There is more that one big inter county game this weekend involving Waterford.

In the last two decades or so, Waterford has made a number of appearances in Croke Park on All-Ireland Final Day.  

I know now what you are thinking – ‘he’s finally lost it’, and maybe you might be right. Our last appearance most will tell you was in 2008 when we lost to Kilkenny in the Senior Hurling Final. Previous to that, our Senior Hurlers were in Croke Park on All-Ireland Final Day was in 1963 when again Kilkenny proved victorious and in between we were there in 1992 for the Minor Final where Galway emerged as winners. Our last appearance in a Senior Football All-Ireland Final was in the late 1890’s. The final of 1898, when Waterford were represented by a team from Dungarvan against a team from Dublin was played in Tipperary Town.

However, in my opening line, I did not mention a gender. In it of course I am referring to our Ladies teams. In the past twenty five years or so, when it comes to visiting Croke Park it is the Ladies that have achieved the best results.

In the 1990’s Waterford’s Ladies Football team played in eight finals at Croke Park between 1991 and 2000. The only years that Waterford missed out on appearing in the final in this time was in 1993 and again in 1996. In this time Waterford won five finals. Since then, Waterford have made two further visits to G.A.A. Headquarters on All-Ireland Final Day, loosing to Donegal and Armagh in the 2010 and 2012 Intermediate Finals.

Our Camogie teams have also done us proud appearing in successive junior finals between 2009 and 2011 and last year went very close to winning a place in the Intermediate decider.

This year the Ladies Gaelic Football Association celebrates 40 years and September 29 (we are told that this years All-Ireland Final wont be changed to accommodate a replay that might be needed for the Senior Hurling or Senior Football Finals) promises to be a special day for those that will be in Croke Park for this years Ladies Football All-Ireland Finals.

On the day the Ladies Gaelic Football Association plan on bringing together as many of its All-Ireland winning and runners up teams together as is possible. This could mean that the five senior winning teams, it Junior winning team from 1986 (this was the first year the finals were played in Croke Park, and a Waterford player, Marie Crotty was the first to score there on the day) as well as the three teams that were beaten in Senior Finals as well as the two Intermediate Teams that finished as Runners Up in the Championship could all be in the stands at G.A.A. Head Quarters.

While it would be nice to have teams sinning in the stand on the day, to have one on the field of play would be even nicer.

This weekend, the first steps towards playing at Croke Park on the day will be taken, when Waterford take on Tipperary in the first round of this years Munster Intermediate Championship at Fraher Field on Sunday (2pm).

The sides have already clashed this year, in the final of the Jim Kennedy Cup at Bansha back in January.

On that occasion, the game was played in wintery conditions. Waterford played with first use of the elements at their backs and at the break lead 0-7 to 0-5, a lead that stood at 0-10 to 0-9.

Waterford opened the game brightly with Elaine Power and Michelle Ryan hitting a brace of points each. Aileen and Linda Wall hit further points for Waterford before Michelle Ryan hit her third score of the game to give Waterford an 0-7 to 0-2 lead with time in the first half almost up, but efforts from Sheila Carew, Patricia Hickey and Jennifer Grant late in the half gave the home side renewed hope heading into the second half.

In the second half, both defences were well on top, with Waterford’s Anne and Nora Dunphy on top of their game helping Waterford deny the home side a number of chances to score.

With seven minutes to play, Tipperary drew level with points from Sheila Carey and Aisling McCarthy and when the home side scored again soon afterwards they were in front for the first time in the game.

This proved to be a wake up call for Waterford and in the time that remained, Linda Wall hit the score that pulled the sides level in added time and moments later Elaine Power hit the winner following a mix up in the home sides defence.

The sides also clashed in the final of this competition last year in Cork and again victory went to the Déise County.

That day, Tipperary started the brighter of the two sides but at the break Waterford lead 1-7 to 0-4, the goal coming eight minutes from the end of the half from Roisin Tobin.

Waterford continued to control much of the second half. Michelle Ryan hit five points over the course of the game and Elaine Power hit three. Others to get on the score sheet that day were Shona Curran who hit two points and there was a point each for Mairead Wall and Eimear Fennell.

Others to play a role that day included Aimee Jordan, Aoife Landers, Grainne Enright, Nora Dunphy, Grainne Kenneally, Karen and Michelle McGrath, Aileen Wall, Shona Curran, Hannah Landers, Trish Fitzgerald and Margaret Revins.

No doubt Waterford will go into this game as the favourites, but will have to work very hard against Tipperary if they are to make sure of a win ahead of their game with Limerick in two weeks time.

Tipperary will be no pushover. The league did not go well for Waterford. Having reached the All-Ireland last year, expectations were high that Waterford could push for a place in the top flight next year, but in what was a very tough league against some senior teams, Waterford despite playing well in most games, ended up getting relegated, which is not the end of the world.

Tipperary played in Division three of the National League this year. They reached the semi finals where the played Armagh, the side that beat Waterford in last year’s Intermediate All-Ireland Final.

Meanwhile its not just Waterford’s Intermediate team that are in action this coming weekend.

The counties under 14 teams are in an All-Ireland ‘B’ Final against Westmeath in Crettyard which is located on the Kilkenny/Laois border.

Waterford won the final at this grade twelve months ago beating Cavan in the final and if they were to retain the title this weekend it would be a big boost for the game in Waterford.

In recent weeks, Waterford has put together some good results in the championship.

While Waterford opened the campaign with a 5-6 to 3-9 defeat to Limerick at Stradbally, they went on to beat Clare 3-7 to 2-5 at Fraher Field before beating Tipperary 2-4 to 1-4 at Kilmacthomas to set up a Munster Final clash with Limerick. Waterford proved in this game that when a side wins in a earlier game between two sides its much more difficult the second time around to do so, as Waterford gained revenge for their defeat in Stradbally a few weeks earlier, as they ran out winners 3-7 to 4-3 with Kaiesha Tobin putting in a ‘Player of the Match Performance.

While Waterford were compressively beaten by Cork in the Munster ‘A’ Semi Final at the C.I.T. Grounds in Cork, they came out of the game a stronger outfit and in the ‘B’ All-Ireland semi final played recently had a 4-16 to 1-4 win over Sligo.

The Management team of Johnny Troy, Ciara Dunphy, Pat Sullivan, Mary Fahey and Mick O’Brien has left no stone unturned in preparing this team for their big day. They have put together a very strong panel that will make the journey to Co Laois believing that they can win.

Both Waterford and Westmeath have clashed already this year. The sides were at Kinnegad recently for a blitz. Waterford that day opened with a 3-2 to 2-1 defeat to Wexford, but followed it up with a 3-2 to 1-0 win over Clare, a 0-7 to no score win over Laois and a 3-8 to no score win over Armagh to set up a final against Westmeath.

In the final it was Waterford that came out on top winning 3-6 to 1-5 which will give the team plenty of confidence going into the game, but the team will have to warn against complacency. No doubt the management team will be telling the team that just because they beat the Midlanders already this year it does not mean that they will automatically beat them this time around. No doubt the players will be told going out that Limerick after beating Waterford in the first round of the Munster Championship would have been confident of doing the same in the Munster Final and look what happened there.

Saturday’s game in Crettyard has a 2pm throw in which allows plenty of time for those that want to take in this game and to then travel on to Tullamore which is just over an hour’s journey away going through Abbeyleix and Portlaoise.

For those that cannot attend this weekend’s two big Ladies Football games, why not follow Waterford Ladies Football on twitter, (@WaterfordLGFA) for updates from both games, and all going well, I will have them myself also on twitter (@thomaskeane1973).