Camogie in Waterford during 2014 - Part 1

If asked how would you describe success when it comes to sport? Is it having silverware to show for at the end of the year? Is it if you end the year in a stronger position than you started it? Or maybe there is some other way was to describe what success is.

To me, success is about competing, and doing your best. Of course a year would be more successful if you end the year stronger than you started it, and if there is silverware to show for your efforts, then it is a bonus.

If success is to be measured by means of a combination of all three, taking part, finishing the year in a healthier position than you stared it and there is some silverware to show for it, then for Camogie in Waterford in 2014, the year was not a good year, it was a bloody good year.

To start a review of 2014, you can’t start on January 1^st you have to go back a few months to the late summer and early autumn of 2013, because that is when some of the success that will be recorded here began.

During 2014, Lismore Camogie Club celebrated the 40^th anniversary of its foundation, and it proved to be a year that will long be remembered.

In their county semi final against Gailltir, they had it all to do to beat the side from the Barony at the Dungarvan Club grounds. The first half proved to be very close and at the turn around the winning was there for either side, but in the second half spurred on by their inter county stars and none more so than by Aisling O’Brien between the posts, Lismore went to win comfortably.

The win set up a county final with Saint Anne’s, a repeat of the final twelve months earlier at Ardmore where Saint Anne’s proved to be the stronger of the two sides.

Over the last few years the sides have become great rivals. The sides also clashed in the two previous league finals where victory went to the Heritage Town side. The last few finals between the two proved to be well contested games and this was expected to be no different.

The 2012 champions proved to be the better of the sides in the opening half and retired at the break with a small lead.

Lismore at the break made changes and they worked a treat

Goals win games they tell us and so it proved to be in this game as goals from Shona Curran and Sinead Bennett either side of the break proved to be the decisive scores in a six point win for Lismore.

The Munster quarter final of the Intermediate championship (the Waterford senior champions play in this competition as Waterford play in the Intermediate Inter county championship) Lismore made the relatively short trip to Carrigaline in Cork to play the home side.

The first half proved to be a tight enough affair at the end of which the home side lead 1-4 to 0-6.

In the second half, Lismore were dealt a blow when Aoife Hannon after hitting her fifth point of the game to level the scores, had to leave the field with a head injury.

The home side in the second half added two points to their first half tally, but Lismore without the influential Aoife Hannon raised their game considerably as every player upped their game. Shona Curran and Caitriona McGlone hit some crucial scores for Lismore, the latter hitting an all important goal, not the first big one she would hit for the side in black and amber hooped shirts which helped them record a worthy win to set up a third Munster Final appearance for the third time in four years.

The Munster Final against Clare side Newmarket-on-Fergus was played in Lattin Cullen on a day that was unfair to ask anyone to tog out in.

The two sides were familiar with each other. Lismore may have been the favourites to win but the weather conditions made the game a lottery and it was no surprise that the game ended in a draw.

When the sides clashed a week later at the same venue, things proved to be clearer cut.

When the sides clashed in the drawn game it was the Newmarket-on-Fergus that had the better start and let it slip. This time it was Lismore that had the brighter start racing into a lead that they did not let slip, winning the game by three points.

Lismore were now in the third All-Ireland semi final in four years. In all three previous semi finals there was heartbreak for Lismore and against Liatroim-Fontenoys from Down they were expected to be severely tested.

Forty-eight hours before the game was to be played, it was called off due an unplayable pitch.

When the game did go ahead a week later at Crettyard in Laois, Lismore played with a strong wind at their backs in the first half and lead by five at the break.

So strong was the wind, some were asking if five points would be enough to see Lismore advance to a first ever All-Ireland final. The Ulster Champions did put it up to Lismore in the second half but some resolute defending by Lismore ensured that a trip to Croke Park was going to happen as the Northern side would not cut Lismore’s half time advantage sufficiently.

Kilkenny side Ballyhale Shamrocks provided the opposition for Lismore at Croke Park.

They had come through a tough Kilkenny Championship beating Piltown in the county final 1-9 to 0-11 in the final.

Twenty four hours after winning the Kilkenny final they beat Oylegate-Glenbrien in the Leinster Quarter finals and followed it up with wins over Lucan Sarsfields in the semi final and Camross in the Leinster final.

In their All-Ireland semi final they played Portumna and despite racing into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after twelve minutes they turned around at the break trailing 0-4 to 0-3.

The Galway side extended their lead early in the second half but goals from Keeva and Mags Fennelly proved crucial. Despite pressure exerted by the Galway side in the closing minutes, the Kilkenny side stayed in front to earn a trip to Croke Park.

