Waterford Camogie Stars reach the Promised Land.

Waterford got a new look County Camogie Board for 2015. We also got a new look Intermediate Camogie management team.

Within a short while the changes they were making soon quickly became to be seen. We were asked soon to join a journey. It was a long journey. It was a successful journey. It was a journey that saw Waterford win some silverware within the game at inter county level.

The Division two league final was won on May. The Under 16 ‘B’ All-Ireland was added in August and now in September the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship has been added.

The journey did not start this year. Its one that has being ongoing with a number of years now. The length of that journey now is one that does not matter. Camogie in Waterford is where it wants to be with a long number of years.

But the journey is not over yet.

Waterford is merely pulling in for a short break. There is still part of the journey to go. It’s a journey worth seeing out now. It would be easy to park up and say we are where we want to. In doing so you run the risk of doing a U-turn and go back to where the journey started. It’s one that many undertake. That would be a foolish journey to take. Its worth continuing on now and see where the road leads to.

Its important now that Waterford drive on.

Waterford next year will get to play the biggest and best sides in the country. That’s where most players want to be.

Waterford will take a year or two to settle in the senior grade in both the league and championship. But they will know that sides that have made similar jumps in recent years have settled and established themselves and Waterford will be no different.

Waterford head to the top flight next year safe in the knowledge they have some very established players in their set up.

Players like Nicola Morrissey, Claire Whyte, Charlotte Raher, Shona Curran, Niamh Rockett, Jennie Simpson, Claire Murphy, Deirdre Brennan and Trish Jackman are all players of note and between then have clocked up many miles travelling to Camogie games and training sessions.

And while Waterford has some very established players there are some terrific young players around.

Names that spring to mind include the likes of Kate McMahon, Iona Heffernan, Lorraine Bray, Beth Carton, Aisling Power, Dawn Power, Brianna O’Regan, Saoirse Bonner, Molly Curran, Orla Flynn, Sibeal Harney and Elizabeth McGrath all who have come off successful underage teams and who were part of the Waterford panel for the first time this year or in the case of some, it was their second or third year involved.

There is also players that are involved in the third level competitions in recent years, the likes of Vikki Falconer who captained WIT to win the Ashbourne Cup this year, Valerie O’Brien who was part of the same WIT team, Becky Kavanagh and Jenny McCarthy had good runs in the Purcell Cup this year, and they were all lead this year by Caithriona McGlone from Lismore, a player that needs no introduction to the big stage.

And in the next few years expect the numbers in this group grow. There are some brilliant young players coming throw that could well be added to the panel in the coming year or two.

While Waterford’s past achievements when it comes to Camogie are great, none can compare to the latest achievement. To win the highest honour in the highest grade you compete is all you can ask in any sport.

Waterford’s seven point winning margin was impressive, early in the game while it always looked that Waterford would win, the margin of victory did not always look to be as big as it was.

Waterford as can happen at times was a little slow to settle into the surrounds.

Kildare had a good start to the game.

They raced into an early five point lead.

The first goal of the game came on three minutes.

Susie O’Carroll picked out Noelle Earley with a good pass and having lost her hurley just seconds earlier in an attempt to clear her goal area, Deirdre Brennan raced back to her goal line but was powerless to keep the Clane hand passed effort from hitting the net.

The hand passed goal is something that is long gone out of hurling but is something that many in Camogie would like to see abolished especially those that play in goal or defence as it can be difficult to defend against at times.

And when Melissa Lyons and Emer Reilly followed up with points for Kildare it was looking that Waterford’s afternoon’s work in G.A.A. headquarters could be a difficult one.

But the sign of a good side is one that refuses to panic and Waterford never panicked even if chances that they had did go wide of the uprights.

Beth Carton got Waterford off the mark with a pointed free and the brilliant De La Salle player followed it up with another effort from a placed ball to cut Kildare’s early lead to three.

That lead was further cut when Player of the Match Lorraine Bray split the posts and when Jennie Simpson followed up with a fine effort to cut Kildare’s lead to one heading to half time having played against a strong wind it was beginning to look good for Waterford.

