Birr face Shinrone in fascinating camogie final

By Kevin Egan

On a fantastic week for women’s sport in Ireland, following hot on the heels of the Republic of Ireland qualifying for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, there’s likely to be huge levels of interest in the Offaly senior camogie finals at St Brendan’s Park on Saturday.

The Senior 'B' decider between Naomh Bríd and Tullamore (2.15pm) will draw supporters, but there’s no getting away from the main attraction, which is the Senior 'A' final clash of Birr and Shinrone at 4.15pm.

After overcoming five-in-a-row champions St Rynagh’s last time out, Birr will carry the mantle of favouritism into this fixture, and a big win for their minors in the corresponding fixture last Saturday will only heighten the feel-good factor around the club.

Underage results for the past few years would have suggested that when St Rynagh’s were knocked off their throne, Birr were the team most likely to usurp them. Granted, the last two minor titles went to Kilcormac-Killoughey, who beat Birr in those finals, but the Birr girls from those teams looked likely to graduate into a much more settled, proven senior set up.

That’s exactly how it has come to pass, but now that brings with it plenty of pressure against a Shinrone side that will feel that they still have more than enough class to add a ninth senior title to their roll of honour.

Supporters in the Shinrone area, still on a high from the senior hurling win but with a few more weekends to pass before they prepare for their clash with Naas in Leinster, will surely make the short spin into Birr in decent numbers too.

Expect a good crowd, a big occasion, and a contest where Birr look like the slightly better balanced side overall, though we’d be slow to dismiss Shinrone if the contest is tight going into the last quarter.