In the final it was Lismore that started brightly and finished the stronger of the two sides, with the Kilkenny side enjoying a period of dominance in between.

Nicola Morrissey opened the scoring for Lismore when she pointed inside thirty seconds. Ballyhale however responded with a Kelly-Anne Cottrell equaliser and then an effort from Keeva Fennelly which gave her side the lead.

Lismore retook the lead with efforts from Ruth Geoghegan and Nicola Morrissey, which was followed with efforts from Aoife Hannon and Shona Curran which gave Lismore a 0-5 to 0-2 lead.

Ruth Geoghegan pointed again to give Lismore a four point cushion but a converted Kelly-Ann Cottrell free four minutes from the break ensured that Lismore turned around with a three point lead.

Ballyhale Shamrocks began the second half the stronger side.

Kelly Anne Cottrell landed her third point of the game before Mags Fennelly cracked the only goal of the game three minutes after the restart.

Fennelly moments later attempted to beat Aisling O’Brien once more but the brilliant Lismore net minder was equal to her effort and managed to keep the ball from bellowing the net.

Shona Curran leveled matters for Lismore but Ballyhale Shamrocks would hit back with points from Kelly Anne Cottrell and Keeva Fennelly to go two in front with ten minutes to play.

It was Lismore’s turn now to try and exert pressure on the Ballyhale defence. Ruth Geoghegan was unlucky not to have rattled the Ballyhale net and possibly would have but for a timely hook by Róisín Fennelly.

Nicola Morrissey put over a point to leave one between the sides and with Lismore continuing to mount pressure their efforts were rewarded when Aoife Hannon pointed from distance to level matters and to raise the biggest cheer of the day from the Lismore support inside the ground.

This proved to be the last score of the game which meant the two sides would have to do it all over again on March 16, with Clonmel fixed as the venue.

Lismore began training for the 2013 championship on Sunday March 17, and it was fitting that just hours short of 365 days later they were still training.

There is many when it comes to the GAA who are supporters of a counties senior hurling or football team, which ever is the stronger game within the county and they call themselves a GAA supporter.

A GAA supporter to me is someone that supports all units of the GAA who see underage competitions as important as the senior inter county set up. After all if we don’t have underage set ups, teaching and encouraging young players to be part of a team, then you will never have a senior set up. The players just won’t be there.

A GAA Supporter should also be a supporter of out women’s teams at all levels. Long gone are the day’s when a woman’s roll within the GAA is to drive children to games and training sessions and wash the jerseys and maybe make a few sandwiches if a team is visiting to take part in a tournament or travelling a long distance.

It is only right that women play and get to play at the top venues in each county and nationally. It is only right that our ladies teams get to play in curtain raisers to important big inter county league and championship games.

It’s important that All-Irelands are played at Croke Park and Croke Park officials have to be complemented for leaving finals to be played at the ground.

It is a pity however that the ladies teams do not get the support they deserve. When ladies teams play at big grounds like Croke Park because of the lack of support, the atmosphere may not be the best as in a huge venue the few hundred supporters are confined to the one area of a stand, meaning in other areas around the ground the atmosphere is equivalent to the quiet hours after dark in a religious monastery.

Playing the replay at Clonmel meant there was always going to be a better atmosphere and the players were not going to feel the pressure as much as they had in Croke Park despite the prize on offer.

In the replay it was Ballyhale Shamrocks that were quickest off the mark, as Kelly-Anne Cottrell landed a brace of points.

Cottrell was always going to be the player that could inflict damage on Lismore especially from frees and Lismore knew that if they could restrict the amount of efforts she had shooting at the posts they had an excellent chance of winning the game.

Lismore did this as they closed down the Ballyhale Shamrocks defence at every opportunity.

At the break Lismore lead 1-3 to 0-5 with Aoife Hannon accounting for all of Lismore’s white flags while the green one was waved just before the break when Johanna Houlihan set up player of the match Catriona McGlone.

Lismore at the start of the second half continued to prove to be the better side as Aoife Hannon and Shona Curran landed important scores to open a three point lead.

The game continued to be a close affair till eight minutes from time when Shona Curran and Grainne Kenneally liked up to set up Catriona McGlone for her second major score of the game.

Kelly Anne Cottrell was doing her best to keep her side in touch with scores mainly from placed balls and if there was any doubt as to where the Agnes O’Farrelly Cup was going to find a home for the next twelve months, the game was finished off as a contest moments from the end when Catriona McGlone cracked her third goal of the game to earn a fully deserved win for Lismore.

