Galway will face Tipperary, and Cork will go up against Waterford in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship semi-finals.

The two matches will take place on Saturday, with Galway v Tipperary starting at 3pm and Cork v Waterford getting underway afterwards at 5pm.

Galway will be looking for a repeat of last year’s tumultuous semi-final, in which they snatched the pass to an All-Ireland final from Tipperary’s grasp in dramatic fashion.

Galway scored the last three points including Carrie Dolan’s injury time winner, having fallen two behind in the 56th minute.

Both sides have lost players for a variety of reasons since, but the cruciate injuries suffered by Eimear McGrath and Clodagh Quirke appear particularly cataclysmic blows to the blue and gold, following the retirements of Cáit Devane, Mary Ryan, and Nicole Walsh.

Galway are sans Niamh Kilkenny and Áine Keane among others, but have Shauna Healy and Emma Helebert back, they appear to be in better form than they were this time 12 months ago, albeit they seemed to time things almost perfectly in that regard when pushing Cork all the way in the resultant final.

The Rebels steamrolled them in the League final but since then, Cathal Murray’s charges won their group, scoring the last six points against Waterford when the sides had been level with a little more than four minutes of normal time remaining in the last tie.

Niamh Mallon and Dalton have been their primary scorers, while a defence of Healy, Helebert, Dervla Higgins and Róisín Black look solid.

Tipp were beaten by 18 points by Cork in their opener but bounced back with facile victories over Wexford, Limerick and Clare, racking up 11-62 in the process, at an average of more than 3-22 a game. Clare pushed Waterford very hard in their quarter-final, a week after losing by 20 points to the Premier.

Tipp have the benefit of coming through a thrilling quarter-final against Kilkenny. They capitalised on a huge slice of luck when the Cats had a goal chalked off with referee Ray Kelly having blown for a penalty before Caoimhe Keher Murtagh found the net.

Walsh’s successor in the Tipp No 1 jersey, Laura Leenane saved Aoife Prendergast’s shot

The game went to extra time and Clodagh McIntyre, reintroduced after being substituted, scored a sensational goal to edge Tipp home.

Karen Kennedy, Grace O’Brien, Mairéad Eviston, Karin Blair and Róisín Howard are among the leaders Denis Kelly can call upon.

We can expect another fiercely contested affair.

Cork v Waterford

This is a repeat of the 2023 All-Ireland final and Waterford will be hoping for a different result than when Amy O’Connor scored a hat-trick of goals in two minutes of action as the Rebels sauntered to victory.

Nothing went right for Waterford that day, with Vikki Falconer, deputised to reprise her marking heroics of the season on O’Connor but suffering an ACL injury after three minutes. Beth Carton missed a penalty too and it proved a thoroughly forgettable day.

Carton had a penalty saved in the quarter-final also as the Déise struggled with the favourites mantle but with Niamh Rockett flourishing from play and placed balls, Annie Fitzgerald and Abby Flynn sporadically dangerous when fed, Lorraine Bray coming into it in the second half and Falconer excelling on Róisín Begley, they prevailed by 10 points, despite wasting a number of goal chances too.

Cork will have noted the trouble Áine O’Loughlin caused however, and it would be no surprise to see a ball winner of Sorcha McCartan’s calibre on the edge of the square at some point.

Of course the Rebels have a huge mix of talent, and their style of play is more about speed and movement than the long ball. McCartan had a huge impact as a sub in last year’s All-Ireland final, though, and Ger Manley is fortunate to have such a different arrow in his bow.

Ashling Thompson remains a key cog in the engine room, and Laura Treacy and Libby Coppinger are at the heart of a mean defence.

There seems to be no end to the Mackey twins, Pamela and Katrina, and no matter who Manley starts up top, they are scoring at present, Clodagh Murphy among the newbies making an impact.

The Leesiders are chasing a three-in-a-row and are unbackable favourites to advance but if Waterford bring their A game, they have the attacking talents to ask questions of their Munster neighbours.