Queens of Munster

          I have said it many times and will say it many more times these are very interesting times for the game of Camogie in Waterford.

          There sadly is some who will not go and see the game being played for whatever reason, but if they were to back off and come down off whatever horse they are on and take the time to go and see the game being played they might be pleasantly surprised by the standard the game is at within the county.

On Sunday afternoon the game got another boost when Gailltir won a second Munster Intermediate Club Championship beating Cork Champions Éire Óg at Leahy Park in Cahir.

For any club to win a first such title is always going to be special and remembered by those that saw the game or who enjoyed the celebrations for a long time. This second win for Gailltir is also going to be special, as from the side which won the first title just two years (three seasons) ago there was wholesale changes to the starting team, many of those coming in no doubt spurred on by what they say the girls of 2016 do.

This year is a special one for Gailltir as they are celebrating the 60^th Anniversary of their formation back in 1958 and this win as the years draws closer to an end is the perfect way to round off a year of celebration.

The side in sky blue will now go on to represent both Waterford and Munster now in the All-Ireland series of games and no doubt with so many players in their ranks who have played on the big stage for Club, County or College in the last few years will be looking to do what Lismore did back in the spring of 2014 and win the All-Ireland Final, and will be hoping to become the first Camogie Club and the second Waterford Club (Ardmore earlier this year were the first, winning the All-Ireland Junior Club Final) to win on All-Ireland Final Day at Croke Park.  

But before that can happen Gailltir will have another hurdle to get over, and no doubt while they will celebrate yesterday’s win they will be back on the training field once more in the coming weeks preparing for what would be a Fairy Tale finish to a significant anniversary in the clubs history.

The weather conditions did not allow for the game to be played as most would have liked, but sometimes you have to battle the elements as hard as you battle the opposition and this is exactly what Gailltir did.

They played with the first use of a stiff breeze behind them in the opening half on a field that was hard to play on after a heavy shower which fell before the game started.

With the elements at their backs in the opening half, Gailltir used them to their advantage as best they could and they turned around with a 1-7 to 0-2 advantage showing on the score board. And such was the dominance of Gailltir in the opening half they escaped with shooting seven wides, something on another day could have proved costly. At the other end of the field playing into the breeze Éire Óg scored just two points and no wide, and seldom got into the Gailltir half of the field to cause the winners any worrying moments.

The Cork side did however open the scoring with a Meadbh Ellen Desmond effort in the first minute, but once Gailltir got into their stride there was only going to be one winner of this game.

All-Star nominee Áine Lyng hit her sides first score on three minutes before Annie Fitzgerald hit a brace of scores between the fourth and the twelfth minutes to open up a two point lead.

Player of the Match landed her second of the game on thirteen minutes from a long range free and Annie Fitzgerald hit her third of the game on twenty-one minutes to open up a favourable lead for Gailltir.

Gailltir hit their first goal on twenty two minutes. Áine Lyng following a brilliant run picked out Aoife Fitzgerald on the edge of the square and in such a position she had only one thing on her mind and made no mistake in beating Rachel Murray to open up a 1-5 to 0-1 lead.

Áine Lyng and Margaret O’Herlihy swapped scores inside sixty seconds and the act of hitting the last score of the opening half fell to Clodagh Carroll who helped her side to a 1-7 to 0-2 lead at the break.

The question on the lips of those present was if the lead built up by Gailltir would be enough now that the Cork side would have the elements behind them in the second half. Those with such questions need to have no fears.

Although Éire Óg came out a more determined side in the second half they found it hard to get past what was a strong Gailltir defence.

With eight minutes of the second half played the Cork side had not put any further scores on the board and when the ball was at the other end Gailltir’s next score proved decisive as Annie Fitzgerald, one of a number of players we have to keep an eye on in the coming years finished to the net to extend the side in sky blue shirts half time lead by three.

          Éire Óg responded with a brace of Margaret O’Herlihy scores both from frees in the 38 and 40 minutes.

          These scores were cancelled with points from Shauna and Annie Fitzgerald to keep Gailltir well in front.