The turning of the game for Waterford in their semi final win over Meath was bringing on Shona Curran at the break.

In this game the Waterford management team did not wait till the break to bring on the powerful Lismore player. She came on with two minutes showing to be played on the giant screens at either end of the ground and she made an immediate impact.

She played in a ball towards the Kildare goal which at the time she appeared to not be happy with but her effort fell to one of the smallest members of the panel Aisling Power who collected and got inside the Kildare defence and shot past Róisín O’Connell in the Kildare goal to give Waterford a 1-4 to 1-2 lead heading into the break, a lead that Waterford would never give up.

It’s often claimed that the most important time to score a goal could be at the end of the first half as it gives a side confidence heading into the second half.

But you could also claim that the most important time to find the net in a game is very early in the second half. Just look at what Kilkenny have done time and time again down the years. How many times have they come out for the second half after a close first half and blitzed a side with a number of important scores and go on to win a game.

Which ever is true is up to each person to decide, but for Waterford in this game it did not matter which is the best time to score.

If Aisling Power’s goal at the end of the first half was important so too was Beth Carton’s at the start of the second half.

Referee Jenny Byrne awarded an early 20 metre free on the Hogan Stand side of the field as Waterford attacked The Hill, and with Beth Carton standing over the ball only she knew that she would go for a goal and she kept the ball low and hard along a very skiddy surface as a result of the heavy rain that fell before the game which deceived everyone and went to the back of Róisín O’Connell’s net.

Having gone so near yet so far in the last few years since Waterford’s last Camogie win at Croke Park when the Mark Cooney managed side beat Down to win the Junior Final back in 2011, Waterford were now in a good place and were not miss out on this occasion.

While Emer Reilly pulled a point back for Kildare shortly after Waterford netted their second goal, Waterford hit the next three scores to extend the lead.

Nicola Morrissey hit the first of the three scores in a row. Niamh Rockett hit the second. The Saint Anne’s player was withdrawn on forty-six minutes to be replaced by Valerie O’Brien and before the Saint Anne’s player had a chance to join the rest of the subs sitting in the Canal End of the centre of the Hogan Stand she was sent straight back on to replace Nicola Morrissey and within seconds she split the posts.

And when Lorraine Bray hit her second of the game to give Waterford a 2-7 to 1-3 lead heading into the final ten minutes of the game, it was looking good for Waterford.

Susie O’Carroll pulled a brace of points back for Kildare, but Waterford would finish as they were for much of the game the stronger of the two sides as Trish Jackman from a free and then Lorraine Bray late on landed further points for Waterford to give Waterford a 2-9 to 1-5 victory and more importantly a first ever All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie title.

Waterford: Deirdre Brennan; Kate McMahon, Claire Whyte, Vikki Falconer; Charlotte Raher, Jennie Simpson, Iona Heffernan; Trish Jackman, Caithriona McGlone; Nicola Morrissey, Niamh Rockett, Beth Carton; Aisling Power, Lorraine Bray, Dawn Power. Subs: Shone Curran for Dawn Power (28), Valerie O’Brien for Niamh Rockett (46), Niamh Rockett for Nicola Morrissey (48), Claire Murphy for Caithriona McGlone (56), Dawn Power for Aisling Morrissey (60)  

Scorers: Beth Carton 1-2(1-1fs); Lorraine Bray 0-3; Aisling Power 1-0; Trish Jackman (f), Jennie Simpson, Nicola Morrissey, Niamh Rockett 0-1 each

Kildare: Róisín O’Connell; Clodagh Flanagan, Carol Nolan, Fiona Trant; Clodagh Farrell, Regina O’Gorman, Angela Lyons; Caroline Forde, Orla Bambury; Louise Keatley, Siobhan Hurley, Emer Reilly; Susie O’Carroll, Noelle Earley, Melissa Lyons. Subs: Hannah McDonnell for Caroline Forde (50), Deirbhile Byrne for Fiona Trant (52)

Scorers: Noelle Earley 1-0; Susie O’Carroll (1f), Melissa Lyons 0-2 each; Emer Reilly 0-1

Referee: Jenny Byrne (Dublin)