Cork end Kilkenny's reign in Croke Park

For the first time since 2012, when it was Kilkenny also missed out, one of the long-established big three of camogie will not be in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland semi-finals, after Cork saw off their conquerors in last year's final.

The Rebels looked to be heading for a relatively comfortable conclusion but that was to reckon without the marvel that is Denise Gaule, whose stunning 58th minute goal and subsequent point from a free she had won herself brought her tally to 1-10 and left Matthew Twomey and his crew chewing their nails.

Some big defensive plays saw them over the line in the end however, and it was a victory they just about deserved.

The game was postponed for 15 minutes after the Cork squad had been forced to abandon their train and transfer to a bus, receiving a Garda escort from Naas to Croke Park.

Kilkenny started strongly with their policy of playing long and direct paying particular dividends.

The tactic served to bypass the hugely influential Laura Treacy but it also yielded a goal as Brian Dowling’s side established a five-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

But Cork hung in there despite struggling to get a toehold in proceedings and in particular, to provide a supply to Katrina Mackey and Amy O’Connor, and as Saoirse McCarthy, Fiona Keating and Hannah Looney began to get their running game going, it was the Rebels on top at the break by two, 1-08 to 1-06.

Kilkenny shot the opening two points of the game through a Gaule free and a score by Aoife Doyle, who was very prominent early on.

Sorcha McCartan snaffled a nice point to get Cork off the mark in the sixth minute and grabbed her second in response to another Gaule free but Julianne Malone split the posts before last year’s All-Ireland-winning