Gailltir Secure All-Ireland Final Spot

We might have had a change of calendar year in the past four weeks, but for clubs up and down the country that are still involved in the different club championships they are doing so in 2018 competitions. And for one club in particular 2018 could well prove to be a very memorable one.

Back in 1958 a new Camogie Club was formed in the Gailltir area of County Waterford.

The formation of a new club came about after the local Gaultier Football Club had won the Junior Football County Final and in the area the feeling was what the men could do on the Gaelic Field could also be done by the ladies if given a chance, but not with footballs, instead they would use hurley’s and sliotar’s.

People like Tony Cummins, Anne Dingley, Pat Power, Pat Doyle, Bernie Dingles and Mary Kennedy were instrumental in the formation of the new club.

Over the sixty years since its formation the club has had many great days in all grades of Camogie but it’s possible fair to say few if any rivalled what was achieved at Leahy Park in Cashel on Sunday 28 January 2019, when the sky blues for the first time advanced to an All-Ireland Club final, which takes place in Croke Park in early March.

Offaly club Saint Rynagh’s were Gailltir’s opponents on this historic day. The Offaly side had beaten opposition from Kilkenny in the Leinster Final before Christmas which would have given them plenty of confidence going into this game, after all any side that would knock any Kilkenny side out of a competition in hurling or Camogie would have to fancy their chances, such is the strength of both games in the Ormond County.

But three goals off Róisín Flood, Ann Corcoran and Clodagh Carroll proved vital for the Sky Blue in this game as under the control of Orla Murphy, Gail O’Sullivan, Paul Lyng and Catherine Whitty ran out winners on a 3-8 to 0-12 score line.

A huge crowd attendance witnessed this keenly fought battle played out in difficult conditions, but you have to wonder if the game could have been played 15 miles up the road at Semple Stadium as a possible curtain raiser to a National League game between Waterford and Offaly.

It was the Offaly side that opened the scoring in this game with a point from wing forward Grainne Dolan in the first minute of play. But Gailltir were quick to settle after this and their first score proved crucial.

Clodagh Carroll who is a key member of the Saint Angela’s team that has achieved so much in recent months had an attempt at goal blocked but when the rebound fell to Róisín Flood she made no mistake in firing past Eileen Gilligan for the first of Gailltir’s goals.

And when Shauna Fitzgerald scored on ten minutes to put her side 1-2 to 0-2 in front it was beginning to look as maybe it would be the sky blues day, making up for the disappointment of losing out to  Eglish from Tyrone at the same stage of the competition at Ashbourne two years ago.

It was known before the game that Siobhan Flannery was the player that Gailltir would have to keep a very close eye on in this game and she kept the side from the midlands in touch right throughout this game finishing with seven points behind her name on the score sheet, all from frees.

Two scores from the full forward kept the midlander’s within touching distance of Gailltir but they were followed up with a crucial score off the stick of Emer Walsh from a tight angle.

Kate Kenny and Áine Lyng swapped scores for their respective sides to keep Gailltir 1-4 to 0-5 in front with 20 minutes on the clock.  

The midlander’s piled on the pressure in the closing minutes of the opening half, but were not able to break down the Gailltir defence was proved to be water tight on the day, as they turned around with a 1-6 to 0-7 lead showing on the score board.

Gailltir brought in Aoife Fitzgerald for Róisín Flood at the start of the second half, and they began brightly as Clodagh Carroll saw an effort go just wide.

After an Áine Lyng free went just wide of the uprights just as in the first half the Offaly side hit the first score of the second half, not surprisingly from a Siobhan Flannery free.

After winning the resulting restart Kate Lynch played in Annie Fitzgerald who saw her effort for a second Gailltir goal deflected out for a ’45 from which Áine Lyng made no mistake.

Gailltir did not have to wait long for a second goal. With 40 minutes of the game played Annie Fitzgerald won her side a penalty. Áine Lyng saw her effort saved but Ann Corcoran was on hand to fire to the net to put her side 2-7 to 0-8 in front.

Siobhan Flaherty fired over once more for Saint Rynagh’s to keep them in sight of Gailltir but the game was effectively over when Clodagh Carroll finished to the net for a third goal for the Sky Blues.

Gailltir pointed on 45 minutes through Annie Fitzgerald which proved to be her side’s last score of the game.

At the other end of the field Saint Rynagh’s created chances and were able to pick off some late scores but the goal that they needed to bring them back into this game never came their way.

Gailltir sent on Trish Jackman for the last few minutes of this game, a nice touch from the clubs management team considering all that she has achieved within in the game over a long number of years.

In stoppage time Saint Rynagh’s won a penalty which if converted would have proved to be a consolation score, but Ciara Jackman, a younger sister of Trish and a brilliant young goalkeeper was equal to the effort fired at her and was able to keep the shot of getting past her.

A final score of 3-8 to 0-12 mean that Gailltir have now reached this year’s All-Ireland Intermediate Final at G.A.A. Headquarters on March 3.

The opposition that day will be provided by Clonduff from Down who had a 1-8 to 0-9 win over Galway side Craughwell at Kinnegad in the second semi final tomorrow.

Nobody from Gailltir will be underestimating the challenge of the Ulster Side in that game. Gailltir will after all not need telling that it was Ulster Opposition that stopped them reaching a first All-Ireland Final at this level two years ago.

But this even though is a young Gailltir panel with some experienced heads included, but it is at this stage an experienced side. The experience of two years ago will stand to them.

So too will the experience that many of the players involved will have gained in winning Féile Titles in recent years, in helping Saint Angela’s Secondary School win what they have achieved in recent years, helping Waterford win the Munster ‘A’ Title last year and we must not forget that a large number of players from this group has played senior inter county Camogie in the last few years.

For now, let’s not look too much into the future. We can do that in a few weeks time. For now it is all about the present. It is about rejoicing in this brilliant win for Gailltir, which will soon be forgotten about and the hard work in preparing for March 3 will begin, when hopefully Gailltir will become only the second Waterford team following on from Ardmore in the Junior Hurling final last year to win at G.A.A. Headquarters on All-Ireland Final day.

Gailltír: Ciara Jackman; Emily Mahony, Margo Heffernan, Claire Dunne; Leah Sheridan, Emma Roche, Hannah Flynn; Shauna Fitzgerald, Áine Lyng; Clodagh Carroll, Ann Corcoran, Kate Lynch; Roisin Flood, Annie Fitzgerald, Emer Walsh.

Subs: Aoife Fitzgerald for Roisin Flood (half time), Trish Jackman for Ann Corcoran (56).

Scorers: Roisin Flood 1-1, Annie Fitzgerald 0-3 (0-2f), Clodagh Carroll, Ann Corcoran 1-0 each, Áine Lyng 0-2 (1(45), Shauna Fitzgerald, Emer Walshe 0-1 each.

St. Rynagh’s: Ellen Gilligan; Roisin Daly, Linda Sullivan, Trish Nugent; Ann Daly, Roisin Egan, Elaine Sullivan; Helen Dolan, Louise Mannion; Kate Kenny, Mairead Daly, Grainne Dolan; Sarah Pearl, Siobhán Flannery, Louise Flannery.

Scorers: Siobhán Flannery 0-7 (7f), Grainne Dolan 0-3, Kate Kenny 0-2

Referee: John McDonagh (Galway).