Gailltir Seek Second Munster Title

          Sixty years ago this year a Camogie Club was founded in the Gailltir area of County Waterford. In those sixty years many players at different levels have worn the sky blue and navy shirt which the club wears, some of whom have gone on to achieve great things in the game.

The club recently went between 2008 and 2015 without winning a county senior title in the Déise County but in this time the club began to undertake work in promoting the game amongst the youth of the areas from which they draw their players and it has began to pay off now with interest.

A brilliant group of young players all came along together helping the club achieve many honours in different grades including some titles won at National level winning a number of Féile titles in the last number of years.

Back in 2016 some of the older players coming through from successful underage teams were grouped with some of the more experienced players in the club and it was no real surprise to see the club capture a first senior county title since 2008, beating Lismore in the final, something that was no mean achievement as Lismore had appeared in two All-Ireland Club titles, winning one after a replay in the three years before this final and the side from the west of the county were able to call on a great deal of the players that helped them achieve what the club had against Gailltir.

After winning the County title and celebrating the win, the side went on to represent Waterford in the Munster Intermediate Club Championship beating Nenagh Éire Óg in the final at Cahir, but were to lose out in the All-Ireland semi final.

Last year Gailltir once more reached the County Final but this time they had to settle for second best against a Lismore side that would go on to win the Munster Final a few weeks later, but they like Gailltir the previous year would bow out of the competition at the All-Ireland Semi Final stage of the competition.

This year Gailltir were back in the final once more. They were minus the services of some of the side that help them win the title two years ago, but in their place were some more of the brilliant young prospects that are making a name for themselves in the game.

Earlier this year the side from the Barony area had won the County League Final against De La Salle at Ferrybank and a few weeks back they won the County Senior title against the same opposition this time at the WIT Arena.

In between many of the players that won League and Championship honours helped St Angela’s Ursuline School to Junior and/or Senior All-Ireland finals, meaning that when Gailltir run out at Leahy Park in Cashel on Sunday against Cork side Éire Óg they do so an experienced side.

Strangely when Gailltir take to the field on Sunday it is a possible that only five of the side which won the Munster Final back in 2016 will start, Ciara Jackman, Emma Roche, Áine Lyng, Shauna Fitzgerald and Kate Lynch. The fact that only five of the 2016 might start this coming Sunday does indeed say a lot for the work that the Gailltir are putting in with their underage players and the talent they have available to them.

Eire Óg has played three times since Gailltir last played a competitive game. The Cork side proved too strong for Aghabillogue in the Cork County Final at the Castle Road grounds in Cork on a 1-10 to 0-8 score line and two weeks ago they proved too strong for Tipperary Intermediate Champions Cashel King Cormacs winning 2-7 to 0-4 and in between they won the Cork Senior Summer Cup beating Ballincollig 1-8 to 1-6.

The Gailltir mentors no doubt will have taken the chance to do their homework on the opponents this weekend and won’t need any telling how dangerous the challenge that they face this weekend.

Siobhán Hutchinson at centre back is the team’s captain and possibly their best player. She was part of the Cork Intermediate panel this year and last weekend was nominated for a Soaring Star, the All-Star awards presented each year to those that play in the Intermediate and Junior grades of Inter county Camogie.

In attack the Cork side will put it up to the Gailltir defensive unit and they will to be at their best to keep them at bay.

The wing forwards Emma Crowley and Meabh Ellen Desmond if given the chance will cause heartache to most sides they take on while Margaret O’Herlihy in between the pair can be a real score getter, while in the inside forward line Aoife O’Callaghan flanked possibly by Grace Collins and Gillian Murphy will also take watching.

Most locals watching the game of Camogie will not need any telling of what Gailltir can do.

Some terrific work has taken place in the promotion of the game in the clubs catchment area in the last number of years and it is not starting to reap the rewards of that hard work.

The club has won its quota of underage titles in recent years both locally and nationally, most notably a number of Féile na Gael titles.

Players like Emer Walsh, Aoife and Annie Fitzgerald, Ann Corcoran and Emer Walshe to name but a few were involved in some of those underage successes in recent years and will be looking to add to their collection of medals this weekend.

They will be joined this weekend by some players who have amassed experience in the last number of years, the like of Ciara Jackman in goal, Margo Heffernan at full back, the vastly experienced duo of Áine Lyng and Emma Hannon while Kate Lynch who featured in 2016 will vital, while others like Clodagh Carroll who has won Munster and All-Ireland medals with the Ursuline School on the Folly already this year will also be important.

Gailltir will know that they face a stern test this weekend and also that the recent competitive games played by the Cork side will stand to them.

The Barony girls will have worked hard since their county final win over De La Salle and they will be showing great hunger to add to their roll of honour this weekend.

Waterford sides have a good record in the last decade when it comes to playing in finals at this level and Gailltir will be looking to extend that run of good results on Sunday.