Ladies football returns to Walsh Park but Kerry up first
The Waterford Ladies will make a long awaited return to Walsh Park later this month.
The Waterford ladies will run out in Walsh Park for the first time in 21 years when they host Donegal on June 23 in Round 2 of the All-Ireland series.
In the summer of 2003, the Déise beat Kerry at the Keane’s Road venue but they haven’t played there since. A positive move from the county board with integration of the three associations on the way in 2027. The game will be broadcast live by TG4.
After escaping relegation battles in the last two seasons, the Déise want to take a step forward and reach a quarter-final this time around. One win against group rivals Donegal or Kerry would do the trick.
Pat Sullivan’s side start their campaign in Killarney on Saturday but his squad has been decimated since exiting the Munster championship last month. Ballymacarbry attacking pair Bríd McMaugh and Clare Walsh will miss the entire All Ireland series through injury. McMaugh picked up a shoulder knock on college duty and aggravated it during the Munster loss to Tipperary. Walsh is out with ankle ligament damage.
To compound matters, Aine O’Neill and Aoife Brazil have jetted off to the US. O’Neill starred during the league with her defence splitting runs and scored 1-2 against Cork. Captain Kellyann Hogan will join her team mates across the Atlantic after the Kerry game this weekend. She is Waterford’s top scorer in 2024 with 2-32.
Leaving Certificate students Ellen Bolger, Kaci Brazil and Neesha Whelan are also unavailable. Brazil found the net against Kerry while Bolger got points in the defeats to Cork and Tipperary. Emma Fitzgerald from Gaultier has joined the squad. She started for the Waterford minor camogie team in the All-Ireland final loss to Tipperary.
This will be the Déise’s third trip to Kerry this season. The Kingdom squeezed over the line by 1-8 to 1-7 when the sides met in Munster last month. Waterford led by seven points after ten minutes of the Division 1 fixture back in January before 2023 Player of the Year Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh was brought on and fired Kerry to a 2-11 to 2-5 victory. On both occasions, the green and gold emptied the subs bench to get the job done.
The Munster champions drew with Donegal in Ballybofey last Sunday (0-9 to 1-6). In a drab encounter, they struggled to break down the blanket defence. Donegal put fifteen bodies inside the 45 and frustrated the life out of the visitors. Kerry kept the ball for the last two minutes but couldn’t find a winner. The introduction of Ní Mhuircheartaigh with four minutes to go proved too little, too late.
It’s 2007 since a Déise team won on Kerry soil. Waterford may take a leaf out of Donegal’s book. Hannah Power at number three and Emma Murray at number six can tie down key opposition forwards while Alannah McNulty looks comfortable in the sweeper role. Pat Sullivan will also pin his hopes on Lauren McGregor raising a green flag at the other end. She has bulged the net five times this season.
Waterford endured a disappointing provincial campaign where they lost all three games. Sullivan will get a reaction from his troops but Kerry also have a point to prove. This is a must-win for last year’s All Ireland runners-up.
The Kingdom’s greater strength in depth should carry them to victory.