          Margaret O’Herlihy pulled a point back for Éire Óg with five minutes remaining but it was cancelled out with a sweat effort by Áine Lyng one of a number of players in Sky Blue including Ciara O’Sullivan, Annie and Aoife Fitzgerald, Leah Sheridan, Emma Roche and Hannah Flynn, three minutes later.

          The Cork side through Margaret O’Herlihy, who along with Meadbh Ellen Desmond and Isobel Sheehan, brought the days scoring to a close in added time at the end of the sixty minutes.

Gaultier: Ciara Jackman; Emily Mahony, Margo Heffernan, Claire Dunne; Leah Sheridan, Emma Roche, Hannah Flynn; Kate Lynch, Shauna Fitzgerald; Aine Lyng, Ciara O’Sullivan, Annie Fitzgerald; Emer Walsh, Aoife Fitzgerald, Clodagh Carroll. 

Subs: Anne Corcoran for Shauna Fitzgerald, Róisín Flood for Emer Walsh, Emma Flynn for Emily Mahony, Eilish Cullinane for Hannah Flynn, Hannah Hutchinson for Clodagh Carroll.

Scorers: Annie Fitzgerald 1-3, Áine Lyng 0-4, Aoife Fitzgerald 1-1, Clodagh Carroll, Shauna Fitzgerald 0-1 each.

Eire Óg: Rachel Murray; Katie McCarthy, Aileen Hennessy, Aine Barry; Emma Quigley, Marie Gleeson, Aoife O’Callaghan; Emma Crowley, Isobel Sheehan; Ruth Murphy, Siobhan Hutchinson, Meadbh Ellen Desmond; Grace Collins,  Margaret O’Herlihy, Gillian Murphy.

Subs; Niamh Twomey for  Grace Collins, Orla Meaney for Emma Crowley, Aideen Buckley for  Katie McCarthy, Ciara Sheehan for Gillian Murphy.

Scorers: Margaret O’Herlihy 0-5, Meadbh Ellen Desmond 0-1

Referee: Kevin O'Brien (Limerick)

The Nire Bow Out In Controversial Game at Fraher Field

St Joseph’s Miltown Mallbay are through to a first ever Munster Senior Club Football final after overcoming the challenge of Waterford Champions The Nire at a soggy Fraher Field in Dungarvan on Sunday last.

The Saint Joseph’s Miltown Malbay management team gave a vote of confidence to the team that beat Ennistymon 0-14 to 0-8 in the county final for this game and it was they that got off to a great start in this game racing into a three point lead inside ten minutes while playing with a strong wind at their backs in the opening half.

It was the home side however playing a fourth game in four weeks that opened the scoring with a point from Tom Barron point. The younger brother of Inter county hurler Jamie was on hand to finish a move that saw them win a Sean O’Brien restart after Darren Guiry who was Man of the Match in the Waterford county final two weeks ago kicked wide from a free, second’s earlier.

The visitors however responded with points from Eoin Cleary on four minutes from a free, Kieran Malone, Cleary with another free and then wing back Colin Hehir on ten minutes to go 0-4 to 0-1 in front.

The Nire steadied somewhat after this and were quickly into their stride as Jamie Barron, Shane Ryan from a free and Conor Gleeson kicked points in a row to level matters at four points each with 18 minutes played.

However it was the visiting side to the not so sunny south east that enjoyed the better of the remaining minutes of the opening half as Oisin Looney, Kieran Malone, Conor Cleary and Colin Hehir kicked points between the 18 and 29 minutes to go 0-9 to 0-4 in front.

The Nire playing on familiar ground gave themselves hope going into the second half as the rain poured down just before the break when Conor Gleeson pointed from a free to leave four between the sides as they headed to the dressing rooms, to enjoy underage sides from the two clubs their chance to play in the driving rain during the interval.

Shane Walsh, Eoin Curtain and Dylan Guiry swapped early second half scores for their respective sides in the opening nine minutes of the second half as The Nire cut the Visitors lead to three, but a minute later the visiting side notched the first goal of the game when Conor Cleary played in a long ball which was won by Cormac Murphy who slipped past his marker and blasted past Diarmuid Murphy to put his side 1-10 to 0-7 in front.

