The 2003 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship—known as the Foras na Gaeilge All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship for sponsorship reasons—was the high point of the 2003 season. The championship was won by Tipperary who defeated Cork by a three-point margin in the final. The attendance was a then record of 16,183. Player of the Match was Eimear McDonnell, a niece of Cork football legend Billy Morgan. The championship and the final was a high point in a period of rapid growth in the popularity of the sport of camogie which quadrupled the average attendance at its finals in a ten-year period.2003 All Ireland final reports in Irish Examiner , Irish Independent, and Irish Times. 978-1-908591-00-5
Semi-finals In the semi-final Cork were 2-2 up after only seven minutes, with the goals coming from Fiona O'Driscoll and Orla O'Sullivan. “All Galway could do was look on” one reporter wrote as they trailed 0-0 to Cork's 3-6 at the break and lost by 25 points. Tipperary beat Limerick 18 points in the other semi-final. With six minutes of the half remaining, Tipperary were awarded a penalty which centre back Ciara Gaynor struck to the back of the net and it gave them a 2-8 to 0-7 half-time lead.
Final Cork led 0-3 to 1-3 at half-time. Deirdre Hughes got an early second-half goal and Eimear McDonnell scored four points to put them into a six-point lead with 10 minutes remaining before a late Gemma O'Connor goal put a better appearance on the scoreboard. Goalkeeper Jovita Delaney made a vital block and clearance on a late free.
Final stages
TIPPERARY: GK 1 Jovita Delaney (Cashel)RCB 2 Suzanne Kelly (Toomevara)FB 3 Una O'Dwyer (Cashel) (Capt) LCB 4 Claire Madden (Fr. O'Neills)RWB 5 Sinéad Nealon (Burgess)CB 6 Ciara Gaynor (Burgess)LWB 7 Therese Brophy (Burgess)MF 8 Angie McDermott (Cappawhite)MF 9 Philly Fogarty (Cashel)RWF 10 Joanne Ryan (Drom-Inch) (0-1) CF 11 Emily Hayden (Cashel) (0-2) LWF 12 Claire Grogan (Cashel) (0-1) RCF 13 Noelle Kennedy (Toomevara) (0-2) FF 14 Deirdre Hughes (Toomevara) (1-1) LCF 15 Eimear McDonnell (Burgess) (1-4) Substitutes: RCF Trish O'Halloran (Portroe) for Fogarty CORK: GK 1 Ger Casey (Inniscarra)RCB 2 Joanne Callaghan (Cloughduv)FB 3 Eithne Duggan (Bishopstown)LCB 4 Stephanie Delea (Cloughduv) (Capt) RWB 5 Paula O'Connor (Newtownshandrum) CB 6 Mary O'Connor (Killeagh) (0-2) LWB 7 Gemma O'Connor (St Finbarr's) (1-0) MF 8 Rachel Maloney (Courcey Rovers)MF 9 Vivienne Harris (Bishopstown) RWF 10 Una O'Donoghue (Cloughduv) (0-1) CF 11 Emer Dillon (Ballygarvan) (0-2) LWF 12 Jennifer O'Leary (Barryroe) (0-2) RCF 13 Orla O'Sullivan (St Finbarr's) (0-1) FF 14 Caoimhe Harrington (Newtownshandrum) LCF 15 Fiona O'Driscoll (Fr O’Neill’s) (0-3) Substitutes:RWB Cathriona Foley (Rockbán) for Paula O'Connor MF Briege Corkery (Cloughduv) for Harris LWB Sarah Hayes (Rockbán) for Gemma O'Connor FF Colette Desmond (Newcestown) for Harrington FF Gemma O'Connor (St Finbarr's) for O'Sullivan (returning to play)
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