League Champions search for Championship Opening Round Win

Waterford’s Intermediate Camogie team play their first competitive game on Saturday afternoon when they play Antrim in the first round of this years Intermediate Championship at Walsh Park, the game having a 2-30pm throw in.

Over the past few years some outstanding work has been carried out in the county un-noticed by many in the promotion of Camogie both on and off the field.

The counties under 14 team winning an All-Ireland in the last three years, the county winning Under 16 and ‘B’ All-Ireland’s, Gailltir winning Féile titles nationally in the last three years, Lismore winning four Munster Intermediate Club titles and one All-Ireland title as well as Mercy Secondary School in Waterford city are some of the highlights in the past few years, and shows to all the work that is happening within the county.

So too does Waterford winning the League final earlier this year, beating Laois in the final at Dr. Cullen Park in Carlow, with some of the players involved in some of the already mentioned titles above playing a key roll.

Waterford’s opponents this weekend moved up to the Intermediate grade of Camogie at the end of 2010 when they beat Waterford in the All-Ireland Final after a replay against Waterford.

Since then the Ulster side, just like Waterford since moving up to the Intermediate grade 12 months later have more than held their own in the higher grade.

However, unlike Waterford Antrim had a disappointing league in 2015, playing in the opposite group to Waterford in Division two, finishing second from bottom in the group, winning just one game, a single point win over Westmeath who finished bottom of the group also having won just one game.

However, despite Antrim’s poor showing in the league, Waterford manager Sean Fleming will be warning his players against complacency as Loughgiel Shamrocks who won the senior championship in Antrim last year put up an excellent showing against Wexford side Oulart the Ballagh in the All-Ireland Club semi final in the spring.

Antrim will bring with them to Walsh Park a strong panel of players to choose from which is likely to include Aileen Martin, Shannon Graham, Emma McMullen, Laura and Emma Connolly, as well as Michaela Convery and they will be doing their best to get their side off to the best possible start in this years championship.

However, Waterford are likely to field a very strong fifteen and will enter the game as favourites.

Players like Trish Jackman (sponsored by Glanbia Agri), Claire Murphy (sponsored by Anne Ryan), Jennie Simpson (sponsored by Crosbie Tras. Car), Shona Curran (Sponsored by Kieran Sanford), Deirdre Brennan (Sponsored by Tom Murphy Car Sales), Catriona McGlone (Sponsored by Sheridan Medals), Nicola Morrissey (Sponsored by Fewer Associates), Claire Whyte (Sponsored  by Doyle Concreate), and Lorraine Bray (Sponsored by Waterford Supporters Club) are all very experienced players, while younger players like Iona Heffernan (Sponsored by Harvey Travel), Beth Carton (Sponsored by Book a Room), Dawn Power (Sponsored by Waterford Supporters Club), Brianna O’Regan (Sponsored by Droopy’s Stud), and Kate McMahon (Sponsored by Hartley People) will if not in the actual starting team will be pushing very hard for a starting place and when given their chance will be hard to dislodge.

Waterford in the last few years have reached the All-Ireland semi finals but when it comes to the semi final pairings have drawn somewhat the shorter draw. All involved with Waterford will be only two well aware that if they can win each of their group stage games that come the semi finals, they will get what is sometimes perceived as the easier of the semi finals.

Meanwhile just over 24 hours after Waterford and Antrim do battle in the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship, the same two counties do battle in the Under 16 ‘B’ Championship at Naomh Peregrine, in Blakestown (Dublin).

Waterford won this competition last year having gone close the year before and they have a number of players from last year’s panel that are available again this year.

The experience picked up last year by Caoimhe Drohan, Chloe Dempsey, Collette Hogan and Niamh Murphy from the De La Salle Club, Laura Murray of Cappoquin, Anne Corcoran and Sinead Cunningham from Gaultier and Saoirse English from Tramore is going to very important to this years panel.

From the Waterford panel that won the under 14 All-Ireland Blitz in 2013, players like Taylor Healy and Aisling Madigan from De La Salle, Ciara Jackman and Emer Walsh from Gailltir, Kaiesha Tobin and Aisling Bauman, and Rebecca McGlone from Lismore could all be expected to be involved while from last years winning under 14 panel Keeley Corbett-Barry from Clonea, Mary O’Brien from Lismore and Ciara Griffin from Tramore could be amongst the panel used this year.

Earlier this year Waterford played in the Munster ‘A’ Under 16 championship and gave an excellent account of themselves against opponents that will play at a higher grade in this years All-Ireland Championship.

Antrim last weekend won the under 16 Ulster final against Down and that win will give the northerners plenty of confidence heading to the capital for a 3-45pm throw in.

However, the experience of the Waterford players from last year who are involved again this year as well as those that have come from successful under 14 panels in the last two years, should mean that Waterford stand an excellent chance of securing a win here.