Two points in four minutes edged The Nire a little closer but it was goal’s that they needed, and when another goal did come two minutes later it was at the other end of the field.

Substitute Sean Malone was only on the field three minutes when he connected with a loose ball in front of The Nire goal and finished past a wrong footed Diarmuid Murphy to put his side 2-10 to 0-9 in front.

The Nire had good claims for a penalty two minutes later when Tom Barron was hacked down in the area but referee Padraig O’Sullivan clearly felt that the young Nire number six made the most of the challenge.

With the game all but over the Kerry referee sent The Nire wing back James McGrath off presenting him with a yellow and then a red card to the dismay of the attendance of over 2,000 inside the ground. Darren Guiry the wing back on the other side of the field went straight away to the referee saying that it was he and not McGrath that he had booked earlier, but he was not prepared to listen as McGrath went and stood on the sideline. However some made the referee have a rethink and went to the sideline and invited McGrath back onto the field for the three added minutes played at the end of the hour.

The winners in the second of these minutes kicked the last score of the game through Eoin Cleary and now have a meeting with Kerry kingpins Dr Crokes in the Munster Final on November 25.

All afternoon referee Padraig O’Sullivan from Kerry was the topic of conversation and none more so than when patrons were leaving the ground.

Few if any were talking about the fact that the Clare side were through to a first ever Munster Final as they spilled out onto the Shandon Road. Instead it was all about the referee.

Over the course of the hour, he made some very strange calls, with some of the more strange calls coming in the last ten minutes of the game.

With six minutes remaining Tom Barron looked as if he had a clear cut penalty when he was knocked inside the box, but for whatever reason, one only known to the referee and those he might have since shared his reasons with, he waved play on.

There was no guarantee that if he had outstretched his arms that the resulting one on one kick would have hit the net, and even if it did, The Nire would have had to find four more points plus the one extra that they conceded in stoppage time to get something from the game, sending it to extra time at a minimum

But the strangest call was on the hour mark when as a result of whatever rush of blood went to his head, he issued James McGrath correctly it must be said a yellow card for the concession of a foul, but he followed it with a red card, but in the eyes of McGrath and in the eyes of almost everyone else inside the ground, he was had not been booked earlier in the game.

To his credit James McGrath after making his protest went and stood on the line, even if he was not happy to do so, but within a short space of time the Kerry referee went to the line and invited James McGrath back into the game. It was like being in a school play ground and a teacher spotting some rough play by a child while they played with others and pulled him or her out of the game to reflect on their actions before sending them back in to play with the rest of their classmates and friends.

Those that are regular readers of what appears here will know that I seldom criticise referees in my writing of games, but have done so on a few occasions. On this occasion I think it would be right not to make mention of the Kerry man in charge of this game and the way he officiated. In doing so, I take no pleasure in doing so, but feel that on this occasion it is correct of me and anyone else reporting on the game impartially do comment on the referee’s performance.

The Nire: Diarmuid Murphy, David Meehan, Thomas O’Gorman, Michel Moore, Tom Barron (0-1), James McGrath, Darren Guiry, Tholom Guiry, Craig Guiry, Jamie Barron (0-3), Dylan Guiry (0-1), Shane O’Meara, Shane Ryan (0-1f), Conor Gleeson (0-2, 0-1f), Shane Walsh (0-1).

Subs: Dermot Ryan for Tholm Guiry (37), Conal Mulcahy for David Meehan (46), Ciaran Walsh for Shane O’Meara (56)

Scorers: Jamie Barron 0-3, Conor Gleeson 0-2 (1f), Tom Barron, Dylan Guiry, Shane Ryan (F), Shane Walsh 0-1 each

St Joseph's Miltown Malbay: Sean O'Brien; Aidan McGuane, Enda O'Gorman, Eoin O'Brien; Colin Hehir, Gordon Kelly, Jamesie O'Connor, Oisin Looney, Conor Cleary, Eoin Curtin, Brian Curtin, Kieran Malone; Eoin Cleary, Darragh McDonagh, Cormac Murray.

