Loreto Kilkenny retain All-Ireland title with classy performance

Loreto Kilkenny were crowned Allianz All-Ireland Senior A PPS champions for the third successive year, beating St Patrick's Maghera (Down) in a game of high endurance and small margins on Saturday at the TUD Grounds in Grangegorman.

A goal in each half from Ona Kennedy (1-5,0-5 f) along with a brave and determined Ciara Dunne (1-0), whose grandmother passed away a day earlier, proved to be the decisive factors come the call of time.

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The Ulster champions were expected to offer a substantial threat and they delivered, with a resilient defence and flashy free-taking corner-forward who could score from all angles and distances, Emma Quinn (0-8,0-7 f) who was a constant frustration for the Loreto side.

But Loreto showed the fundamental trait of champions and the school's second goal from an alert Dunne, who caught and finished a delightful ball from clubmate Anna Doheny in the dying minutes, finished the game as a contest as the Kilkenny faithful counted the minutes down to full-time.

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See People Sport for full match report

Loreto Kilkenny: Ella Walton (Tullaroan); Shannon Doheny (Tullaroan), Angela Carroll (Dicksboro), Grace Brennan (Tullaroan); Ellen Murphy (Rower Inistioge), Anna Doheny (Tullaroan), Emily Smith (James Stephens); Louisa Gilmore (Danesfort), Sarah Kehoe (Mount Leinster Rangers); Shauna Mahony (Danesfort), Ona Kennedy (Windgap), Holly Ryan (Bennettsbridge); Aoife Shealy (O'Loughlin Gaels), Ciara Dunne (Tullaroan), Lucy Boyd (Clara).

St Patrick's Maghera: Orlaith Johnston; Orla McCartney, Ellie Griffin, Aoife McWilliams; Rhianna Doherty, Eimear Murray, Brannagh Brolly; Cait Conway, Mary Theresa McCullagh; Grace Kelly, Katie McCloskey, Leah Cassidy; Aoibh Mulholland, Caoimhe Chambers, Emma Quinn.

Loreto Kilkenny: O Kennedy (1-5, 0-5 f); C Dunne (1-0); A Doheny (0-1 f); H Ryan, A Shealy (0-1 each).

St Patrick's Maghera: E Quinn 90-8,0-7 f); MT McCullagh, K McCloskey (0-1 each).

Referee - L Bannon (Cavan)

Listen to the post-match interviews on the Kilkenny People Sport Podcast below: