Camogie National League Division Two group one

Antrim v Down

Saturday, Portglenone, 12pm

Down camogie manager Derek Dunne is expected to get creative with his team this weekend.

There will be a number of changes to the team that beat Antrim in the All-Ireland Intermediate final last year as Dunne looks to develop his squad for the season ahead when they will play Senior Championship camogie.

The Laois man had planned to end his tenure with the county’s camogs last season but he was convinced to return again this year and he has high hopes for his team.

He is going to try out some newer players this weekend. He has 45 players training across the two teams.

Dunne said: “I think we will improve on last year. We might not improve straight away, but there are four or five new players coming into the senior set-up and some of the older players have matured a bit so we should see an improvement.

“We will definitely see an improvement but we mightn’t beat Antrim at the weekend.”

Dunne expects to introduce some minors to his team. A number of Ballygalget players were not involved last year but they are available to play this year. They include sisters Deirbhle, Alannah, Aoife, and Blanaid Savage.

There are a few fringe players who have left the squad, and Fionnuala Carr who retired after a long career playing county camogie.

Niamh Mallon is injured but will return later in the season.

Dunne, a native of Laois, guided the county to the All-Ireland Intermediate final victory over neighbours Antrim last year.

During the past three years under his management, Down won three Ulster titles as well as the All-Ireland title.

Dunne is also taking a minor hurling team in Abbeyleix in Laois.

Marty Mallon, Philip Byers, Noreen Keown, Roisin Rogers and Paul Gaffney are on board. Ex-Tipperary hurling coach Eoin Brislane is involved as well.

Fionnuala Carr and Maria McNally are taking the Junior team.

Antrim will have much the same squad this year as they had for last year’s run to the Intermediate final.

The team returned to training a few weeks ago and the management team of Jim McKernan, Paul McKillen and Elaine Dowds were pleased to see that everyone is back.

They did pick up some small, niggly injuries as the players got used to playing on grass surfaces again but not enough to affect their performances.

They have some players back on board including Roisin Kelly, Shauna Devlin, Anna Connolly, and Lisa McKenna. Katie Carey and Orla O’Hara are out. Carey had a baby and won’t be back for a while, perhaps championship time. O’Hara is injured and doing rehab on her knee injury.

McKillen said that the Antrim management are confident that their team can improve from last year. “The girls have worked hard, and are physically stronger. We are up against a mighty team in our first game. Down have a lot of players with a lot of experience. They are moving up a championship.

“But it is a nice match to get. It was the last team we played. I’d like to win it but if we can narrow the gap then we have done something right.

“They won the Intermediate last year. They beat us well, but for 35 minutes we were competing with them. We have things to learn. But I don’t think there was 11 points in that game. I think on reflection they are five or six points better.”

Verdict: Down

Camogie National League Division Three group one

Down v Armagh

Saturday, Mayobridge, 2pm

Fionnuala Carr and Maria McNally are selectors with the Down Seconds team and will taking care of business at this game in Mayobridge while the seniors are playing Antrim.

The word coming out of the Down camp from Derek Dunne is that the team has been going very well and could improve on performances from last year. That means that the Down juniors could be in very good shape this year.

They start their season against an Armagh team who have new management in place in Mattie Lennon who was managing the Tyrone hurlers last year. Lennon has a long record of coaching and is the sort of man who could take the Orchard to another level. The Armagh camogs will be on a high after last year’s All-Ireland Junior final win over Cavan and they will feel they can build on that. A win over Down would be a massive boost to start their season. However, because the Down junior team are training with the senior team then they should be in very good shape.

Verdict: Down

Camogie National League Division Four group one

Tyrone v Antrim

Saturday, Carrickmore, 2pm

Antrim’s second team take on a Tyrone team who lost to Cavan in last year’s Nancy Murray Cup decider. The Saffrons are managed by Paul McKillen, Jim McKernan and Elaine Dowds and they have a large panel available to them this year. Their seniors are building on last year which means the junior team should be strong as well.

Verdict: Antrim

Camogie National League Division Four group two

Cavan v Wicklow

Saturday, Kingspan Breffni Park, 2pm

Cavan not only won the Nancy Murray Cup last year but also reached the All-Ireland Junior final in 2020. They will be looking to build on that performance this year.

Verdict: Cavan