Subs: Sean Malone for Darragh McDonagh (47), Euan Reidy for Jamesie O’Connor (53), Graham Kelly for Eoin Curtin (56), Michael Murray for Oisin Looney (61).

Scorers: Cormac Murphy 1-1, Sean Malone 1-0, Eoin Cleary 0-3 (3f), Colin Hehir, Kieran Malone 0-2 each, Oisin Looney, Conor Cleary, Eoin Curtain 0-1 each.

Referee: Padraig O’Sullivan (Kerry).

Gailltir Seek Second Munster Title

          Sixty years ago this year a Camogie Club was founded in the Gailltir area of County Waterford. In those sixty years many players at different levels have worn the sky blue and navy shirt which the club wears, some of whom have gone on to achieve great things in the game.

The club recently went between 2008 and 2015 without winning a county senior title in the Déise County but in this time the club began to undertake work in promoting the game amongst the youth of the areas from which they draw their players and it has began to pay off now with interest.

A brilliant group of young players all came along together helping the club achieve many honours in different grades including some titles won at National level winning a number of Féile titles in the last number of years.

Back in 2016 some of the older players coming through from successful underage teams were grouped with some of the more experienced players in the club and it was no real surprise to see the club capture a first senior county title since 2008, beating Lismore in the final, something that was no mean achievement as Lismore had appeared in two All-Ireland Club titles, winning one after a replay in the three years before this final and the side from the west of the county were able to call on a great deal of the players that helped them achieve what the club had against Gailltir.

After winning the County title and celebrating the win, the side went on to represent Waterford in the Munster Intermediate Club Championship beating Nenagh Éire Óg in the final at Cahir, but were to lose out in the All-Ireland semi final.

Last year Gailltir once more reached the County Final but this time they had to settle for second best against a Lismore side that would go on to win the Munster Final a few weeks later, but they like Gailltir the previous year would bow out of the competition at the All-Ireland Semi Final stage of the competition.

This year Gailltir were back in the final once more. They were minus the services of some of the side that help them win the title two years ago, but in their place were some more of the brilliant young prospects that are making a name for themselves in the game.

Earlier this year the side from the Barony area had won the County League Final against De La Salle at Ferrybank and a few weeks back they won the County Senior title against the same opposition this time at the WIT Arena.

In between many of the players that won League and Championship honours helped St Angela’s Ursuline School to Junior and/or Senior All-Ireland finals, meaning that when Gailltir run out at Leahy Park in Cashel on Sunday against Cork side Éire Óg they do so an experienced side.

Strangely when Gailltir take to the field on Sunday it is a possible that only five of the side which won the Munster Final back in 2016 will start, Ciara Jackman, Emma Roche, Áine Lyng, Shauna Fitzgerald and Kate Lynch. The fact that only five of the 2016 might start this coming Sunday does indeed say a lot for the work that the Gailltir are putting in with their underage players and the talent they have available to them.

Eire Óg has played three times since Gailltir last played a competitive game. The Cork side proved too strong for Aghabillogue in the Cork County Final at the Castle Road grounds in Cork on a 1-10 to 0-8 score line and two weeks ago they proved too strong for Tipperary Intermediate Champions Cashel King Cormacs winning 2-7 to 0-4 and in between they won the Cork Senior Summer Cup beating Ballincollig 1-8 to 1-6.

The Gailltir mentors no doubt will have taken the chance to do their homework on the opponents this weekend and won’t need any telling how dangerous the challenge that they face this weekend.

Siobhán Hutchinson at centre back is the team’s captain and possibly their best player. She was part of the Cork Intermediate panel this year and last weekend was nominated for a Soaring Star, the All-Star awards presented each year to those that play in the Intermediate and Junior grades of Inter county Camogie.

In attack the Cork side will put it up to the Gailltir defensive unit and they will to be at their best to keep them at bay.

The wing forwards Emma Crowley and Meabh Ellen Desmond if given the chance will cause heartache to most sides they take on while Margaret O’Herlihy in between the pair can be a real score getter, while in the inside forward line Aoife O’Callaghan flanked possibly by Grace Collins and Gillian Murphy will also take watching.

Most locals watching the game of Camogie will not need any telling of what Gailltir can do.

Some terrific work has taken place in the promotion of the game in the clubs catchment area in the last number of years and it is not starting to reap the rewards of that hard work.

The club has won its quota of underage titles in recent years both locally and nationally, most notably a number of Féile na Gael titles.

Players like Emer Walsh, Aoife and Annie Fitzgerald, Ann Corcoran and Emer Walshe to name but a few were involved in some of those underage successes in recent years and will be looking to add to their collection of medals this weekend.

They will be joined this weekend by some players who have amassed experience in the last number of years, the like of Ciara Jackman in goal, Margo Heffernan at full back, the vastly experienced duo of Áine Lyng and Emma Hannon while Kate Lynch who featured in 2016 will vital, while others like Clodagh Carroll who has won Munster and All-Ireland medals with the Ursuline School on the Folly already this year will also be important.

Gailltir will know that they face a stern test this weekend and also that the recent competitive games played by the Cork side will stand to them.

The Barony girls will have worked hard since their county final win over De La Salle and they will be showing great hunger to add to their roll of honour this weekend.

Waterford sides have a good record in the last decade when it comes to playing in finals at this level and Gailltir will be looking to extend that run of good results on Sunday.

Mount Sion and Shamrocks Battle In Last Big County Final Of 2018

          It seems right now you have to be careful what you have to say to some when it comes to the G.A.A. in Waterford, so hopefully nobody will take offence to what might be said here, as there is no intention to cause offence.

Tomorrow (Saturday) in Walsh Park this year’s County Junior Football Final will be fought out between two sides from opposite ends of the county, Mount Sion from the City and Shamrocks who pick players almost to the county boundary share with Cork at the opposite end of the ground.

For both clubs they began their campaign to reach where they are right now back on April 21, when Mount Sion beat Butlerstown 3-7 to 0-7 and on the same day Shamrocks proved too strong for Old Parish winning 2-9 to 0-12.

This final will be played a week before which ever sides wins out tomorrow take on Cork champions Dromtarriffe or Limerick Champions Kildimo-Pallaskenry who meet in the first round of the Munster Championship in Mallow an hour before the game in Walsh Park meeting that both sides if they wish to know should know who they are playing by the time they head to the dressing rooms for the break in Walsh Park.

On more than one occasion in recent years the winners of different championships have not got to represent the county in the Munster Club Championship because of the late running of the competitions, so praise must go to the County Board who did all in their power this year to ensure that Waterford’s Champions in both hurling and football in the Senior, Intermediate and Junior grades got to play in Munster, but one question has to be asked. How come it took from April 21 to November 10 to complete a championship where only four clubs took part in the west of the county and eight clubs took part in the east of the county, split into two groups of three meaning that all clubs had just three games to play before the commencement of the knockout stages of the championship.

You even have to ask how come the Western Final between Shamrocks and Old Parish was been able to be played on September 8, while the Eastern Final between Mount Sion and Ferrybank only took place last weekend, two full months later.

Whatever the cause for taking so long to complete the championship we are now where we are and it must be said that the two best teams in the county are taking part in this final.

Mount Sion are no strangers to taking part in games like this. They have appeared in their share of County Finals in recent years after winning the Eastern Final and even won the competition back in 2013 and played in the Intermediate Grade for a few years.

Back in the 80’s and 90’s the Knockanore based club were a bit of a force when it came to football and played in a higher grade than what they do now, contesting an Intermediate County Final in 1987 where they lost out to Saint Saviours who would go on to contest the senior final against Kilrossanty 12 months later.

Both clubs will believe that they can win this game and whichever side comes out on top will be worthy winners, with both sides containing some quality footballers in their ranks.

Shamrocks could well line out along the lines of their Western Final win over Old Parish.

