LIMERICK WILL PLAY Galway in the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland intermediate camogie final in three weeks, while Laois will take on Kildare in the junior final on the same day.
Limerick, who won the Division 2 league title earlier this year, were made to work extremely hard by last year’s premier junior champions Meath before coming out on top by 2-10 to 0-8.
They led by 0-8 to 0-2 at half time but Meath threw everything at the Treatywomen after the resumption and it needed two second half goals from dual star Dymphna O’Brien to shake off their dogged opponents.
Niamh Mulcahy, Mary O’Callaghan and Caoimhe Costello helped them keep their noses in front.
Galway overcame Waterford 1-15 to 1-7 to make their way to the decider. The westerners always held the upper hand, particularly after a whirlwind start that saw them go 1-3 to 0-0 ahead after just seven minutes.
Orla McGrath struck for the goal in the fifth minute, finishing a fine move, with Aoife Callanan, Aoife Donohoe and Finola Keely scoring the points.
Waterford got on top in the middle third in the second quarter and were just 1-6 to 0-6 in arrears at the interval, thanks to scores from Karen Klly, Nicola Morrissey, Trish Jackman and Zoe O’Donoghue, who saw her blockbuster tipped over by Róisín Callanan from point-blank range.
Galway resumed control in the second half though, despite Kelly’s goal from a 40-yard free. Points from Keely, McGrath, Dee Burke and Rebecca Hennelly saw them home.
Susie O’Carroll was on fire for Kildare, as they came out on the right side of a high-scoring encounter with the beaten premier junior finalists of the last year Down, 5-11 to 1-13.
Westmeath have done extremely well to get to the premier junior semi-final after winning last year’s junior A championship but they had no answer to Laois, who prevailed by 4-13 to 3-5.
