Limerick will fear no team in the upper echelons of camogie next season, boasted manager Ciaran Carey after their stunning 2-9 to 0-6 defeat of holders Cork in the Gala All-Ireland Senior B Championship at Pairc Ui Rinn.

CHAMPIONSHIP JOY: Limerick’s Rose Collins and Orla Curtin celebrate their victory over Cork in the replay of the Gala All-Ireland Senior B Camogie Championship Final at Pairc Ui Rinn, Co. Cork. Picture: Ray Lohan/Sportsfile. Picture: Keith Wiseman

"Over the last few seasons, Limerick found themselves in a rut, losing all the time to teams they had the measure of on paper, the likes of Cork, Tipperary, Galway and Wexford, but this team fear absolutely nobody," enthused Carey. "To have beaten Cork three times this season, including the league final, has instilled unbelievable confidence into the side.

"It all argues exceptionally well for 2008, when Limerick camogie will once again takes its place alongside the modern-day forces of the game, and we are confident in our own ability of faring out well in the top level. This group of players, by-and-large, a relatively young group are well capable of causing serious damage in next year's championship, and teams should take note of our credentials."

At the end, Limerick were victorious by nine points but there was an anxious spell in the third quarter when the visitors lost Deidre Fitzpatrick to the dreaded red card. "Our backs were to the wall, okay," Carey admitted. "Cork dominated the play for about ten minutes, but couldn't manage any scores (only one of their total return came from play). If anything, the loss of a player only pushed the girls on.

"They won this for Dee. In fact, being a player down drove us on. What can I say that I haven't said already about them? I am so proud of the manner in which they achieved victory. It's a rare achievement for a team to come here to Pairc Ui Rinn and pull off such a convincing win, something which was nothing more than these bunch of girls deserved following a season of phenomenal effort on their part."

A week earlier, Niamh Mulcahy forced this second outing with a last-gasp leveler. Seven days on, however, Limerick were the polished side on duty – Eileen O'Brien whipped home an early goal on her way to collecting 1-4, while Orla Curtin safe-guarded the McGrath Cup for Limerick with a delightful three-pointer close to the finish.

The Sheehan sisters, of skipper Aoife and Vera, were also very much to the fore in Limerick's first national championship triumph since the junior breakthrough of '96.

The celebrations started at the Fitzgerald Family (and Michael Magner) owned Vienna Woods Hotel in Cork and, this scribe understands, set to continue for yet another few days.

All in all, a wonderful makeover in Limerick Camogie has been achieved by the hurling genius of the 1990's that was Ciaran Carey.

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