That should mean that Richie Murphy and Tim Lenihan battling it for the number one shirt with Tom Donovan in front of him with Padraig Roche and Brian Harnady either side of him.

Shane Roche could well be at centre back with Cathal Herlihy and Adam Crawford either side of him and Stephen and John Paul Lucey could be in the middle of the field.

In attach Colm Roche could be at centre forward, Chris Murphy could well fall back as a third man in the middle of the field with the other positions taken up by Bernie Kelleher, Billy and Eddie Hynes and Padraig Ahearne.

Mount Sion might be best known as a hurling club but they also have within their ranks some fine footballers.

They too could line out along the lines of the side that won the Eastern Final last week which means that Nicholas Mackey will be in foal with Colm Kennedy, Shane Elliott and Craig Savage in the full back line with Barry Ryan, Michael Gaffney and Ian O’Regan in front of them.

Not many might be aware that Austin Gleeson has played football for Waterford and he could well be in the middle of the field for this game where he could be partnered by Owen Whelan.

Martin ‘Fish’ O’Neill could be at centre forward flanked by John Kennedy and Stephen Roche while the inside forward line could feature Richie Roche in the middle flanked by Ian Galgey and Eoghan Browne.  

So who will win? You can’t but feel that Shamrocks long layoff without a competitive game is not good for them. I have no doubt they will have got in a number of challenge games between then and now but all the challenge games in the world are nowhere near as good as a good competitive outing.

Taking this into consideration and Mount Sion having a run out last weekend, they get the nod to win here but it could be close.

 

Big Night Ahead For Waterford Camogie All-Star Nominees

As we all know by this stage this year’s hurling and football All-Stars were presented at a function in the capital this evening. Going into the event we knew for the first year in a number of years that there would be no Waterford involvement on the night, apart from the presence of a small amount of people from the county at the function.

The same cannot be said of the 15^th Annual Camogie All-Star Banquet at the City West Hotel in Dublin on Saturday evening.

While Kilkenny and Cork lead the way when it comes to nominations, Kilkenny who were beaten in this year’s All-Ireland Final have 14 nominations while this year’s All-Ireland winners Cork strangely have just 12 nominations.

 The two sides beaten in the semi finals Tipperary and Galway have 5 nominations each, while Waterford have a very creditable four nominations, ahead of Dublin with 3 nominations and Offaly with 2.

For Waterford 2018 was a brilliant year for Waterford’s senior Camogie team even if team captain Shauna Kiernan or the teams vice captain Niamh Rockett got to raise aloft any silverware at the end of any of the three competitions which they were entered.

Waterford this year had Donal ‘Duck’ O’Rourke in charge and to say that the panel that he assembled responded to his methods would be an understatement.

From the off it was clear to a blind man that without any disrespect to those that came before him since coming up to the senior grade for the first time in 2018 that the panel bought into what the management team were trying to do with them and they did not fail to deliver.

Yes, the team finished empty handed, but it must be remembered that only one team can win any given competition, but this present Waterford panel which I for one hopes will be around for some time with some of the exciting young prospects coming through added to it in the next couple of years creating extra competition for the starting 15 places on the team.

In the league Waterford narrowly missed out on a place in the knockout stages of the National League finishing level on points with Limerick but losing out on a semi final spot on score difference as the two sides drew the head to head between the two counties.

In the Munster Championship Waterford played absolutely brilliant against the now All-Ireland Champions Cork in Modeligo. On the day certain calls went against the Waterford side and on another day you have to wonder what might have happened.

In the All-Ireland Championship after losing their first two games against Galway and Kilkenny, Waterford beat Limerick and Clare to secure third place in the table and so won a place in the All-Ireland quarter finals where they put it up to a more experienced Tipperary side at Pairc Ui Chaoimh and narrowly missed out on a win on the day.

The experience of the past twelve months going so near will surly spur on the panel next year to go that step further.

Camogie in Waterford is a game on the up and it is only fitting that after going close in 2018 that the side receives recognition and it does in the four All-Star nominations, and maybe it could be argued that Waterford were unlucky not to get even more nominations, but for now four nominations is something that Waterford will accept.

