Tipperary win first with zest

A young and eager Tipperary team wrote a defining chapter in the history of the game by winning their first All-Ireland senior title with style and panache before a crowd of 15,084 at Croke Park yesterday. The attendance included President Mary McAleese and the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.

The last camogie final of the millennium was marked by a high standard of play, which reflected how well the game has progressed over the years. In an absorbing and often spectacular match, the issue was not finally decided until well into injury time by a pointed free from Tipperary's second-half substitute Caitriona Hennessey from Drom and Inch.

Kilkenny got a half chance to equalise moments later when Sinead Millea faced up to a free on the half-way line. Dublin referee Aine Derham advised Millea that it was the last puck of the match, but the Kilkenny woman's shot dropped 20 metres short and her side's hopes of a 13th title disappeared.

Tipperary had contested seven previous finals without success. They were also defeated by a cricket score in the League final this year - but this was completely wiped from the memory bank yesterday.

For two members of their halfback line it was a case of carrying on a great family tradition on All-Ireland day at headquarters - and Ciara Gaynor and Sinead Nealon, daughters of hurling icons Len Gaynor and Donie Nealon, played five-star roles in the success.

Gaynor and Nealon combined with team captain and right wing back Meadhbh Stokes to snuff out some of Kilkenny's most dangerous attacks.

An elated Gaynor (20) said: "I saw him, my dad, up in the stand. I felt I was walking on air. It's almost 28 years to the day since he won his last medal and it was against Kilkenny as well. I just can't believe it. It is really something else."

Gaynor also pointed out that two Tipperary hurlers of more recent vintage, Michael Cleary and Colm Bonnar, had a major input in the preparation of the team. "We were well prepared and confident. We were never going to give up," added team captain Stokes.

Star forward Deirdre Hughes was even more ebullient. "We are young and are going to win many more All-Irelands. This is just the beginning." Hughes scored four valuable points, the best of which was struck from almost an impossible angle to level the scores, once more, midway though the second half.

Tipperary's greater fitness levels showed in the hectic closing stages and Emer McDonnell was unlucky with a searing shot which came off the bar at the Railway end.

Kilkenny's bid visibly faded by the minute as the Tipperary girls headed into the home straight, but scores were slow to come for the eventual winners, and this left the issue in doubt.

One of the big reasons why victory was not certain at this stage was off-form shooting by freetaker supreme Noelle Kennedy. She untypically missed two "sitters" after knocking over five great points.

Backup in this department was brilliantly laid on by substitute Hennessey and Kilkenny goalkeeper Miriam Holland then produced a full-length dive to deny Emer McDonnell. Hennessey gave Tipperary the lead from the resultant 45. Millea equalised for Kilkenny at the very end of normal time, but Hennessey then scored the vital point.

Anne Downey, the most experienced player on the pitch - she was introduced in the second half - thought that Tipperary's hunger and stronger will to win won the day. Downey was in line for a 13th medal which would have left her joint second on the honours list with Dubliner Una O'Connor and two behind the illustrious leader Kathleen Mills, who won 15 medals with Dublin.

"That's it now for me," said the Lisdowney woman. "I said I would retire win or lose today." Before the match Downey was represented by her father, Shem, in the introduction of Kilkenny's winning side of 25 years ago. In yesterday's match Millea's free-taking was a huge threat to Tipperary. She scored Kilkenny's five first-half points to help forge a somewhat flattering interval lead of 1-5 to 0-7 for the Leinster champions.

But it was their goal, taken well by 16-year-old Lizzy Lyng, that acted as the real morale booster for Kilkenny. Millea sent in a low-trajectory free and from the resultant goalmouth scramble Lyng tapped home.

Martina Maher, Kilkennys opportunist full forward, tacked on an early second-half point to stretch Kilkenny's lead to two. The fine score was followed by a discouraging Tipperary wide from substitute Philomena Fogarty and the breeze into which Tipperary were playing must have seemed stronger than it really was.

Kennedy came to the rescue with a reassuring pointed free and Tipperary immediately took heart to launch an all-out attack on the Kilkenny posts. Kilkenny's low scoring rate in the second half - they scored only three points, two of them from frees by Millea - tells its own story.

Millea will remember the referee telling her the bad news about that last puck of the match. It was the mother of all pressure frees but that it proved beyond the Ballycallan player's ability in this instance should not cause her any sleepless nights.

So it ended in a hat trick of firsts for the Tipperary girls; they won the first 15-a-side final, took the O'Duffy Cup home for the first time and won the first All Ireland camogie final on a full-length GAA pitch.

Tipperary's manager, Biddy Phillips, was excited about the good that the victory will do for the game in Tipperary. "It is marvellous for the county, a first senior title, everyone's dream."

Noelle Kennedy was concerned with having missed her late chances from easy free-taking positions, but was happy. "It worked out well in the end," she said.

Tipperary: J Delaney; S Kelly, U O'Dwyer, C Madden; M Stokes, C Gaynor, S Nealon; E Hayden, A McDermott; N Kennedy (0-5 frees), T Brophy, H Kiely; E McDonnell (0-1), D Hughes (0-4), N Harkin. Substitutes: P Fogarty for H Kiely (32 mins); C Hennessy (0- 2, frees), for Harkin (39 mins).

Kilkenny: M Holland; T Millen, M Hickey, U Murphy; S Costelloe, J Maher, M Costelloe; K Long, S Millea (0-7 , two 45s and two frees); S Gleeson, B Mullally, M Downey; M Comerford, M Maher (0-1), L Lyng (1-0). Substitute: Anne Downey for M Downey (42 mins).

Referee: A Derham (Dublin).