For the record, the Lismore panel that won helped them win the All-Ireland was Aisling O’Brien, Sarah Coughlan, Shauna Prendergast, Marie Russell, Aoife Houlihan, Shana Kiernan, Sarah Fenton, Nicola Morrissey, Shona Curran, Laura Buckley, Grainne Kenneally, Aoife Hannon, Catriona McGlone, Johanna Houlihan, Ruth Geoghegan, Jennifer Kingston, Sinead Walsh, Sandra Prendergast, Ber O’Keeffe, Niamh Molumphy, Rachel Knowles, Sarah Geoghegan, Sarah Russell, Shauna Fennessy and Sinead Bennett.

All while Lismore were involved in the Club Championship other activities were happening.

The Waterford Intermediate team was involved in the National League campaign.

In the previous year Waterford reached the semi finals of the league where they lost to Kildare after the Lilly-whites playing with a strong wind in the first half were able to open up a lead that Waterford was not able to real in during the second half despite the best efforts of the players on the field of play.

The Waterford Intermediate team in 2014 was under a new management team. Mark Cooney who achieved a great deal in his term as Waterford manager decided not to seek re-election to the position and was replaced by former Ballygunner hurler Niall O’Donnell.

The Cork native was unable to call on any of the Lismore players in the early part of the year, but still was able to put together a strong panel.

Results may not have gone the way of Waterford, but on another day in each of the games, results with some lady luck which often is not with Waterford side’s things could have been much different.

Waterford opened the league with a home game against Meath at Walsh Park.

This game was fixed for the same Sunday afternoon that that Lismore were playing Ballyhale Shamrocks in the All-Ireland Final replay at Clonmel. Ideally the two games should not have gone ahead on the same day and if they had to ideally to promote the game, the two games should be played at the same venue, but needs must and the game did happen.

Meath in recent times had provided stiff opposition for Waterford when they met and in this game it was no different as the Royal County ran out 3-8 to 0-10 winners.

Despite conceding a early score, Waterford settled well into the game taking an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead with scores from Trish Jackman, Jennie Simpson and Karen Kelly.

Meath responded with a brace of Jane Dolan points, but Waterford would retire at the break with a 0-5 to 0-4 advantage on the score board following efforts from Sinead Cummins and Zoe O’Donoghue with Jane Dolan pulling one back just before the break.

Waterford extended their lead early in the second half with a brace of Karen Kelly scores, but the visitors would hit a purple patch hitting 3-4 in a ten minute spell which proved to be the winning of the game.

Fia O’Brien hit the first goal which was followed by an effort from Sinead Hackett and then Jane Dolan rounded off a good afternoon’s work hitting her side’s third goal of the game.

Waterford took to the road for their second game making the trip to Johnstownbridge to play Kildare. Again this was expected to be a tightly fought game and so it was, but the result went against Waterford loosing 0-15 to 2-8 ending Waterford’s interest in the league with one game still to play.

Against Cork in Bushy Park Waterford also had to settle for second best going under on a 1-13 to 1-6 score line.

Cork hit their game running from the very first minute hitting a goal from Maeve Calahane and from then on Waterford were playing catch up.

Credit Waterford however, they began a fight back. With the Lismore players again back in the side, Nicola Morrissey struck twice and Karen Kelly pit over a free to leave Waterford trailing 1-7 to 0-3 at the turn around.

In the second half, Waterford continued to work hard. Charlotte Raher hit a point before Jennie Simpson struck for a goal. Waterford had a chance for another goal soon afterwards but Shone Curran saw her effort dealt with by the Cork defence. Had it gone in, maybe the outcome could be different.

Karen Kelly hit two points the second a beauty in which she linked up well with Roanmore’s Valerie O’Brien.

Although defeated, the performance surely would give Waterford much hope for the remainder of the year.

Players used by Waterford in the league in 2014 included: Becky Kavanagh, Emma Hannon, Fiona Morrissey, Claire Whyte, Mairead Murphy, Tricia Jackman, Pauline Cunningham, Deirdre Nugent, Charlotte Raher, Karen Kelly, Jenny Simpson, Sinead Cummins, Valerie O'Brien, Zoe O'Donoghue, Clara Hogan, Vicki Falconer, Shauna Prendergast, Shauna Kiernan, Nicola Morrissey, Shona Curran, Laura Buckley,  Lorraine Bray and Niamh Rockett.