So who are the four Waterford nominations?

Gailltir club player Áine Lyng is nominated in the half back line. Áine it could be said is a veteran of the game having been around now for a number of years for both club and county with a break in the middle of her long service to both.

She helped Waterford reach the Junior All-Ireland Finals in 2009 and 2010 claiming a Soaring Star for her performances in both years. In total she has been nominated for five All-Stars. She missed out on Waterford winning the Junior All-Ireland Final in 2011 and the Intermediate Final in 2015 but since coming back into the fold she has added something different to the side.

Áine will be hoping to win a Munster Intermediate Final next weekend with Gailltir when they take on Cork side Éire Óg in the final at Cashel.

 Nominated in the middle of the field is 22 year old Lorraine Bray. Lorraine who is a member of the Cappoquin club is around the Waterford panel with the last number of year’s coming onto the scene between Waterford winning the Junior and Intermediate All-Ireland’s and has proved to be a very versatile player who has got better and better each year in the white and blue shirt.

Lorraine is someone that many will know about with some time having won a Minor All-Ireland in 2014 and an Intermediate final the following year. This is her first nomination for an All Star. To stress First is important as key observers of the game think very highly of the young lady for Melleray and are quick to point out that she is very much a player for the future.

Having seen my share of games this year I can’t think of too many players that have impressed more than Saint Anne’s Club player Niamh Rockett.

Niamh was the sides vice captain this year and lead by example in each and every game that she played in the white and blue and again in the green and red of her club. Like Lorraine Bray, Niamh is nominated for an All-Star for the first time this year, but is a player that is around now for a number of years having helped Waterford win Junior and Intermediate All-Ireland Finals in 2011 and 2015. Niamh is someone that fought against injuries that could have forced others to give up playing the game they love sometimes back, but hopefully her body allows here to continue for some time to come and that she will end up winning many more awards in the game for Club and County.

          One of the most prolific attacking players in the game with the past number of years is De La Salle club player Beth Carton. Beth burst onto the scene a few years back with a then newly formed De La Salle Club and quickly was invited onto the different underage Waterford teams, and in 2015 was part of the Waterford team that won a National League (Division 2) and Intermediate Championship double and since then has impressed in the senior grade.

           Beth is someone that has achieved so much in the game in recent years and sometimes it is hard to remember that she is just 20 years old. Beth won a Soaring Star (the All-Stars presented to those that play in the Intermediate and Junior grades at inter county level) back in 2015 and this is her second nomination for an All-Star.

Camogie All-Stars Awards 2018 sponsored by Liberty Insurance, nominees list:

Goalkeepers: Emma Kavanagh (Kilkenny), Aoife Murray (Cork), Sarah Healy (Galway).

Full-Back Line: Mary Ryan (Tipperary), Laura Treacy (Cork), Grace Walsh (Kilkenny), Shauna Healy (Galway), Catherine Foley (Kilkenny), Edwina Keane (Kilkenny), Sarah Dervan (Galway), Pamela Mackey (Cork), Colette Dormer (Kilkenny).

          Half-Back Line: Karen Kennedy (Tipperary), Hannah Looney (Cork), Hannah Hegarty (Dublin), Claire Phelan (Kilkenny), Róisín Egan (Offaly), Anne Dalton (Kilkenny), Davina Tobin (Kilkenny), Áine Lyng (Waterford), Chloe Sigerson (Cork).

Centre Field: Niamh Kilkenny (Galway), Gemma O’ Connor (Cork), Lorraine Bray (Waterford), Meighan Farrell (Kilkenny), Julia White (Cork), Libby Coppinger (Cork).

Half-Forward Line: Orla Cotter (Cork), Orla O’ Dwyer (Tipperary), Siobhán Flannery (Offaly), Katie Power (Kilkenny), Orla Cronin (Cork), Denise Gaule (Kilkenny), Amy O’ Connor (Cork), Anna Farrell (Kilkenny), Niamh Rockett (Waterford).

