A big day for Lismore and Gailltir Camogie Clubs

Baring the need of having to replay, the curtain comes down on the Camogie Year in Waterford at adult level this Saturday afternoon with the playing of this years County and Junior Finals at Carriganore.

Its hardly a surprise to those that follow the game within the Déise County that Lismore are once again in this years final where they will be looking to make it four finals in a row, but what might to some is their opponents this year, as its not Saint Anne’s as in the last number of years, but Gailltir.

Lismore in the last number of years have done remarkably well. Few if any could dispute that. Winning Two Munster Finals, One All-Ireland, finishing Runner Up in another All-Ireland and missing out on last years Munster Final to Cahir after winning the last three County Finals is a healthy return and they would love to add to what they have already achieved should they get the chance to represent the county in the Munster Championship in the coming weeks.

But the girls from the Heritage Town will not need to be told that if they were to win this Saturday afternoon, things will be much tougher this time around in the Munster Club Championship.

What some might not be aware of is that when it comes to county champions playing in the Munster Club Championship, the club that wins the County Senior Title on a given year play in the grade that the counties Intercounty team played at in that year.

Up to winning last years All-Ireland Intermediate All-Ireland, Waterford therefore would have had their county senior champions play in the Munster Intermediate Championship. But as Waterford played senior this year, the winner between Lismore and Gailltir will play with the big guns this year and compete in the Munster Senior Championship.

There is no disputing that down the year Lismore have been brilliant and represented their club and county with pride and distension.

In the three years since they beat Ballyhale Shamrocks to win the All-Ireland Club Final after a replay at Clonmel, they have lost almost a dozen of that panel of players which numbered 25.

Some of those not around this year were on the starting XV that day, others were subs. Those that were part of the starting XV are replaced by subs that day or even from younger players who have joined the panel since that famous day, players that are spurred on by what they saw their heroines do on that day.

Gailltir are a coming side.

They have some players that have been around some time now even if they still are very young.

Trish Jackman and Áine Lyng will be their best known players, but in the likes of Clara Hogan, Ciara Jackman, Sally O’Grady, Aisling Flood, Sara Judge and Emma Tallon, they have players that know what it is like to play at this level.

As pointed out already, Gailltir are a coming side. They have invested a lot of time and energy into their underage system. They have had a brilliant few years at under 14 level, representing the county at Féile na Gael, winning a number of titles, and players that were part of these teams over the past few years will if they have not already become vital cogs in the Gailltir wheel.

Its important to note that underage success does not always mean success at adult level but it does help and I have no doubt that those involved most in the promotion of the game of Camogie will not rest on their laurels and will try and bring the club to the next level.

Lismore too have achieved success at underage, but it has often come at ‘B’ level. There is some that will say and argue that there is a step up from underage to adult levels and an even bigger step up from the lower levels of the underage game and adult level.

I for one am not going to argue against this. It would be a pointless exercise.

While Gailltir’s recent underage success’ have come at the higher level, Lismore’s players are not at a disadvantage as because the players that are coming from these teams are going into a team that is full of experienced players and they will benefit in the long term from this happening.

Some of Gailltir’s most vital cogs have already been named. The Barony Club will need them and others to have big performances on the day if they are to win the County Championship for the first time in a number of years.

Lismore too have vital cogs. Players like Tanya Morrissey, Shauna Kiernan, Marie Russell, Nicola Morrissey, Caithriona McGlone, Ruth Geoghegan, Grainne Kenneally, Shona and Ellen Curran as well as Johanna and Aoife Houlihan are all going to be vital for the Heritage Town side.

Only one side can win this years championship whether it is this Saturday afternoon or at a later date.

Who will that be? Lismore are going to be very disciplined in their own half of the field as it is hard to see Trish Jackman not leave them off when presented with the chance of scoring from placed balls.

Her side will go into this game on a high after a recent win over Cappoquin in the semi finals at the same venue and also having won the recent Seven’s tournament in Dublin.

Lismore went into this years final as group winners after the league stages of the competition. They are a few weeks now without a competitive game but wont have just sat around in this time.

They have some experienced players and that experience is going to be vital. For me, it’s Lismore that will win out and make it four titles in a row, but expect very little to separate the sides.

The curtain raiser to the senior final at the WIT Sports Campus in Carriganore is the Junior Final between Ferrybank and Tramore.

Both sides came through from their respective semi finals against Clonea and Portlaw last Saturday evening at the Butlerstown grounds.

The Sea-Siders go into this game with what looks like a very dangerous full forward line consisting of Donna Cowman, Masha Power and Muireann Cuddihy. Denise O’Connor came on for Tramore last week as a replacement for the injured Sally Kiely and put in a solid performance when placed in the inside forward line and will be looking to get a place in the team from the start this time out.

They also have a strong centre field paring in Niamh Walsh and Clara Griffin.  

Saoirse English will line out in the half back line and is a player that has played underage camogie for the county in recent years while Abbie Dunphy is known to many as a fine footballer but is also a camogie player of note.

The side from North of the River Suir are also a quality side. Their top player without a doubt is Iona Heffernan who is likely to start at Centre Back, while Niamh Ahearne who is lively to start at centre forward is also key to their sides hopes.

Others that are key to Ferrybank will be Amy Boden between the posts, while Aisling Heffernan, Aishling Oates and Aoife Byrne will have to be at their very best to keep what looks like a dangerous Tramore full forward line at bay.

Lydia Grant and Gráinne Heffernan in the middle of the field will also be vital while the likes of Siobhan Heffernan, Claire Smith-Baldwin and Debbie Boden will be looking to have big games.

Ferrybank are a side that are there or there about in the last couple of years. Tramore are a reformed side who have done brilliant to reach this stage of the competition. Ferrybank’s experience in reaching finals in recent years has to count for something. Their players are bound to be hungry to make up for past disappointments, and so get a tentative vote to collect the laurels.