Agnes O’Farrelly to Make Return to the Déise County after Six Years

When Gailltir and Saint Rynagh’s from Offaly come out of the dressing rooms under the Cusack Stand just after 1pm  on Sunday next carefully descending one lot of steps before ascending another and onto the hallowed turf of Croke Park to contest the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Camogie Final, they do so as sides that will know much about each other.

399 days earlier the same two sides last met in the penultimate round of games in last year’s championship, a game that the Sky Blues won on a 3-8 to 0-12 score line. When the two sides last met there was no silverware on offer but what was on offer between the two sides was a place in the All-Ireland Intermediate Club final against Down champions Clonduff at G.A.A. Headquarters.

This time around there the stakes are much bigger for the winner if there is to be one on the day will take home with them the Agnes O’Farrelly Cup and should it be Gailltir they will become only the second Waterford Club to win it following on from Lismore in the spring of 2014 and the first to do so at Croke Park.

When the sides met at Cashel in their previous clash Gailltir emerged winners 3-8 to 0-12 and will be more than happy to take the same result this time around.

They come into this final on the back of a good string of results.

Last May the Sky Blues won retained the County Senior Camogie League title beating arch rivals De La Salle in the final 3-21 to 3-17 at the WIT Arena in Carriganore. In the early autumn the two sides clashed in the final of the All-Ireland 7’s in Dublin where the result was reversed, but back playing within the country boundaries the side in Sky Blue and Navy were at their very best once more recording a big 1-17 to 2-3 win over Cappoquin in the first round of the County Senior Championship and received a walk-over from Dungarvan in Round two.

In the quarter finals it was West Waterford opposition again for the Sky Blues and once more they had little difficulty beating An Rinn 5-21 to 1-7. We might have seen how strong this Gailltir side were when they beat a very good Saint Anne’s side 3-13 to 1-9 in the County Semi Final at the WIT Arena and at the same venue in the County Final proved too strong once more for Cappoquin beating the Corner-Stone Club 1-19 to 0-4.

In the Munster Championship Gailltir made the mammoth journey from deepest East Waterford into far West Cork to play Newcestown in the Munster Semi Final but it was a worthwhile Journey as they would return home with 3-11 to 2-5 win under their belts but more importantly a place in the Munster Final for the third time in four years.

Tipperary champions Toomevara were Gailltir’s opponents in that game and again Gailltir faced a long journey this time to Cappamore in Limerick but again made it a worthwhile journey making the return Journey as Munster Champions for the third time in four seasons after a 2-17 to 1-11 win.

Now into the All-Ireland Final it was a Clonduff side from Down that proved to be the opposition at Clane in County Kildare where the side in Sky Blue gained revenge for last year’s narrow 0-10 to 0-9 loss in the All-Ireland Final at a freezing cold Croke Park this time winning 2-13 to 0-11.

Just like Gailltir, Saint Rynagh’s have come through to this stage of the competition in an impressive manner. After coming through a tough championship in Offaly that faced Clara from Kilkenny in the Leinster Quarter Finals, a game they won in Banagher on a 6-9 to 2-12 score line. In the Leinster Semi Final the Saints had a hard fought 2-10 to 1-9 win over Na Fianna of Meath at Baconstown and maybe the best indication as to how strong the Offaly side might be came in the Leinster Final when they beat a strong Camross side from Laois on a 4-23 to 0-4 score line in Ashbourne. In the All-Ireland semi final on the same day as Gailltir were playing Clonduff the Saints had a 2-13 to 0-13 win over Carnmore in Ballinasloe.

If Saint Rynagh’s were to select along the lines that beat Camross which was possibly their best game in the campaign the Saint’s will show a number of changes to the side which lost to Gailltir in last year’s semi final.

There will however be a number of players which Gailltir be very familiar with. Siobhan Flannery and Kate Kenny in the full forward line will take some watching and if presented with chances will take them. Elsewhere in the team the Gailltir side will know all about the likes of Ellen Gilligan in goal, Roisin Daly, Elaine and Linda Sullivan in defence, Helen Dolan and Róisín Egan in the middle of the field and Grainne Dolan and Louise Mannion in attack.

Gailltir too are expected to show a number of changes to the side which beat Saint Ryanagh’s last year, but maybe not as much as their opponents. Aoife Fitzgerald and Trish Jackman who started last year’s game on the bench would be expected to start this year, while Ciara O’Sullivan who did not feature in the last big game between these two sides but did come on in the All-Ireland as a sub has won a place in the steam from the off this year and big things would be expected of her in the years ahead.

Elsewhere in the team there could well be some very familiar faces in the starting line up with Ciara Jackman in goal, Leah Sheridan, Margo Heffernan, Hannah Flynn and Emma Roche in defence, Kate Lynch in the middle of the field with Shauna Fitzgerald with Shauna’s cousins Annie and Aoife in attack along with the likes of Emer Walsh, Áine Lyng and Anne Corcoran, while the likes of Hannah Flynn, Clodagh Carroll, Róisín Flood, Sorcha Cantwell and Emily Mahony all fighting for a place in the team from the off.

It is often said that in the world of G.A.A. be it in the men’s or women’s games that you sometimes have to lose a final to win one. Nobody will be more disappointed to lose last year’s final that the players that were part of that final for Gailltir and they clearly have shown signs that they have learned from that loss. They have come back a stronger and better side and will make the journey up the M9 on Sunday firmly believing that they can make up for last year’s. All involved with Gailltir however will be respecting the challenge they face against Saint Rynagh’s and will not need any telling how strong they can be.

Camogie has come on a great deal in Waterford and each big win regardless of whether it comes at Club, Colleges or Inter County Level is strengthening the game further regardless of what level or grade they come at. A win for Gailltir on Sunday will give the game another boost, not just in their catchment area but right throughout the county. Will it be Gailltir’s year this year? I have told a number of people associated with the game in the county that I feel it will and don’t see any point in changing my thinking at this stage.