Full-Forward Line: Orla Beagan (Dublin), Carrie Dolan (Galway), Cáit Devane (Tipperary), Shelly Farrell (Kilkenny), Katrina Mackey (Cork), Michelle Quilty (Kilkenny), Beth Carton (Waterford), Grace O’ Brien (Tipperary), Siobhán Kehoe (Dublin).

Modeligo and Kilmacthomas’ Big Day Draws Near

          I am sure that most reading this will agree with me when I say that this year’s County Intermediate Football Final has two sides doing battle against each other at the Saint Mollerans Club Grounds in Carrickbeg on Sunday evening that few would have predicted a few weeks back let alone at the start of the championship.

Those associated with the Kilmacthomas and Modeligo Clubs will disagree with me in my opening statement and on this occasion I will allow them to do so, but I am sure there is numbers associated with both clubs who would have felt that they would win a divisional title this year, but I am sure they will agree that they maybe could not see their opponents this weekend as their opponents in a county final.

In the Eastern half of the county most would have expected the likes of Bunmahon beaten in last year’s Divisional Final and beaten in the County Final back in 2015 to push strong again this year, and even though they will be disappointed to replicate their 2017 finish to the championship last weekend, few myself included saw that result happen.

Saint Saviours relegated from the senior grade two years ago were many people’s favourite to go one step further than they did last year when they lost out to Dungarvan in the County Final, but they were to bow out this year at the semi final stages of the competition.

Kill and John Mitchell’s two traditional football sides were also expected to push hard for a place in the divisional and county finals this year as would De La Salle who played in the senior grade in recent years, while Newtown and Tramore would have been expected to be there or there about, but in the end it was Kilmacthomas that came out on top in the eastern half of the county and are involved in this weekend’s county final on merit.

Up west, it was much the same story. Ballinameela who were relegated from the senior status were spoken about from the off as the team to beat, and were expected to win a fourth Western and County Intermediate Football Double since 2009 and while they will be disappointed that their football year ended last weekend with a comprehensive defeat in the Western final, they still have something to play for having won the County Junior Hurling Final in recent weeks and will compete in the Munster Championship in two weeks time.

Colligan Emmets, Sliabh gCua who won last year’s Junior County Final, Geraldines and Ballinacourty’s second string side were all expect to push Ballinameela all the way as they did, all finishing above Ballinameela after the group stages of the competition.

But while it would not come as much of a shock result as Kilmacthomas winning in the East of the County, it was Modeligo that finished top of the pile after the group games and went on to win the divisional final last weekend, more people would have expected them to have a better finish in the hurling championship than in football, despite probably being a better footballing side than a hurling one.

The novel paring is surly going to attract a bumper crown to the Carrickbeg venue where the prize will be for the winners not just going on to play in the senior grade in 2019 but to represent the county in the Munster Club Championship where they will play the winner of Saturday’s Munster quarter final game in Kilrush between Kilrush Shamrocks from Clare and Kerry champions Kilcummin. These two sides play in Kilrush on Saturday afternoon at 1-30pm.  

Both of these sides will go into this game believing that they can make the step up to play in the senior grade in 2019.

Benji Whelan’s Kilrossanty side look to have a strong spine to their team which could well be the winning of the game for them with Niall Cronin in goal, Gary Kiely at full back, Peter Gallagher at centre back, Jack Dee and John Cleary in the middle of the field while Alan Fitzsimons could well be at centre forward and inter county player Adam Walsh at full forward.

Conor Prendergast has worked well with his charges since they were knockout of the hurling championship some weeks back and they may well prove to be a better footballing side than most would expect and should be able to call on different sets of brothers like the Troy’s, McCarthy’s, O’Donovan’s and Devine’s they could well prove to be a match for anyone if they were all to click on the one day.

Which of these teams will come out on top is hard to tell. Whichever does will celebrate well their win, but they won’t overdo the celebrations knowing that they have another big game coming up.

For most the outcome of the game is very much a 50/50 situation. Modeligo get the nod to win a first title to go with the first western title won last weekend, but expect Kilmacthomas looking for a first Intermediate title since they beat An Rinn back in 2001to push them all the way.