1985 National Camogie League

National Camogie League 1985

Championship Details
Dates
Competitors
Sponsor
National Camogie League winners
Winners	Kilkenny (4th title)
Captain	Bridie McGarry
Manager
National Camogie League Runners-up
Runners-up	Dublin
Captain
Manager
Matches played

The 1985 National Camogie League, the second most important elite level inter-county competition in the women's team field sport of camogie was won by Kilkenny, who defeated Dublin in the final, played at Parnell Park.^[1][2]

Arrangements

Dublin were the form team for the competition. As with previous League competitions their earlier county championship contributed to their success. They coasted through their section of the league running up big scores in all their games. Anne Redmond, regular full back since 1979, was unavailable for the 1984 season. Mairon Conroy filled in and stepped aside for the final. Bernie Toner, who did not play in the earlier rounds of the League, rejoining the panel for the final. A nightmare start against Dubin at the same venue put paid to Kilkenny’s 1984 championship aspirations. They started training for the 1985 season earlier than previous years with a panel of 18 including all their recognsied senior players.

The Final

The final went to a replay. The first day Kilkenny took a 4-3 to 1-7 half time lead and added points from M Farrell and Angela Downey on the restart before Dublin came back to equalize with a goal from Carmel O'Byrne and an equalizing point from Edel Murphy.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} Dublin were without the services of Yvonne Redmond, Germaine Noonan, Marie Connell and Joan Gormley while Killkenny had their full championship side for the replay.^{[8][9][10][11][12]} Exchanges were keen in a fast and furious game, with Kilkenny dominating the first half to lead 3-6 to 0-4 at half time. Dublin made a comeback and trailed by three points with five minutes to go and in a tremendous closing rally were unable to penetrate the Dublin defence staged by Maris Fitzpatrick, Ann Downey and Bridie McGarry.

Division 2

The Junior National League, known since 2006 as Division Two, was won by Galway’s second team who defeated Kildare by 3-10 to 3-3 in the final at Bulaun, Loughrea. The sides were level 2-5 to 3-2 at half-time but Kildare scored only once in the second half, a point in the dying minutes of the game. Donegal were semi-finalists, the high point in their camogie history of that era, with a side grown from colleges camogie playing their camogie predominantly on the ground. Four of the Donegal side, beaten 6-3 to 2-2 by Kildare, Geraldine Henry, Ita Blake, Gerri Murphy and Brid Ronaghan played in the Dublin championships with Marino and UCD, Six were studying for the Leaving Cert, including Mary Hirrell of Carndonagh community school. Galway had easy wins over Louth, Down and Kilkenny’s second team by ten points. They needed extra time to beat Clare in the quarter-final before winning by a point and beat Derry by 7-7 to 4-4 in the semi-final at Greenlock, County Londonderry. Deirdre Costello scored two goals against Clare and four against Derry. Full forward Ann Ryan was a former All-Ireland Feile na nGael skills title holder and sister of hurlers Paschal and John Ryan.

Final stages

Kilkenny v Dublin

June 2 Final

Kilkenny	4-7 – 2-13	Dublin

Parnell Park

Kilkenny v Dublin

June 23 Final

Kilkenny	4-7 – 3-6	Dublin

Nowlan Park

Draw June 2 Kilkenny 4-7 Dublin 2-13

Kilkenny

Dublin

Kilkenny: GK 1 Marie Fitzpatrick (St Brigid’s Ballycallan) FB 2 Ann Downey (St Paul’s) RWB 3 Ann Holden (Ballyhale Shamrocks) CB 4 Bridie McGarry (St Paul’s) (Capt.) LWB 5 Biddy O'Sullivan (Shamrocks) MF 6 Liz Neary (St Paul’s) MF 7 Deirdre Malone (St Brigid’s Ballycallan) MF 8 Anna Whelan (Lisdowney) 1-0 RWF 9 Margaret Farrell (UCD) CF 10 Angela Downey (St Paul’s) 0-3 LWF 11 Jo Dunne (Carrickshock) 1-1 FF 12 Breda Holmes (St Paul’s). 1-1

Dublin: GK 1 Yvonne Redmond (Cúchulainn Crumlin) FB 2 Anne Redmond (Cúchulainn Crumlin) RWB 3 Catherine Ledwidge (Phoenix) CB 4 Germaine Noonan (UCD) LWB 5 Grainne Burke MF 6 Una Crowley (Celtic) MF 7 Mary Mernagh (Cuala Naomh Mhuire) (0-1) MF 8 Barbara Redmond (Cúchulainn Crumlin) 0-2 RWF 9 Joan Gormley (UCD) CF 10 Edel Murphy (UCD) (Captain) 1-9 LWF 11 Carmel O'Byrne 0-2 FF 12 Marie Connell (Celtic) 1-0

Replay June 23 Kilkenny 4-7 Dublin 3-6

Kilkenny

Dublin

Kilkenny: GK 1 Marie Fitzpatrick (St Brigid’s Ballycallan) FB 2 Ann Downey (St Paul’s) RWB 3 Ann Holden CB 4 Bridie McGarry (St Paul’s) (Capt.) LWB 5 Biddy O'Sullivan (Shamrocks) MF 6 Liz Neary (St Paul’s) 4-0 MF 7 Deirdre Malone (St Brigid’s Ballycallan) MF 8 Anna Whelan (Lisdowney) 0-2 RWF 9 Margaret Farrell CF 10 Angela Downey (St Paul’s) 0-4 LWF 11 Jo Dunne FF 12 Breda Holmes (St Paul’s). 0-1 FF Siobhan Ryan for Margaret Farrell  46'

Dublin: GK 1 Yvonne Redmond (Cúchulainn Crumlin) FB 2 Anne Redmond (Cúchulainn Crumlin) RWB 3 Catherine Ledwidge (Phoenix) CB 4 Germaine Noonan (UCD) LWB 5 Bernie Toner (Cuala Naomh Mhuire) 0-1 MF 6 Una Crowley (Celtic) 0-1 MF 7 Mary Mernagh (Cuala Naomh Mhuire) (0-1) MF 8 Barbara Redmond (Cúchulainn Crumlin) 0-2 RWF 9 Joan Gormley (UCD) CF 10 Edel Murphy (UCD) (Captain) 2-4 LWF 11 Carmel O'Byrne 1-0 FF 12 Marie Connell (Celtic)

References

1. Moran, Mary (2011). A Game of Our Own: The History of Camogie. Dublin, Ireland: Cumann Camógaíochta. p. 460. 978-1-908591-00-5
2. National Camogie League on Camogie.ie
3. Report of final in Irish Press, June 3, 1985
4. Report of final in Irish Independent, June 3, 1985
5. Report of final in Irish Times, June 3, 1985
6. Report of final in Irish Examiner, June 3, 1985
7. Report of final in Irish News, June 3, 1985
8. Report of Replay in Irish Press, June 24, 1985
9. Report of Replay in Irish Independent, June 24, 1985
10. Report of Replay in Irish Times, June 24, 1985
11. Report of Replay in Irish Examiner, June 24, 1985
12. Report of Replay in Irish News, June 24, 1985

External links

• Camogie Association