Laois Camogie team make the long journey worthwhile with hard-earned point against Kerry

Laois made the trip down to The Kingdom on Saturday afternoon to face Kerry in the first round of this year’s Centra Division 2A league. 

Kerry were runners-up in the 2025 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship final, where they were beaten by Offaly, the same day that Laois overcame Armagh in the Premier Junior Championship final. 

It was the 2026 Laois Camogie captain, Aimee Collier, who opened the scoring from a free inside the opening minute of the game. The home side took control for the following ten minutes and scored five in a row while Laois were still finding their feet. Patrice Diggin pointed four of the five, with three of her scores coming from placed balls, while Kate Lynch pointed the fifth in a row from play. 

Collier stepped up for her side as the full-forward pointed her first from play in the 12th minute. Laois were proving hard to handle for the Kerry side and were awarded three frees in the next ten minutes of play. Collier was in flying form and put each ball over the black spot with ease.

Diggin squeezed a 45’ between the posts before Collier took off once again, this time pointing one free and one from play, pushing her side one point clear in the last few minutes of the first half. The sides went into the dressing rooms all square after Diggin fired a score over the bar inside the final minute of injury time, (0-7 to 0-7). 

The free takers in the form of Diggin and Collier traded frees in the first few minutes of the second half. Collier then fired over her seventh free of the contest while Danielle O’Leary replied for the home side. Collier and Diggin then traded frees once again, leaving the sides still level entering the final ten minutes of the game.

The ball was played end to end with the scoreboard sitting at ten points apiece, and both teams looking for the all-important winning point. In the 55th minute, Collier pointed a free and raised both her and her side’s 11th white flag.

READ NEXT: ‘That was our All-Ireland final’- recently retired Willie Dunphy looks back on Laois hurling career

As the game came to a close, Laois remained resilient in their defending but were unfortunate to give away a free, which allowed Diggin step up and point, meaning it would end all square with points shared for round one. 

Laois now have a home game to look forward to next weekend, where they will welcome Derry, who were relegated from Division 1A last year. 

SCORERS – Laois: Aimee Collier 0-11 (0-9 frees). Kerry: Patrice Diggin 0-9 (0-6 frees, 0-1 45’), Kate Lynch and Danielle O’Leary 0-1 each.

LAOIS: Aedin Lowry (Camross); Laura Finlay (St Brigid’s), Ellen Conroy (O’Moore’s), Fiona Scully (Camross); Rachel Deegan (The Harps), Clodagh Tynan (St Brigid’s), Sarah Creagh (St Brigid’s); Jade Bergin (The Harps), Lucy Conroy (O’Moore’s); Kaylee O’Keeffe (St Lazarian’s), Grainne Delaney (Camross), Susie Delaney (Portlaoise); Aisling O’Dea (St Brigid’s), Aimee Collier (Camross), Eimear Hassett (St Brigid’s). Subs: Amy Daly (St Brigid’s) for G. Delaney (7 mins inj), Catherine Kirby (The Harps) for Hassett (35 mins), Karla Whelan (Naomh Eamann) for Daly (49 mins) and Sarah Fleming (Portlaoise) for O’Dea (60 mins).

KERRY: Aoife Fitzgerald; Michelle Costello, Sara Murphy, Rachel McCarthy; Roisin Quinn, Niamh Leen, Ellen O’Donoghue; Patrice Diggin, Caoimhe Spillane; Laura Collins, Ruth O’Connor, Kate Lynch; Shannon Collins, Jackie Horgan, Danielle O’Leary. Subs: Amy Sullivan for O’Leary (43 mins) and Kathryn Ryan for Lynch (53 mins). 

Referee: Aaron Hogg (Clare).