Lismore secure unique quadruple – how they did it.

There was a time when you would only see some players turn up at a Gaelic Field on the day of a match. To see some players turn up for a training session would be as rare as hen’s teeth, but if a team was to reach a divisional or county final, you could expect a higher number in attendance for training, even if the effort put in by some was questionable.

These are things of the past nowadays. Everybody is now expected to do their bit and even players who are away from home and who are not in a position to return home are expected to remain sharp and fit if they intend to be part of the panel on Match Days.

Saint Patrick’s Day in 2013 fell on a Sunday, the third Sunday of the month of March. This was the day that Lismore’s Camogie team decided that they would return to train together for the first after their loss to Saint Anne’s in the County senior final a few months earlier. And since that date, nobody could question the effort put in by any of the players.

Only a few days earlier, they lost one of their best supporters – Johnny Flynn who died at an all too young age.

For years he had soldiered long and hard for Lismore. He had watched many a team win honour’s and also saw days when a Lismore team came so agonistically close to reaching new heights.  

With Johnny Flynn watching down on them, something in the back of the minds of the Lismore players must have been telling them that the 2013/14 Championship year was going to be their year.

The year began well. The County Senior League Cup, put up in honour of another Lismore stalwart Denny Buckley was won on May 18 (a good day to win anything), for the second year in a row.

Saint Anne’s were to be beaten in the final for the second successive year, in what was a classic. Lismore came with a late surge and needed a late score from Marie Russell who was picked out by Caitriona McGlone riffled over the winning score and in doing so secured a first piece of silverware at Adult Level for Lismore in 2013.

The championship began soon afterwards. In the semi final, Lismore made life difficult for themselves in the first half against Galltir, but in the second half the West Waterford’s greater experience came to the fore.

The County final was a repeat of the 2012 final. Saint Anne’s provided the opposition for Lismore and Lemybrien was the setting for the game.

This was to prove to be another classic, with Saint Anne’s proving to be the better of the two sides in the opening half, but changes made at the break by Lismore worked well, and goals struck either side of the interval by Shona Curran and Sinead Bennett proved crucial as Lismore won by six points.

In Munster, Lismore played in the Intermediate Championship as a result of Waterford’s status as a Intermediate ranked side on the Inter County scene.

Lismore played Cork side Carrigaline in the Munster semi final and just as was the case in the County final, Lismore in the first half proved to be the second best team, but after loosing Aoife Hannon with an injury early in the second half, the side in Black and Amber upped their game considerably and ran out worthy winners.

Newmarket-on-Fergus from Clare provided the opposition in the Munster Final. For much of the game it was the Clare side that proved to be the better of the two sides, but there is a great never say die attitude in the Lismore side and they showed this by fighting back to send the game to extra time.

In extra time in deplorable conditions, both sides struggled and it was no surprise that the two sides at the end of the extra twenty minutes could still not be separated.

 The replay saw Lismore prove to be the better team throughout the hour and at its conclusion, they were wordy three point winners. Lismore had now collected their third piece of silverware in the year.

Liatroim Fontenoys from Down provided the opposition for Lismore in the semi final.  There was disappointment when the game was called off due to the weather forty-eight hours before throw-in. however, it was possibly a bit of a blessing in disguise as it allowed Lismore officials the chance to see possible All-Ireland final opponents in the action and to allow the winners of the Ballyhale Shamrocks and Portumna game the chance to see who they would be playing a week later when the postponed game would be re-fixed.

On the day, Lismore had full use of a strong wind and built up a five point lead at the break, a lead that they needed. The Down side in the second half did come more into the game with wind advantage, but they were not able to eat fully into the lead that Lismore had built up at the break.

It was off to Croke Park and a meeting with Ballyhale Shamrocks in the final. Both sides were looking for their first win at this stage of competition, meaning that a piece of history was going to be created.

At the same venue only a few weeks previously, the Ballysaggart hurlers who come from the other end of the parish had contested the All-Ireland junior hurling final against Kickhams Creggan from Antrim where they had to settle for a draw despite holding a ten point advantage on the scoreboard early in the second half.

Expectations were high for Lismore at G.A.A. Headquarters. At the break they held a three point lead but conceded 1-1 in the first three minutes of the second half and with two minutes left they were as many points behind.

But remember, that never say die attitude of Lismore referred to already, Lismore were to call on it again, and were rewarded as Shona Curran and Aoife Hannon landed late scores to secure another day out.

I am a big admirer of ladies sports. The effort put in by ladies is equal and sometimes even greater than what is put in by some men. They often compete at a huge financial cost to themselves, something that many are not aware of, and seldom if ever get the recognition they deserve.  

It is only right that come final time that the ladies get to play at the larger venues. This should include county grounds for county finals and venues such as Croke Park for All-Ireland finals. It’s a belief of mine that County Boards and Croke Park officials should always make the principal grounds available to our ladies teams and boards.

