Camogie National League finals: Seventeen-year-old Wexford captain Mary Leacy will be hoping to add a National League medal to the senior All-Ireland colleges medal she won with Coláiste Bride, Enniscorthy, a few weeks ago when her county take on Tipperary in the final tomorrow in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, at 3.45 p.m.
If she does get to lift the ALB Cup it will be a crowning glory for the Leacy family, as her younger sister Ulna captained the Coláiste Bride team to junior All-Ireland colleges medals, while also playing with the senior team.
The story goes on, as their mother Margaret was on the camogie team of the century chosen earlier this year.
When these two sides met in the championship last year Tipperary were pushed all the way, and it was the extra experience that won it for the Premier county then.
Wexford are a very young side and if they do not let the occasion get to them they should trouble the Tipperary players.
Much is expected of Wexford within their own county. Having defeated Antrim and Derry in the earlier rounds and reigning league champions Cork in the semi-final, their only defeat was against Dublin.
They have the players to pull off a surprise in full forward Michelle Hearne, scorer of two goals in the semi-final, Áine Codd at centre-half back and forwards Kate Kelly and Michelle O'Leary.
Reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary are similar to Wexford in that both counties have only one league title to their name, Tipperary winning in 1976 while Wexford's title came the following year.
Tipperary will start as favourites having lost the league final for the last two years and they will be anxious to make it third time lucky.
They have lost half back Therese Brophy to exams and Suzanne Kelly is also missing. However their full-forward line is the envy of many in the country. Éimear McDonnell, winner of a 2003 Texaco award, Deirdre Hughes, who was the only present-day player to get on to the team of the century, and Clare Grogan, this year's winner of the Irish Examiner Youth award for camogie, are all in the Tipperary line-up.
If Wexford are to overcome this Tipperary side they will need to marshal these classy forwards throughout the game.
The final should be close, but if Wexford can shrug off past disappointments they just might take the honours.
The Division Two final is an all Leinster affair, with Laois taking on Kildare who have two promising forwards in Susie O'Carroll and Clodagh Flanagan.
Underdogs Laois will rely on the experience of Therese Keenan and Sarah Cuddy to inspire them, but Kildare should shade it tomorrow.
Fixtures in SPORTS ROUND-UP
