Waterford Camogie Sides Go In Search Of Two Munster Final Appearances

If you are a regular reader of what appears here you will know that I have nothing but the upmost of respect for our counties Camogie and Ladies Footballers and those tasked at board room level at Club and County level that are helping to develop the both games.

But sometimes you have to wonder about some and the joined up thinking there is when it comes to the promotion of the games.

Take those at Munster Council Level for example. This coming Saturday evening they have Waterford’s junior and senior teams down to play two games at the one time in two different counties. Some might ask what is wrong with this. Well one wrong might be this, Waterford in their junior team are using players that are currently outside the eighteen or nineteen most used players from the senior team, which gives Waterford something to think about for this weekend. Do they send these players to Lemybrien for a Munster Semi Final game against Kerry where they will get game time or do they send them to The Ragg outside Thurles with the senior team where they are most likely to start on the bench but could be sent on at some stage?

The question also has to be asked should there be the coming together and the formation of one body by the Camogie and Ladies Football Associations to allow for duel players if players are willing to commit to both codes. I have no doubt there is players who want to play both but because of two associations who often have fixtures on the same day and even the same time make it impossible to happen. Waterford have one duel player this year in Caoimhe McGrath who excelled in both the National Camogie and Ladies Football Leagues this year in the white and blue of Waterford but this Saturday the Abbeyside player will have to make up her mind or have her mind made up for her as to which game she wants to play as while the Waterford Senior’s are playing Tipperary in the Ragg, two hours earlier in Ennis the Waterford Senior Ladies Footballers are playing Kerry in the First round of this year’s Munster Championship, a repeat of last weekend’s League final in Parnell Park.

When Waterford’s junior team run onto the pitch in Lemybrien on Saturday evening it will be their second game in the competition, having beating a strong Clare side a few weeks back.

In that game Niamh Murphy was the heroine when it came to the scoring as she hit eight points in her side’s tally of 1-10.

The De La Salle player is part of the senior set up in the last few years and has also been part of a talented De La Salle side and the experience she has picked up with these sides was obvious in the win over Clare, remaining very cool headed striking from placed balls and struck the winner from play with just under two minutes remaining.

She is joined in the junior set up in the likes of Niamh Ahearne another member of the senior panel and a daughter of former inter county hurler Shane.  Becky Kavanagh, Sadie Mai Rowe, Saoirse Bonnar and Johanna Houlihan are also experienced players in this side.

Also included are some rising stars of the game, the likes of Leah Sheridan who was part of the Gailltir team that contested this year’s All-Ireland Intermediate Club Final in February as well as the likes of Megan Foran, Hannah Flynn, Aoife and Shauna Fitzgerald, Izabella Markiewiz and Sally Kelly who are also rising stars of the game.

They will be up against a Kerry side that lost three of their games in the National League and conceded a fourth game to Armagh while playing in Division two. They however retained their place in Division two for next year by beating Carlow in a relegation playoff game.

Kerry in this game will be looking to the likes of Niamh Leen, Sara Murphy, Olivia Dineen, Elaine Ryall, Laura Collins and Jackie Horgan for big performances.

While this is Waterford’s second string teams you have to field with the mix of youth and experience in it that the side are good enough to qualify for a Munster Final.

While the junior game is going on in Lemybrien the senior team will be in action at The Ragg Camogie Grounds outside Thurles.

These two sides have met twice in the last twelve months and on both occasions victory went to the Premier County side, first in last year’s All-Ireland Senior Quarter Final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh and more recently in this year’s National League.

So will we see it be third time Waterford on Saturday evening. Well we have every right to think it will.

Waterford in the National League finished in fourth place in a five team group in their group, but it must be pointed out that for much of the league Donal O’Rourke had to plan without the services of the Gailltir players who were preparing for their All-Ireland Club Final at Croke Park.

Tipperary could well have a strong line out on Saturday evening including the likes of Gemma Grace, Eimear Loughman, Niamh Tracey, Ereena Fryday, Grace O’Brien and of course Cáit Devane to name but a few.

Waterford at full strength are a match for anyone. To pick one from Brianna O’Regan and Ciara Jackman to start in goal is not an easy task to start with, and out along the field you have some brilliant players in the likes of All-Star Beth Carton, team captain Niamh Rockett, Iona Heffernan, Sibheal Harney, Aoife Landers, Lorraine Bray, Sarah Lacey, Orla Hickey, Claire Whyte, Áine Lyng, Annie Fitzgerald, Kate Lynch, Clodagh Carroll, Kaiesha Tobin etc.

Tipperary have got the better of Waterford in some of the recent clashes between the two, but Donal O’Rourke and his charges will know that the tide has to turn at some stage.

With the All-Ireland Championship coming up in a few weeks times there might be some places that need filling in on the team in the mind of Donal O’Rourke and his selectors and the 15 players that start this game and any that come on will be going all out to secure a place in that championship starting team and the players will know that a good showing here could well cement their place in the starting All-Ireland Championship team.

Some might make the home side favourites to win here, but there is something telling me that Donal O’Rourke’s side will upset here those that are suggesting that the home side will advance to a Munster Final.