Playing at venues like Croke Park often however has its downfalls when it comes to the ladies games.

We hear a lot in recent times about gender balance. Sometimes however the worst supporters of women’s sports are women themselves. Women for what ever reason do not support classmates, former classmates, cousins, work colleagues and neighbours as they should. Maybe it is a historical thing when there was some stupid idea when a woman’s place once she got married was in the home. Hopefully, for what ever reason women do not support each other will be put to right sooner rather than later.

We also have to get more men interested in ladies sport. We have many that have jumped on the Katie Taylor or Irish Ladies Rugby teams in recent years, often travelling over seas to competition, but many of these same men will not support ladies sports involving those that they live and work amongst.

Putting a few hundred on a good day or even numbers in the low thousands into a venue like Croke Park does not really work. It does not create the atmosphere the players deserve, but I repeat, players have every right to play their finals at venues like Croke Park.

When it came to picking the venue for a replay, there was only three realistically open to the fixture planners.

To play in Thurles would result in a much the same atmosphere as what was created in Croke Park. One stand would be opened so resulting in a false atmosphere.

Walsh Park would be seen as a ground about half way between the two clubs and is a county ground. People could have gathered in the stand and the standing areas of the ground could also be opened to create an atmosphere all around the ground. But a Waterford city venue with a Waterford team involved might not be seen to be entirely neutral.

Clonmel was the other option and possibly the best overall option. A smaller ground than Walsh Park, and also a tight venue where support could be generated all around the ground with the support for both sides literally on top of the players as the game enfolds, creating a great atmosphere.   

The Clonmel venue was also one that players would feel most at home at, even if many if any of the players had played at the venue before.

The Kilkenny side were quickest off the mark with a brace of Kelly-Anne Cottrell points.

Lismore knew that 26 year old Cottrell was the player that could be the difference between them winning and loosing. The Lismore defence all year proved to be tight and if they could keep a close eye on the other five forwards and restrict the number of frees they gave to Cottrell to strike, then they were going to be in with a great chance.

This is exactly what Lismore did. They closed down the Ballyhale Shamrocks attackers at every opportunity. Cottrell was the only Ballyhale Shamrocks player to score in the game. She had seven white flags raised, six of which came from placed balls.

In the first half, wind assisted she hit five of her points, while at the other end Aoife Hannon was showing that what Cottrell could do, she too was able to match, putting over three points.

The telling score of the first half came just before the break when Catriona McGlone who was set up by Johnanna Houlihan lashed the ball to the net, giving her side a 1-3 to 0-5 lead at the break.

Lismore started the second half as they ended the first with Aoife Hannon and Shona Curran landing points to stretch their lead to three.

The West Waterford club all but secured the title on thirty eight minutes when inter county duel starts Shona Curran and Grainne Kennelly linked up to set up Catriona McGlone for her second goal of the game.

Ballyhale Shamrocks were staying in touch thanks to the accuracy of Kelly-Anne Cottrell’s shooting, but what she was doing Aoife Hannon and Shona Curran was matching.

And in the closing minutes of the game Catriona McGlone completed her hat-trick the Agnes O’Farrelly Cup was on its way to West Waterford, where celebrations were getting underway to welcome the Cup and the Heroines that won it back to Lismore later that evening.

LISMORE: Aisling O’Brien; Sarah Coughlan, Shauna Prendergast, Marie Russell, Aoife Houlihan, Shauna Kiernan, Sarah Fenton; Nicola Morrissey, Shona Curran; Laura Buckley, Grainne Kenneally, Aoife Hannon; Caithriona McGlone, Johanna Houlihan, Ruth Geoghegan. Subs: Jennifer Kingston for Ruth Geoghegan, Sinead Walsh for Johanna Houlihan, Sandra Prendergast for Aoife Houlihan. Un-used subs: Ber O’Keeffe, Niamh Molumphy, Rachel Knowles, Sarah Geoghegan, Sarah Russell, Shauna Fennessy, Sinead Bennett.

Scorers: Caithriona McGlone 3-0, Aoife Hannon 0-6 (3 frees, 1 ‘45), Shone Curran 0-2 (2 frees).

BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS: Ciara Fennelly; Clodagh Corcoran, Roisin Fennelly, Orna Fennelly; Emily O’Dwyer, Jacqui Frisby, Belita Fennelly; Catherine Connolly, Edel Frisby; Eimer Fitzpatrick, Kelly-Anne Cottrell, Keeva Fennelly; Lucy Elvidge, Mags Fennelly, Emilee Darmody. Sub: Grace Fennelly for Lucy Elvidge. Unused subs: Marita Butler, Tara Cody, Helen Dermody, Leona Kinahan, Brena Fennelly, Jennifer O’Brien, Lorna Fennelly,  Jillian O’Dwyer, Emma Nolan, Debbie Walsh

Scorer: Kelly-Anne Cottrell 0-7 (6 frees).

Referee: John Dolan (Clare).